How do you store your nail polish collection?

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Okay, this is not meant in a mean way, so please don't take it that way, but how can a person ever use hundreds of nail polishes? Even if you wore one a day for a few years, you wouldn't even be able to put a dent in the polishes. Is it more the thrill of collecting something, having many options, and liking the way they look in a room? I personally have more makeup than one person could reasonably use, and I am working on not buying more and using some of what I have, but it is still a little hard for me to understand collecting so many nail polishes. I frequently wear nail polish, but I don't think I have ever actually gone through a bottle. 
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Quote: Originally Posted by BlackMagicRose /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Okay, this is not meant in a mean way, so please don't take it that way, but how can a person ever use hundreds of nail polishes? Even if you wore one a day for a few years, you wouldn't even be able to put a dent in the polishes. Is it more the thrill of collecting something, having many options, and liking the way they look in a room? I personally have more makeup than one person could reasonably use, and I am working on not buying more and using some of what I have, but it is still a little hard for me to understand collecting so many nail polishes. I frequently wear nail polish, but I don't think I have ever actually gone through a bottle. 
icon_razz.gif

I have been collecting and wearing nail polish for the better part of 25 years with a period of about 5 where I didn't buy much of any.  A lot of what I have I have gone through full bottles.  I do my nails nearly every day plus my toes at least once per week.  I also used to use the polish for crafts.  I didn't have any paints one year and I made homemade ornaments from glue, applesauce and cinnamon and that's what I used to do them.  I haven't used it for jewelery yet or any of the ball ornaments but there is that side to it.  I do other people's nails too.  My boyfriend's mom used to get her nails painted at the salon but knows I have far more than anyone else so she come over here to do them.  My mom lives with me 6 months out of the year and she does hers too. 

Secondly I do a lot of nail art.  I may never wear a particular shade as a full mani but it's the perfect flesh color for filling in a decal or the perfect foil shade for a stamping accent.  Many times I do "skittlette" manicures where I may use 10 colors in one mani.  I have similar shades but no many dupes believe it or not.  I enjoy having access to do whatever suits me at the time.  I have even had to franken my own colors because what I am creating does not have the right shade in my stash.  I have a huge variety of polishes in terms of finishes from foils, textures, glitters, thermals, etc. 

For me personally, there is no doubt I do it as a collection just as much as the beauty aspect.  Collecting limited editions and special promos plus I bargain shop so getting the Sephora by OPI 18k gold topper at Big Lots for $1.80 is more satisfying in some aspects.  If I were to just buy everything full price and at the drug store probably not.  I enjoy looking at them, cataloging them, playing with them and swatching them.  Literally almost every night while we are watching TV you can catch me playing with the nail wheels.  When I get home with a haul that's my favorite part of the day.  I collect other things too.  I have around 150 lip balms.  I don't wear them often at all.  I keep them in a little bin in my office so I can play with them too and when I get in the mood to put a Mt. Dew flavored balm on, I can because I have one. 

I get where you are coming from and I do not take offense.  Some people think I am crazy.  With a little care and some thinner by your side, polish never expires.  I can still use things that have been my go to for 10 years without a second thought. 

Lastly, I have been able to take my love of polish and find this site as well as enter a community of like minded ladies that has changed my life.  I love knowing I am not the only one out there like me. 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by wrkreads /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Yes, I attached just to the top row. one in each corner. Here's a close up of the one on the purple shelf. The bottom part of the bracket ended up painted.


OOOOOH!!!  OK.  I am going to show the stubborn guy this!!!  Thank you so much!

 
Quote: Originally Posted by Christa W /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I have been collecting and wearing nail polish for the better part of 25 years with a period of about 5 where I didn't buy much of any.  A lot of what I have I have gone through full bottles.  I do my nails nearly every day plus my toes at least once per week.  I also used to use the polish for crafts.  I didn't have any paints one year and I made homemade ornaments from glue, applesauce and cinnamon and that's what I used to do them.  I haven't used it for jewelery yet or any of the ball ornaments but there is that side to it.  I do other people's nails too.  My boyfriend's mom used to get her nails painted at the salon but knows I have far more than anyone else so she come over here to do them.  My mom lives with me 6 months out of the year and she does hers too. 

Secondly I do a lot of nail art.  I may never wear a particular shade as a full mani but it's the perfect flesh color for filling in a decal or the perfect foil shade for a stamping accent.  Many times I do "skittlette" manicures where I may use 10 colors in one mani.  I have similar shades but no many dupes believe it or not.  I enjoy having access to do whatever suits me at the time.  I have even had to franken my own colors because what I am creating does not have the right shade in my stash.  I have a huge variety of polishes in terms of finishes from foils, textures, glitters, thermals, etc. 

For me personally, there is no doubt I do it as a collection just as much as the beauty aspect.  Collecting limited editions and special promos plus I bargain shop so getting the Sephora by OPI 18k gold topper at Big Lots for $1.80 is more satisfying in some aspects.  If I were to just buy everything full price and at the drug store probably not.  I enjoy looking at them, cataloging them, playing with them and swatching them.  Literally almost every night while we are watching TV you can catch me playing with the nail wheels.  When I get home with a haul that's my favorite part of the day.  I collect other things too.  I have around 150 lip balms.  I don't wear them often at all.  I keep them in a little bin in my office so I can play with them too and when I get in the mood to put a Mt. Dew flavored balm on, I can because I have one. 

I get where you are coming from and I do not take offense.  Some people think I am crazy.  With a little care and some thinner by your side, polish never expires.  I can still use things that have been my go to for 10 years without a second thought. 

Lastly, I have been able to take my love of polish and find this site as well as enter a community of like minded ladies that has changed my life.  I love knowing I am not the only one out there like me. 
Thanks for replying and not being offended! It actually does make more sense to me now (not that it mattered whether it made sense to ME anyway). I never thought of using nail polish for crafts, and the social aspect never really occurred to me either (I don't know that many other people that collect makeup like me or do their nails a lot). It certainly is a beautiful collection no matter what it's used for. Their is something very artistic about seeing a wall mounted polish collection. I don't feel like anyone should feel like they have to defend their collections, but I was curious about why people amass huge collections of polish, since I don't personally collect very many polishes. It's very cool! 

 
  Okay, this is not meant in a mean way, so please don't take it that way, but how can a person ever use hundreds of nail polishes? Even if you wore one a day for a few years, you wouldn't even be able to put a dent in the polishes. Is it more the thrill of collecting something, having many options, and liking the way they look in a room? I personally have more makeup than one person could reasonably use, and I am working on not buying more and using some of what I have, but it is still a little hard for me to understand collecting so many nail polishes. I frequently wear nail polish, but I don't think I have ever actually gone through a bottle. :icon_razz
Click to expand...
I have been collecting and wearing nail polish for the better part of 25 years with a period of about 5 where I didn't buy much of any.  A lot of what I have I have gone through full bottles.  I do my nails nearly every day plus my toes at least once per week.  I also used to use the polish for crafts.  I didn't have any paints one year and I made homemade ornaments from glue, applesauce and cinnamon and that's what I used to do them.  I haven't used it for jewelery yet or any of the ball ornaments but there is that side to it.  I do other people's nails too.  My boyfriend's mom used to get her nails painted at the salon but knows I have far more than anyone else so she come over here to do them.  My mom lives with me 6 months out of the year and she does hers too.  Secondly I do a lot of nail art.  I may never wear a particular shade as a full mani but it's the perfect flesh color for filling in a decal or the perfect foil shade for a stamping accent.  Many times I do "skittlette" manicures where I may use 10 colors in one mani.  I have similar shades but no many dupes believe it or not.  I enjoy having access to do whatever suits me at the time.  I have even had to franken my own colors because what I am creating does not have the right shade in my stash.  I have a huge variety of polishes in terms of finishes from foils, textures, glitters, thermals, etc.  For me personally, there is no doubt I do it as a collection just as much as the beauty aspect.  Collecting limited editions and special promos plus I bargain shop so getting the Sephora by OPI 18k gold topper at Big Lots for $1.80 is more satisfying in some aspects.  If I were to just buy everything full price and at the drug store probably not.  I enjoy looking at them, cataloging them, playing with them and swatching them.  Literally almost every night while we are watching TV you can catch me playing with the nail wheels.  When I get home with a haul that's my favorite part of the day.  I collect other things too.  I have around 150 lip balms.  I don't wear them often at all.  I keep them in a little bin in my office so I can play with them too and when I get in the mood to put a Mt. Dew flavored balm on, I can because I have one.  I get where you are coming from and I do not take offense.  Some people think I am crazy.  With a little care and some thinner by your side, polish never expires.  I can still use things that have been my go to for 10 years without a second thought.  Lastly, I have been able to take my love of polish and find this site as well as enter a community of like minded ladies that has changed my life.  I love knowing I am not the only one out there like me. 
Click to expand...
Very good explanation. Also, for me, I don't do any other forms of art besides makeup and nail polish, so it is my entire artistic expression. Could an artist have too many mediums to work with? Every nuance of color, texture and finish matters to me and brings joy to my heart. I almost always buy my polish at a steep discount, which has a thrill of its own. I do my friends and family's nails whenever I get a chance. And like Christa said, a lot of nail looks require multiple polishes. I don't spend money on decorating, I don't get my hair dyed or other salon services, I hardly ever buy clothes or shoes or jewelry. Cosmetics are my thing.
 
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My collection isn't anywher as nearly impressive as the other on this thread. I have a caddy with remover, files, and a few current favorite colors that i can easily bring to where ever i want to do my mani. The rest goes in a plastic storage box. I store everything under the bathroom sink.
 
Quote: Originally Posted by maeiland /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Here is my storage solution. You can find these all over ebay and amazon. I need another one because all of my nail polish doesn't fit on just one.



I love this! Lol. I feel like I'm at the nail salon :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
A year ago I had few polishes. Now I have close to 200. I love the visual colour on the wall, and love being able to mood match my polish. I think that if you get into something, you like to have options. When I used to knit a lot, I had tons of needle sizes and yarns. When I made jewelry I had tons of beads and charms and findings. If you paint, you want lots of colours, whether it is oil, acrylic or nail polish. I'm not ashamed of my collection, and so choose to display it in a way I can it every day.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by BlackMagicRose /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Okay, this is not meant in a mean way, so please don't take it that way, but how can a person ever use hundreds of nail polishes? Even if you wore one a day for a few years, you wouldn't even be able to put a dent in the polishes. Is it more the thrill of collecting something, having many options, and liking the way they look in a room? I personally have more makeup than one person could reasonably use, and I am working on not buying more and using some of what I have, but it is still a little hard for me to understand collecting so many nail polishes. I frequently wear nail polish, but I don't think I have ever actually gone through a bottle. 
icon_razz.gif

I have about 200 polishes. I've been collecting for about 2 years now. I too go to BigLots to get good polish at cheap prices. I also watch out for coupons (yes, they exist for polish) and sales and try very hard to combine them. I have ran out of a few polishes, like my favorite blue and a couple of whites. I used to do my nails about 4-6 times a week, life is busier now, so I only do them about 2 times a week. I have done a few other people's nails, but it's usually just me. Although, my 3 year old is wanting her nails painted as soon as they chip now, but I'm not sure if you can count her tiny nails. I always do nail art. You will almost never find me with just a plain mani or french tip. So I have a bunch of different colors to accomodate the art.

All of that said, my hubby has said that I need to either cut back on polish purchases or find another house because we're out of wall space to put another polish rack....I'm trying to find another house. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> He doesn't understand the polish obsession, but he doesn't really mind it either. I rarely spend more than $3-5 on a bottle (usually less than that), and "Happy Wife, Happy Life."

There's only 2 collections that I've tried to buy every one that I could get my hands on, and I've failed both times. But I do enjoy looking at all the pretty little bottles hanging on my bathroom wall. FYI, it's the downstairs half bath, so it doesn't get too humid.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by Christa W /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  LOL I actually saved those pictures when I was your santa so I could blow it up and look at what you have!!!  I think it's way easier than my other half seems to think.  I just brought it up again and he was like "L brackets alone are $2.00 each"... he's annoying when he gets stuck on an idea.  Drives me nuts.  I always have to prove him wrong or he won't budge so I guess I would have to actually assemble them myself (I have no crafty friends of family near me) and show him instead.

I don't remember how much my L brackets were, but I don't think they were $2 each...maybe $2 a pair (they're sold in pairs). I have a very anylitical husband who occationally goes on a penny pinching spree where it concerns my polish.

Anyway, here's what I would do. Figure out exactly what you want. Draw it out and figure out what materials you're going to need. IE so many feet of 1X2, so many screws, so many feet of trim, so much paint, so many L brackets (which I think is the whole material list). Then go to the store and price it all out. Compair what you just priced out to a pre-built acrylic rack on amazon. Don't forget how much polish your rack can hold vs. the pre-built ones.

 
A couple months ago my boyfriend and I went into Lowes with this exact idea in mind. I love the color of my walls and since it's such a light gray I didn't even want to put a back onto the shelves. I had done some considerable research on it and was eager to have him build me something. We ended up getting in a huge discussion and he got all stressed out. He thought because my upstairs walls were framed with metal studs instead of wood it wouldn't hold right and the cost of L brackets would be high since at the time we were thinking of building to shelf around 600 and it would have been 8' x 4' with around 8 shelves. I told him I could basically make them just like my foam ones in smaller sections like you mentioned and then put them together but he kept trying to be a man and find a better or different solution. I will maybe have to reconsider and do the work myself. He's a sweet guy just super stubborn so I bought the Melmer as a consolation prize LOL! I would LOVE to have either the acrylic racks or a custom shelf along that entire wall. I have a stuffed animal hammock hanging in the corner so I can't go all the way to the other wall but there is a good 16" on the left and another 10" on the right that I could expand which would put it around 8' in length. Thank you for your suggestion and encouragement. I hope that is what we can do but if not and he would rather spend the money and feel less anxious, I am willing to accept that too.
Click to expand...
Awe, this made me think of mine when I was a kid. I miss that hammock. Lol
 
Quote: Originally Posted by numbersmom /img/forum/go_quote.gif


Awe, this made me think of mine when I was a kid. I miss that hammock. Lol
It's hard to see how many there are in here!  I never had one as a kid so this is me living out that dream at the tender age of 36 My office is literally the room I never had as a child/teen.  Well I had awesome rooms as a kid.  Even had one of those Hide n' Sleep bed tents.  But this room is literally a reflection of me and the ultimate in girly fun.  My boyfriend never comes in here because he hates it.  However, in a few months he will be coming to work at home and we work for the same company doing the same thing so he will be invading my Polish Cave.  I refuse to change anything or let him bring in any of his stuff!!!  He's going to have to work right under Rainbow Brite and there is NOTHING he can do about it!!!!
On another note, my Melmer is completely full.  I ended up having to take quite a bit of polish off of my foam racks due to the fact it's been a bit chilly here in Florida and I had to turn on the heat.  This, coupled with a lamp near them, has caused the glue to get warm and the shelves to begin to sag very badly.  I am planning a trip to Lowes this afternoon to look for those brackets mentioned by wkreads.  I desperately need to get different shelving in here.  Wish me luck ladies!!!

 
I store mine in a "snap & go" container I found for around $8 at Wal-Mart.(I'm not the biggest fan of the hanging wall storage units; we're long overdue for an earthquake in our area, so I felt like this was a safer option.) I like that I can tuck it away out of site, and that I'm able to store them away from windows and sunlight so they last longer. It holds everything well, even the taller Julep polishes. Inside of the containers, I repurposed some of my old Glossyboxes to act like a divider for now. (I have around 150 polishes in there.)
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I used to keep my nail polish collection in one of these drawers:


But all of my OPIs, SOPIs, and Sally Hansens were too tall, and had to lay on their backs.
Then my sister got me the One Direction perfume gift set from Macy's for Christmas (Don't laugh lmao, the perfume actually smells nice to mee)
And the box is the PERFECT size/height for my nail polish!




I don't have a lot of nail polish, but wow, I just realised that this is 3x more than I had in the beginning of December..

 
My collection is in a really cute leopard print trunk that I found at Ross for less than $10. It's adorable and leaves a lot of room to expand my collection! 

 
lol. This thread is awesome.  I love the swivel spice rack idea... someone needs to wizen up the company and tell them if they add an extra shelf, they can easily touch a new market.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by DreamWarrior /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  lol. This thread is awesome.  I love the swivel spice rack idea... someone needs to wizen up the company and tell them if they add an extra shelf, they can easily touch a new market.

I just bought a couple more of them at Big Lots; loving them.

 
I have a helmer. I upgraded from a melmer (which I so still use) after a trip to the city. Love it. I use it as a little night stand. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

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