<p>As a 47yo mom, I just can’t get into the popular color: black. At the same time, I just painted my nails with one of my old colors – Revlon’s Tuscan Sun, kind of a reddish-mauve – and it just looks so '80s.</p>
<p>Can’t afford French nails, etc.</p>
<p>I was doing a brown that I liked OK, though my sons said it made my fingers look like Tooties Rolls.</p>
<p>So, I’m looking for a new color. Any ideas?</p>
<p>short square shaped fingernails w/clear polish always because I chip them almost immediately and can touch up easier between visits to manicurist. At this point, with bifocals, I can not see well enough to do my toes myself and barely well enough to do fingers.</p>
<p>toe nails are always some shade of red.</p>
<p>I use the base coat for a French manicure. Mostly clear with a slight pink tint. I’m old school, always oval.</p>
<p>Since becoming Of A Certain Age, I do get regular pedicures but rarely do manicures. The pedis last a month or more, but the manis tend to barely last a week. I do a variety of colors on my piggies (part of the fun of doing it regularly!). For fingernails, though, whether I’m having them done or doing them myself, I go with a very pale pink/neutral color. I just never liked the strong colors on anyone older than a teenager. DH thinks painted <particularly long=“”> nails look like claws. (I usually don’t have any polish in my fingernails.)</particularly></p>
<p>^^^same here. If I am feeling daring I go a little bit more pink. </p>
<p>A good friend of mine uses icy blue in the summer, and it looks good. My kids use dark blue or brown.</p>
<p>Nothing on my hand nails - my hand nails are short and stubby - not because I chew them, but I HATE any length on my hand nails and I also have small, wide nail bases. </p>
<p>But do paint my toes! (yeah, getting harder with my eyes) I kind of feel like you can do more with color on toes - cause usually when they will be seen is summertime with sandals and summer fun anyway. I often do a kind of hot pink-mauve type color.</p>
<p>^^I don’t remember ever seeing my extremely elegant grandmother without very very red nails and lips. Perhaps for that reason, I really like strong color. But I am incapable of maintaining it. sigh.</p>
<p>Essie ballerina on my fingernails - a color that’s barely there, yet looks clean and finished.</p>
<p>On my toes right now, OPI “I’m Not Really a Waitress.”</p>
<p>Don’t say anything. It’s actually a nice, rich wintery red.</p>
<p>
Same here. When I have polish on my fingernails (that I do myself), it’s usually a lighter shade of pink. Chips in lighter color polish aren’t as noticeable. I have never been able to have long nails – not that I’d want them anyway. I leave all the trendy colors to the younger set.</p>
<p>A single coat of OPI Bubble Bath. Nails look finished but not “done”.</p>
<p>I like OPI. It’s usually something like bubble bath, or ballerina pink. I like Essie too.</p>
<p>my nails are terribly soft. So I use Sally Hansen…clear light pink. Barely noticeable. </p>
<p>I DO like color on my toes. Various shades of deep coral or red. Love my pedicures!</p>
<p>Here’s the “good” news: Except for the Real Housewives of Orange County French manicures are not in fashion. So the extra expensive isn’t necessary. For most of the year I wear a Chanel non metallic pale pink. In winter a true (non blue or orangey influence) red on toes and fingers. I have my own color because, especially with the red tiny chips occur between manicures. So, with extra top coat applied and fill in color my nails look good a bit longer.</p>
<p>Toes- OPI Chick Flick Cherry. Or a similar shade. The last few years I have taken to getting a pedicure. The polish last a long time. I get a manicure for special occasions. I usually go with a pale shade of barely there pink. I find my hands are in water so much that the fingernails just don’t last. If I had a bold color each chip would be noticed.
My oldest tends to go with black. My youngest bites her nails so never does her fingers. Her toes if she does them she usually goes for a blue.</p>
<p>I can’t stand the feel of nail polish on my fingers. It feels slippery, slimy, and it’s just something else to worry about.</p>
<p>My biggest manicure challenge is keeping my nails short enough. They grow like wildfire, and every 10 days or so, I have to cut them, then shape them with an emery board.</p>
<p>No color at all. Ever.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who does not enjoy getting a pedicure. I do it because it makes them look so nice. I have really soft skin on my feet and I am very sensitive.</p>
<p>Oh, no, please put the French manicure nail polish and walk away. It’s so aging! It says “I picked up this trend in the mid 80’s and haven’t moved on!”</p>
<p>Try an American manicure - which is a much softer white on the tips and looks natural, not “Real Housewives of OC” or “Jersey Shore.”</p>
<p>I typically do the American manicure, but right now I have a deep plum, just for fun.</p>
<p>Lots of pale pink here! I have olive skin and wonder how that would look.</p>
<p>I have great nails, and I love having color on them. I don’t mind the extra maintenance.</p>
<p>I like “I’m Not Really a Waitress,” too, as well as “Nice Color, Eh?” for my toes. Plus any number of other strong shades.</p>
<p>When I do use color on my fingers (not common), I go much paler. For the holidays I used a barely there iridescent polish. In the summer I’ll use something sheer and barely pinky beige.</p>
<p>I wear clear or pale pink occasionally in the summer. I’ve got wide nails, short bases so I don’t want to draw attention to them. In the winter my fingernails are so brittle I just cut them really short. As I’ve gotten older my finger nails have developed ridges - they really don’t look as good with polish as they used to.</p>
<p>I like painting my toenails fire engine red though.</p>