Young and talented, Samantha of PackAPunchPolish blog started blogging in March 2012 and already ranks as one of the most popular nail bloggers. Her nail art has been featured a few times on Beautylish, her Instragram following recently went over 11,000 and she’s only 19 years old!
Today Samantha is sharing her nail story with us as well as a few tips and tricks for the nail art.
Why nails?
I’ve always loved doing my nails ever since I was little. I got started after reading the Kluz Nail Art book. I tried every design in the book and then decided to start making my own. I gave up on nail art once I got into high school as I was really actively into sports like lacrosse, tennis, and cheerleading and it was impossible to keep my nails looking nice all the time.
Once I got to my senior year I started doing nail art again. Everyone loved my nails and asked me how I did them and if I could do theirs. So I started posting my nail art on Facebook and a lot of people went crazy over my designs which led me to think I should start a blog and share my designs with more people than just my friends! Nail art and nail polish is such a versatile topic to blog about. Anything you can think of can go onto your nails. They are like little canvases.
There are new nail polish collections released throughout the year and I love getting new polishes and collections to share with everyone. People love looking at nail art and nail polish blogs to see polishes before they buy them. I love that I can share my designs with everyone and at the same time share awesome new nail polishes.
How often do you post?
Whenever I do my nails with a new design or when I want to share a new or untried nail polish that I have. Sometimes it’s once a week, sometimes it’s every day.
How often do you paint your nails?
I paint my nails or do a new design anywhere from 4 to 7 days a week. Sometimes it’s even more than that!
Nail care product you can’t live without?
I generally don’t use many nail care products on my nails because they are naturally healthy, but if I do need to maintain them I always use a nail buffer. I like to get rid of the ridges on my nails because I feel like my nails don’t chip, break, and peel as much.
I also like to use Hard As Hoof nail strengthening cream when my nails get weak.
The best nail care tip?
I always push my cuticles back while I’m in the shower. I use the thumb nail on my opposite hand to gently push them back. I never use cuticle removers or cuticle cutters because I personally think they are too harsh on my nails and cuticle cutters can lead to nasty infections if they aren’t used properly.
I also recommend using 100% pure acetone for natural nails instead of non-acetone or moisturizing removers. Acetone may seem awful for your nails, but in the end it’s actually better for your nails. Nails are like little sponges. When you use moisturizing products or moisturizing remover and then do your nails, all the moisture will be underneath your layers of polish and will make them chip and peel much faster. Making sure your nails are very dry before applying polish will make your manicure last much longer. You just need to apply cuticle oil to your cuticles afterwards so they don’t stay dried out.
NAIL POLISH FAVOURITES:
How many polishes in your collection?
Currently, as of right this minute, I have about 220 polishes, but it is constantly changing. The holiday season is also here and that means friends and family always gift me new polishes because they know it’s something I will always love.
Favourite nail polish brand?
China Glaze (1). They always come out with amazing colors and I love the shape of their bottle. Their polishes also seem to last the longest for me before they chip.
Favourite indie polish brand?
My favorite indie polish brand right now is Femme Fatale Lacquer. That was actually the first indie brand I have ever tried and I absolutely love Cynthia’s polishes. My favorite polish of her’s is Lacey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte. (2)
Favourite luxury polish brand?
Butter London (3). I love the colors they offer and the bottle packaging is so cute! They also apply to the nail so smoothly and they last quite a while.
Which brand has the best formula?
I love China Glaze’s formula on all of their polishes! It’s rare when find a polish by them that I don’t like and even if I don’t like the formula on a certain polish I usually love the color so much that I find a way to make it work.
The best brush?
That’s a tough question! I really love OPI’s brush (4) because it’s really large and I can cover more of my nail at once, but that also leads to me getting polish on my cuticles because it’s almost too big for my nail. Although I do like the large brush size of OPI, I often find myself preferring the brush in the China Glaze polishes because I can be more precise when applying my polish and it greatly decreases the chance of getting polish all over my cuticles.
NAIL ART:
Favourite colour combinations?
My favorite color combination would be black and white. It’s such a classic combination that anyone can pull off. I also like anything bright and neon! My favorite black and white design that I have done is my paisley patterned nails (4)
Favorite pattern?
I have so many favorite patterns. I love animal prints! When in doubt, I always do a leopard (1) or a zebra print design. I also love glitter gradients (3) because they are a great way to wear more than one color without having something too extravagant on your nails.
I also love mix and match designs (2) when there are a few different designs across each nail.
The best tip for painting your other hand?
Patience and practice! I get a lot of viewers asking me this question and I always tell them to take their time instead of rushing through it and to practice often. The more you practice, the easier it gets. It helps to rest both hands on a sturdy surface as well.
The most adventurous nail art you have ever created?
It would be my Ripped Flesh Halloween nail art. It’s definitely not for the queasy and it’s very gruesome, but people loved it!
Favourite nail art trend?
Currently my favorite nail art trend is the mix and match patterns. They are so fun and there are tons of patterns, colors, and designs that you can put together to create amazing manicures!
Samantha was interviewed by Maria Vlezko in January 2013. All images – provided by Samantha.
Did you enjoy this post?
Then stay in touch by subscribing to our Weekly Newsletter or follow us via Bloglovin for daily updates.
