Things that make you go hmm…

Most of my nail no-nos pertain to my toes.

I have freakishly long toes — like “E.T. phone home!” long — so I don’t get too crazy with nail art or french manicures on my feet.

Much more than plain polish, and my toes begin to look like alien fingers/toes…

For the same reason, I don’t grow out my toenails. Open-toed shoes with my long digits, with even longer toenails hanging over the tips of my toes?

No, no thank you. Not a good look for moi.

The moment I start to feel my toenails nudging up against the inside of my running shoes, I immediately stop whatever I’m doing AND CUT THEM.

I don’t really have many nail no-nos for my fingers, which are also freakishly long (came in handy when I played piano), other than keeping my nails short. My fingernails are like the Wild West of Lacquer Land, although I don’t do a lot of nail art, but that’s mostly because of my schedule and Tabs (he keeps me on a pretty short leash).

There was an incident in college where a friend of mine accidentally scratched her cornea with one of her acrylic talons (yikes!). Ever since then, I’ve been afraid of long nails. The longest I’ll wear mine now is just a fraction of an inch beyond my fingertips. Longer than that, and my typing (and iPhone) error rate skyrockets, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Getting down to the nitty gritty with two layers of $9 Zoya Pixie Dust in Godiva, available now at Zoya counters and also online

I had a very long, very beauty nerd-seque conversation with a friend a while back about nail polishes with unconventional textures, ala bumps and grit.

I was wearing Zoya’s $9 Pixie Dust in Godiva on my tips at the time, walking around with nails that looked like they’d been dipped in sugar.

New for spring, Godiva’s brimming with fine bits of gritty glitter.

My buddy said the feel of the finish gave her the heebie-jeebies — like clawing a chalkboard or sandpaper — and I can see where she’s coming from. I mean, why purposefully put something lumpy and bumpy on a smooth set of nails?

But then there’s also the question, “Why not?”

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Wearing the new Estée Lauder Mad Men collection Nail Lacquer Pink Paisley ($24), available now at counters and online

“Young people of the world!” she boomed from the podium, “I know this is hard to fathom, but there was a time when it was a lot harder to find funky nail polish colors!”

Back when Jen, Cindy and I cruised around our suburban hometown listening to TLC on tape (from a portable boom box set on the front passenger seat floor of Jen’s old, white Datsun 510), the craziest drugstore polish I can remember was Revlon Cherries in the Snow.

We had no python greens, gunmetal grays, hexagonal glitters or holographic formulas. Our standard issue nail polish colors were pink, beige, red and occasionally a really, really dark wine…for when you were feeling extra rebellious.

Maybe that’s why I feel the past tugging at the corners of my mind when I wear limited edition Estée Lauder Nail Lacquer in Pink Paisley from the new Mad Men Collection…

This shimmery, cool-toned pastel pink was created to evoke the swingin’ late 60s, the time during which the latest season of Mad Men is set, but I’m also getting a decidedly late ’80s/early ’90s vibe.

I’m pretty sure I sported something similar to the prom…

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Time to paint the paws!

I was just sitting down to paint my paws when I got to thinking about lacquer-loving ladies (and gents) and our various nail polish routines.

My friend Jen, for instance. She likes to regularly treat herself to nail salon visits, whereas a college friend of mine used to just plop a huge drop of polish on each nail, spread it around with the brush, and that was that.

I usually do my nails at home because 1) I like to change colors every few days, 2) I find it relaxing, and 3) I’m very particular about my nails, so I don’t visit nail salons too often.

First, I paint my right paw, then my left. Then I like to follow up with an extra coat or two to enhance whichever colors I’m using. If I’m feeling ambitious or have some extra time, I’ll start with a base coat and finish with a top coat, but it depends… I don’t always go that extra mile (again, because I like to change my polish often).

How about you? What’s your current nail polish routine? Do you prefer at-home manis or nail salons? And do you like to go all out with multiple layers, ombre effects, neon nail art or stickers, or do you tend to stick to a single coat?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Hello and happy Tuesday, friend! You know what I realized last night after watching Pretty in Pink for the ga-jillionth time?

That movie has an excellent soundtrack! When I woke up this morning, If You Leave was humming in my head…

In other news, it’s supposed to be another warm one here in the Bay Area today, so if Tabs sees fit to allow me to take a break, I think I’m going to head over to an outdoor mall for some window shopping and vitamin D.

Have a great one today.

The new Physicians Formula Endless Color Custom Nail Trios ($10.95 each; eight trios available) from the left: In the Nude, Trendsetter Chic, Smokin’ Haute and Fashion Icon

Two things I could do all day, every day…

1. Window shop for cute spring bags

Window shopping in person and online. Just point me toward a window, and I’m there. Right now I’ve got my eye on a few things, like…

The Poverty Flats by Rian Stripy Hobo ($68), which I LOVE!

This Big Buddha Zig Zag Clutch ($55)

This Topshop Studded Lady Satchel ($80)

And this Big Buddha Vero Hobo ($90)

2. Paint my nails

I don’t know when it happened, but I turned into one of those gals who paints her nails a different color every single day.

Maybe it’s a phase.

Who knows? But if you also like to change things up often on your claws, these new Endless Color Custom Nail Trios from Physicians Formula ($10.95 per trio of 0.45-ounce bottles; eight trios to choose from) make that quite fun and easy.

Each of the stackable bottles in these trios snaps together (like Lego) to form a sort of nail polish wand.

When you feel like wearing a different color, SNAP!

No, I mean the bottles snap together. Just break apart the wand.

The colors in the trios can be worn alone or layered together to create your own nail art.

So far I’ve gotten my finger into four of the eight trios…

Physicians Formula Endless Color Custom Nail Trio in Fashion Icon: sky blue (three coats), dark green (two coats) and yellow (three coats)