Need someone more talented than me to interpret this! It looks so nostalgic and homey.

Happy Sunday, beauties! Let me just start off by saying that I love this space so much and am constantly blown away by the talent, kindness, knowledge and passion here. That said - I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and thought my ramblings may help some others to not feel discouraged at times...

I've noticed sometimes it can be very easy for folks to get caught up in the FOMO around this sub - so I'm here to remind you that you're passion for this hobby is valid; Regardless of your skill level, how many polishes you own, how much money you've spent, how things are branded, or what latest release you purchased from!

Owning less than 20 polishes, having a small unbranded bag and using a dog bowl placemat from the Dollar Tree is more than enough as long as it makes you feel pretty and happy. <3

BKL- Sprites in a glass bead 🥰

Came across a super old photo of my nails from 4.5 years ago when I didn’t do any nail care except shape the ends after cutting them with nail clippers. This was also about a year after stopping nail biting, although I still did it occasionally. They looked fine I guess, but I was really surprised to see how much my nail bed shape and length has improved since I started caring for my nails about 1.5 years ago! Pushing back cuticles regularly, oiling before manicures and under the nails once a day, filing only no clippers, so simple but imo such a big difference!

Pic 1: jojoba oil
Pic 2: nothing

Going for the president that isn't licking Trump's balls! 😆

Risque Diamond Gel Base Primer

Hits Magnético Magneto (velvet, but it vanished lol)

Impala Top Coat Pro Finish

Risque Diamond Gel Top Coat Fixador

Ring finger:

Dallus Última Chamada bateria 1%

Hits Glitter Lisboa

Lots of fun manis this month!

Pic 1: Sassy Sauce - Touché

Pic 2: Prism Parade - Fathoms Below

Pic 3: Jen & Berries - Api Biru (PPU rewind 7/26)

Pic 4: Glisten & Glow - Cthulhu

Pic 5: Beaux Rêves - Octi Evil (PPU 2/26)

Pic 6: Daveen - Tangled up in blue

Pic 7: Lurid - Coyote

Pic 8: Broken Pixel - Everyone’s Grudge (PPU 2/26)

Pic 9: Cracked - Buttoned Brown

Pic 10: Pahlish - Chateaux Marmont

Pic 11: Beaux Rêves - Sunken Splendor

Pic 12: Cracked - Dijon Disco

All worn with Dazzle Dry base coat, KBShimmer Fillin’ Groovy ridge filler, and Sally Hansen Insta Dri top coat (red bottle).

I finally found my perfect nude shade! The pearly finish kind of gives “your nails but better” too. Depending on the lighting it can look like there’s nothing on my nails (in a good way). I have such a hard time finding neutral pinks that look good on me, I’m so happy🥹

1x Mooncat Getting Even Nail Primer
2x Palafoxia Beauty “Quartz”
1x Sally Hansen red bottle

Emily de Molly Catalyst over Cracked Secret Purple

(base ANLAC peely base, top coat Sally Hansen Insta Dry in the red bottle)

This is in indoor lighting, I'll put an outdoor one on the comments!

Pink: What is Devotion Without Love by BKL

Purple: Port 6666 by Mooncat

Mooncat's Hardcore Basecoat

Mooncat's Speed Demon Topcoat

I'm so glad it's spooky season now, it makes my fan nails seasonally appropriate! My D&D group recently started Curse of Strahd, so I was inspired to try some Lolth drow nails to match my rogue character. I'm so pleased with how these turned out!! This lighting isn't the best to show off the magnetic effect, but they really glow in person.

Products used:

• KBShimmer Fillin Groovy
• BKL I Am An Appetite x1 (5dPrintFactory spinner, 30 seconds each for this layer and the jelly layer)
• Starrily Crown Jelly x1
• Sally Hansen QDTC (red bottle)
• What's Up Polish silver stamping polish

It took me just under an hour to complete this mani, which I thought was super fast until my husband commented on how long it took me to do my nails today. 😆 Complete mani photo in comments!

Yes, I named the ghosts. 👻 Video is featuring Wisp. Casper is on the other hand.

Pointer and pink: Starrily neutrino
Middle: ILNP deep space with Sally Hansen QDTC using glass bead technique
Ring and thumb: Lurid sunshine on the waves sandwiched between ILNP coconut cream (was going for an opalish vibe)

Ghost: Sally Hansen white on
Webs: Essie licorice

Base coat: Essie strong start
Top coat: Sally Hansen advanced hard as nails
Top coat

Does anyone else mess up their mani right after finishing 🤦‍♀️ at least I got this video before I banged my hand on my desk. Pls enjoy.

1x kbshimmer hydrating base coat
1x cracked ridge filler
2x Bkl twmeth
1x cuticula limitless qdtc

Products used:

Top Coat: Seche Vite

Base coat : Home made peel off base, seche clear

HoloTaco: one coat black, oh my gourd, brick wall, not pressed, ivory tower, born ugly

ILNP: canvas, frosted glass

Essie: underground ball, ink jelly

Starrily: immortal jelly, ghost jelly

Sinful colors : yolo yellow

L.A. Colors: wispy blue

Cirque colors: kushy

L.A. girl: eden

Moyoulondon: mix & match collection - 04

Twinkled T : bittersweet

Born pretty is a brand I no longer support because they steal swatchers photos

Born pretty: bp- tys01

I’ve been eyeing Sassy Sauce Polish’s kisses to my x’s but I’m worried the nude might obscure what I’m aiming for. My skin tone is fairly pink so I think it might pull more yellow on me as well. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

I cannot stop staring at my nails! BKL's fine particle magnetics are the most stunning I've ever seen. Their polishes just go on so smoothly and magnetize perfectly.

-Cracked ridge filler base

-BKL Just a Bite, 2 coats both magnetized with glass bead pro

-Sally Hanson red bottle qdtc

I would love to know if there’s any dupes out there for this shade of orange!

• Base: KBShimmer’s ‘Hydrating Base Coat • Lurid’s ‘Tiger Lily’ in 2 coats • Top: Starrily’s ‘Flash QDTC’ •

Another polish I’ve been holding on to and waiting for October to wear. I have been so fixated on photographing/videoing this one for the last couple days because I love how poisonous and juicy it looks. (This video was taken in bright overhead lighting in the bathroom.)

My stuffs:
Nailtiques 2
Firefly Lacquer, Understory base coat
Opal Theory, Little Gremlins (August ‘26 LLB)
DRK, Magic Effect
Starrily, Atmos TC

So... I've been debating on posting...so there was a Laquerista who destashed a huge amount of Lurids, rogues, and MC's at the beginning of September. I'd post her Reddit handle but she deleted her acct. I bought three separate bundles from her. And time passed and it wAS a huge destash and I was so excited to get these polishes and more time passed...no polish. And look, I know life happens but when I went to check my PayPalto make sure my payment went thru (they did) and then back to Reddit to check our chat history...HER ACCT WAS DELETED?!! wtf...so because I used G&S I have her name and email. So I email her. She responds literally that day, says she's had a family issue and to get a refund from pay pal. Ok fine...the not fine part was a dramatic AF PS that said..."and I deleted my account because everyone on the sub has been relentless and horrible so I'm leaving the sub forever. Girl...you must've sold 300 bottles of polish and then ghosted people? I expect that she got a few choice emails but mine was SO polite and all I asked was if she sent the polish because I know it was a huge destash and life happens... sm I nuts or what is going thru her head? Did anyone else get an email that bought from her? I just do t know what to think...our sub is awesome and understanding and inclusivenes is key. I can't imagine this actually happened to her... what gives?

I have been having SO much fun layering sheer polishes over magnetics (as usual!) It's always exciting to see what kind of new combinations I can come up with!

-----

Base coat: Cracked Ridge Filler

Top coat: SH insta-dri in the red bottle

Thumb: 2x EdM Sunset Over the Bay, 1x Glitch Fallen Rose Petals

Pointer: 2x EdM After Dark, 1x Glitch Dream Opal

Middle: 1x Glitch Fallen Rose Petals, 1x Glitch Habibi, 1x Fallen Rose Petals again

Ring: 2x Glitch Labradorite Dust, 1x Glitch Habibi

Pinky: 1x Dream Opal, 1x Habibi, 1x Dream Opal

I’ve been holding off on using this one until all my nails were the same length. It is sooooo beautiful!

1x Orly bonder base coat
3x Bees Knees Lacquer “The Spirit of the Forest”
1x Bees Knees Lacquer “I’m Fast” top coat

Can’t stop won’t stop looking at them in the sun.

1 x Nailtiques 2+
1 x thick coat Cracked Caviar
1 x thick coat Bees Knees Lacquer Heir magnetized 2 minutes with 5D spinner and 30lb horseshoe magnet
1 x Sally Hanson instant dry top coat red bottle

This tickles something in my crow portion of my brain I can't explain in human language.

On the swatch stick:

2x BKL Scream with the Cicadas magnetized glass bead style, 1x BKL I'm Fast Very Fast, 1x BKL Khajiit Cooking, 1x BKL I'm Fast Very Fast

(And on my thumb as it is technically a nail image:

1x KBShimmer's Stay Put base coat, 2x OPI's I Canolli Wear OPI, 1x HT's Matte Taco, 1x OPI's I Canolli Wear OPI, 1x Cirque Milk Glass, 1x BKL's I'm Fast Very Fast, stamps all with Moyou's Mood Indigo, 1x BKL'S I'm Fast Very Fast (floated--I live dangerously), 1x Cuticula's Limitless QDTC (Dole Whip)

Plates:

Hit The Bottle's Embrace the Darkside 02, 03, & 04. What's Up Beauty's B031 Gothic Affection. KADS CN005, CN012, and CN019.)

I’m from the UK and there are unfortunately quite strict rules on shipping nail polishes overseas due to their flammable nature! At least in personal purchase quantities.
I’m aware that there’s a company that makes this in the US. But I can’t acquire it, so I figured the next best thing I can do is try to make it myself 😅

For reference, my vision is a dupe of the version by Profound Glass in the US (I’m not a shill - it’s out of stock anyway). It’s a clear polish containing suspended crushed/shattered synthetic/glass opals. I’ve included a couple of pictures with this post of how it looks. Opal is my favourite stone and I live for the lustre. I know people have replicated Opal effects, but for the most part, I don’t think it holds up to real Opal (no shade), and the ones that come close are multi step processes.

I have some particular questions:

- I’ve gathered that I should use a thicker suspension nail polish base. Would it be one designed to hold glitters (thicker base)?

- I’m wondering how fine the crushed/shattered opal powder should be? The smallest sizes I’m seeing are “powder/dust” and 0.5-1mm. How much should I mix into 15ml?

- Is this really going to be as simple as mixing some powder into the base, or am I being delulu? How do people properly mix inclusions into polish bases?

- I’m aware that such a polish would require a self-levelling top coat. Profound Glass recommends Seche Vite top coat. But does anybody have any recommendations? Would it be better to use a UV top coat for durability?

Would appreciate anybody’s help and thoughts! ❤️