Essentials: Nails

There are few items you need to have if you want to have great nails and manicure. This depends on what kind of person you are - 'nail art lover' or 'decent manicure is enough' - but here are some pieces I find essential.

Sealing top coat by Essence, Matte top coat by beauty uk, Protecting base coat by Essence

What you absolutely need to have are base and top coat. Well, top coat is optional but it does provide extra shine and it protects your manicure. I think base coat is a must-have because it protects your nails and prevents them going yellow due to usage of dark colors. I also added a matte top coat here since it can really change your manicure and make it stand out.

Color Expert Nail Lacquer #02 by Golden Rose, Color & Go #144 Black is back by Essence

Black and white nail polish. These two (non) colors are the base for everything else. They are so neutral but painted on the nails they are the most statement colors out there. You can do lots of manicures with just these two nail polishes. They are also great for drawing and all nail art you can think of.

7 days long #855 by Deborah Milano, Max effect mini nail polish #59 Silver Me by Max Factor, Color & Go #189 New York City call by Essence,  The Nudes #08 Crunchy Cake by Essence, The Nudes #10 Nude sweet nude by Essence, The Nudes #05 Pure soul by Essence, The Nudes #03 I'm lost in you by Essence

The nude collection! I think nude tones are perfect for days when you don't feel like putting much effort in your manicure or when you just can't decide which color to choose. These are really neutral and can be perfect for any occasion.

Color & Go #113 Do you speak love? by Essence, Color & Go #114 Fame fatal by Essence, Color & Go #115 Redvolution by Essence, Lasting colour #11 by Miss sporty, unbranded

Red power! Now red is a bit more bold color but will look great on both long and short nails. It is also a perfect color for all nail shapes. The darker you choose, the more elegant it will look. My opinion. Choose this color for any elegant combination. (I think it will look great even with pink dress.)

The gel nail polish #43 Girl's best friend by Essence, Lasting colour #35 by Miss sporty, Paris nail lacquer #69 by Golden Rose, Nail art twins glitter topper 2 #02 Julia by Essence

Crushed crystals #04 Oyster & Champagne by Catrice, Nail art special effect! topper #22 Black dress and white tie by Essence, Effect nail polish #31 Rebel by Essence, Care + strong nail lacquer #165 by Golden Rose, Get more #115 by Smart girls, Nail art twins glitter topper 2 #03 Clyde by Essence, #195 by S-he, #280 by S-he

Effect top coats. I'm more a fan of silver than any other color when it comes to top coats so I have these four. This is totally a matter of your preferences. There are so many effect top coats so you can really find your favorite one. 

Nail files, brushes and dotting tool

An absolute must-have for nails is nail file. I don't think you can have good nails without taking care of their length and shape.

For any nail art, essentials would be brushes (ordered from eBay here) and dotting tool (order one on eBay here).

That's all folks. I hope you liked this. Rate and comment below!

My favorites - nails!

Since I love painting my nails I have quite a big collection for someone who doesn't do it professionally. Of course, I have some pieces which I love and which I buy over and over. Here are my favorites...

Before you start: click on the picture for a larger display.

Here is my all time favorite transparent base coat by Essence (I've mentioned it before). What is so great about it is the fact that the bottle is big but it doesn't dry. I have it for months now and it is the same as the day that I bought it. Also the brush is perfect combination of thick and thin and suits my nails really well. Another great thing is the price.

Black nail polish on the right is also by Essence. Until a week ago, I had some other black nail polish. I had to put on three to four coats to get black nails. I thought all of them worked like that until I discovered this one. One coat is actually enough, but I prefer two. Great coverage and quality.

This on the left is matte effect top coat by BeautyUK. They are not usually the brand that I buy products from but this matte effect is great. You could see the effect in my previous post. I just love it.

I recently purchased this matte green nail polish on the right. It is by GoldenRose. They have the entire collection of beautiful matte nail polishes and I want them all after trying on this one. One coat is enough and as it dries, it gets this perfect matte effect and you don't have to worry that some parts will stay shiny.

This is my collection of stripy nail polishes. They all here are by Essence. As you already know (I hope), these are nothing special, the only difference is they come in these little cute bottles with thin brushes. Quality of the polish is the same as any other Essence's nail polish. (And I love it.) The thing is, these are great if you are a beginner or you just don't want to spend extra money on different brushes and pallets to put your nail polishes in. All in all these are a lot of fun.