Sasha Says Nails... I'm a Manicure Momma

Updated: Recommended Nail Products

2023-09-21T18:11:00.003-05:00

Here's a list of my favorite nail products.

Caveat: Some people have oily nail beds, and this causes problems with polish adhering. In that case, I recommend trying Orly Bonder. This rubberized basecoat overrides any oily residue on your nails and gives your polish something to stick to, another secret of a long-lasting mani. Find this at Sally Beauty. If you don't have a Sally nearby, Sally Hansen makes great choices for basecoats, so you could always choose one from their line.

Caveat: Some people have super dry skin and nails, and benefit from applying cuticle oil or lotion and letting it soak in before you start your mani.

Basically, basecoats are YMMV and you just need to experiment and see what works best for you.

3. Static Nails Top Coat. This is one of my favorite quick dry topcoats. They often have 20% off sales so I try to watch and stock up then. Sally Hansen offers some great top coats (like their Insta-Dri) at drug stores and mass-market retailers.

4. Poshe Cuticle Care. Keeping your cuticles neat and free of hang-nails is another secret to making your manicure last longer. This product is fabulous and I massage this into my cuticles twice a day to prevent hangnails and prevent cuticle buildup. This is very hard to find these days, but I purchase in bulk from Amazon and would be glad to share my stash with locals- I pay about $6 a tube, so let me know if you'd like one.

5. Nail Polish Remover Dip-It. I change my polish pretty often, and this little treasure makes it quick and easy. Inside this tub are plastic bristles that really help scrub the polish off. Find this at mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

Now, if you are trying to remove a glitterbomb polish, that's another issue, and you'll need to visit this post on my nail blog to see the trick for that.

6. Clean Up Brush. I often have friends ask how I get my polish to look so perfect, especially around the cuticles. The secret is a clean up brush dipped in acetone. I recommend the $2 ELF Concealer Brush- you can find this at Wal-Mart or Target.

7. Acetone. Pure acetone works best for clean up- I typically purchase this bottle at Walmart for $2.50.

Sweet & Sour Lacquer Glow Up

2022-09-23T12:37:00.002-05:00

Sweet & Sour Lacquer Glow Up

2 coats, magnetic effect

OPI DS Imperial

2022-09-02T15:52:00.003-05:00

OPI DS Imperial

OPI Mango For It

2022-08-19T10:06:00.002-05:00

OPI Mango For It

from the Power of Hue Summer 2022 Collection

OPI Go to Grape Lengths

2022-08-16T15:37:00.001-05:00

OPI Go to Grape Lengths

from the Power of Hue Summer 2022 Collection

NOTD: OPI Turn Bright After Sunset

2022-05-15T13:07:00.005-05:00

OPI Turn Bright After Sunset

from the OPI Holiday 2021 Celebration Collection

Orly POP! Collection

2022-04-26T08:45:00.005-05:00

Orly POP! Collection

Summer 2022

Orly Rinse & Repeat

2 coats

Orly Crash the Party

2 coats

Orly Don't Pop My Balloon

2 coats

Orly Connect the Dots

2 coats

Orly Connect the Dots topped with 1 coat Just An Illusion

Olive & June Cotton Candy Set

2022-03-21T08:01:00.004-05:00

Olive & June Cotton Candy Set

Here’s a fun pastel ombré mani to get you in the mood for Spring.

All shades are @oliveandjune and are available as a set as the Cotton Candy Set.

Left to right, SE, HD, GH, BI, and SE again

Olive & June OJSM

2022-03-17T21:03:00.003-05:00

Olive & June OJSM

OJSM is a gorgeous rose gold, but it pulled pretty gold in this pic.

Olive & June Press Ons in BP in Extra Short Squoval

2022-03-07T15:59:00.002-06:00

Olive & June Press Ons in BP in Extra Short Squoval

Olive & June TLG

2022-03-04T08:20:00.002-06:00

Olive & June TLG

from the collaboration with The Lazy Genius

Olive & June Sheer Mani

2022-03-02T10:29:00.002-06:00

Olive & June

1 coat each: EC, BEB, CCT, Pink Goldfish

Olive & June XOXO

2022-03-01T10:52:00.002-06:00

Olive & June XOXO

Olive & June You're Doing Great

2022-02-28T10:48:00.003-06:00

Olive & June You're Doing Great

from the collaboration with The Lazy Genius

NOTD: China Glaze Maliboo-boo

2021-10-25T14:05:00.006-05:00

China Glaze Maliboo-boo

from the China Glaze Paint It Black Collection for Halloween 2018

NOTD: Zoya Banks

2021-10-11T14:03:00.002-05:00

Zoya Banks

3 coats

from the EasyNeon Collection

NOTD: Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin Olive & June Cosmic

2021-09-29T15:33:00.004-05:00

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin

with 1 coat of Olive & June Cosmic on top

Olive & June Cosmic

Olive & June Larchmont

2021-09-23T10:45:00.004-05:00

Olive & June Larchmont

from the Cupcakes & Cashmere collection

Pumpkin Spice Latte Set From Olive and June

2021-09-17T18:16:00.005-05:00

Pumpkin Spice Latte Set From Olive and June

L to R

JJ-cinnamon brown

MG- terracotta orange

JO- dusty apricot

HGC- creamy neutral (this shade is on my thumb too)

Sasha's Favorite Nail Products

2021-05-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of my favorite nail products.

1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover. To have a long-lasting mani, you've really got to prep your nails. Removing cuticle overgrowth is a key step. I apply this all around my cuticles, wait a minute or so (you can wait longer that it says), then use the thumbnail of my opposite hand to push back/scrape the cuticles. I typically do this twice. Find this at drug stores and mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

2. Orly Bonder. This rubberized basecoat overrides any oily residue on your nails and gives your polish something to stick to, another secret of a long-lasting mani. Find this at Sally Beauty. If you don't have a Sally nearby, Sally Hansen makes great choices for basecoats, so you could always choose one from their line.

3. INM Out the Door. This is one of my favorite quick dry topcoats- I pick this up at Sally Beauty.

4. Poshe Cuticle Care. Keeping your cuticles neat and free of hang-nails is another secret to making your manicure last longer. This product is fabulous and I massage this into my cuticles twice a day to prevent hangnails and prevent cuticle buildup. This is very hard to find these days, but I purchase in bulk from Amazon and would be glad to share my stash with locals- I pay about $6 a tube, so let me know if you'd like one.

5. Nail Polish Remover Dip-It. I change my polish pretty often, and this little treasure makes it quick and easy. Inside this tub are plastic bristles that really help scrub the polish off. Find this at mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.

7. Acetone. Pure acetone works best for clean up- I typically purchase this bottle at Walmart for $2.50.

Here's a list for you to cut and paste and print out for your shopping trip:
1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover (WM or Target)
2. Basecoat: Orly Bonder (Sally's) or any base from Sally Hansen (WM or Target)
3. Topcoat: INM Out the Door (Sally Beauty)
4. Poshe Cuticle Care (Amazon)
5. Nail Polish Remover Dip-It (WM or Target)
6. Clean Up Brush ($1 ELF concealer brush from WM or Target)
7. Pure Acetone (WM or Target)

Have fun!

Olive & June Wild Orchid

2021-04-21T15:54:00.004-05:00

Olive & June Wild Orchid

I have been curious about Olive & June polish, and a friend loaned me her supplies to give their system a try. Although the topcoat is not a quick-dry topcoat, their dry drops seem to do a good job.

Orly Passion Fruit

2021-04-08T21:58:00.004-05:00

Orly Passion Fruit

2021-02-03T16:47:00.000-06:00

Milani Photo Flash

Color Club Cherubic

2021-01-31T20:40:00.004-06:00

Color Club Cherubic

Sephora by OPI New Year's Red-solution

2021-01-22T09:27:00.002-06:00

Sephora by OPI New Year's Red-solution

from the Glimmer Wonderland collection