Hi lovelies,
So, I was talking to one of my non-polish-obsessed friends the other day and it was about halfway through the conversation (aka my polish-themed monologue) that I realised she staring at me with a rather bemused and confused expression and then informed me that she really had no clue what half of my word meant. Upon reflection, I realised I maybe had put a few too many jargon-y and nail-specific terms into our (my) discussion.
And since this is not solely a nail art blog, I came to thinking that maybe some of you, my dear readers, also do not know some of the terms I throw around on this blog. So, here is my dictionary/guide of nail terms for nuggles.
For your (and my) amusement, and as a comparison, I've asked a complete nuggle and a polish liker, but not enthusiast, to give their opinions on what each terms means. I know that the common practice in this instance is to use you boyfriend for the nuggle, but since I don't have one I've had to borrow my sister's boyfriend instead. And, as a bit of fun, I've included my sister Tess as well and have decided to have a little competition, even though I think Tess is at a distinct advantage, seeing as she does live with me and she also paints her nails fairly regularly but oh well.
So, without further ado, let me extend a welcome to Tess and Juwan and let's get cracking!
Base Coat (what it is and does)
J: Primary layer.
T: Clear varnish before colour. It's helps protect the nail and makes the varnish last longer.
Both got this pretty right. It's a clear coat of polish that is designed to protect the nail plate from staining and also to provide a sticky/tacky layer for the polish to adhere to in order to help it stay on longer.
Big 3 Free
J: ... Remover?
T: 3 big chemicals, I can't remember the names but they're pretty bad and if they're not in the polish then it's better.
Right on Tess! No, it's not remover, Juwan. If a polish is Big-3 Free it means it doesn't contain toluene, formaldehyde or dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which are some of the most nasty chemicals that can be found in nail polish. If your interested in reading more about the Big-3, Michelle from LabMuffin does a great series on them.
Bin Diving
J: .....
T: When your nail bends over? It dives over the edge??
I have to say, I did think this was fairly self-explaintory, but I guess not. Bin diving is when you go into a store and there is a massive box of nail polish and you have to dive and dig all the way through it to find the real gems (it's fun!)
Claws
J: Long pointy nails.
T: Long pointy nails, like stilettos and they're usually acrylic.
Perfect guys! Although alot of claws are acrylics, it's only because it takes a lot of dedication, perseverance and excellent genes to get your nails to that length.
Crackle
J: Bumpy texture?
T: When your polish starts to crack and chip off?
I'll be generous and give half points for Juwan for this one. Crackle refers to the finish of a polish and how it cracks when it dries, allowing you to see the colour underneath (it was also one of the two nail art trends I just can't manage to do - the other is water-marbling)
Creme
J: Texture. (I asked whether he was going to elaborate on that, but he declined)
T: Type of polish that's smooth and creamy
Nice work Tess - that's bang on the mark! Creme, like crackle, refers to the finish. Creme polish is your standard polish - it's got no shimmer, no glitter, no flakies, no nothing. It's just a smooth, even colour.
Dragging
J: Dragging your polish thingie across.
T: When you put a top coat on and the colours blend together.
I have to say, I don't really understand what Juwan meant about the nail polish 'thingie', but dragging is what happens when you apply a coat of polish over a previous coat and the brush drags the underlying polish, creating little holes in your polish near the cuticle. It's not the same as what Tess described, which is what I would call bleeding.
Duochrome
J: Double colours
T: Two colours in one bottle
Nice! A duochrome is exactly what these two described it as - it's a polish that looks different depending on which way look at it. For an example, see these nails I did.
Dupe
J: Something dripping.
T: Another double sort of thing. Like with two colours.
Nope and Nope. Dupe is short for duplicate, or a polish that looks like another. It's very rare to find a true dupe, especially for a nail addict but rather exciting when you do (especially if it's a dupe of a colour by a more expensive brand).
Flakies
J: Flakey texture of nail polish
T: When bits peel off your nails. Like when I start to pick bits off and you get mad at me (that bit was directed at me)
I think Juwan was a little stuck on the texture idea, to be honest. Like the name suggests, flakie polishes have flakes in them. they are usually bigger than a shimmer particle and of irregular size. They are similar to glitter.
Franken
J: Frankenstein!! A green colour! (he looked incredibly excited at his genius here)
T: Something that's dead?
No, a franken is not a green colour, nor something that's dead (although I'm a little concerned Tess seems to be considering putting dead things on her nails in the first place). To franken a polish (or frankenpolish) means to mix your own custom shade by mixing different polishes together, or adding shimmer or glitter or colour to a polish.
Free Edge
J: When you have no nail polish on the edges, I guess. When there is nothing hanging off the edge.
T: When you don't file your edge off and it's free... ?
Sorry guys, both of you got this one wrong, although Tess was on the right track. The free edge refers to the white edge of you nail, the bit that grows beyond your fingertip.
Glitterbomb
J: Nails that are full of glitter? A bomb of glitter. Like a fairy bomb! (looks rather excited at the prospect of a fairy bomb)
T: Polish with *phew... intense arm flailing and gestures* of glitter
Yep, you guys got this (although I wish I could have shown you Tess's description/charade of a glitterbomb, it was hilarious, and intense). A glitterbomb is a glitter that is chock full of all the glitters.
Glitter Food
J: Glitter that's shaped like food. Like an apple on your nail that's made of glitter.
T: A little bit of glitter, like reindeer food.
Glitter food actually refers to the thick, oozy top coat that you often have to use over a glitterbomb. Because of the glittery nature of glitterbombs, they often dry to a slightly rough or gritty texture so you need a thick, gluggy top coat in order to get all in there and smooth things out. It's not apples made of glitter or reindeer food...
Glitter Sandwich
J: More glitter on the glitter food of glitter. (I think he was a bit overcome by all this talk of glitter)
T: Glitter on top of glitter. Wait! When you have a base coat and then glitter and then a top coat.
Well, Juwan was sort of on the right track with the mention of glitter, but I think he just wanted to use glitter food in a sentence. Tess is more on the right track but a glitter sandwich is actually when you apply a coat of glitter, then a coat of jelly polish, and then another glitter, and then another jelly. (Don't know what a jelly polish is? Stay tuned for part 2 to find out).
At the end of this first half, Juwan has scored a total of 5, out of a possible 15 and Tess scored 7, so they both have an even chance of winning. (I was awarding half marks, if anyone is confused...)
Stick around for Part Two, where we tackle letters H-Z!
So, I was talking to one of my non-polish-obsessed friends the other day and it was about halfway through the conversation (aka my polish-themed monologue) that I realised she staring at me with a rather bemused and confused expression and then informed me that she really had no clue what half of my word meant. Upon reflection, I realised I maybe had put a few too many jargon-y and nail-specific terms into our (my) discussion.
And since this is not solely a nail art blog, I came to thinking that maybe some of you, my dear readers, also do not know some of the terms I throw around on this blog. So, here is my dictionary/guide of nail terms for nuggles.
For your (and my) amusement, and as a comparison, I've asked a complete nuggle and a polish liker, but not enthusiast, to give their opinions on what each terms means. I know that the common practice in this instance is to use you boyfriend for the nuggle, but since I don't have one I've had to borrow my sister's boyfriend instead. And, as a bit of fun, I've included my sister Tess as well and have decided to have a little competition, even though I think Tess is at a distinct advantage, seeing as she does live with me and she also paints her nails fairly regularly but oh well.
So, without further ado, let me extend a welcome to Tess and Juwan and let's get cracking!
Base Coat (what it is and does)
J: Primary layer.
T: Clear varnish before colour. It's helps protect the nail and makes the varnish last longer.
Both got this pretty right. It's a clear coat of polish that is designed to protect the nail plate from staining and also to provide a sticky/tacky layer for the polish to adhere to in order to help it stay on longer.
Big 3 Free
J: ... Remover?
T: 3 big chemicals, I can't remember the names but they're pretty bad and if they're not in the polish then it's better.
Right on Tess! No, it's not remover, Juwan. If a polish is Big-3 Free it means it doesn't contain toluene, formaldehyde or dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which are some of the most nasty chemicals that can be found in nail polish. If your interested in reading more about the Big-3, Michelle from LabMuffin does a great series on them.
Bin Diving
J: .....
T: When your nail bends over? It dives over the edge??
I have to say, I did think this was fairly self-explaintory, but I guess not. Bin diving is when you go into a store and there is a massive box of nail polish and you have to dive and dig all the way through it to find the real gems (it's fun!)
Claws
J: Long pointy nails.
T: Long pointy nails, like stilettos and they're usually acrylic.
Perfect guys! Although alot of claws are acrylics, it's only because it takes a lot of dedication, perseverance and excellent genes to get your nails to that length.
Crackle
J: Bumpy texture?
T: When your polish starts to crack and chip off?
I'll be generous and give half points for Juwan for this one. Crackle refers to the finish of a polish and how it cracks when it dries, allowing you to see the colour underneath (it was also one of the two nail art trends I just can't manage to do - the other is water-marbling)
 |
| Cremes - Good to Grape by Sally Hansen and Mystique by Face of Australia |
J: Texture. (I asked whether he was going to elaborate on that, but he declined)
T: Type of polish that's smooth and creamy
Nice work Tess - that's bang on the mark! Creme, like crackle, refers to the finish. Creme polish is your standard polish - it's got no shimmer, no glitter, no flakies, no nothing. It's just a smooth, even colour.
Dragging
J: Dragging your polish thingie across.
T: When you put a top coat on and the colours blend together.
I have to say, I don't really understand what Juwan meant about the nail polish 'thingie', but dragging is what happens when you apply a coat of polish over a previous coat and the brush drags the underlying polish, creating little holes in your polish near the cuticle. It's not the same as what Tess described, which is what I would call bleeding.
Duochrome
J: Double colours
T: Two colours in one bottle
Nice! A duochrome is exactly what these two described it as - it's a polish that looks different depending on which way look at it. For an example, see these nails I did.
Dupe
J: Something dripping.
T: Another double sort of thing. Like with two colours.
Nope and Nope. Dupe is short for duplicate, or a polish that looks like another. It's very rare to find a true dupe, especially for a nail addict but rather exciting when you do (especially if it's a dupe of a colour by a more expensive brand).
Flakies
J: Flakey texture of nail polish
T: When bits peel off your nails. Like when I start to pick bits off and you get mad at me (that bit was directed at me)
I think Juwan was a little stuck on the texture idea, to be honest. Like the name suggests, flakie polishes have flakes in them. they are usually bigger than a shimmer particle and of irregular size. They are similar to glitter.
Franken
J: Frankenstein!! A green colour! (he looked incredibly excited at his genius here)
T: Something that's dead?
No, a franken is not a green colour, nor something that's dead (although I'm a little concerned Tess seems to be considering putting dead things on her nails in the first place). To franken a polish (or frankenpolish) means to mix your own custom shade by mixing different polishes together, or adding shimmer or glitter or colour to a polish.
Free Edge
J: When you have no nail polish on the edges, I guess. When there is nothing hanging off the edge.
T: When you don't file your edge off and it's free... ?
Sorry guys, both of you got this one wrong, although Tess was on the right track. The free edge refers to the white edge of you nail, the bit that grows beyond your fingertip.
 |
| Glitterbombs - Saturday Night Fever by Face of Australia and Nailholic by Mode |
J: Nails that are full of glitter? A bomb of glitter. Like a fairy bomb! (looks rather excited at the prospect of a fairy bomb)
T: Polish with *phew... intense arm flailing and gestures* of glitter
Yep, you guys got this (although I wish I could have shown you Tess's description/charade of a glitterbomb, it was hilarious, and intense). A glitterbomb is a glitter that is chock full of all the glitters.
Glitter Food
J: Glitter that's shaped like food. Like an apple on your nail that's made of glitter.
T: A little bit of glitter, like reindeer food.
Glitter food actually refers to the thick, oozy top coat that you often have to use over a glitterbomb. Because of the glittery nature of glitterbombs, they often dry to a slightly rough or gritty texture so you need a thick, gluggy top coat in order to get all in there and smooth things out. It's not apples made of glitter or reindeer food...
Glitter Sandwich
J: More glitter on the glitter food of glitter. (I think he was a bit overcome by all this talk of glitter)
T: Glitter on top of glitter. Wait! When you have a base coat and then glitter and then a top coat.
Well, Juwan was sort of on the right track with the mention of glitter, but I think he just wanted to use glitter food in a sentence. Tess is more on the right track but a glitter sandwich is actually when you apply a coat of glitter, then a coat of jelly polish, and then another glitter, and then another jelly. (Don't know what a jelly polish is? Stay tuned for part 2 to find out).
At the end of this first half, Juwan has scored a total of 5, out of a possible 15 and Tess scored 7, so they both have an even chance of winning. (I was awarding half marks, if anyone is confused...)
Stick around for Part Two, where we tackle letters H-Z!
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