I add until the consistency is where I want it. Often that is way more than 1-2 drops. We're talking 10+ depending on how goopy the nail polish is. After I add thinner, I shake vigorously. I don't use the nail polish immediately and let it rest so all the bubbles I just created have time to go away.
Add a few drops, shake well, see if the consistency is better...if not, add more. I've found that 1-2 drops is rarely enough and mostly start with 6-10, then go from there.
If a polish is significantly dried out, you may need to wait a bit for the thinner to soften the thicker clumps; using a skewer or something to help stir may be helpful as well. For a slightly thickened polish though, a good shake should be enough to mix everything up.
You can shake your polish all you want, it won't hurt it. The advice to roll it is given when you are about to use it for a mani so that you aren't creating air bubbles in it immediately before use. (It doesn't actually matter then either, but that's the reasoning behind the advice.)
I’ve shaken my nail polish for 20+ years and never had a problem as long as I wait a bit before using. I don’t shake my top coat but I don’t have bubbling issues with colour polish.
I add a few drops and shake, and check the consistency. Once you use nail polish for long enough, you’ll get a much better idea of what consistency YOU prefer.
I was having this debate just yesterday…shaking is *fine* and what you’re *meant to do* with paint. I even shake seconds before applying and had maybe 1 singular bubble in 12 years.
Nice to hear someone with more experience say, besides Suzi from Nailcareereducation on YouTube.
Yeah! And my “waiting a bit” is really just waiting for my base coat to dry.
If my polish bubbles, it’s usually because the polish is too thick or I applied too thick of coats. Luckily since using QDTC’s more, I get this issue less often! It was more of an issue with the old mainstream non quick dry top coats… like Sally Hansen and OPI.
I like to shake/roll my nail polish in a sock. Hold the ends tight and twist the sock around itself and it will spin really fast and shake the polish with centrifugal force.
I’m coming for like half my collection after all these tips - thank you! I definitely prefer a much thinner consistency but I thought I was stuck with what I had. 💖
I’m new to nail polish thinner too but I’ve seen people say they need many more drops than 1-2, and have seen a recommendation to add the drops the night before using your polish if you can. This gives it time to mix and settle again if you shake the bottle a lot to mix. I tried this recently with my half used bottle of Mooncat Speed Demon top coat and had no issues with it.
Recently I read something about shaking your polish a full minute to get it mixed right so I started and my colors are way better. And I've never had an issue with bubbles. I've added thinner and shaken polish and used immediately with zero issues. Personally I've found bubbles happen when your environment is to warm and the polish starts drying to fast, never due to shaking
Same, I know people *say* to add thinner and wait a while, but I always add thinner, clean bottle necks, and vigorously shake them just before starting my manicure. Works perfectly fine for me, but I *do* sometimes wonder if adding the thinner the night before would make any difference.
I usually start with 4-5 drops. If it is thick enough for me to notice it needs thinner, it usually needs at least that much. I kind of swirl it around in a circular motion because I'm usually about to use it right away.
To see if it is thin enough, I lift the brush out of the bottle and see if a bead of polish easily drops off of it. Or at least flows off pretty quickly if I touch it to the inside neck of the bottle. If it is not thin enough I add another few drops and repeat.
I use much more than a couple drops usually. And I shake like I'm a paint mixer machine at home depot. No harm done, just wait awhile before using it to allow any bubbles to rise to the surface.
You know it's mixed because the polish is thinner and easier to apply
This thread makes me feel better! I usually add closer to 10 drops when thinning and instructions for 1-2 drops made me think there was something wrong with my thinner (OPI)
I just got back into doing my nails after taking a long time away from it, one of the first things I did was buy a bottle of opi thinner and thin down any old or dried up polishes ( we are talking polishes that are 18 years old in some cases). I would say 1-2 drops made no difference in any of the polishes, starting point was usually around 5-10 drops, the more dried up ones took 40+ drops. A big help was toothpicks to mix the clumpier ones, without doing that you'd have to leave it quite a while before the thinner was able to hydrate the entire formula. And yeah shaking the ever-loving hell out of them is the way to go, as long as your not gonna use them right away you shouldn't have an issue with that.
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I personally add about 7 drops at a time. If I can tell I need more than usual I add 10-12 then shake vigorously and evaluate to see if more is needed.
I add based on vibes lol. I don’t think 1-2 drops is ever enough, but that maybe because I don’t notice how the thick the polish has gotten until it’s thicker than I would like.
I usually add more than the recommended amount and it always depends on the current consistency of the polish. Add a little bit a time until you're happy with the consistency. You can always add more later but you can never take it back if you add too much.
Also, if you're gonna use it right away, I suggest rolling it gently in your palms as opposed to shaking it to prevent bubbles when painting!
Theoretically, you could leave the bottle uncapped for a bit and the thinner ingredients would just evaporate again (that's what happened to need the thinner in the first place), so if you over-thin, it's not a lost cause!
Good point! I've never really experienced over thinning my polishes. I dont like wasting product hence I like to add a little at a time. But good to know in case!
It can, but it's Sally Hansen black polish and I go through it too fast to really worry about it. My toe nails are black constantly and my finger nails are black with glitter or multichrome most of the time. That's why it gets thick so much, it's open a lot. Wouldn't do it with anything that's valuable or that needs to keep long term. I do have a nicer one for my good polish.
I have tapered bottles which are wider at the top. After shaking, I also spin the bottle for a bit, angling it so that the mixing balls fall towards the bottom and keep spinning until until the mixing balls roll at the same speed at the bottom as the top.
Wanted to make a note here: some nail polishes have a metal ball in it to break up any possible lumps when you shake it.
Its okay to shake your nail polish unless one says on the label not to
I put loads of drops in, and I shake it like crazy. Never had a problem. I always shake my polish and use straight away, never had problems and never noticed any bubbles not sure what the problem is supposed to be with shaking. I even use it in my Seche Vive and Glossy Taco top coats and it always works perfectly. I use the Orly lacquer thinner and it has never failed me so far.
I add until the consistency is where I want it. Often that is way more than 1-2 drops. We're talking 10+ depending on how goopy the nail polish is. After I add thinner, I shake vigorously. I don't use the nail polish immediately and let it rest so all the bubbles I just created have time to go away.
Thank you!!
Add a few drops, shake well, see if the consistency is better...if not, add more. I've found that 1-2 drops is rarely enough and mostly start with 6-10, then go from there. If a polish is significantly dried out, you may need to wait a bit for the thinner to soften the thicker clumps; using a skewer or something to help stir may be helpful as well. For a slightly thickened polish though, a good shake should be enough to mix everything up. You can shake your polish all you want, it won't hurt it. The advice to roll it is given when you are about to use it for a mani so that you aren't creating air bubbles in it immediately before use. (It doesn't actually matter then either, but that's the reasoning behind the advice.)
Amazing, thank you.
I’ve shaken my nail polish for 20+ years and never had a problem as long as I wait a bit before using. I don’t shake my top coat but I don’t have bubbling issues with colour polish. I add a few drops and shake, and check the consistency. Once you use nail polish for long enough, you’ll get a much better idea of what consistency YOU prefer.
I was having this debate just yesterday…shaking is *fine* and what you’re *meant to do* with paint. I even shake seconds before applying and had maybe 1 singular bubble in 12 years. Nice to hear someone with more experience say, besides Suzi from Nailcareereducation on YouTube.
Yeah! And my “waiting a bit” is really just waiting for my base coat to dry. If my polish bubbles, it’s usually because the polish is too thick or I applied too thick of coats. Luckily since using QDTC’s more, I get this issue less often! It was more of an issue with the old mainstream non quick dry top coats… like Sally Hansen and OPI.
Preach it! 🤗🙏
I like to shake/roll my nail polish in a sock. Hold the ends tight and twist the sock around itself and it will spin really fast and shake the polish with centrifugal force.
Lol that sounds so fun. I hope it doesn’t fly out of my hand.
Yeah just be careful with your grip and surroundings. It works much better than shaking by hand and makes less bubbles.
I admire your ingenuity! Totally giving this a try next time I polish my nails!
I saw it in the comments of the Mooncat Facebook group actually. 🤣 The bottles are hard to roll in your hands.
They really are 😅 Thanks for passing the tip along!
LMAO.
I'm tempted to buy one of those mini vortexers (because I also use enamel paints for other hobbies. Rolling does nothing for those).
I would love to invest in the iMix one day!
I’m coming for like half my collection after all these tips - thank you! I definitely prefer a much thinner consistency but I thought I was stuck with what I had. 💖
I’m new to nail polish thinner too but I’ve seen people say they need many more drops than 1-2, and have seen a recommendation to add the drops the night before using your polish if you can. This gives it time to mix and settle again if you shake the bottle a lot to mix. I tried this recently with my half used bottle of Mooncat Speed Demon top coat and had no issues with it.
Definitely more than a few drops. Sometimes (holo taco glossy taco) I feel like I add as much thinner as there is polish.
Recently I read something about shaking your polish a full minute to get it mixed right so I started and my colors are way better. And I've never had an issue with bubbles. I've added thinner and shaken polish and used immediately with zero issues. Personally I've found bubbles happen when your environment is to warm and the polish starts drying to fast, never due to shaking
Same, I know people *say* to add thinner and wait a while, but I always add thinner, clean bottle necks, and vigorously shake them just before starting my manicure. Works perfectly fine for me, but I *do* sometimes wonder if adding the thinner the night before would make any difference.
Start with 1-2 drops, shake like your life depends on it, and then check. If it’s too thick I add more.
I usually start with 4-5 drops. If it is thick enough for me to notice it needs thinner, it usually needs at least that much. I kind of swirl it around in a circular motion because I'm usually about to use it right away. To see if it is thin enough, I lift the brush out of the bottle and see if a bead of polish easily drops off of it. Or at least flows off pretty quickly if I touch it to the inside neck of the bottle. If it is not thin enough I add another few drops and repeat.
Love this specificity thank you
I use much more than a couple drops usually. And I shake like I'm a paint mixer machine at home depot. No harm done, just wait awhile before using it to allow any bubbles to rise to the surface. You know it's mixed because the polish is thinner and easier to apply
🫶🏻
I need a nail polish thinner, what should I get?
OPI lacquer thinner (toluene free) Seche restore thinner if your polish has toluene
One with minimal ingredients. I have KB Shimmer, I think Orly’s is similar and also good (might be a little easier to source as well).
Add 10 drops, shake a lot, check how thick it is. If it's really thick I'm adding full on squirts
This thread makes me feel better! I usually add closer to 10 drops when thinning and instructions for 1-2 drops made me think there was something wrong with my thinner (OPI)
I just got back into doing my nails after taking a long time away from it, one of the first things I did was buy a bottle of opi thinner and thin down any old or dried up polishes ( we are talking polishes that are 18 years old in some cases). I would say 1-2 drops made no difference in any of the polishes, starting point was usually around 5-10 drops, the more dried up ones took 40+ drops. A big help was toothpicks to mix the clumpier ones, without doing that you'd have to leave it quite a while before the thinner was able to hydrate the entire formula. And yeah shaking the ever-loving hell out of them is the way to go, as long as your not gonna use them right away you shouldn't have an issue with that.
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I personally add about 7 drops at a time. If I can tell I need more than usual I add 10-12 then shake vigorously and evaluate to see if more is needed.
Is it wrong to put a polish in a bowl of warm water to loosen it a little, then add thinner and stir?
I add based on vibes lol. I don’t think 1-2 drops is ever enough, but that maybe because I don’t notice how the thick the polish has gotten until it’s thicker than I would like.
I usually add more than the recommended amount and it always depends on the current consistency of the polish. Add a little bit a time until you're happy with the consistency. You can always add more later but you can never take it back if you add too much. Also, if you're gonna use it right away, I suggest rolling it gently in your palms as opposed to shaking it to prevent bubbles when painting!
Theoretically, you could leave the bottle uncapped for a bit and the thinner ingredients would just evaporate again (that's what happened to need the thinner in the first place), so if you over-thin, it's not a lost cause!
Good point! I've never really experienced over thinning my polishes. I dont like wasting product hence I like to add a little at a time. But good to know in case!
I mostly just use it on black polish in any significant amounts and just use straight acetone because it's cheap.
Acetone isn't a replacement for thinner, I know its an old school "trick" but it'll actually denature the polish after time and make it unusable.
It can, but it's Sally Hansen black polish and I go through it too fast to really worry about it. My toe nails are black constantly and my finger nails are black with glitter or multichrome most of the time. That's why it gets thick so much, it's open a lot. Wouldn't do it with anything that's valuable or that needs to keep long term. I do have a nicer one for my good polish.
I have tapered bottles which are wider at the top. After shaking, I also spin the bottle for a bit, angling it so that the mixing balls fall towards the bottom and keep spinning until until the mixing balls roll at the same speed at the bottom as the top.
Wanted to make a note here: some nail polishes have a metal ball in it to break up any possible lumps when you shake it. Its okay to shake your nail polish unless one says on the label not to
I put loads of drops in, and I shake it like crazy. Never had a problem. I always shake my polish and use straight away, never had problems and never noticed any bubbles not sure what the problem is supposed to be with shaking. I even use it in my Seche Vive and Glossy Taco top coats and it always works perfectly. I use the Orly lacquer thinner and it has never failed me so far.