My 3 Polish Staples

Here they are.  The 3 things I simply cannot, WILL NOT, live without. From left to right:

* Black on Black by Sinful Colors
* Matte About You by Essie
*Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

1.  Black on Black:  I use this cream polish as a base coat under every single color I use.  (When using very light colors, such as pink, I use French Sheer White by Savvy Femme Couture, which is not pictured because, well...I almost never wear light colors!)  I apply one thick coat, and then one thick coat of my color, sometimes 2, depending on how deep & rich I want the color to look.
The beauty of a black base, and the reason so many nail artists use it, is because it makes colors POP!  It also makes the color you're applying almost completely opaque with just one coat, instead of the 2, 3, 4 sometimes even 5 coats you need to get full opacity from the color without using a black base.  The black allows you to get full opacity, usually in no more than 2 coats, from "cheapy" brand polishes  (don't knock 'em...I'm gonna do a whole post on those to show you why $1.00 and $15.00 polishes really aren't that much different from each other!)

2.  Matte About You by Essie:  To quote my friend Lisa, the first time I used this, "I died, came back to life, then died again!!"  (could ya just die?!)  I have never seen something so amazing in my entire life!  (OK, I have, but for this post, let's just pretend I'm serious).  Once your nails are completely done - including the SV top coat I'll talk about next - paint this on from cuticle to tip, covering the entire polished area.  It's OK to get some on your cuticles...it's not shiny, and not noticeable.  Now...give it a second....POOF!  Instantly dry, and instantly matte!  If your polish has glitter, or flecks in it, wait till you see how it looks "mattified"!

I often use this to do what I like to call a "Tuxedo Mani"....that's when I matte the entire nail, then using Seche Vite top coat, I paint on a "French" tip.  You're left with what essentially looks like a tuxedo jaket...matte with satin lapels.  This works best with medium to dark colors and is a simple, elegant twist on a plain color mani.

3.  Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat:  Well, I died, came back and died again with this stuff too.  Whoever thought it was possible to paint your nails and then climb into bed?!  It is possible.  Probable, really.  I do it just about every night!  ("relaxing" to me is painting my nails, and I like to relax and unwind for an hour before bed).  Here's how amazing this stuff is:

Apply your base coat (again, mine would be Black on Black; yours can be clear, or whatever shade you want).  When  you get to the last nail, go back to the first and immediately apply your 2nd coat of color.  Assuming you only need 2 coats, when you get to the last nail, go back to the first and immediately apply a thick (thick!!) coat of Seche Vite.  Yes - I'm talking immediately.  Count to 100.  OK, 50 will probably do.  Lightly tap a nail.  It's bone-dry, isn't it?  I TOLD YOU!!!  LOL!  Now do what I do...either go to bed, or wash dishes.  You can thank me for this awesome top coat suggestion when you're done and your mani still looks freshly painted, free of dings, chips, dents and as my late mom used to say "diggers" (you know those...those deep "digs" you get in your polish from, well....digging for something in your purse because you swore your nails were dry?!  Yeah, those...grrrrrrr....)

And guess where I get these three amazing products?  Well, believe it or not, I buy it all at my local Walgreen's & CVS.  If you want to spend a little more for the same stuff, you can run on over to Sally or Ulta....but why do that?  Seche Vite averages around $8.00 a bottle.  With a Sally membership, you can usually grab it for just under $7.00.  BUT, GET THIS!  I just picked up a bottle at Walgreens ON SALE for $4.65!  And OF COURSE I grabbed the last bottle, but that's OK....now I know to keep an eye on the Walgreen's circulars so I can stock up next time.

Matte About You is around $10, give or take.  Well worth it!

Sinful Colors is one of my favorite brands....my Walgreens sells them for $1.99!  Jackpot!!! 

And that's about it for my 3 must-haves!  I hope you'll try the 2 topcoats if you haven't already!