Note to Self *UPDATED*

Under any circumstances, do NOT apply several layers of OPI large holo glitter. It WILL create a substance that is equivalent to cement and will be damn near impossible to get off.

Ugh.

Ok so I really didn't like the look of my last mani. I'm cringing that I'm going to leave the post/pictures up but I've been told it didn't look as bad as I thought it did. But it just felt so WRONG on my hands.

Silly me, I thought some polish remover (Zoya's Remove+) would take it off like it has done so easily in the past. When the first swipe over my nails shredded the cotton ball leaving half of it trailing on my rock-hard glitter, I knew I was in for a battle.

I would up pouring some polish into a bowl and soaking my fingertips in it. This is a HUGE plug for Remove+ because it did not irritate my skin even in the slightest. It took several cotton balls and serious elbow grease to chisel all that glitter off.

Here's my second plug, this time for Qtica, a sister brand to Zoya: I can visibly SEE the growth lines on my nails from the Qtica Nail Lengthener. After washing my hands off and buffing my nails with my block, I applied a coat of this to each nail. It dries super quick. A funny note--it has garlic bulb extract in it (preservative maybe?) but there is no smell I can detect.

Then I applied the Qtica Gold cuticle oil liberally to my weary fingers. I play piano and never have my fingers felt so abused. CEMENT I tell you. Anyway, all you need is a dot for each finger and you massage it in. Don't balk at the price, a little goes a long way and it works great. I put on some cotton gloves so I could continue working on the computer and my fingers look much better.

You want pretty fingers, get 'em the good stuff.

I love the Grape Set Match, so I may reapply that, but this time try some of my new Nfu Oh purple flakies.

I'm dying to do a new mani but I think I may save it for a special occasion. Here's a hint. There Be Unicorns Afoot...... *wink*

I'm also tickled that I have begun my first swap on MUA with a lovely person in Ireland. A bottle of Zoya Posh Matte for a bottle of GOSH Rainbow (yet *another* unicorn!).

So tell me--what unicorns/dragons are YOU hunting? Have any manicure horror stories to share?

**UPDATED**

So I decided to stick with OPI's Grape Set Match and top it with Nfu Oh's #50, a gorgeous purple flakie that wound up looking GREEN on my nails. Wicked cool!

Only there are no pictures.

Because the GSM WOULD. NOT. DRY.

Hours, many hours later, I was opening a package (yes, polish and ironically, OPI) and scraaaaaaaaape.....my polish started to push back from my nail tips and peel off like bubblegum.

~Insert cursing here~

So. My nails are bare. AGAIN. I've sent an email to OPI because I really think it's the polish. It looks gorgeous, really. The microglitter in it is fabulous! But the polish itself...not quite right. Clumpy, gummy and refuses to dry. With other polishes (ANY other) I've added a little Zoya Restore and voila! Perfect polish.

Not this time. *sign*

Think third time's the charm? I'm NOT using the OPI GSM again. Once smudged, twice shy!

I'll post when this issue is resolved with OPI.