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
Heather says
March 20th, 2013 at 8:57 amMy nail no-no’s are plentiful: keep nails on both feet and hands short (I began seeing long nails as kind of witchy-looking a few years ago), no going out in public with shoes that show my toes unless the toenails are pretty and polished, and change up my nail polish as soon as any chips arrive.
Karen says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:16 amHi Heather,
I’m the same way about my toes. They have to be painted otherwise out come the closed toe shoes, LOL! 😀
Minsooky says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:15 amBig no no–claw nails! I don’t get the appeal of them…looks like you could seriously kill somebody with them though.
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Karen says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:25 amMy only big no no (on me) is ragged & dry cuticles. I try my best to keep them mosituized through the day and at bed time. Winter is a bit hard to keep up. I agree with you guys in the comment above too, I like to only show my toes if they are painted… not a MUST, but my preference.
Lynn says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:27 amMy major no-no is no biting nails (if you hate rough edges, carry a file). Just clip them if you like them short, but biting leads to jagged cuticles and infection, plus the noise is gross. I also hate French manicures and pedicures, although I do like reverse French on hands. And long toe nails are so, so gross! Also, nail oil is a must–ripped cuticles are awful.
Hm. It just occurred to me that I might be high maintenance when it comes to nail care. Who knew? 🙂
Sunny says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:29 amI don’t really have any no-nos about my nails! My toes are kinda short, though out of plain laziness I never do anything beyond painting them. I have pretty big hands and freakishly long fingers, but I don’t dislike them at all! I do refrain from growing my nails out too long. I’ve never got used to it!
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Chris25 says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:31 amI don’t really have too many no-nos, except for no acrylic nails. I just don’t like fake nails, even when they are manageable. Mine grow just fine and I never thought fake nails were pretty anyway.
My other no-no is no chipped toenail polish. Fingernail polish that’s been chipped is okay as long as I don’t take too long to change it because it looks sort of rebellious cool to me. But chipped toenail polish denotes laziness to me.
Lorraine says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:42 amKaren, your nail color is gorgeous! pray tell us the name of the color, please?
My nails sit atop chubby lumberjack fingers, and though I wish I could rock that supershort rounded shape which screams fashion(think Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction or Percy Jackson and the Olympians), I need them to extend slightly beyond my fingertips. In fact, I had a nightmare last night involving nubbins. Nuff said.
Other than that- polished toes are a must for me, always. Makes me feel better. and never any toe fungus looking colors on toes. KWIM? I saw a lady once with a watermelon nail art pedi that was chipped and fading and for a second I thought I should recommend a podiatrist. rethought the idea of greens and murky shades on toes after that!
For nails, almost anything goes as far as polish colors or nail art, except textured. Because I habitually rub my polished fingers. I love the smooth nail feeling!
Kim says
March 20th, 2013 at 9:59 amYour skin is looking flawless and look at those lashes! Gah! No one is looking at your fingers and toes while you’ve got all this awesomeness going on, on your face! 🙂
I’m prone to hangnails on my fingernails and my cuticles dry out fast. My no-no would have to be not moisturizing enough. Twice per day is clearly not cutting it!
Ruchita says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:01 amI always need to have a little bit of length on my fingernails. I hate the feeling of my nails cut short right down to the nail bed. It makes my fingers feel bald. 🙂 If I’m wearing open toe shoes, my toe nails must be painted!
Lori says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:18 amI have freakishly long toes too! Its hard for me to find peep-toes that dont have my toes hanging right out the end. My grandma always said that our “royal toes” run in the family and bring us all luck! Haha
Ra says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:27 amMost nail colours and nail art are no-no for me. Hot pinks, greens, blues, yellows, oranges, neons, purples, glitters… name it. I like it clean and classic. I like soft pinks, soft whites, black, black-red. I am undecided about red though. I don’t get what’s sexy about it. To me it looks blood-like tbh… Maybe a dark red.
Chelsea says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:42 amTextured nails are a no-no for me, they kind of creep me out – particularly caviar nails or the ones with little plastic bows. I’ve never worn fake nails, but I wouldn’t do that either – they kind of gross me out. Also, no UV drying lights – don’t want to risk the increased UV exposure.
My fingernails are usually bare. I like them to be a bit past my fingertips, but I’m very particular about keeping them all the same length, approximately. I feel like having fingernails of varying lengths is unkempt looking. I also like to keep them in an oval-ish shape – I keep it in whatever shape the white grows in, since my nails are usually bare. My fingertips are ovalish, so I keep them filed ovalish. I’m also obsessive about moisturizing – my skin is horribly dry, so I have to be.
I don’t like French pedis – it makes you look like your toenails are too long. I keep them bare a lot in the winter, but in the summer I keep them painted. I do glitter or sparkle probably 90% of the time on my toes.
kristen @ glambunctious says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:43 amLOL @ alien finger toes!
I can’t stand the look of long toe nails! Esp. when they’ve been french manicured and there is a mile of white on the nail, which is curling off the end of the toe! *shudders*
I used to only wear red nail polish, but I’ve been trying crazy fun colors in the past 2 years and I love it! I’m still a sucker for a true red polish, but I like to mix it up a lot. Life is short, have fun with your nails!
Elizabeth Langille says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:47 amAs a nail blogger I probably have lots of nail no-no’s, although I probably break those rules often. I used to be terrified of long nails too (long nails & contact lens wearing seemed contradictory) but after a 6 month rehab for my nails, they’re now long enough people ask if they’re fake but I’m so used to them. They only get in the way when trying to dig into a tub of body butter or lip balm 😉
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Katherine G says
March 20th, 2013 at 10:59 amMy toenails HAVE to be painted, because they are brittle and break off (though they are getting a lot better with taking a Biotin supplement). If they are not painted, they aren’t coming out to play. I just painted them for the first time in months and I am ecstatic that I will finally be able to go barefoot for martial arts tonight instead of being the only one wearing socks.
I am a nail biter, have been since I was 2 years old and it runs in the family. I have tried numerous methods to stop, and I will usually be able to stop for a few days but then I start back up again. I can’t do fake nails because of my job (not that I like them anyways), so my option is to grow them just enough to be able to paint them and so they are not at risk of breaking off. I think in part I am a nail biter because I am just Type A and OCD enough to have to pick at things until they are either perfect or I am satisfied. Another nail pet peeve of mine is when people don’t take care of their nails at all, especially toenails. Unkempt, yellow toenails are enough to make me want to puke when I see them at work.
Kiss & Make-up says
March 20th, 2013 at 11:43 amOh Karen, I have awfully long toes as well! Seriously, my boyfriend always teases me about how humongous my toes are, especially my big toe. I never paint my toe nails just to because I don’t want to draw attention to them.
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Maria says
March 20th, 2013 at 11:50 amAs usual, I’m the odd-woman out LOL! I do acrylic gel on my hands because my nails are soooo thin. I’ve tried many times to grow them out, even having them off for a year plus, and taking vitamins (pregnancy vitamins too) but they just are not healthy at all. So I have to have fakes or they hurt and peel and look like hell. My toes are perfectly in sync as far as size and shape so I don’t have issues there. I guess no one can have it all. I will do Harajuku 3-D art on my nails, but on my toes, usually just a nice polish. I hate fake nails on the toes – EWE!
So Karen, really, no picture of your long toes? That’s such a tease 🙁
camille says
March 20th, 2013 at 11:57 amDitto to keeping hand nails short and classy! When I get a little irritated with my typing, I know it’s time for a nail trim! I don’t usually paint my fingernails, but when I do, it looks lovely. I get too irritated with the chipping and growing out period. As for the toes, I usually paint them year round! (Even in the winter; you never know when you’ll be barefoot!) Keep the toenails short and clean, and a personal pedicure every other week, or so 🙂 I’m going to try out some of those Zoya nail polishes you’ve been reviewing.
Barb says
March 20th, 2013 at 12:03 pmBefore we begin, please, please, please tell me the color on your lips? I love it!
On to nails, my toes are weird and disgusting and I usually just paint the toenails, nothing extravagant. I can’t stand the long toe nails. Don’t you scratch up your significant other tossing and turning in bed? Yuck!
As to my fingernails, I used to wear acrylics all the time up till the time I got pregnant about 13 years ago. Since then, I’ve kept my nails natural. I like them a little past the tip of my finger, but not too long as to interefere with typing, etc. I’m all for colors, glitters and textures and nail polish has become my recent obsession.
Vineetha says
March 20th, 2013 at 12:33 pmNail no no – Long and bare toe nails. I always make a point to trim it short and paint the toenails!
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Leah @ Mile High Beauty Blog says
March 20th, 2013 at 12:43 pmI don’t like have my cuticles trimmed on my fingers. They end up all ragged and awful. Blech.
I also don’t love the french pedicure look. It makes toenails look longer and I hate that (sorry if anyone reading this has ever gotten one). I also like to keep my toenails extremely short because who wants long, scratchy toenails.
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gio says
March 20th, 2013 at 12:48 pmI like to keep my nails short too. Long nails are so impractical!
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Tracy says
March 20th, 2013 at 12:48 pmI also DO NOT like long toenails. Yuck. And like you, I need to keep my nails reasonably short so that I can type. Plus my nails just break very easily, so they are much easier to keep neat and even when they are just past the end of my fingers.
Karen – what lipstick are you wearing in the pic above – it looks GORGEOUS on you! So spring-ish!
MelodyJ says
March 20th, 2013 at 1:00 pmI can’t seem get my toes nails super short like most people can. Mine are pretty thick. Any tips? I actually like the french pedicure. When the white part is barely there it looks nice. But I’ve never had one myself. I only polish toe nails in the warmer months.
I like my finger nails medium length. I wear every color from clear to black and anything in between. Sometime I wear them bare. I would like to try simple nail art next.
Agata says
March 20th, 2013 at 1:06 pmI like my toenails and fingernails rather short.
But…you look so pretty in this top picture. What lipstick is it and what blush are you wearing? You look so adorable!
Valeria says
March 20th, 2013 at 2:04 pmI must keep my nails short. I love the look of long nails but it is impossible with piano! I tried once, yay painful breaks on nearly all fingers. Also, even if I am not wearing any polish, cuticles must be neat and moisturized. None of that icky dry flaky white stuff. This goes for both hands and feet.
Love your eye mu here!
Marisa Anderson says
March 20th, 2013 at 3:01 pmOh my! Your friend scratching her cornea with her nail sounds painful. Ouch! I too like to keep both toe and finger nail short. As you know it can be very difficult to do simple task such as type, with super long nails.
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Gotham Polish says
March 20th, 2013 at 3:24 pmMy nail no-no is no ripping off nails – that’s what clippers/scissors/files are for. Seriously, it was a REALLY bad nervous habit I used to have through school that I’ve since overcome 🙂
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Courtney says
March 20th, 2013 at 3:58 pmI keep both really short. My I keep my nails on my hands short b/c they have a tendency to break or peel, so it’s healthier just to keep them short. Plus, my pinkie nails grow really really fast, so i start looking weird.
For my toes-on my left foot my nail grows upward at the end ( i broke my toe and that’s what I was left with), so I keep them short as well.
I don’t like fake nails or nail art, but I’m all over an accent nail. 🙂
Jen says
March 20th, 2013 at 5:34 pmI also hate having long nails, toes or fingers. They feel like talons, and I definitely make more typos when they’re too long!
I prefer to have my toes painted if they’re going to be seen, but they haven’t been for awhile and I keep going out in my rubbah slippahs. I just don’t look down enough for it to bother me, I guess. 😛
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Andee says
March 20th, 2013 at 5:46 pmI too have freakishly long toes and fingers ;(
Monkey toes?
KK says
March 21st, 2013 at 7:16 amI don’t paint my toenails…I run over 50 miles per week and it would be pointless and too time consuming. I do make sure they’re always clean, neat, and trimmed, though.
Aida says
March 22nd, 2013 at 5:09 amFirst I have to mention that E.T. is my favorite movie of all time! Love, love, love it :). Now to no-nos… Hmm, I wouldn’t ever wear fake, plastic nails. I happen to like my toes and I enjoy painting my toe nails as much I do my finger nails (though I do it a lot less often) so a big no-no would be to let them go wild and not have them looking clean and nicely polished. I don’t like super long, super pointy nails either. I think short is super cute, but I’m happier with a medium length (I have short nail beds, so short nails for me would be really short). I maintain my cuticles looking nice and moisturizer, I don’t bite my nails, I don’t try to open any containers using my nails lol… Oh and lastly I never use pure acetone to remove polish, it’s way too drying for my nails… Gosh, I said nails a lot :)).