Personal Stuff -
Who are you?
My name is Bridget, I am 33, & live with my husband and daughter in Austin Texas.
When did you start your blog?
I started in August 2012, and have had such an awesome time!
Why do you have a blog?
I have always been obsessed with nail polish, but was a chronic nail biter. I actually stopped because of the China Glaze Hunger Games collection and wanted to have fiery nails like Katniss. (I am a HUGE nerd.)
I found Scrangie's blog while looking for swatches of the Hunger Games polish and fell in love with nail blogs. After a few months, I decided to start my own blog!
Blog Stuff -
How do I start a blog?
There are a lot of blogging websites you can use. Blogger and Wordpress are the two most popular ones to use.
What do you use to take pictures?
I use a Cannon Powershot A1300 HD. As well as a light box with daylight cfl bulbs. I set my camera to Macro, and adjust the white balance and light meters before shooting. I use Photoshop CS5 for any color correcting and air brushing. I do touch up my pictures a bit to remove any dry patchy spots, but I never touch up the nail or the polish/nail art. What you see on my nail in pictures, is on my nail in person.
Nail Care -
How do you paint your nails?
Start with clean, dry hands and nails. Use a cotton ball soaked with acetone or white vinegar and swipe each nail. This removes any oil or residue from your nail plate. Apply your preferred base coat to smooth out nail plate and protect it from polish stains. Once dry, paint your nails with desired polish using 2 coats. Allow each coat to fully dry before applying the next as to avoid any bubbling or cuticle pull. Finally, apply a good shiny quick dry top coat to seal your nail.
I follow the step-by-step tutorial from the most awesome Lacquerized. There are also some really great tips & tricks!
What is your favorite top coat?
I use both HK Girl and Glossy Glam. I layer HK Girl over the polish or nail art and once it is dry, I layer Glossy Glam over the entire nail. It prevents any shrinking and makes my mani last a lot longer, as well as super shiny!
What is your favorite base coat?
My favorite is butter London Nail Foundation. But I have also used Essie All In One, and Sally Hansen Hard As Nails. I really don't have a problem with peeling or brittle nails, so I just grab a basic base coat that smooths ridges and prevent staining.
What is your nail care routine?
Everything I learned about nail and cuticle care, I learned from (Dr.) Loodie. She is the definitive master at gorgeous healthy nails and I follow her advice religiously!
Other than that, the number one rule for awesome nails is moisturize! All the time! Go find a good lotion and slather your hands and nails with that stuff constantly. Especially after showers and doing dishes. Or when ever your hands get wet. In fact, go do it now! My personal favorite lotion is O.P.I. Avo Juice. It is amazing and the Ginger Lily scent smells delicious.
Nail Art & Stamping -
What brushes do you use for nail art?
I actually use a cheap little paint brush I got from a craft store. I trimmed it down to a super fine point for better detailing. Winstonia has some pretty amazing brushes that I have been looking at getting. I will update this once I do.
How do you create designs?
Lots of different ways! Google, YouTube, Insta Gram and Pinterest are your friends! There is a wealth of tutorials out there for you to find!
I get 99% of my inspiration from the amazing community on Insta Gram. Seriously, if you are in to nail art, and polish, get on IG now! I also spend way too much time on Pinterest looking for nail art!
What do you use for stamping?
I use what ever polish I have on hand. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I don't have special Konad polish or anything. But I do list what I use for a particular stamped mani in the post. For stamping tools, I use the following:
Bundle Monster stamping plates
MoYou London stamping plates
MoYou XL Double Sided Stamper & Scraper
If there is anything else you guys would like me to add or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me!
