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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Shades of Shay, Shay ·

Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Nail Polish


Today’s Shade of Shay…nail polish.  
I am a little obsessed with painting my nails.  Ok…I’m really obsessed with painting them.  You know I love jewelry, right?  I never leave home without an arm full of bangles and big earrings in my ears…and to me, nail polish is just one more accessory.  
When I did Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Makeup, I didn’t include nail polish because honestly, I thought it deserved a post all to itself.  So, here you are.  First, let me tell you my thoughts on painting my nails, gels, manicures and other stuff…
1. I only get manicures and gel polishes put on before I leave for a long vacation (because who really wants to mess with painting their nails half-way through a trip?  Not me!).
2. I paint my fingernails myself twice a week (I could stretch it longer but I like to switch out my colors).
3. I have been painting my nails non-stop since my senior year of high school.  The only time I took a break was during my pregnancies when sitting up and smelling anything made me throw up (and painting your nails requires both sitting in the upright position and the smell of polish).
4. I always have my toes painted too.  However, I only have to switch out my toe polish about every two weeks.  I paint my toes a more neutral color and my nails a bold color.  I never match them. 
5. I like to paint my nails right before I get into bed at night.  I paint them in the bathroom, then snuggle into my bed and watch a little TV before going to sleep.  When I wake up, they’re perfectly set (since I didn’t move much, do dishes, chase kids, etc during those sleeping hours).  I paint my toes during the day when I know I’ll be home for several hours (so I can be barefoot and not smudge them with socks or shoes).
6. I keep my polishes separated into two bins: spring/summer shades and fall/winter shades.  This really helps me save time searching for the right colors and it keeps me from over-looking shades because I’m not as overwhelmed with the number of bottles.
7. After 14 years of nail painting, I swear by only 3 brands.  I have tried absolutely everything but to me, these three brands deliver the best results every.single.time.  I only use OPI, Essie and Butter London.
8. I’ve been doing this trick for years…layer one coat of a sparkle polish over your nails for just a little bit of pop.  This also helps to hide imperfections.  Just a little sparkle takes your nail polish from good to great!
9. I paint on two coats of polish, maybe a sparkle and then a top coat.
Here we go…

My two bins of polishes.  One for spring/summer (bright colors!) and one for fall/winter (dark colors!).
I lined up my spring/summer shades…brights!

And I lined up my fall/winter shades, darker colors.

These are my very favorite spring/summer shades, from left to right:
OPI Bright Lights Big-Color (a coral/orange shade with flecks of gold)
OPI Glitzerland (the perfect sparkly gold)
OPI Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey (a great neutral for my toes)
Essie Marshmallow (a great neutral for my toes)
Butter London Trout Pout (a really summery orange/pink color)
Essie Naughty Nautical (a teal color with a little bit of sparkle)
OPI La Paz-itively Hot (the perfect pink)

These are my very favorite fall/winter shades, from left to right:
Butter London Chimney Sweep (a great gunmetal black shade)
OPI I’m Not Really a Waitress (this is OPI’s most popular color…it’s the perfect dark red)
OPI The World is Not Enough (I wear this more than any other shade…it’s almost a rose gold color)
OPI The Spy Who Loved Me (the perfect shade for the Christmas season…it’s red with gold sparkle)
Essie Carry On (the perfect dark shade)

The tools I use, clippers (because I like to keep my nails short…bold color only works on short nails), cuticle cream, a buffer, nail file.

I used to only swear by OPI’s top coat…but a few weeks ago, my friend Lori told me about Seche Ultra-V…and now, I’m hooked!  It’s this amazing top coat that sets my polish in minutes.  It also provides a great shine and keeps my polish looking its best for days and days.  I found mine at Ulta or you can buy it online.

And…if you have some shopping to do, now is the time!  Between now and June 1, Ulta is having their 20% off sale.  Go ahead and treat yourself to some polish…it’s amazing how a little polish can brighten up your day!

Don’t forget to check out my giveaway from Monday here!  It ends Friday morning!

And check out what’s for lunch today over on my foodie blog (or dinner or an appetizer…it’s so yummy!)

It’s Sheaffer’s famous black bean dip!   (I also used it as a taco filling…so many possibilities!)

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Comments

  1. Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says

    SUCH A FUN POST!!!! Sooooooo many great tips! And you are SO right….If you are going to wear a bold color, make sure your nails are short ladies!
    I'll be dropping by in about 30 minutes for a manicure.
    🙂

  2. Blue-Eyed Bride says

    Love it! I'm totally envious of all your gorgeous polish and I love all your tips. So great! I never ever paint my nails but always just wait for a manicure. You're inspiring me to just do it at least once a week!

  3. Blue-Eyed Bride says

    Love it! I'm totally envious of all your gorgeous polish colors! And I love your tips. I never ever paint my nails and usually wait for a manicure, but you've inspired me to paint them at least once a week.

  4. The Whitfields says

    I love that top polish! I'm going to have to get that. Don't you love the Essie Summer line?!! I live by that in the summer.

  5. Sarah says

    Such a fun post! Question for you: if money is tight and you have to pinch pennies somewhere, would you say to spend more money on the actual polish or the topcoat? I am a nail "picker" (not sure that's a word but it is now) unless I have polish and need to get back into keeping my nails manicured! Thanks for inspiring me to spend a little time on ME!! 🙂

  6. Kelly Jo says

    Perfect timing for this post – I just started doing my nails! What kind of polish remover do you use?!

  7. Aubs says

    i've been saying i'm going to order some butter london polish ever since you talked about it a few months ago! i'm gonna go shop for some now while the kids are settled and i can!! every product i've tried that you suggested has been great!!

  8. aprilparrish says

    Love all your pretty nail polish colors for spring and summer. I've just recently started wearing colored polish on my fingernails and I like it a lot, but it definitely took some getting used to! Just didn't seem right to look at my hands and see a color… I am slowly getting used to it and getting a lot of compliments also!

  9. Kelly says

    I share many of your faves! Thanks for sharing some of your tips! I mostly do shellac on my finger nails but this will inspire me to try to do my own more often!

  10. Ginny says

    Thank you for giving some awesome manicure details! I lately have been struggling with yellow nails! I paint them a lot – and now my nails are all discolored. Any tips? I would love to get rid of the yellow. Also, I LOVE Seche Vite!

    Ginny
    http://www.moderncommonplacebook.com

  12. Mix and Match Mama says

    If I had to pick, I would say spend more money on your polish than your top coat. A good polish will last a while! As for removers, I'm using Zoya these days and really like it! I can remove all of my polish with only two cotton balls. For yellow nails, try soaking them in a baking soda/lemon juice mix (Equal parts). That really removes the yellow!

  14. Jenna says

    Ok, so I'm curious if you live at the pool all summer long, what you do to preserve your nails/polish on fingers and toes? I like to get a professional pedi every couple of weeks, but it seems like a few days at the pool and its all a mess. Tips? Or do you always do yours at home?

  15. {Hi Sugarplum!} says

    Love all your colors and tips! I've noticed your nails on IG a lot, and always covet whatever color you happen to wear. When I recently cleaned out my collection…it was basically all shades coral. I need to branch out 🙂

  16. Jennifer Miller says

    You have to try OPI Cajun Shrimp! I have had three people paint their nails this color after seeing mine:) great color for your collection!

  17. Andrea Brant says

    I really love Essie polish, but I also love Chanel's polishes. The colors are great and I find that they don't tend to chip often. Have you tried Chanel polish?

  18. Dawn says

    Yes! So fun- I'm a little obsessed with nail polish- love your cute bins. Thanks for the Ulta tip- I have a gift card so now is a great time for me to use it;)

  19. Kaylyn Marie says

    I LOVE the brights- even in the winter I always do bright… I cna't help it!

    Do you use any sort of adhesive? I struggle with peeling polish all the time (and use Essie polish always- it's my fave!).

    Any tips?? 🙂

  20. Suz says

    Great post!! Nail polish is so fun! One question- how long do you keep polish before you throw it away?

  21. AmyJo says

    One of my favorite things to do and buy! When my kids are in bed I fold laundry, then polish my nails (3-4 times a week, but not so much right now being pregnant and icky). That Seche brand has a base coat that's sticky to hold your nail color and it works great. I also like to use OPI drip dry drops and they are awesome at helping set, smooth, and dry your color before bed (I'm out and need to get more).

  22. Mix and Match Mama says

    I love all of the questions today!

    1. I don't find that my polish ever peels off…if anything, it chips at the ends (you know…where you use the tips of your fingers the most). The peeling off could be a result of the type of polish you're using. Like I said, I'm particular!

    2. I haven't tried Chanel or the OPI Cajun Shrimp but now I want both!

    3. I buy my Butter London at either Ulta or Nordstrom.

    4. In the summer, I surrender to the fact that my painted nails don't look as fab as they do the rest of the year. Since I paint them twice a week, it doesn't bother me a lot…but they definitely wear more during the summer.

    5. I have never tried an adhesive before! Maybe I should???

    6. I don't us a UV lamp

    7. I keep my polishes 2 to 3 years. When they start to get thick, that's when I toss them. Thick polish makes for the worst manicures.

  23. .kerri campbell. says

    I think I am obsessed with that Butter Trout Pout… I just got something similar on my toes yesterday so I may have to go and pick that up after work. My Essie polishs never seem to last too long in the bottles before getting gooey. Do you have any tips on how to extend their shelf life?

  24. sarah from the suburbs says

    Ditto on the Cajun Shrimp by OPI…it's one of my favs! You must also try Essie's Mint Candy Apple…so fun for summer! I love reading your blog because we have similar taste and my little ones are very close in age to yours…4, 3 and 1! Keep up the good work, Mama!

  25. Margot says

    Oh my! I share your nail polish obsession. I also love OPI, Essie and Butter polishes the best. Just the other day I picked up Essie's "Sunday Funday" and I love it! It is a perfect coral with just the tiniest bit of sparkle. I feel like in the summer time I am always trying to find the perfect pink and corals! I feel ridiculous when I look at how many polishes I have and how close they all are, but yet so different. 🙂 I love your blog!

  26. Jenna {Real Simple Girl} says

    Such a great idea to keep your polishes separated by season! I love all your great colors! I've gotten so much better about keeping my nails painted regularly, and I feel so much more put together. I did find that certain colors (mainly dark ones) would stain my nails, so now I always start with Essie's 3-in-1 base. It keeps your nails perfect and I think it helps makes the polish last longer, too!

  27. maria maria says

    Loving these posts.. Was wondering if you'll be doing a post on your hair?? It looked amaaazing in the post you did about your Hunter boots. I have curly hair, and love to hear any styling tips from girls with curly or wavy hair.

  28. The Vance's says

    This may sound crazy, I didn't believe it until I tried it. I never use to paint my nails because no matter what they would somehow smudge before they dried completely….enter Pam cooking spray. Spray a bit on your nails right after you paint them and they are dry in seconds, no joke. A little greasy fingertips until you rinse them, but dry nails nonetheless. Try it!!!

  30. Anna says

    Shay… love this post, so fun for the summer! Love all the tips and the comments have been helpful. Can you put up any pictures of your pretty nails? I would love to see some of the colors you use on your nails! Thanks!

  31. Kristine says

    I'm with Maria Maria… will you be posting your hair routine?

    Loving all of these posts. I was inspired yesterday to paint my nails!! 🙂

  33. Kim R says

    Thanks for sharing your "favs" in the 52 shades posts! I really enjoyed this one.

    Quickly, could you tell us what cuticle cream you use? Do you love it or is it just "ok"?

  34. Kim R says

    I just LOVE your 52 shades series – thanks for putting this all together!

    Quickly, could you tell us what cuticle cream you use? Do you love it or is it just "ok"?

  35. Mix and Match Mama says

    I think my favorite cuticle cream is Burt's Bees…it's pretty good and smells great!

  36. The Sharps says

    Every time I paint before bed they end up smudging and getting the lines from the sheets on them. how do you keep this from happening? is it the top coat? Do you have any special tricks for dry time?

  37. Olivia says

    This is probably my favorite post of all time. I did one on my blog also (as a money saving tip). I'm OBSESSED with doing my nails. I haven't heard of that top coat, but will have to try it. My "secret" tip to getting the color to stay longer (without chipping) is NOT doing a top coat, but maybe this will work. I've also found some really good polish brands – "Wet n Wild", "Sinful Colors" (although there are a couple that have a flat finish that need a top coat for shine), and for a really cheap ($1.99) "Petites" is amazing. The polish stays on forever. I love how you store them too. Thanks.

  38. Olivia says

    Oh and another good cuticle cream is Biosilk (or any other hair serum)…double usage.

  39. Mix and Match Mama says

    I don't go straight to sleep. I lie in bed and watch TV for about 20 minutes and then go to bed. I really don't have a problem with smudging. The top coats I suggested are wonderful and dry quickly, try using one of those!

  40. Mandi Moore says

    Love this post Shay! I'm excited to trytrout pout! I'm curious what color/brand you use for the shimmer you use on top of your color. Thanks in advance!

    Mandi
    BestLittleMooreHouseinTexas.blogspot.com

  41. Rebecca Kim says

    Shay,

    I have to say this is one of my favorite posts because I'm just as obsessed with nail polish as you! I love the containers and how you have that much…!! I have half of what you have, but I'm getting there. My all time favorite right now is Jazz by Essie, neutral for fingers and toes. I had to share that color with you!

  42. C Chu says

    Hi Shay! This is a great post! I have a suggestion, how about a post about perfumes? I pick my perfume based on the time of season just like you do with nail polishes 🙂

  43. Melanie says

    i love this post and all of your colors! i cant wait to get trout pout today!

    i am curious what sparkle color you use before applying your top coat? that is a great idea that i would love to try!

  44. Mix and Match Mama says

    OPI's Happy Anniversary is my favorite sparkle color! Apply it right before your top coat.

  45. ginnbelle says

    I would love to see of pics of your polish on! I always read these great tips and try them and it never looks the same!! For me it seems shimmer polish lasts longer than cremes. Any tips on this?? This post is awesome! Keep more like these coming!!

  46. The Woolfords says

    Hi Shay, The lady at Ulta today told me that the Seche Ultra V must be used under a UV lamp? You say no???

  47. Mix and Match Mama says

    I say no! I use it as a top coat and it works beautifully. My girlfriend Lori does too. It sets quickly and dries fabulous!

  48. Jennifer says

    Loved this post! Purchased the Seche Ultra top coat polish that you recommended and I am in love with it! Dried within minutes and looks great! Thank you!

  49. tiff prater says

    I just bought most of these off eBay due to your recommendations. 🙂 can you share some more of your favorite colors with us? I'm trying to decide on a nice purple for the summer and Essie has so many good ones what do you recommend?

  50. Anonymous says

    Love this!! Today I found out that they sell OPI here in Norway as well. Didn't buy any, figured I had to check with you first:-) I will read this post again and them buy som soon!
    Karina in Norway:-)

  52. Mama Bub says

    Okay I am moving all of my nail polish out of a drawer and into a bin TODAY. So simple and so genius.

  53. Krista Golden says

    What do you recommend for a good neutral polish for toes? Recently I painted OPI's bubble bath and it looked very clean and natural – but was wondering if you had any you liked.

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