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How do you ladies deal with nail polish that has been used to the point where the brush doesn't really reach what's left in the bottle? I have been keeping the dregs, starting a new bottle and when there is room in it, pouring the old stuff into the new bottle. This works in principle but getting one viscous liquid into another bottle of viscous liquid through a tiny hole in the top is fraught with the risk of spills. Plus, I have to use the same shade and manufacturer.
Do you have a method of decanting the dregs or do you just through the old bottle away with the remaining liquid?
It's not a big deal, but I hate to waste perfectly good nail polish.
I've been wondering exactly the same thing!
I'm sure that the manufacturers deliberately make the brushes too short so that you end up throwing the last third of the bottle away.
I really hope that someone is able to share an amazing solution.
*Sits back and waits expectantly*
@rebeccabaxter wife and I go through our polishes about every six months and toss anything old, almost empty, or just not nice anymore. We do it with clothes and makeup also, just at different times.
I say 'grrrh!" and put up with the fiddlyness of dealing with the bottom of the bottle .
Until I go "arggh!" at some point and throw it in the recycling.
Sometimes its not worth getting exasperated. At least I don't spend a fortune on polish, it's always from cheap places.
Emma x
I imagine it would be easy to find a brush long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle.
/LK
@lizk Oh, you can buy them for sure but when you have used it, what do you do with it. It won't fit in the bottle, so you'd have to clean it after every use, or throw it away...which brings me back to me not wanting to waste things. If you clean it then it's just like cleaning paint brushes after decorating; it's a pain in the neck. Plus, if you like more than one colour then that's another brush [to clean], and another for the base coat and another for the top coat (if you use a different top coat).
External, longer brushes: good in principle, not so good in practice.
Perhaps they make a tiny, tiny funnel with which to transfer the dregs to the new bottle...but now I have to clean the funnel!!!!! Aaargh.
The simplest answer from the users point of view, would be for the manufacturers to make a brush that reaches to the bottom! Yeah, like that's going to happen.
Okay. How about storing the bottles upside down? When you want to open the bottle, turn it sideways so the liquid doesn't run out and can still be reached by the brush. I'm pretty sure that would work for me.
/LK
I'm so glad there is someone else who has had this problem. It took me a quite a while (actually a few years) before I realised something I already did for some really cheap nail polish I had bought was the answer. A few years ago on special for $2 was a bottle of light pink nail polish. Using it I shook the bottle before starting to paint my nails. When I dipped the brush back in to get some more the nail polish on the brush the polish was only half as thick and almost transparent when I painted it on. So I had to reshake the bottle every time I dipped the brush. So when the bottle gets low screwing the lid back on and reshaking the bottle you will then have a brush full of nail polish.
Hope this helps.
Olivia
@oliviac I can see that would work, but what a palaver. Shake, unscrew, apply, screw back in, shake, unscrew....
I think I may have to stick with my topping-up method. TBH, I don't change my nail colour that often (I like bright red) so it's not too much trouble, I just wish it wasn't necessary.
@rebeccabaxter Yes it is a palaver you are right there. Thinking about it you would think they should the brush as long as the bottom of the bottle. I suppose they sell more nail polish with many of us throwing out the bottle quarter full not doing that.
I'm not sure where I heard this, but was told to never shake nail polish vigorously, it introduces tiny bubbles into the polish, which contribute to uneven and fainter application. Instead hold from the top between finger and thumb and gently jiggle it in a horizontal motion?
Is that true ? Or have I been taken in ?
Emma x
@emmat I am currently wearing nail polish that explicitly tells you to shake the bottle. It is though, a shimmer-type polish with flecks in it so I can see the point.
Thanks Becca (and DeeAnn). I wonder how many other urban legends are. Lurking in my memory !?
@emmat I’ve never heard that before. There is a tiny ball in the bottle. When you shake vertically, you can hear it bounce around. It seems like shaking horizontally wouldn’t move the ball very much and generate enough agitation.
I use Essie polishes. They mention the possibility of developing bubbles, but I have never had that happen. It also isn’t necessary to shake while using it as I have not noticed any separation during usage.
@flatlander48 I have heard it suggested that roling the bottle between ones palms to warm it up makes it easier to apply though.
@rebeccabaxter Years ago I started out using Sally Hansen and now have used Essie products for the last 6 ot 7 years. I don’t think either have stated that. It could be a function of a particular manufacturer.
@emmat What you say Emma does make sense. I guess it depends on the brand as I use Rimmel and if you don't shake the bottle it is almost clear and I haven't had any issues with bubbles. Having said that a few years ago I bought a $2 bottle of no name nail polish and shook the bottle and had exactly the bubble issue you described. I guess it pays to read the instructions.
I don't have much experience in doing my own nails and trying to get the lst of the polish out of the bottle. My wife and I go for mani=pedi's every couple months and let the techs worry about it. One thing I've seen them do is taking polish out of the bottle and putting it on the back of their hand. When they do that they're putting a design on my nails, however what if you were to pour the polish out of the bottle onto a card to paint your nails and when done throw the card out. The polish shouldn't dry out in the time it would take to do your nails. Worth a try.
XOXO
Suzanne
I dind that by rhe time I get that low in the bottle the polish is thick and manky anyway, so just toss it.
Oh the troubles we have to endure, the same is true with anything in a pump bottle the tube does not make it to the bottom. It takes some prep but make sure the neck is clean have a piece of tape already cut, invert the bottle on top of each other and wrap the tape around the bottle necks and push the bottles against the wall so they are a little more stable. Come back the next day and you should be good to go.
Sherri
I don't have this problem because I have a different problem: my tastes in color/finish are so flakey that I have tons of little bottles that are all nearly full! I have zero patience with polish that won't stay mixed (or that I can't get mixed no matter how long I shake the darn thing), doesn't cover evenly, or takes too long to dry to hardness. I've yet to use up a bottle, even if "use up" means tossing the last third because the brush won't reach! I really like Essie fast drying polish, I just wish the color range was wider.
You could either buy a water colour palette and decant the varnish onto it or buy modelmaker's fine paintbrushes and clean them in nail polish remover after use. A sable brush should be fine after being cleaned this way.
