Nail Blog Lingo

In the world of nail blogging, there seems to be a whole separate vocabulary dedicated to the every day ins and outs of polishes and the like. This area of the blog is meant to be your guide to most of the lingo you read on nail blogs these days.

Stash - Nail polish collection, sometimes hidden out of shame from family members, a lot of times proudly displayed on shelves or the like.

NOTD - Nails of the Day, a term used to refer to a blog post based on the manicure the blogger has chosen to wear that day. Think of it as a filler between an official swatch or review. "It's just how I was feeling today"

Franken - A nail color created from mixing two other colors in one bottle. This does not include layering/jelly sandwiches.

Konad/ Plate/Stamping - Ever wonder how people can get such precise and exact patterns on their nails? Enter the Konad (or any dupe) kit, including a plate etched with the pattern you choose. The application comes from applying color to the plate, scraping it flush, and then transferring the design to the nail with the help of a rubber stamper.

Tip Wear - If your manicure is lucky enough to last a day or two without chipping, you are more than likely to see "tip wear". Nowadays this becomes more common as typing and touch screen use tend to wear down the lacquer on the tips of our nails, leaving us with bare ends.

Syrup Mani - A manicure using a jelly based polish, using a gradient effect which results in a translucent appearance at the cuticle base and an opaque appearance at the tips. This is usually achieved by applying polish in layers, moving away from the cuticle base each time.

Dupe - Shorter term for duplicate, this basically means a copycat of oftentimes a more expensive polish, or simply just a very close match.

L-R are OPI "Just Spotted The Lizard", CHANEL "Peridot", Gap "Gold Rush" and Deborah Lippman "Swagga Like Us!"

lacqueredlover.com

Swatch - Trying on the nail polish and photographing it for others to see the true color, typically in different lights. Most colors vary depending on the light, especially from sunlight to any indoor light.

Lemming - The uncontrollable desire to buy a nail color after having viewed it either online or on another blog. Typically this decision comes out of seeing it swatched by someone else who has decided to spend the money or has it sent to them directly from the company for review.

No-Buy (NB) - A term only to describe the brave, brave consumer who has taken the vow to not buy nail polish for a pre-determined length of time. This takes great willpower, as one must recognize their own weaknesses when it comes to lacquer purchase.

Formula - A word to describe the way the nail polish feels/looks as it is applied, which includes words like runny, thick, gloppy, as well as the following in their actually makeup and content.
Cream - A typically opaque color, these are often times bold and usually only take 1-2 coats for full opacity. Best formulas are hi-shine without a top coat.
Jelly - Semi-sheer, these colors are perfect for sandwiching glitters in between. They give a jelly-like appearance on the nail, hence the name.
Holo - Everyone's favorite in the sunlight, these polishes have glitters in them that align perfectly to reflect light in a rainbow-type brilliance.
Duochrome- These polishes are metallic, but are shape shifters in the light. The colors above are a good example.
Frosted - Typically a pastel color with a hint of white/silver glitter or sheen that make them look frosty when dried.
Matte - A flat finish to a polish, this is typically achieved with a top coat, or sometimes in the bottle such as OPI's matte collection or their Liquid Sand polishes. AKA not shiny or smooth.

Glitter - Who doesn't love a little bling? These babies can be worn alone, as a top coat over polish, or sandwiched between jelly colors for a unique look.
Glitter/Jelly Sandwich - This kind of manicure typically features a layer of glitter polish "sandwiched" between  2 layers of a jelly-type polish.
Hex - Hexagonal shaped glitters that can vary in size depending on the polish.
Round - Well, round. Circular.
Line - Long strips of glitter foils in the nail polish that when applied can run in the direction of the brush stroke.
Micro- Super tiny little glitters that in abundance can act as fillers between bigger glitters. Alot of times these can be holographic.
Flake - These little gems have a mind of their own, with no particular shape or size. Oftentimes they are clear/sheer/pearly with a rainbow reflective hue.
Square - Um, square.

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