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DO YOU PAINT YOUR OWN NAILS?

I have a funny question for you today but it's one I'm actually quite curious about. But first, a confession: I cannot paint my own nails for the life of me! Painting with my left hand is not pretty. Plus my very favorite indulgence (as I admitted here!) is to go to the nail salon and get a mani/pedi. And I always, always stick to pinks and reds...
You'll find all these Essie colors right here but my current favorites are Fiesta, Geranium, and Mademoiselle. Tell me: (1) what's your favorite nail polish color and (2) do you paint your own nails?!

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49 comments:

Chelsea Mac said...

Essie has some of my hands down fave colors - Top of my list are ballet slippers, geranium, and tarte deco! I typically paint my own finger nails, but I usually get my toes done.

Chelsea
www.hautechildinthecity.com

Lanie W. said...

I'm surprisingly good at painting my own nails, I just have to do it veryy slowly and carefully. Currently I'm in love with Essie Sugar Daddy, a really pretty light shade of pink but I love all of the colors you posted! I'm trying to build my polish collection and they're excellent suggestions! I just started my blog & would love for you to take a look! :)

-Lanie @ SouthernPreppyChic.blogspot.com

Allyson of Lovely Explorer said...

I paint my own fingers and toes, but treat myself every now and then to a mani/pedi. I'm usually decent at painting, but terrible at waiting enough time for them to dry! I'm almost exclusively an essie girl.. geranium and tarte deco are my go-tos.

Lauren said...

I just lived in Thailand for the past two years where I would get $3 mani/pedi's. So I never painted my nails! Now I'm living in the states and off to college, I guess I'll have to paint my own nails now. I love pinks too!

Carly A. Heitlinger said...

I love how we're the same person.

xoxoxoxoxo
C

Nicole said...

I'm right there with you - cannot do it myself, but LOVE to get it done. Try OPI's I Mainely Eat Lobster. It's a great orangey red - quite lobsterish, in fact! :)

Something Delightful by Rachel Timmerman said...

My favorite nail polish color is Seeing Pink Elephants by OPI. I can't paint my own nails either! I hate painting nails. But I agree with you, I'd much rather go to a salon! It's one of the highlights of my every other week! I like that look that only you can get in a salon :)

-Rachel @ A Preppy State of Mind

Elizabeth said...

I don't know if i have a favorite nail polish color right now, but i am getting into the pastels now! And i usually do paint my nails on my own...but i love going to the nail salon :)

Lilacandgrey said...

Never! I always get a mani-pedi :)

Anonymous said...

Almost never! Like you, I cannot paint with my left hand. I can manage my toes if I must, but I do prefer to go to the nail salon! My current favorites are Clambake (red), Mademoiselle (a classic!), and Watermelon (hot pink).

One Stylish Day at a Time said...

Like you, I'm seriously challenged with finger nail polish. Not only can I not paint with my left hand, I can never ever get the polish to go on smoothly! Luckily for me, my boyfriend's mom is a whiz at it and happens to have the whole CND shellac set up so I'm spoiled.

Holy City Chic | Megan said...

I love Essie Splash of Grenadine, Essie Ballet Slippers and Essie California Coral (it's the perfect pinky coral!). I try to paint them myself the majority of the time, but love to treat myself to a mani/pedi once every month or two! Xo-M

Julie Leah said...

I must confess - I usually do my own! I will splurge on a pedicure, but never a manicure. I've finally found the perfect base coat/color/top coat combination that I can get my polish to last for quite a while. My signature color is OPI 'cajun shrimp' but I'm loving Essie 'lights' for summer :)

Unknown said...

I don't really have a FAVORITE when it comes to nail color...I love to change it up often - loving pinks, corals, teals and gunmetal right now.

I actually DO paint my own nails...strangely good at it (I attribute it to being an artist?) Anyway, my friends always wanted me to paint their nails when we were younger...and I'd opt to paint my own too! LOL.www.styleoyster.blogspot.com

christin said...

I don't have a favorite color, at all. Weird, I know. 99% of the time, I do my own nails. Easy way to save money!

genevieve zoe said...

my all time favorites are essie's 'forget me nots' and opi's 'suzi and the lifeguard'... i pretty much only wear the pinks too, everything else looks so brash! and i used to not be able to paint my nails to save my life, but i've been practicing and it's gotten a ton better. so it's possible!! xoxo

http://cestlavie-ver.blogspot.com

Carolyn said...

I actually paint my own nails at least 3 times a week. Crazy, I know - but as someone who chips off an entire mani (dirty habit) once one chip appears, I really do have to repaint every few days. Painting them so often was perfect practice for being able to do it myself - I even gave myself a french glitter tip mani last night with no cleanup needed!

Because I paint them so often, my ranage of favorite colors is all over the place, but recently, my go-tos are: Essie - Lollipop, Absolutely Shore, Fiji, and Bikini So Teeny + OPI Mod About You and Tickle My Francey are all time faves.

Susan said...

I do my own and my favorite at the moment is Essie's ole caliente and meet me at sunset. I love Essie polish!

LindsB said...

I almost always paint my own nails and toes. I'm really anal about getting the whole nail and not missing the sides and I find when I get them done they always miss parts of my nail. Wow, now that I just wrote that out I sound like a crazy person. Maybe I need to go chill and get a mani/pedi tonight :)

Stephanie said...

my current fave is Chanel Rose Cache. And I usually get them done, but will do them myself as well.

Kathryn said...

I usually paint my own because I can't justify spending more money on one manicure than a bottle of polish costs. Even with so much practice, I still have to fix a lot of mistakes. One of my favorite this summer has been OPI's Hot 'n' Spicy. I like the Essie colors I've seen on your blog, but in my experience, Essie polish doesn't go on as well as OPI. I will have to try again!

Portuguese Prepster said...

I love getting manis and pedis because they are so relaxing but I'm actually very good at painting my own so I do that in between appts!

Ellie said...

I do my own! I have miraculously had a steady hand so I can paint my right hand with my left. I do admit that my left hand always looks better, haha!

I love bright colors in the summer and dark colors in the winter. Right now I'm loving Essie Fiji, Essie Pansy, and OPI Thrill of Brazil. Mademoiselle is my go to sheer pink and I love Essie Wicked and OPI Lincoln Park After Dark in the winter!

Mrs. Garlic said...

100% i paint my own nails! with a little practice, you'll get to a point where you're steady on both hands. and i'm never perfect, but a little clean up goes a long way.

i've found two things about doing my own nails that will make me hate getting my nails done: 1. i buy a LOT of polish. and i can, because i don't pay to have my nails done. 2. a salon manicure NEVER lasts as long as my own do!

Maria Larsen said...

I am seriously bad at painting my nails, but I still try! I'm loving all the pinks and reds by Essie lately and Zoya makes really amazing pastels!

Nat said...

I started painting my own nails about a year ago b/c I found the best top coat ever that lasts longer than anything from the nail salon! Plus I change my mind a lot and I don't feel guilty changing polish colors since I didn't pay for it!
Trust me with practice you get much better!

Caroline said...

Essie's Fear or Desire is my favorite color right now! It's the perfect bright summer orange. My friend is really good at painting my nails so she does my toes (I cannot do those to save my life) and I am getting better at my fingers!

Jenn from A Pop of Style said...

I do paint my own nails, I hate wasting money on manicures, they never really last that long! My fav Essie color is Fiji. I wear it all summer long.

Jenn

http://apopofstyle.blogspot.com/

Tory Banknell said...

My favorite Essie color of the moment is Castaway. It's the perfect summer pink. I tend to get my nails done (I try to treat myself to once a week), since it's such a nice relaxing activity. I used to paint my nails all the time but now leave it up to the professionals (for some reason I mess them up when I'm at home-I get too impatient).

Leanne said...

I paint my own nails (after a lot of practice at getting my right hand to look good!!). My favorites are definitely classics....Essie Fiji, Lollipop (a recent fave!!), and Wicked. Also love OPI We'll Always Have Paris (the color and name of course!!). I do still treat myself to pedicures every once in a while. A little pampering is always needed :)

Lindsay Jeanloz of Port Winsor said...

Hi Mackenzie!

My go-to is Essie Limo-scene (sheer pastel pink) - looks kind of like a subtle French. I've also been LOVING OPI's Elephantastic Pink this summer on both my toes and my fingers.

I am a former nail biter (terrible, I know), so as a preventative measure I go in regularly for manicures to ensure I don't slip back into my old ways. ;-) I've been going to the same person for 5 years now. My visits end up being a bit social, so I look forward to them and rarely end up painting my own nails!

Have a good one,
Lindsay

Anne said...

I've gotten a bit better at painting my own nails with practice, but filing/shaping them... not so much. That's most of what makes a professional manicure worth it to me! Love all of these Essie colors, and I've been wearing Clambake and Tart Deco lately too.

Royar said...

I've been wearing Clambake by Essie for the past two weeks, and before that, Bikini So Teeny! I always do my own nails! XO

Mary said...

I paint my own but treat myself to a mani/pedi when I can justify spending the money! I usually stick to classic hues, and my current favorite is OPI Dutch Tulip!

Lindsay said...

I always paint my own nails... all you need is practice and a good top coat! Essie has what I consider to be the best quality but is also not a bank breaker. I love Cute as a Button, Off the Shoulder, Tarte Deco, and Meet Me at Sunset.

Anonymous said...

I paint my own nails, usually weekly, but at least biweekly. Right now I'm obsessed with 2 Sinful Colors I recently bought, a bright turquoise and neon fuchsia.

molly said...

I paint my own nails religiously - there is a new shade on my fingers every few days. I always get pedicures (my favorite indulgence) but I've always enjoyed painting my finger nails. I'm not amazing at it, but I'm getting better. The key is doing several coats to cover up imperfections. Essie makes an amazing correcter pen that helps clean around the edge of the nail to remove excess polish. My favorite color is Essie geranium!

Unknown said...

Sometimes I do, but they always come out horrible. I also have no patience waiting for them to dry and end up smudging them minutes later. My favorite color is Essie Turquoise and Caicos!

Jordan - Queen of LA! said...

i have never been able to paint my own nails and im jealous of people who do!

my favorite colors are all by essie: lion around (a great beige), turquoise and caicos (everyone's favorite aqua!), pink parka (the best neon pink), a splash of grenadine (the perfect lavender), and chinchilly (beautiful grey). look them up, theyre beautiful!

the brunette said...

I love the color options with essie but I have found that OPI is MUCH better for at home manicures! I always thought I was unable to do it myself, but since switching to OPI I have found success. I get compliments about how my nails are always done... haha SECRETS OUT! I think what makes it a bit better is that you can get the color in just one coat, whereas essie sometimes requires 2-3. :)

Anonymous said...

I do paint my own nails- got good at it when I moved to NYC and was poor :) Practice makes perfect! Now I go to the salon for a mani/pedi, the next week do my nails, then go back to the salon for a mani/pedi refresh. I love elegant creams like Essie Adore-a-ball or OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy, but lately OPI Senorita Rose-alita is my go-to for a hit of pink!

Elizabeth said...

Just like you- can't paint mine worth anything and always stick with reds, pinks, and corals. I just can't seem to pick up on the other trendy colors!

Cheers, Elizabeth of The Corner Apartment

Courtney Elizabeth said...

As much as I love letting the pros handle it, my nails usually end up chipping/peeling within the first day, and there's no way I could afford a regular manicure habit! So even though it never looks perfect, I do my own nails. My Essie collection is getting out of control...current favorite is Clambake.

Lindsey said...

Essie is my favorite brand, and some of my favorite colors are East Hampton Cottage, Ole Caliente and Cocktail Bling! I paint my own nails every week (Sunday nights!) but get my toenails done at the salon. As you've noticed from my Instagram, I am slightly obsessed with nail polish! I love the colors you posted here. :)

Anonymous said...

OPI I Mainly Eat Lobster is my favorite! I'm quite terrible at painting my own nails, but I am very good at cleaning them up ;)

Unknown said...

I am a Polisholic!!! I do my own nails about 2x a week because I love switching out colors often! My current crush on color is by Orly in Rage. Its this beautiful copper tine with small sparkles! Its amazing and I have been getting compliments non-stop!!! I actually posted a pic on my blog of my current crush...However Essie is my favorite brand of polish! Can't beat it ;)

http://itotallylovewriting.blogspot.com/

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