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.

Lots of love,
Liz