Ok this is new for me. Jen of Hooked On Varnish tagged me and I’ve not done anything like this before so here goes.
The Rules
Answer the 10 Questions
Pass this tag to 5 other bloggers
Alert the bloggers you tagged about this
The Questions
How many polishes do you own?
Oh dear. Um…it’s at 163 now. As of about mid-February it was 20 0r so. So there’s been a quick growth over a short period of time.
That total excludes base and topcoats, treatments etc, and the wee collection of cheapies I bought last weekend in a mad moment where I thought I might give frankening a crack. It also excludes the polishes that I’ve ordered but that are yet to be delivered….of which there are currently 47 polishes….um yeah. Ok.
What’s your favourite brand of polish?
Oh heavens, what a difficult question. I don’t think I can really say I have a favourite brand. I appreciate different brands for different reasons. Plus there are so many brands that I’m yet to try.
But at this point, I am in love with Nfu Oh. I have two of their polishes at this stage – #51 and #40. I have another five of their polishes on order. And am planning on putting in another order for some of their jellies this coming week. I love them for a number of reasons. The range of textures, finishes and colours is amazing and well outstrips the well known, larger brands like OPI that are readily available here. Nfu Ohs are also incredibly good value despite that I have to pay shipping from the US. But I also adore the bottle design, it’s just gorgeous.
I love Nubar polishes although I’ve only just discovered them. I love them for their quality and their incredibly reasonable price relative to brands like OPI, Essie etc. But I also love them for the number of duo and multichromes they do. They dry to the loveliest finish. Just wonderful.
But I also love my Orlys, my A Englands, my Chanels, my Glitter Gals. So it’s hard to narrow it down to just one brand.
Do you like crackle or do you hate it?
Is hate to strong a word? I’ve not tried it so I don’t like to say I hate it but it holds no attraction for me.
What was your first nail polish brand?
As a child, probably Cutex. Or more correctly probably my older sister’s Cutex (sorry Slapper xx). My oldest memory of my ‘own’ nail polish was a gift set of Revlon polish. Mum gave my sister and I a set each one Christmas when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I loved it and was wrapped with it but I don’t recall really wearing it because I was a terrible nail biter and never had any nail to speak of worth painting.
As an adult, I don’t recall being overly interested in nail polish during my 20s. But in my very early 30s I bought a couple of Clarins polishs (not 230 unfortunately) and, a couple of Nutrimetics ones. It was not too long after that that I became aware of OPI nail polish so it must have been around then that David Jones started selling it. From then on until only this year it was OPIs that I bought, bar a couple of Mecca polishes. Oh what a narrow life I led.
If you’re gonna create a nail polish line, what are you call it?
Something smart-arse or a play on words, possibly something automotive related. My partner is a classic car bore who is forever buying old cars and semi-restoring them. Just last Friday we bought a 1974 Series II XJS Jaguar in Pale Primrose. Modern nail lacquer was a by-product of developments in the automotive paint industry in the 1920s and 1930s so something that reflected that history and connection would be great. Although I’d imagine that the branding experts would counsel against anything so oblique. But meh.
What nail polish colour does not compliment you?
Have never tried orange or yellow. And don’t really do corals. I’m not sure if that’s because it wouldn’t compliment me or I’m just not attracted to such colours. Chicken or egg?
And what colour does not compliment you?
I’m fair skinned and freckled, thanks to Scots, Irish and whatever other pale and non-sun loving heritage there is in my family. So yeah those colours that look fantastic on tanned skin don’t look good on mine.
Name two of your best nail art friends?
I can’t say that I’ve befriended many nail art types. But there are a couple of blogs I follow that do some nail art and do it beautifully. So I hope they don’t mind me referencing them here. First is Sugarmitten. The other is The Subtle Shimmer
What was the best nail polish gift you ever received?
Beyond my mum’s Revlon gift set and a few OPIs from a lovely friend, I’ve never received nail polish as gifts. So I’d have to say the lovely OPIs I’ve been given.
That said, my partner is on notice that nail polish is very much an acceptable birthday, anniversary, Christmas, replacement-for-a-bunch-of-flowers-type gift and I will be creating a wish list and directing him to it in the near future:)
Make a speech about thanking the blogger who gave you this tag.
Jen of Hooked On Varnish tagged me. I thank the lovely Jen for introducing me to this questionnaire type of post. It’s fun and a great way to connect with others. I’d seen posts like this occasionally on some of the blogs I read but never thought I’d end up doing one. And of course, I’d be remiss to not also thank Cutie-CLUE-Les who tagged Jen; and Miss Theodora of Red Hair and Black Nail Polish who tagged Cutie. And then of course the several bloggers who tagged Miss Theodora … you get the idea? It’s a long list and time doesn’t permit me to trace its parentage entirely. But thank you all.
I’m very new to the nail blogging world, both as a reader and of course as a blogger. I’m not certain I thought anyone beyond friends and family would look at my blog but that was fine. So long as I enjoy the process of playing with nail polish and the camera, and then writing about it, that was really all I was looking for. But of course interacting with like-minded souls who share my fascination with all things polish makes it all the more fun, whether that be here through this blog or via Twitter. Polish is such a frivolous thing in the scheme of the world and all its worries but connect a bunch of women, and the odd bloke (no pun intended), from different countries, cultures, languages and socio-economic backgrounds and they’ll build affinities and friendships in no time, all over a tablespoon of solvent and a teaspoon of pigment. It confirms for me that we as people are far, far more alike than we are different.
So thank you Jen and all those that came before you. xx
Now let’s play tag!:) The five nail bloggers I’d like to tag are: