So I bought this NYC nail polish from Target… I looked at every brand’s yellows and this was my favorite. But it sucks. A lot. I had to do 3-4 coats for it to be yellow enough (Someone suggested a white base coat, which I’ll have to try next time… well, after I buy some.) and even then it was still streaky and uneven. It stayed “tacky” forever too.
I even tried the Pinterest trick of putting my fingers in ice water for a while to “set” the polish faster. Ummmm… y’all, I cannot say it worked. But it DID hurt. Too cold!!!
Is the only way to get a good home manicure to do a base coat, 2 layers of polish, and a quick-dry no-chip top coat? The only way I had time to paint my nails without needing to pick up children is because my husband was home and I put him “100% on duty” while I played. Normally I MAYBE have time for one coat of something, and that’s it.
So is there a magical gorgeous yellow “all in one” nail polish? No top coat or base coat required? Or am I out of luck?
Lots of people swear by OPI but I’ve gotten some negative reviews from friends too… other people have a magical top coat they recommend (I’ve gotten 2 recommendations for specific brands)… please share your secrets, because my nails currently look like I painted them with kids’ tempera craft paint!
Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and stay at home mom of two beautiful children. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate my home on a budget, and keep a happy household. I tandem breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, homebirth, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.
I got NYC’s pearly blue and it was the same – needed tons of layers and super chippy w/in days. I got a bottle of Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails, $2, one coat lasted all week!
I tried the drying drops by OPI recently. I felt like $8 was a lot for this, but it took my manicure from an hour-long waiting game to ten minutes and done. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0049424FM/joyfabod-20/
My favorite yellow cream is China Glaze Lemon Fizz http://flic.kr/p/9W3wiE It goes on nice and smooth and is the only yellow that looks good on my skin. I got it at Ulta but I’m sure stores like Sally Beauty Supply carry it too.
My favorite yellow shimmer/glitter is Revlon Pineapple Fizz http://flic.kr/p/bC3UfJ It’s so sparkly and looks kinda jello-like on your nails. It also makes a great topcoat – I put it over black once and it turns into pretty gold flecks. I saw them in packs of 2 at Big Lots recently really cheap. I think I wanna get some more and try to do that gradient like the girl in that picture did.
Lastly I 2nd Chrissie’s suggestion; Seche Vite topcoat is a amazing! It makes polish dry in only a couple minutes! I don’t know how I lived without it.
ok, I think I might have the answer! lol. Revlon Colorstay nailpolish in “buttercup” its a gorgeous soft yellow. it is a long wear formula (great! since i see you are like me, i only have time to paint my nails 1x/week with my hubby on 100% baby duty
you do NOT need a topcoat with this, it is marketed to be glossy without a topcoat. aside from that, i must reccommend Seche Vite as the BEST fast drying topcoat. (for times you want a topcoat) also, as a little tip – if you find your nailpolish too goopy, and stays tacky forever…put some nailpolish thinner (available at Sally’s) into the polish, it will glide on better and dry faster! xoxoxo
I use OPI and Orly most of the time. Sometimes I use random Korean brands which really have fun colors. I haven’t encountered an “all-in-one” nail polish though, but I use Seche Vite base coat reliable to make my polish stay longer.
I personally love Sinful Colors: http://www.sinfulcolors.com/. I find them at Target & Walgreens, & Walgreens has better selection (typically). I also bought their base coat, which works wonders. One quick base coat, then 1-2 coats depending on the color. No top coat needed.
Their new metallic/jewel colors are fantastic. I see they have some new colors for Spring, but I’m not much into pastels, so I haven’t tried any.
Good luck!!