Approximately how many bottles of nail polish do you currently own, and how do you store them?
I recently did an overhaul to my stash and I'm pretty sure I currently own about 1,500 bottles of polish, give or take a few. My answer is ridiculous to many, I know, but keep in mind that I've been collecting for decades, and this also includes polishes sent to me for review since I've been blogging (and I've been blogging for 5+ years). I have a few Ikea Helmers and I also have other drawers, shelves and crates for storage. One day, I hope to have all Helmers and Melmers--I would love to have more uniformity when it comes to my polish storage.
I'd say around 650-700, but most are sent to me for review. When I do buy polish I usually grab it while it is on sale!
ReplyDeleteI own around 350, about 200 are on a custom shelf my boyfriend made, the others are chilling on a bookcase awaiting the day he has time to make another one!
ReplyDeleteI currently own over 300 myself. Just started collecting last year. I keep mine in various travel cases. I hope to own a helmer one of these days to put them all in.
ReplyDeleteI quit counting at 1000. I'm kinda afraid to do a tally now lol. I keep most of mine in a desk that has eight huge drawers and one smaller center one. I sort them by color mostly, but one drawer is devoted to Zoya, gel, holographic and textured polishes. Back ups of polishes I love are kept in a small plastic tub (I don't have very many. Maybe 20?) Polishes I want to get rid of are kept in a shoe box... I don't have the excuse of being a blogger. I started collecting when I quit smoking as a reward. Even with all the polish I buy, it's still cheaper than cigarettes ;)
ReplyDeleteIf my current count is accurate (and I really hope it is as I totally don't feel like counting them again), I'm at 745. Most of mine are review samples, too, but still. Damn. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy collection is only around 300 at the moment. They are stored on a hanging nail rack my husband made from repurposed wood from my sons baby crib :)
ReplyDeleteOh, crap. Melmers. I keep mine in Melmers. ;)
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh. I feel inferior. I own like 5-7? I used to own more, but they got old and threw them away. I don't really buy much just because I've gotten lazy of painting my nails since they chip so easily for me. I have them tossed in a bag at the bottom of my dresser. I can't really justify buying nail polishes.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel inferior! I think you are a more typical nail polish consumer than the gals who are commenting on this post. This blog has a disproportionate number of bloggers and nail polish addicts who read and comment, but I think most women have small collections. Before I became obsessed with polish, I had about 10 polishes to my name and kept them in a small makeup bag. :)
DeleteFor future reference, nail polishes don't go bad, so you shouldn't throw them away. What often happens is that they get thick and gloppy with age, but that can be easily resolved with nail polish thinner.
DeleteIn you personal case, I would suggest that you try adding a base coat and topcoat to prolong the longevity of your manicures. Giana has a great review of an inexpensive topcoat named NYC Grand Central Station. Meanwhile, Revlon Colorstay Basecoat was beloved by many nail ladies, and can currently be found at Big Lots for about $2 because it got discontinued.
I have around 150 and keep them in a Helmer with swatch tags for each drawer!
ReplyDeleteI have probably just over 100. I won't allow myself to have too many more :) I store them on a spinning rack that my boyfriend made for me last Christmas. I think that was his secret way of telling me that I own too many and shouldn't buy more than can fit on the rack :P
ReplyDeleteRight now the spreadsheet says 811, but that's not counting the 12 full size and 12 mini polishes I haven't entered yet or the ones on the way to me. I need to break down and get some Melmers, because my current storage is a combination of glass-doored mini-cabinets and Caboodles boxes. Like you, I'd love more conformity!
ReplyDeleteLike 50 ... and several of them I got for free from work from events.
ReplyDeleteI have nearly 200 and CANNOT stop! All are drugstore or were found on clearance. I recently got a Helmer, and I love it. Hoping to get another Helmer and maybe a Melmer or two soon for better organizing makeup and jewelry.
ReplyDeleteI might be the only one here that doesn't have enough nails (and they're too weak so they fall) so every polish I have have a sort of signification...
ReplyDelete1. Estée Lauder pure color in 69 frozen fantasy.
The color is amazing and my grandma, that is the most precius, gave it to me.
2. LA Colors color craze nail polish in circuit
Everyone has that emo phase; anyways, black always looks nice.
3. L'Oréal nail polish in red tote
It came with the Voluminous Million lashes and the voluminous liner. My mom gave it to me. Mom : precious. Plus it's a velvety red.
4. LA Colors color craze nail polish in voltage
Transluscent. Don't know why i got this.
5. Sally Hansen hard as nail xtreme wear in 740 carnival
came w/ 70$ worth of makeup purchase (my rapidlash) color is funny
i think im the only one that has as much polish as fingers. you girls must have an chromatic circle of colors :o i have rose gold, black, red, confetti and transluscent.
I think I've got 200-300, which isn't bad, but I am constantly paring down.
ReplyDeleteI currently have somewhere in the 60s. I just store them in a big shoe box.
ReplyDeleteLike 35 -haha quite a bit less than everyone else but that's ok :)
ReplyDeleteI refuse to count! (In other words, I'm afraid to count...) =) They live in a Helmer, about 4 1/2 drawers worth. The rest of it is stamping plates and supplies. I have a full grocery bag in the closet to destash and I have easily given away that many in the past.
ReplyDeleteYou said it! And I agree, the last time I counted I had a little over 300, and now I refuse to count because I'm a crappy liar and if my husband asked me how many I have and he found out it was 700? 1000???? he would be pissed.
DeleteHe thinks makeup/nail polish is a waste of money anyway and already grumbles when he sees my collection of polishes. That doesn't mean I wouldn't fight back, because he has expensive hobbies too...golf, hunting, fishing manly man stuff. But avoiding an argument is so much nicer than fighting back, no? lol
My nail polish collection probably ranges from 500 to 600, and maybe even more. All were bought on some sort of sale or another.
ReplyDeleteSomeday I will have tall Alex drawers, like a bank of 3 of them or so. But for now I a few storage methods that are workable. My Sinful Colors are housed laying flat in 3 bins that clip closed. Most of the rest of polishes are in clear over the door shoe pockets, 3 to be exact.
My newer polishes go in 2 stackable non-lidded bins that are meant for the refrigerator. Once I get back to my nail polish book those polishes will go in the door racks. I gotta make room for new stuff.
Nail polish is fun. Don't be ashamed to love it and want to have lots of it around you... at your fingertips LOL. It just takes up room. How many polishes fit in the tall Alex anyway?
Oh, and I store them by brand. I have the kind of memory that is like a card file. First brand, then color, then texture. I keep glitters separate.
ReplyDeleteMRSTHEDOLL has a video about cataloging nail polish in a binder book. I bought polish all summer long but abandoned my book. Now I gotta get back to that... watch her video... very helpful.
Once I tried to sort my collection by color but I couldn't keep them straight in my head, so I had to put them back by brand. It was OK because I like to touch and look at the bottles, read the names and think about them. Otherwise what's the fun if you don't play with them. It's not just wearing them that I like, it's holding them and gazing at them that thrills me. All that and also reading and watching reviews. This stuff never gets old.
OK.. no more chatting about polish... until later... I might come back... I love polish and I love you guys too! Polish junkies unite!
Glam Puss, while my polishes aren't super organized, I do love to pull them out and hold them and admire them. It's like admiring this awesome treasure I found.
DeleteLove this comment, Glam Puss!
DeleteI think I have between 300 to 400 right now (meaning - I need to count them!). I'm constantly paring down, and I'd like to get under 200. I keep them in two Melmers
ReplyDeleteI think I have about 500. I did a count awhile back and it made me nervous. But I have added since. I have them in a tall plastic drawers setup from Big lots. I really want a Melmer but don't want to assemble it lol. I store by brand. Accessories are in a separate drawer. I should destash soon
ReplyDeleteI only started keeping and collecting nail polish a year and a half ago, but have 5-600 bottles (I'm afraid to count!), most of them stored in a Helmer that doubles as my night stand. I keep all my NYX Girls in a tiered acrylic organizer on top of the Helmer, along with a lazy susan desktop organizer I use to hold my nail files, brushes, etc. Each drawer is lined with shelf liner to keep the bottles from rolling around, and are stored by brand. I've made a promise to myself that once the Helmer is full - NO MORE POLISH!!! Lol......either that or I'll have to destash - for every new polish I'll have to give away one of my current polishes. Do you think that will work???
ReplyDeleteNope, that won't work at all.... but getting a mother helmer for the other side if the bed would.
DeleteLOL! I have the same thing in mind for when I outgrow 3 Helmers. I'm limiting myself. There are some colors I have that just aren't faves at all. I just want to keep unique, htf, LE, amazing colors and I like to collect crazy, cute, funny, meaningful names too.
DeleteI started collecting around this time last year. I have about 200. My husband built a nail polish rack for storage. Soon, he will have to build another one. I love it!!
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha i only own 4 and thats counting a serum and the sally hansen growth treatment that i use as basecoat/topcoat the other two are a nude and a red one, but im seriously thinking about buying a blue shade, (must decide which one). As you cans ee imnot really into nail polish, i like them natural with just the clear coat, and when i get a manicure i always go for french tips.
ReplyDeleteI have 1,021 bottles of nail polish
ReplyDeleteI use to own 8-10 but now within few months increased to 100, but all purchased from my own money...lucky you guys, getting for free:) I store on my second bathroom some are on shelves but some are just on sink, no place now..
ReplyDeleteNope, I bought all with my own money and as I said, I think it's over 700 and may be as high as 1000 by now.
DeleteI am not wealthy by any means. I watch for sales and especially clearance and shop places like Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Ocean State Job Lot, Five Below, and for high end, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Burlington Coat Factory. I even hit up ebay occasionally. You get really creative when you get obsessed with nail polish (makeup too) and don't have a ton of money or a popular blog that gets free polish sometimes.
I think I am around 1650. I haven't updates my stash list in a few weeks. Yea...its outrageous. I have 2 Alex tall drawers from Ikea and several baskets and what nots. I need to rearrange and purge.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I think I'm at at least 750-800. I haven't counted since last year and frankly I'm afraid to. I store mine in big plastic file cabinets, I guess it would be similar to a Melmer. I'm glad you asked this question and I'm glad to hear there are other people out there like me. It makes me feel less like a freak...
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I might have about 350. I'm in dire need of a good storage and/or display system. Fortunately most of them are Sinful Colors or drugstore brands I got for a great price, so there's that. And of course it's likely to grow once the holiday stuff starts to roll out!
ReplyDeleteI just recently started doing my nails again.. but even now they aren't a huge part of my collection. I probably have 100 or so? My dd and I share them and they are kept in a big plastic bin you have to dig through lol.
ReplyDeleteHad 46 bottles at the end of 2011, the year I seriously got into make-up. Threw out a third early last winter, then got caught up in soon-to-be discontinued colors and limited editions. Now at 110 bottles (including one Hard as Nails and one matte top coat). I store half on my dresser and the other half in Caboodle kits, switching 'em around for spring-summer and fall-winter.
ReplyDeleteFinally a Wednesday question i can relate to lol,i have about 150-200 .Most of them are in one large rubbermaid container and remaining in used baby wipes containers(i organize(or try to) by colors,longing to arrange them on racks where i can see all of them at once,but with a 3 year old acting as curious george,my best bet is keeping them away in the closet and pulling them out when is napping.
ReplyDeleteI always stalk your blog for swatches or LE colors :) Thank you G.
I have a little over 400, and they are stored in clear 6 quart plastic boxes from Target, sorted by brand. Each box has a note taped facing out listing which brand is in which box. I then have all the boxes on a bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteI have just over 100 and store them in a big plastic toolbox. They've definitely outgrown it and I'd love to get the short, wider IKEA Alex next time I visit a nearby state that has one.
ReplyDeleteI have 28 polishes, but 6 are mini ones (4 Sally Girl, 2 Sinful Colors). They're stored in a terry cloth bag/shower tote that some Avon stuff came in years ago and it's on my dresser. I usually buy then when they're on sale or when I find nice colors at the Dollar Tree.
ReplyDeleteOh, geez...I've never counted and I'm afraid to. They are crammed as tightly as possible into one Helmer, sorted by color. I destashed about a year ago and ended up with as many bottles to give away as I kept. I have been trying to adhere to the mantra that one bottle must leave for every new one and it has cut down on my bouts of mindless hauling.
ReplyDeleteI find most of my stuff on clearance or at the dollar stores. I have found my patience rewarded by getting a lovely Zoya for $.99 a couple weeks ago. I, too, find myself looking through my drawers of bottles and just admiring them for the tiny works of art that they are. I thought I was weird, but apparently not.
Mostly, I need to get the extras hauled down to the women's domestic violence shelter.
First of all, I love your screen name and second, I love your destashing solution.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteLet's just say, I really like nail polishes and leave it at that ;)
ReplyDeleteI have between 500 to 600 at last count. I organize them in shoe and boot boxes by color. They live on the shelving unit that houses my tv in my bedroom.... I love admiring my polishes!!! I always say to people "some people collect ceramic dog figurines, I collect paint colors."
ReplyDeleteI have under 300 now but I had twice that before. I love polish!
ReplyDeleteI have around 25-30 and I keep them in this cute little box that I got from Home Goods. It is like a vintage little keepsake box and I love it! However, I am constantly adding and adding. I have bought at least 7 this month. So I really want those clear nail polish storage shelves!
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually taken any kind of count in a few years, but I would guess somewhere between 2500-3000 bottles. YIKES! O.O I'm currently in the middle of a huge destashing (500 bottles listed for sale with another 300 at least waiting to be listed), so I'm hoping to get that closer to your number by the end!!
ReplyDeleteI currently have mine scattered throughout the house, but I do have 4 melmers to keep them stored and organized. I really need to ditch most of the stuff in the melmers though, because I never wear them! Once indies became a thing, all my mainstream polishes got ignored!
I've always kept mine in shoe boxes sorted by brand, but it got so unwieldy that often I couldn't remember which box had which brand(s) and would just stuff the newer ones in whatever box. Well, this was a problem because I would forget if I bought a bottle of xyz... and of course I would pick up another. Grrr I didn't need a back up!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, we tried to sell our house this past spring/summer and that meant destashing the office. All kinds of who-knows-what on the shelves was boxed up into storage or thrown out. (NONE of my polish though!) Anywho when we gave up I had all those lovely empty shelves to fill. They are built in bookshelves and so far I have four shelves full and still have about 10-12 shoeboxes to empty out.
I love it! In the shoeboxes you can't really tell what colors they are from the top since they tend to separate and get that weird color on top. I've found so many beauties I forgot I had! Also, many many many that I point at and say, "Dayum! You are too fugly to be in my collection! You should be ashamed of yourself!" So I will be destashing soon too. lol
I have 60-75 nail polishes now, my collection suffered a hard hit when my podiatrist recommended to take a break from using them (bad nail infection) and start a new collection. Those nail polishes that I use on my toes never are used on my hands and vice versa. I store most of them in baskets or large cosmetics bags.
ReplyDeleteIn related matters, G, have you find a nail polish dupe for WnW Valet Tag (LE Spring 2014)? I missed it and have been looking for it ever since.
I am glad to read that there are others out there just like me. My up-to-date spreadsheet says 858 and I keep them in 6 melmers
ReplyDeleteI have upwards of 1,200 nail polishes. I stopped keeping count a while ago, but I know I have a Helmer that's full and just bought a new one that is going to be almost full once I get it built!
ReplyDelete