Hi everyone! This is the second edition of The Lacquerologist Tells Alls, and today's topic is How a LacquerHead Packs for Vacation! It may not make sense to most, but for a polish-addict, this is a big deal! Which polish should I wear? Should I pack others to change my mani mid-vaca? What if I get sick of my polish shade while I'm away from my stash? What if my mani chips while I'm gone? Nail art? SO MANY OPTIONS, so you must be prepared! I lay in bed at night thinking about these kinds of things (sick? hahaha), so I thought I'd share some of my conclusions with you!
Personally, last year, my goal to wear the same polish for the week sort of stressed me out. I love polishing my nails...it is very relaxing to me and helps me chill out. Have you ever gone on vacation with your extended family in one house? You need relaxation time (I love you all if you are reading!! <3), believe me! So I've decided that this year, I will be polishing my own nails throughout the week as I see fit, because while on vacation you can do whatever you want! Also, if you are on a vacation at the beach, lotions and extended exposure to water make your nails very unhappy and chip-prone. So without further hesitation, here is my vacation packing plan!
The Lacquerologist Tells All: How a LacquerHead Packs for Vacation!
This vacation packing plan makes the following assumptions:
- You are going on a vacation lasting about one week.
- You like to polish your nails every 2-3 days.
- You are able to pack whatever you'd like. If you are flying, be sure to check your airline's rules on cosmetics and liquids in carry-ons, etc and pack your polishes safely.
I've designed this packing list so that you can pack as little as possible and still have a variety of fun nail looks while away from your polish collection and supplies. To avoid packing liquid polish removers that can be hazardous to travel with (no one wants remover spilling in their suitcase), I have planned my vacation manicures to be simple to remove so that I can use a remover pad...I'm sure most of you have remover packets in your stash somewhere...they often come as freebies in subscription boxes or with purchases. Personally, my favorite is the Priti NYC Soy Remover Wipe because not only is it an effective polish remover, but it is super moisturizing for your nails and cuticles, so you will essentially get a mini-mani when you use it! You can purchase Priti NYC Soy Remover Wipes [here] for $9.99 for a 10-pack and see my original review [here].
Before you leave:
Decide on the manicures you'd like to wear while on vacation! You need to plan three manicures:
- Vacation Nail Art Mani. You will complete this manicure while you are at home before you leave for vacation, so it can be as detailed as you'd like! By doing your nail art at home, you can avoid packing dotting tools, sponges, stripers, brushes, rhinestones and multiple polishes. And if you love your nail art so much that you decide not to take it off, no harm done (you'll barely have packed anything extra anyway!). Try to think about making this mildly easy to remove since you probably won't have acetone with you on your trip.
- Easy to Remove Mani. This would be the first manicure you would do while on vacation. I would suggest a creme or shimmer polish that is easy to remove with some sort of accent nail. Maybe a contrasting creme shade? Or one glitter nail (one won't be too difficult to remove with a remover packet)?
- Glitterbomb Mani. The final manicure you would apply while on vacation can be as difficult to remove as you want because you will take it off when you return home to your stash of acetone and polish removers. If this glitter polish requires "underwear" consider using one of your polishes you chose for manicure #2....one less bottle to pack!
Once you've decided the manicures you want to do, you'll know which polishes you need to take with you...probably just two or three polishes. Give yourself a nice manicure before you leave...tend to your cuticles and file and shape your nails. Once your nails and cuticles are in tip-top shape, do your nail art manicure! Now you're ready for a vacation!
Pack the following supplies:
You'll be able to fit everything you need for gorgeous nails in one small make-up bag! Last year I packed a big Tupperware of things to please everyone and myself...not this year! This is super simple, and even if you are flying to your destination or have limited space, if you pack these things safely in a small make-up bag, you should have no problem finding room for it in your suitcase! While packing, you can always wrap your bottles in a few tissues and place them in sealed Ziplock bags to make your bag spill-proof!
You'll be able to fit everything you need for gorgeous nails in one small make-up bag! Last year I packed a big Tupperware of things to please everyone and myself...not this year! This is super simple, and even if you are flying to your destination or have limited space, if you pack these things safely in a small make-up bag, you should have no problem finding room for it in your suitcase! While packing, you can always wrap your bottles in a few tissues and place them in sealed Ziplock bags to make your bag spill-proof!
- Your desired easy to remove polish and accent polish, if desired
- Your desired glitter bomb polish
- Priti NYC Soy Remover Wipes (at least two) or your favorite remover wipe
- Top coat, base coat, and nail treatment, if you use one (or an all-in-one product)
- Clean-up brush, if you usually need one
- Cuticle balm or oil
- Nail file, just in case there is a chip or break while you are gone
A Few More Tips:
- I would suggest filing your nails as short as you are comfortable with for your trip. Longer nails are more likely to break, no matter how strong they are! If they are a nice, healthy length, they will most likely stay strong for you while you are gone!
- If you're going somewhere warm and sunny, consider thermal polishes, UV color-changers, or holographic shades that will really be stunning in the sun!
- Though it is difficult to do so if you are spending the day floating in the pool, try to limit the water exposure your nails get. When your nails soak up a bunch of water, they tend to change shape and when they go back to their normal shape, the polish is likely to crack.
- Don't forget the sunscreen on your hands! No one wants wrinkly skin damage so near their gorgeous nails!
- Though it is tempting to sit outside and polish your nails, your polish will apply better if you do your manicure in a cool, non-windy location.
- Think small! Mini bottles of polish save room in your packing routine!
- Practice using your clean-up brush dry...it can actually be quite effective if you do it when the polish is wet! No acetone needed for quick fixes!
Other Options:
- Gel manicure. If you are comfortable with wearing gel polish on your nails, a CND Shellac or OPI Gel Color manicure can last you about two weeks. There are also kits you can use at home, such as Haute Polish. You can read my review [here] and [here].
- PVA glue base coat. Though I have never used this technique on my nails, you can use PVA glue as a base coat so that glitter will literally peel off your nails. Like I said, I'm a bit leery of excessive use of this technique, but you can read more about it [here]!
- Nail wraps. Nail wraps or stickers are another options for long-term wear, if you're into that kind of thing! Personally, I always prefer polish, but this is another easy-to-pack option for nail art on the go!!
- CND Vinylux manicure. The CND Vinylux system provides extended wear without UV light or damage to your nails. Non-licensed consumers can purchase these polishes from AvenueYou [here]! Don't forget to get the top coat that goes with the system!
Rainbow Honey and Pretty & Polished polishes, as well as the Priti NYC Soy Remover Wipes shown in this post were provided by the company/PR for previous review.
