This is a different type of post from what I've done so far, and I probably won't do many like this in the future. Simply put, my nails have changed A LOT from this time last year. Last year, I was struggling with a lot of personal things and randomly decided to do my nails as a small act of self-care. This was a big step for someone who had only used nail polish twice in the year prior. I wish I could remember what sparked my curiosity so I made that first purchase, but it has been no holds barred since. I used to clip my nails really short and in the shapes they "naturally" grew. I put that phrase in quotes because there is no "normal" when you clip them into certain shapes all the time. My nails were uneven, I thought my hands were ugly, and I didn't put a lot of thought into it. Things are different now. Doing my nails has become an important part of my personal ritual, and I have a lot of fun while expressing myself in the colors and art that I like. I am making this post because I want to take more time to show off those manicures that I like instead of the old ones that I don't. From October 2019 to February 2020, I was still figuring it out. My last manicure of February this year was a game-changer, because I got curious and filed all of my nails square (shout out to Kelli Marissa for her great video)! It was instant love. The shape was uniform, even, flattering, and made me realize that I could have hands that I love and enjoy looking at. I have gotten into a groove since then and want to zoom past all of the clunky times when I wasn't at my most confident. That's this post. Here is a collection of every old nail photo I haven't posted yet, all in one place. Enjoy and buckle up, because these photos are all over the place!
TL;DR: My current nails make me feel confident and happy. My old manicures don't reflect that, so here's a bunch of them in one post to get them out of the way.
- Brand: Julep (base), Candy Lacquer (topper)
- Shade: Candace (base), Rainbow Goth (topper)
When I only did my nails on occasion, this was my favorite combination. Looking back, it's not surprising that I enjoy nail art so much - this bright rainbow topper is definitely a precursor to what I do now! I'm also looking at this and remembering all of the ridiculous texture this manicure would give. I know now about moving glitters around on the nail, and I can't wait to try this again with the new glitter-smoothing top coat I bought.
- Brand: Bettie Pain Polish
- Shade: Be a Freak Like Me Too
I randomly bought this polish with an old order from Shiro Cosmetics (RIP) and immediately started questioning why I hadn't been wearing tons of bright polish. It wasn't exactly seasonal to wear bright polish at the time, but I definitely picked up a few and got ready. Looking at this photo from almost exactly a year ago is like foreshadowing into my current self.
- Brand: Fancy Gloss
- Shade: Stargaze
This was my first thermal and my first Fancy Gloss! Tons of people said FG had the best thermals, and I can see why. This was very reactive and fun. It was definitely a gateway into more indie polish. The decals are some old vinyls from an Etsy seller, and I can't seem to find them again.
- Brand: Fancy Gloss
- Shade: Oliver
I looooved this polish. I wore it with the Revlon matte top coat, and you can tell that I am feeling some type of way. It's a unique color that is perfect for fall.
- Brand: F.U.N Lacquer
- Shade: Edgy
This was so fun. I plan to wear it again some time and get good photos of every color shift - you can see some purple and teal in this photo, but it's also hot pink, orange, and gold at extreme angles. I caught myself staring at this polish very often.
- Brand: Delush Polish
- Shade: Enchanted Garden
Don't ask me why I randomly did this design in the opposite direction. I remember doing this art on the kitchen counter while talking to someone, so maybe I was distracted. I don't know. My layering is certainly not perfect, but I think this is still pretty cute. I love the metallic stamping! The design is Emily de Molly 'Rose Gold', Konad 'Black', and Clear Jelly Stamper CjS-131 'Singing in the Rain'.
- Brand: Smudged Polish (flake), Sephora Collection (glitter)
- Shade: How Ominous! (flake), If You've Got It, Haunt It (glitter)
I think this is my favorite manicure of all of my old ones. It's arguably this photo, too, because it reminds me of how wonderful fall weather is, and I love the colors of everything with my big orange sweater. Very ~aesthetic~. This set is also unique because I'm doing an accent nail, which I rarely do! I don't mind stamping one or two nails differently but hardly ever do the full work of getting out another bottle of polish to paint a few nails. Maybe I'll do it more often, because this is cute. Also, the Sephora polish is technically over a plain black (Fancy Gloss 'Pitch Black'), but I don't know how much that contributed to the glitter coverage. It's been a long time since I looked at that Sephora polish.
- Brand: Fancy Gloss
- Shade: Striking Blue
I know what you're thinking, and you're right. I did go pretty hard with Fancy Gloss when I was starting out. But honestly, this color makes my heart sing. It's so lovely. It was my first (and only) time trying to do a design that goes across all of my nails. I have a lot of ideas for how I may do this differently in the future, and I'd like to try it again. Regardless, this color is stunning. I also used Hit the Bottle 'Holo There Beautiful' and Sugar Bubbles SB06.
- Brand: Cirque Colors
- Shade: Palm Springs
Oof. This is a perfect example of having an idea that does not execute well. I wanted to do a 'back to school' manicure for the start of my spring semester, but I chose to do my nails in the dark at 3:00 a.m. for some reason. I don't like the way this turned out, but I am not shocked that it was hard to do my nails in the dark. I would like to re-do this better and use a bolder pink shade. For the art, I used Hit the Bottle 'Snowed In' (white), Maniology 'Flashdance' (light pink), and What's Up Nails B030 'School's in Session'.
- Brand: Night Owl Lacquer
- Shade: I'm Allergic to Pollen & Social Situations
Another oof. Looking at this thumb nail, I feel very glad that I am getting these photos posted all at once. Things are much better now in every way. Nail shape, painting, stamping, cuticle health... Yeah, it's incredibly validating to see how much progress I've made. I bought this color from Hella Handmade Creations as part of my first purchase from them, while I was still figuring out my taste in colors. I think this was my first flakie polish, and I 100% bought it because of the name. I know it's a reference to That 70's Show, but I liked it because it was funny. This ended up staining my nails yellow, which took ages to grow out... It was gross. I hope my new base coat routine would prevent that from happening again. The design is Emily de Molly 'Rose Gold' (rose gold), Hit the Bottle 'Copper Haired Girl' (copper, duh), and Maniology BM-XL472 'Chic Peek: Forest Spirit'.
- Brand: Top Shelf Lacquer
- Shade: Pink Moon
Ew. Ew. I HATE this. I bought this pink holo nail polish from a winter PPU because I was curious if I still hated pink nail polish. Yes, I did hate this manicure, and I don't like it more when I see it now. However, I am thankful, because this is the last thing I did before I decided to take better care of myself. I started being neater with my painting, and my next manicure was when I decided to file my nails square. I haven't looked back. I have yet to try this exact polish again, but I did wear another pink recently and enjoyed it. The shape and care make all the difference, so it will be fun to use this again. In the meantime, I'll file this into the part of my brain that cringes at old photos but appreciates the journey I've been on. Yikes.
So, that's it! I hope you enjoyed looking at this post, because it was very therapeutic for me. I am excited to move on to posting more exciting and better quality nail stuff, and it will be fun to see these things return one day in a more positive light.
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