Nail advice for a n00b

[thendless]

Hey guys,

Long time nail fan, been lurking on Nailbytes and even way back when Amazing Nails (I believe ISOLNGNAIL?) and Dave Cutter were setting the standard for nails on the internet back in 1996... Anyways I've recently revealed my love for nails to my girlfriend and I am trying to get her to grow hers... Obviously I know what looks great from years of experience with looking at nails, however when it comes to getting a girls nails to that point of greatness, i'm a complete n00b :D

So I guess I'm looking for some advice I can use for my girlfriend and what brand of polishes anyone would recommend I look for, etc. etc... any guides online are greatly appreciated as well. If there are any topics in the forum that I have missed that would help me please point me in the right direction!

Anyways thanks to Ed and all the major contributors in the nail community, I really appreciate all the hard work you guys put into it (for most of you, your free time) and I apologize for taking so long to give thanks for all your contributions!

[LeniCano]

Hello Thendless,

Great to see you have de-lurked yourself and finally joined the ranks of the declared chosen ones. Don't you feel good that you have mentioned your interest to your girlfriend? and I hope she took it the right way.

As far as polish brands are concerned, I've learned (through my models) that you get what you pay for.

I'm sure some of our LNBs on board can advise you as to the better brands.

We look forward to hearing news about your girlfriend's nails.

Maybe if you get a few moments you can fill us in as to your likes and maybe a bit of history about yourself.

All best, Leni

[matt uk]

Speaking from experience, I would always pay for my ex to have a french manicure every couple of weeks - not only did it mean her nails looked great, but she became more willing to let them grow longer, especially as she knew I found long nails a turn-on.

I'd also advise doing any household chores for her so she didn't have to risk breaking a nail (e.g. washing up, cleaning, opening car door handles for her etc.) - I know that may sound over the top, but even one break could make her want to trim them all down.

Just my advice anyway!

[KerCyt]

I would think that perhaps Siobhan might have something to say about which polishes are best. Perhaps she can shed a little light on the subject. Siobhan? What say you?

--KerCyt

[Darick]

I may be speaking out of turn, apologies if I am. Do be cautious about the nail thing with your girlfriend - don't over obsess over her nails. Keep in mind the fact she *may* not be able to grow them very long, or that they break easily. You might be lucky and get what you want (you'll be one of the rare ones!) but don't over do it, especially if she's the one.

That aside, good luck in getting her to grow them, I hope you'll get what you want ;)

[Siobhan]

I would think that perhaps Siobhan might have something to say about which polishes are best. Perhaps she can shed a little light on the subject. Siobhan? What say you?

--KerCyt

I've been MIA for a bit!

Truthfully, they're all chemical soup, and individuals respond to them differently by a little bit. What wears well for me may not work for your girlfriend. I would strongly recommend a good base coat (Sally Hansen's are good and drug store available) to prevent staining and a good quick-dry top coat (Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, Seche Vite, or Poshe) to dry the mani in about half an hour. The other necessity for me is a glass nail file - no splitting or peeling ever since I've used it.

The best for the money is Nubar (very gentle & free of the harshest stuff). The best overall for me is Rescue Beauty Lounge, but that's $18 a pop, and I don't know how much experimenting you want to do at that price - the difference in quality isn't that big. I also have links on my site to a few sites (8ty8, Head2Toe, TransDesign) that carry the big brands (OPI, China Glaze, etc) for about half of retail. I have links for all mentioned on my site in detail. For a little fun, check out Orgasm Cosmetics - they're really good and the names are hilarious. I'm just starting to get into those.

For the record, I'm running a promo with Nubar right now, but I don't make a dime off of it - I worked it out primarily to benefit my online buddies who buy a ton of nail polish, secondarily to increase traffic to my site (which I also don't make money from, I just like to see the numbers increase...). They're dealing with me because I've shown so much of their stuff. I mention that so you don't question whether I'm blowing smoke when I suggest them first - it's because they're good.

Those are my suggestions. Buy a few things, have a little fun, and grow some killer nails!