Let's Talk About: Nails

So ladies (sorry Kris and Puppy),

What do you do with your nails for Carnival?
Acrylics?

Press-ons?

Natural?

Do you do patterns to compliment your costume or do you do a simple french manicure?

the same thing i do for the rest of the year... au naturale, with a nice mani to match my pedi.

I keep it simple with a french mani and pedi

In the past I've done:
1. french manicure on natural nails
2. french manicure on acrylics
3. costume colour or gold/silver on natural nail
4. costume colours airbrushed on acrylics


The best lasting was the costume colours airbrushed on acrylics but I really hate doing acrylics as it damages my nails!

mysti77 wrote:

In the past I've done:
1. french manicure on natural nails
2. french manicure on acrylics
3. costume colour or gold/silver on natural nail
4. costume colours airbrushed on acrylics


The best lasting was the costume colours airbrushed on acrylics but I really hate doing acrylics as it damages my nails!

I agree wit you acrylic is the worst on your nails. Keep it natural

I always keep it natural. Acrylic seems to weigh down my nails. I actually do a clear nail polish with a design. A friend of mine got me hooked on that; cuz at least that way, even if/when it grows out, no one can really tell cuz the base of your nail is clear and the design just looks like it moved from the bottom of your nail to the top of it

browneyeztrini wrote:

I always keep it natural. Acrylic seems to weigh down my nails. I actually do a clear nail polish with a design. A friend of mine got me hooked on that; cuz at least that way, even if/when it grows out, no one can really tell cuz the base of your nail is clear and the design just looks like it moved from the bottom of your nail to the top of it

I agree. I get my nails wrapped becuase they are brittle. I use pink powder instead of clear and use clear nail polish with a design. No one never knows when I need to get my nails done until they see my hand up close. The pink powder matches my natural nail.

I had gels for about a year then switched to acrylics consistently for about three years, so I've done the whole nail thing for Carnival. I never had tips, just an overlay on my natural nail since they usually grow quite long anyway. But about 6 months ago I got bored of them and soaked them off, so I'll be going au naturel this year. I'm not really arsed about my nails for Carnival though, but I might put some polish on or something. Depends on how festive I'm feeling.

i pick at them and sometimes bite them

French manicure on acrylics (pink & white). Same for me year round.

filed ..i hate runs

same thing i do everyyear

This year I tried the Kiss nails as recommended by Afro Chic.. they looked GREAT .. for one day..one nail fell off in the toilet .. then the others followed. So, my nails ended up natural for Carnival.

That's because you didn't follow the instructions I gave you Saucy! LOL.

My Kiss nails last me at least two weeks.

In previous years when I had acrylics, I would do my own pattern on them.

This year I used the Kiss press on nails with the French manicure pattern...

For 2009 I think I will probably do the same thing as my costume is nice and elegant.

i do polish to go with my costume on my natural nails. last year i was in goddess of the chase and i did a red base layer with gold glitter layer on top of that. this year i not sure what to do because i in green honeycreeper but i don't want green nails. i guess i will go with plain gold/gold glitter. i need to balance out some of the green in my costume anyway.

Afro Chic wrote:

So ladies (sorry Kris and Puppy),

What do you do with your nails for Carnival?
Acrylics?

Press-ons?

Natural?

Do you do patterns to compliment your costume or do you do a simple french manicure?

I usually do the gel type tips with a simple polish to compliment my costume. However, I soaked those off recently in order to do acrylic french tip.

To the people that get tips done often, what seems to be the best for your nails? As much as I like how acrylic looks after I do it, I find it weakens my nails a lot. I was wondering if that's because I don't keep it up often or if there is another alternative out there.

Well BET, I had acrylics or gels for almost four years. This is the first time since late 2004 I've had my natural nails 'out'. I soaked them off about four or five months ago and my nails have been ok. I was really worried that my nails would be totally effed up after four years, but after about 6 weeks, they're fine. I never had tips though. Just a layer of acrylic or gel over my natural nail. And even when one broke, I always had the technician 'build-up' rather than use a tip since I think the glue causes a lot of damage.

But I guess everyone's nails are different. Though I'm not sure acrylics for a couple weeks would do that much damage.

mjsbunny wrote:

Well BET, I had acrylics or gels for almost four years. This is the first time since late 2004 I've had my natural nails 'out'. I soaked them off about four or five months ago and my nails have been ok. I was really worried that my nails would be totally effed up after four years, but after about 6 weeks, they're fine. I never had tips though. Just a layer of acrylic or gel over my natural nail. And even when one broke, I always had the technician 'build-up' rather than use a tip since I think the glue causes a lot of damage.

But I guess everyone's nails are different. Though I'm not sure acrylics for a couple weeks would do that much damage.

The thing is, I would take them off and there would literally be a groove from where they filed my nail to have the tip fit as close as possible. So my nails were thin and would break easily. I wil do the layer of acrylic over my natural nail though. It sounds a bit better than getting the tips. Thanks!

browneyeztrini wrote:

mjsbunny wrote:

Well BET, I had acrylics or gels for almost four years. This is the first time since late 2004 I've had my natural nails 'out'. I soaked them off about four or five months ago and my nails have been ok. I was really worried that my nails would be totally effed up after four years, but after about 6 weeks, they're fine. I never had tips though. Just a layer of acrylic or gel over my natural nail. And even when one broke, I always had the technician 'build-up' rather than use a tip since I think the glue causes a lot of damage.

But I guess everyone's nails are different. Though I'm not sure acrylics for a couple weeks would do that much damage.

The thing is, I would take them off and there would literally be a groove from where they filed my nail to have the tip fit as close as possible. So my nails were thin and would break easily. I wil do the layer of acrylic over my natural nail though. It sounds a bit better than getting the tips. Thanks!

If length is what you're looking for, then you can get acrylic extensions or silk wrap. You do ont hav to get tips. I started to get silk wraps longer than my natural nails and so far its just as strong as tips without much damage.

Make sure that you dont allow them to file your nail bed down to low.

AC you see wonderful world is selling the kiss nails! for about 55-70 dollars
i am going to snatch up a pack!!

I always buying that Mimi!
I had to stop the other day cause I was wearing them longer than the suggested time frame (which is 10 days, I had them on for about a month!) and one of my nails started turning green.


And the french manicure toes nice too...less work than actually doing french on your toes. Not for Carnival though...just generally.

mimi wrote:

AC you see wonderful world is selling the kiss nails! for about 55-70 dollars
i am going to snatch up a pack!!

I think I paid less than that for mines this year.. like between 40.00 to 60.00 but I got mines at Hi Lo in Westmall

SuperPharm has them as well.