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November 29, 2009 | kicking bad habits, me me me

For years and years, I’ve been a nail biter. It’s a horrible nervous habit. I constantly need to be fiddling with something. Whether it is picking at my nails, twirling my hair or playing on my iPhone. I need to keep my hands busy!

A few weeks ago, I decided to just stop biting them. I painted them a pretty purple color and I think that deterred me from biting. One of them broke and normally that is like the kiss of death and I have to “even them out” and start picking them off one by one. But this time, I filed it and changed the polish and I haven’t bit them since. I think I’m going to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure if I can keep it up for a few more weeks as a reward and to keep me going.

I’m mainly a dark reds and purples kind of gal when it comes to polish. The little color I do have in my wardrobe is those colors as well. I think I need some more variety to keep my hands looking pretty and to distract me from biting.

So give me some recommendations! Do you have a favorite brand or signature color of polish?

63 Comments so far
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I just stopped biting my nails a few weeks ago too! I’ll knock on wood with that one because I never know if it’ll come back with a vengeance. But I’ve been good for over a month and have been rewarding myself with manicures every 2 weeks or so. I’ve broken 2 nails (boo) and also just kind of let them be instead of chewing off the other ones to match. Also, I try to use OPI almost exclusively because I just find that it’s the most durable.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:40 pm

@Arielle, I’m always afraid I’ll start up again too. The making them even part is what kills me. I need to get like a strengthening base or something for them.

I love dark purple and black nail polish, but I wear all kinds of crazy colors too. My favorite brand is probably China Glaze. Cheaper than OPI, amazing colors, and decent quality.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

@Ashley, oh I do love China Glaze. I just bought a really great red by them: Ravishing, Dahling. I’m anxious to try it out!

i am also in the “trying not to bite” boat. and i haven’t ever met anyone else who had to “even them out” but i totally do that too!!

i loooooove OPI. i wear lots of pinks, purples, and blacks. my favorites are “aphrodite’s pink nightie,” “seniorita rosalita,” “a-rose at dawn, broke by noon,” “eiffel for this color,” and “russian navy.” LOVE THEM ALL. CAN’T PICK A FAVORITE. : ) also, the opi.com website colors are deceiving. but you can see them in person at target or trade secret.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

@raeleighjo/bigskygirl, I love them names of OPI’s polishes. I just know I’ll be the one to start picking them out by name! haha

OPI for Sephora. Seriously. Not the regular OPI stuff. Pay the extra dollar for the “for Sephora” stuff. Worth it. Gorgeous. My fave. And our nails kind of match still, since I haven’t changed colors now in over a week.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

@Doniree, oh yeah. I forgot they have a Sephora line. Thanks!

I bit my nails forever but finally broke myself of it and never went back.

If you want affordable so you can purchase many colors, check out eyeslipsface.com (E.L.F.) – their polish is $1 and works just fine.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

It’s the best purple/black colour EVER.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

@Margarita, I keep hearing this one. I’ll have to check it out.

I used to be a nail biter, too, until I started taking extra careful care of my nails a few years ago. And now I don’t bite at all!

My favorite dark colors are Lincoln Park after Dark and Lincoln Park at Midnight by OPI. The last time I got a mani/pedi, though, I tried OPI Mrs O’Leary’s BBQ, a dark red/brown, and Essie Wicked, a super super dark (almost black) red, and I loved bother and will be adding them to my arsenal.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:44 pm

@Andrea, at my last pedi I used OPI’s Black Cherry Chutney. It is amazing!

just got a KICKASS new dark red: OPI “all a’bordeaux the sleigh”

i’m also a fan of OPI “lincoln park after dark.” and “malaga wine”, which is a nice medium red.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:45 pm

@tia, just those names alone make me want to try them. I keep hearing about Lincoln Park After Dark. I definitely think that needs to be in my possession.

My favourite colours at the moment are a purpley blue colour and a mint green one. I also LOVE bright red.

I love pedicures but I can’t keep polish on my fingernails for crap. But! I love all the dark OPI colors, they last forever, and there are some really pretty dark purples for fall out right now.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm

@nancypearlwannabe, I think I have like 4 purples I’ve been absolutely loving the past month. I swear I change the polish every week!

I usually don’t paint my finger nails (I’m a nail biter, too), but I paint my toenails a coral color on most occasions.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm

@Megan/SomewhatVoluble, coral is so pretty. I feel like light colors would seem so off or something on me though

Hands down my favorite polish is OPI. I love the dark colors – the purples, the browns, the dark reds. When their new fall/winter line came out within a few weeks I owned half of it. My current favorite is Can You Tapas This, a beautifully brown color with red undertones.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

@mandy, oh I’m definitely going to have to try that out. I LOVE the name.

Way to go Jamie!

I like dark colors too, and you can’t underestimate a good shiny clear coat- if only to remind you to keep your fingers out of your mouth!

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

@The Maiden Metallurgist, true. I need to pick up a good strengthening clear polish. Hopefully that will stop some of the chipping and breaking too.

I love dark red or purple nail polish. Definitely my favorite, I have recently been into pale pinks and bright red though.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:50 pm

@Liz, I’ve been thinking about a bright red. I need to find a good one.

Ooo, I love that color. I’m an OPI gal too, because it’s the longest-lasting polish I’ve been able to find. There’s a color called Modern Girl. I kid you not. Fortunately I love the color, so it works out well

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

@The Modern Gal, I think I remember you writing about that before. Maybe? Regardless, I LOVE that!

I’m a dark reds/deep purple nail polish kind of girl as well. although I have had some trouble trying to find that right shade of dark red that looks good with my skintone.

Right now I’m wearing no chip-diamond strength “bourdeaux glitter” (or something like that with bourdeaux in it) by Sally Hansen.

But usually I’m wearing colors by O.P.I. my faves are “eiffel for this color,” “royal rajah ruby,” or “lincoln park after dark.”

Red nails if they’re short. French mani if they’re long. And black from time to time just cause I like to rock it out like that.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:54 pm

@Meghan, I can’t do super long nails. I think just a bit longer than my finger tips is good for me. iPhones and long nails don’t go too well together!

Love the dark nails! My favourite brands are OPI and Essie- I just started getting acrylics a couple of months ago and I adore them, I can paint them while they’re short & use nail polish remover to reveal my pretty french tips.

I’m a perfectionist so as much as I love painting mine, I really love my acrylics because I can leave my nails alone for four weeks at a time and they look perfect.

Brilliant!

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

@Kyla Roma, for the longest time since I couldn’t stop biting I would get gel tips. Similar to acrylics but suppose to be a bit easier on the nail or something? But I love how they look. So low maintenance

Congratulations! Thats a big step I wish I could get rid of my habit much like that.

I’m also a big fan of dark reds, purples and blues. My new favorite though is a nice metallicy dark gray or a dark brown. As far as brand I don’t really have one…just which ever has the best colors! I loooove OPI but can’t afford it on this girls budget.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:56 pm

@ashley, I was looking at a metallicy dark grey last week but went with, surprise! dark red haha I might go back and get it though

Oh man, the days of biting my nails were horrible. I did that for a good 10-15 years of my life & tried everything until one day I just decided I wanted to wear nail polish.

My absolutely favorite polish is OPI’s “I’m Really Not A Waitress” which is a pink but it looks good on everyone. Same thing with Dutch Tulips. For a red I use Sephora’s OPI “Curve-aceous”.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:56 pm

@Cass, good to know about that pink. Sometimes I feel like pinks just won’t look right on me. I’ll have to check it out!

Love painting my nails and love getting my nails done but it ends up being an expensive habit! I’m so addicted to buying nail polishes… You can have a PALE pink but then suddenly you need a baby pink. And a magenta pink. And a mauvey pink. And an orangey pink…

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:58 pm

@Teresa Wu, I have a feeling it’s going to turn into quite the addiction if I can continue on the no biting track!

If dark red works that well, then I’m going to second considering black. Black is the new black. Oh. It’s probably also the old black, too. uh… yeah, you get my point.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

@nicopolitan, I haven’t done black nails in a few years but I think I’m ready to give it another go. Now that I actually HAVE nails to paint

I am such a nail biter, it’s awful. I might try your dark nail polish trick. Sounds like it’s a good deterrent!

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

@michelle woo, oh it is. I highly recommend it!

OPI nail polish!!! they have tons of shades and they tend to last the longest for me.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

@ReinventingAmy, I have a few by OPI and I have been pretty happy with them so far. I can’t wait to buy more!

Yay for quitting nail biting! I’ve been good for the past month or two. Two broken nails later, I still haven’t bitten them down. Problem is that I now don’t know what to do when I’m nervous.

Because I am the most boring person in all of the world, I wear Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails in Cinnamon. It is a flesh tone. If I want to mix it up, I’ll go with Truffle. I have the taste of a middle-aged woman working in a cubicle who wears beige all of the time. I’ll “accidentally” pack up my Mom’s OPI and Essie into my stuff whenever I visit. Also, I’ve never gotten my nails done. It kind of frightens me…

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

@Monica, we will go be girly one day and get manicures or manis as those young whippersnappers say nowadays.

What got me to stop biting was carrying a nail file every where I go. I have one in my purse, my planner, every.where. Just like you said, when one breaks or chips, I can immediately file it off instead of pick at it. Or, if I’m bored and need to keep my hands busy, I can just do some general clean up — which keeps them from chipping in the first place!!!

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 6:02 pm

@A Super Girl, definitely a good tip. I’ll have to buy a couple more files

Oh, girl, don’t get me started on nail polish. I almost never wear it on my fingers (always on toes) because of the chipping and such, but right now I’ve got Chanel Jade on my fingers. I have more greens and blues and purples and blacks than I do reds or pinks.

If you haven’t checked out alllacqueredup.com yet, you totally need to. And the best place to get nail polish is head2toebeauty.com — super-low prices, fast shipping, lots of brands (China Glaze, OPI, Essie…).

I apologize in advance for what those links are going to do to your collection and wallet.

Jamie Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 6:23 pm

@Jeanne, ugh I hate/love you for this hahaha

i try so hard to not bite my nails but i continue to fail, one day i won’t. however i am a fan of all nail polishes from OPI, seriously they are divine.

i don’t pic my nails per se but i totally pick my cuticles. horrible!

you need to check out this blog for all your nail polish needs! http://www.alllacqueredup.com/

Jamie Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:02 pm

@alexa – cleveland’s a plum, you’re the second person to recommend that blog! I followed them on twitter too

Without reading the rest of the comments, I’m going to assume someone already suggested Lincoln Park After Dark, which I love. My last manicure was a deep gray though, which is fun and metallic and a little less harsh. Although you can’t really tell, because I basically eat my nails off.

So sexy.

They’re not dark, but I love love love OPI for Sephora “Dear Diary” an amazing light pink, and a fun gold color called “Charge it”. My obsessions at the moment.

Congrats on curing your bad habit! That’s awesome! Like every other commenter has said, I love OPI nail polishes. Revlon polishes are pretty good too! (And cheap!) My favorite recent discovery is Revlon Sweet Tart, which is the ultimate Barbie, bubble gum pink. I have a few dark polishes and always want to go dark in the fall/winter but my favorites will always be hot pink & coral red. I am the worst at painting my nails unless it is a light color. If I had tons of $$ I would totally get my nails done once a week! Ahhh, so relaxing!

oooohhh PRETTY!

I’m impressed that you have stopped biting your nails! I struggled with that as a kid, and I don’t remember when I stopped, but I am glad I did.

My personal favorite nail polishes are deep blues or bright pinks. Kind of weird, but they depend on my mood. And I always love a bright polish on my toes to make me smile.

I love it when my nails are long and I’m the same way, I like dark colors too but also love silver/white too. My nails are currently gray now. Bright colors are distracting since I use sign language.

Jamie Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 8:45 pm

@steph anne, I’ve been thinking about a metallicy gray color. I think that might be my next purchase!

I usually go for dark colors too, but just tonight I painted my nails a bright freaking pink color, and I love it! It’s by Essie and its called Secret Stash. I also love this purple color by Sally Hansen called Plum It.

[...] still successful at keeping my bad habit at bay. No nail biting for this girl! Only pretty polished nails here. But I think I may have [...]

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