Just Add a Glossy Taco

Going to the nail salon, for some, is a relaxing, serenity-like experience with little to no hassle. For a workaholic like me, it is a nightmare. Trying to find a time where I can go out for 2 hours, pick a subpar color that doesn't match what I really want, and then pay a fraction of my paycheck just to be annoyed when the nail techs file too close to my cuticles and make them red and inflamed? Yea, no thanks. But, this is what I did once upon a time; I didn't have polishes I liked enough t do my own nails, and I could never find anything that lasted as long as the gels that I would get at the salon, that is until COVID happened.

Once the pandemic began and the world shut down, I was left in the tiny little basement apartment I was renting with little to do, and nothing but my computer and Netflix to keep me occupied. That is, until the one and only Youtuber I watch, Cristine from Simplynailogical crafted her own nail polish brand, and begin distributing beautiful, sparkly, specialty nail polishes that I couldn't stop looking at. So I bit the bullet and bought my first collection.

The first set I bought myself probably wasn't the best for a beginner nail painter. It was a full set of glitter polishes, 5 colors, all dazzling holographic, meaning that when the light hit them just right a beautiful shifting rainbow sparkle appeared, just to brighten your day. While the polishes were stunning, I did them no justice. My nails were but little stubs, bitten off from stress, cracked from little care put into them, and yet I still shamelessly put on that gorgeous polish, like a three-year-old on a bus ride. It was awful.

With that being said, even though I apparently thought my nails went past my cuticles that polish still sparkled brilliantly, and looked like thousands of microsized jewels had been embedded in the tips of my nails. And within hours, it peeled off. Oh, did I forget to mention I, for whatever reason, decided to paint my nails for the first time using a peel-off base coat? Since I had never used one before I underestimated just how well designed that base coat was, and my nails began to peel with ease. For the first two weeks, I painted my nails just about every day and refused to use anything other than that peel-off base coat.

Finally, I realized that the peel-off wasn't for me. I grabbed a bottle of long-lasting base coat and began my nail painting journey once again, this time with much more success. As I began painting my nails once a week my skills blossomed and began to sparkle as nicely as the holo glitter I put on my nails. Holo Taco blossomed as well, and began launching new polishes, and sets every couple of months. My nails got longer, and stronger, I got better with the different formulas that were being created, and finally I began to find sanctuary at my little table where my polishes, and nail art tools I was slowly collected found a home.

Now that I am a self-proclaimed nail painting pro, I can honestly say that Holo Taco is by far the best brand of nail polish I have used, and if you use it right, it can last just as long and look just as professional as that gel set that you spend $35-$55 on, and with the benefit of getting it all at home. So how do you get these fancy sets for the bare minimum price? Let's talk about it!

To start, at Holotaco.com (Where I get all of my Holo Taco nail products) you will find the magical world of sparkles, multi-chrome, and metallic lacquers designed especially for your claws. But if you don't like all the fancy stuff they have beautifully formulated, and incredibly pigmented creme polishes as well. With 100 different polishes and four different formulas to choose from it's safe to say everyone can find something to love. To make things even easier Holo Taco has a "Build your own bundle" option under their "Bundles and Sets" section, making it easy or anyone to start their mini collection of polishes to play with. I'm sure those who don't paint their nails often are asking, "How could you possibly need 5 polishes to start with?" Well in order to have those salon-esk nails, you need to have all the right tools.

The first "polish" you will pick to be put in your bundle is the type of base coat you want, and yes there is more than one type of base coat. If your nails are super rigid and have lines and cracks that make your polish look bumpy you are going to want to go with Smoothing Base. This translucent beige-colored "polish" is perfect for filling in all the cracks and making your polish application look smooth. If you have trouble with your polish staying on your nails you are going to want to grab Long-Lasting Base Coat. This base with a slight blue tint provides more grip to your nail and makes them hold on to polish much longer than if you were to leave them bare (I've had my polish on, unchipped for approximately 14 days, but we'll talk about that late). If you have smooth nails, and you don't have a problem with your polish staying on for long periods of time, or you like to change it up as often as the ducks quack, then you will want to add Peely-Base to your bundle. This will allow you to peel off your nail polish and relieve your fancy talons from the use of harsh nail polish remover.

Next step in building your perfect bundle is your creme polish. Currently, they have 24 different colors to pick from and most of them are full coverage in 1 to 2 coats, especially if you have shorter nails. Now depending on how thick you paint them and how long your nails are will determine how many coats you will need, it may take up to three. The polishes range from just about every color in the rainbow and range from incredibly vibrant pigments to subtlely soft pastels.

After you've chosen your creme polish you get to pick a specialty topper! Not to be confused with an actual top coat, the special effects toppers are used on top of polish to add something a little extra to your mani. There are 18 different special effects toppers that come in four formulas, holo, unicorn skin, flakies, and shimmers. After looking at all of them I can promise you are going to want to get more than one, and the combinations are endless.

The final step in building your bundle, add a glossy taco. Now, believe it or not, there are three different top coats you can choose from. Glossy Taco, Super Glossy Taco, and Matte Taco. What could possibly be the difference between Glossy Taco and Super Glossy Taco? Well, for starters Glossy Taco is 5 free, Super Glossy is not. Also, Super Glossy Taco, in my experience, does give a bit more of a clear shine when compared to regular Glossy Taco, but it is so minute only enthusiasts will really be able to see the difference.

So now that we have our bundle and you are ready to paint your nails here's the best way to do it. Start by painting your base and make sure to put a little bit on the edge and underneath of your nails so it wraps all the way around it. You are going to do this with each step to ensure that the entire nails are painted, this is going to minimize chips and peeling. After about 2 minutes your base should be dry and you can start to paint your polish. Do each layer very thin, if you do it too thick it won't dry properly and it might cause little bubbles to form on your nails, and no one wants that. You'll want to do at least two thin coats waiting about 2 to 3 minutes in between each coat, but don't be afraid to add a third if you think the polish isn't full opacity! Depending on the color some are going to take more coats than others to be full coverage. Once your base is on and fully dry go ahead and add your specialty topper! whether it's a holo sparkle or a shifting unicorn skin, you are going to add the toppers the same way you add your polish, but use a light touch with it, you don't want to smudge or pick up the color underneath it. Here I would wait 5 to 10 minutes for all the layers o the polish to dry, this way the top coat is less likely to pick up any of the color or specialty topper from the nail, and you are less likely to find bubbles forming afterward. Once your layers are dry and you are done with your mani you are ready to add a Glossy Taco! This thick top coat formula will seal in your mani, make any holo sparkle like thousands of diamonds on your nails, and last anywhere from a week to even two weeks.

And that is how you paint the perfect mani with Holo Taco. With the excessive amounts of polishes, toppers, and formulas the possibilities are endless, and your mani will never be boring again.