a close-up of a basic black manicure with glossy finish on a short, natural nails

Hi, lovelies! About two months ago I had an unfortunate accident that led to the loss of one of my beloved nails, a middle fingernail. That accident inspired me to create an edgy and minimal nail manicure for short, but very proud and unbowed nails. A few weeks later, when my middle fingernails started to grow, I broke it again, this time even shorter, and, yes, the pain was excruciating!

As difficult as it was, I had to accept my short nails. Painting them pure black was a great decision, this color perfectly summarizes my manicure mood. The Basic Black nail polish* by my favorite Born Pretty helped me to create yet another minimal nail look for my affected nails.

a close-up of a basic black nails looks with glossy finish on a short, natural nails

I'm the kind of girl who's always on the hunt for that perfect black nail polish. I love to use basic black as a base for small nail decorations and holographic nail polishes. So the Basic Black nail polish has a nice, semi-creamy texture. 

It is easy to apply on the nail plate — it glides smoothly on the surface and doesn't create annoying streaks or air bubbles. I was pleasantly surprised by its opacity. One single coat is enough to create a deep black color. It dried very quickly and the glossy finish looked very appealing. No awful scent, which is super important!

a close-up of a basic black nails looks with glossy finish on a short, natural nails

To complete my black manicure, I've decided to add a few small nail stickers on my ring and middle nails. The final touch — a No Smudge Top Coat*, it added even more gloss and sealed the manicure. I was very pleased with the final result, but on the next day, the black polish started to chip on the tips...

a close-up of a basic black nails looks with glossy finish on a short, natural nails

Is the Basic Black nail polish a perfect black? Unfortunately, it is not. One of the most important features of polish is durability. A good nail polish, in my opinion, should last for at least 5-7 days without fading and with minor chipping. Of course, it is super beautiful and opaque, but it isn't enough. No smudge top coat is awesome, I tried it with different nail polish and my manicure lasted more than a week, so the problem was not in the top. All nails deserve to be treated with love and respect, even if they are short, which is temporary of course.