Showing posts with label Nail Care Products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail Care Products. Show all posts

Friday Follower Freebie!

Contest has now ended!
Merry Christmas! Today's winner will receive 4 full-sized products from the Savannah Bee Company, including a Hand & Nail Salve, Beeswax Hand Cream in a jar, Beeswax Hand Cream in a tube, and a Peach Lip Balm.

The Rules: You must be a follower. You must leave your eMail below in the comments as your entry. All entries are due by midnight tonight.


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NOTD: Barielle Misbehaving Mistress and Who Else Has a Nail That Grows Oddly?

Above & Below: Barielle's Misbehaving Mistress shown in 2 coats. The top picture is outdoors with no flash and the picture below in indoors with a flash.
Below: In filtered light it seems to take on some brown tones.
Below: In direct sunlight it takes on a true charcoal grey shade. The finish is extremely glossy.
Below: I picked up some brush-on nail glue in hopes of diminishing the freakish way that my middle nail grows! More on that below.
I'm using my last untried Barielle polish today, Misbehaving Mistress. It's a medium toned charcoal grey shimmer that applied nicely in 2 coats. As with most Barielle's that I've tried, this one also dries to a high shine glossy finish. In some lighting it takes on a slight brown tone, but in most lighting, it is a true charcoal grey. The finish on this is very pretty and the shimmer, although subtle, seems to add a slight dimension to the look. I noticed that Barielle is having a monthly contest on their web site's front page, and this month's prize is the entire All Lacquered Up (12 pc.) set. You might want to check it out if you'd like to take a chance on winning what I consider to be one of the best Fall/Winter collections introduced this year.


On another nail-related subject, do any of you have a nail that grows differently than the others? The nail on my middle finger always seems to curve inward and downward on one side as my nails get longer, and no matter how I file it or work with it, nothing seems to help. I picked up a bottle of Kiss Brush On-Nail Glue at Meijer earlier this week, and painted a coat on the underside of that nail. Then I placed the edge that bends down on an index card and applied pressure to the nail until it was straight, holding it in that position for about 45 seconds. It did seem to make it look a little more normal. I'm going to try it again when I get out of the shower so that the nail is softer, and I think it'll 'hold' even better. Maybe if I do this enough times, I can train it to grow normally, who knows!


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Barielle Matte-Inée & Shades Decadence

Above: Barielle Shades in Decadence, 2 coats with no top coat. Photos taken outdoors under cloudy skies with no flash.
Above & Below: Decadence with 2 coats of Nfu-Oh 40, which is a milky white shade and does not change the color of the base color, other than adding flaky glitter. My ring finger is shown with one coat of Barielle's Matte-Inée as a matte top coat, and does not have the Nfu on it.
Barielle recently released their take on the matte trend with a product called Matte-Inée. The press release states the description as "A unique blend of strengtheners & conditioners with a proprietary formula that provides outstanding strength, conditioning and protection to the nail for greater flexibility. Dries to a matte finish that can be used by men or women. Also dulls the high luster shine of color polish to provide a satin finish." This is designed to be used alone or as a matte finish top coat. It is Big-3 Free and the key ingredient is Hydrolyzed Keratin.


I know what you're wondering...how does this compare to the other matte top coats? My answer would be that as far as a finished look, it doesn't give you the flatness of Nubar's V For Men, Essie's Matte About You or China Glaze's Matte Magic. It is a true satin or eggshell finish, and it is not as shiny as Orly's Matte Top or Orly's Nails for Males. I have all of those products and I would rank Barielle's between the first three I listed and the Orly's. Am I disappointed it's not a flatter finish? Not at all, and I'll tell why. I like to have a variety of similar products in my arsenal because even though the average person may not be able to tell a difference, I, and I'm sure many of you, can. How else would we explain having 20 different polishes that are of similar hue, but yet very different to us?!! This product gives me a different finish than the 3 true matte tops I have (those 3 are very similar to each other in the finished look) and a different finish than the 2 Orly's.


The price on this one, if you're comparing products that are considered by the manufacturer as a matte finish, is higher than the others at $16.00 for a .50 fl. oz. bottle. Even though it's more expensive, I realized after reading the product information that it is also a nail treatment. In addition to changing the finish, it also enhances the health of the nail by the addition of the keratin and other ingredients found in this product. As the official description states, it gives your nails additional strength, conditioning and protection. I have always been very pleased with Barielle's treatments and I will begin using this as a base coat as well. I'll still use my other matte top coats, depending on the look I'm trying to achieve, but this is a product I can use more than one way.


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China Glaze Glitters: Luna, Polar Ice, Nova, Shooting Stars


Above & Below: Index=Shooting Stars, Middle=Nova, Ring=Polar Ice, Pinkie=Luna. Photos taken outdoors with no flash, under cloudy skies.

Below: A close-up of the glitter shapes and colors. L-R: Shooting Stars, Nova, Polar Ice, Luna.
Below: Today's cast L-R: Shooting Stars, Nova, Polar Ice, Luna.
Below: Want to save yourself some time when removing these polishes? Read more about this product below.
Today I have 4 more of the China Glaze Glitters to show you, and I tried to group these into similar colors. These are all somewhat silver-toned, although Luna could be categorized as more of a silvery grey-blue shade. All of these were done using 3 coats and while I think Polar Ice is a little on the sheer side, I still love it. The formula and application went well on all of them and I'm happy that the glitter in these applies very evenly. I've tried many polishes with the larger glitter pieces that don't 'land' very evenly on the nail. On to the descriptions!


Shooting Stars, which is on my Index finger, is a lighter shade of silver that has both micro glitter and larger octagonal glitter. The micro glitter appears to be silver, but is somewhat holographic, giving it a multi colored look on the nail. The larger glitter is multi colored in pink, aqua and blue and also has light reflecting properties, causing it to change color at different angle. I swatched some on a piece of card stock and I think it actually has a clear base, but the amount of glitter gives it a silver look.

Nova, on my middle finger, also has 2 sizes of glitter. The smaller glitter, although not as small as the micro glitter in Shooting Stars, is a charcoal silvery color, so it's darker than Shooting Stars. The larger glitter is round and multi colored. It is not as large as the glitter in Shooting Star, but it is somewhat holographic also, giving it more of a rainbow effect.

Polar Ice, found on my ring finger in the photos, has more of a milky white base color, although still somewhat clear. The glitter is quite small, although not a micro glitter. This one has the rainbow effect also with regard to the glitter, and although it's more sheer than the others in this group, I think it's beautiful and would likely make a wonderful layering polish over a darker base color.

Luna, on my pinkie finger, is a silvery grey shade with both silver micro glitter and small multi colored holographic glitter. The base color is such a pretty shade, I'd love to have it by itself in a shimmer without the glitter. Once applied to the nail, Luna has a slight foil finish, which combined with the glitter, is truly a unique shade.


For those of you dreading the removal of these polishes, I urge you to stop by Walgreen's and pick up a jar of Studio 35 Salon Formula Polish Remover. The formula reminds me of Sally Beauty Secrets because the scent is pleasant and it is very gentle yet effective. These run $2.49 in the store and $2.19 on their web site. You can add more of your own remover to them as it gets used up. There is a sponge inside that fits the shape of the jar and it has 3 cuts in the sponge, allowing you to insert 3 fingers at a time. I leave my fingers immersed for less than a minute and when I pull them out, most of the polish is already off, so I just swipe a cotton ball over the remaining polish and it comes right off. This alleviates the continuous rubbing that is usually necessary to remove most glitter polishes. If you don't have a Walgreen's, check some of your other chain drugstores for a similar products. Your nails and the surrounding skin will thank you!


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Finger Paints Fall 2010

I needed to renew my Sally Club card today, so I asked them if the new Finger Paints for Fall were in yet. She was kind enough to go in the back and bring me a set, and while they have a nice array of colors for Fall, nothing really jumps out as being exceptional.

Above & Below: The top photo shows the colors more true to life (indoors with flash) with the exception of Autumn Allure, while the bottom photo was taken in full sunlight. Autumn Allure looks more true to life in the outdoors photo. There's one creme in this collection (Shades of Fall, a plum color) and the rest are shimmers.
Below: I made the mistake of looking around while I was waiting for her to bring the Finger Paints out, and naturally I saw some other things that interested me! The Savvy polishes are from a collection called Shimmer Time (now I have Hammer Time stuck in my head) and they have beautiful iridescent shimmer.
Below: I couldn't capture how pretty the shimmer is, and I'm wondering if they might work better over a darker color. L-R: Purple Potion, Fairy Twinkle, Glass Slipper. I love the names, so hopefully I'll love the polishes.
Below: Two of my favorite treatment products, Blue Cross Cuticle Remover (gigantic bottle for only $4.99) and Mango Mend in the perfect size tube ($3.79). The Mango Mend is pricier in this packaging, but I like to keep one on my desk for a quick and easy application in between swatching and before I go to bed. I saw a green polish from Nina Ultra Pro that didn't look quite like other greens I had, so into the basket it went. This one is called Salsa.
Without swatching the Finger Paints yet, they're pretty and Fall-like--nothing earth-shattering though. That could change once I put them on my nail...who knows. The names are lacking a little in originality, as I notice they use the word Autumn in three of them. The one most appealing to me right now is Autumn Allure, the taupe shimmer. It reminds me of Ingrid from the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection. Finger Paints are on sale this month buy 2 get one free, and they're priced at $4.49 with a Sally Club card.


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VNS April Freebie Code For My Readers!

Each month Victoria Nail Supply offers a little freebie for my readers, and this month the code is valid for a FREE bottle of China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. All you need to do is enter mbs1356 in the coupon box with any order. This offer is good through the end of April.


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Product Review: Zoya Minicure Color-Lock System & Zoya Colbie NOTD

Above& Below: One of the prizes in my Anniversary Contest is Zoya's Color-Lock Minicure system. Below is a review for the products contained in this set. For my NOTD, I used Zoya Colbie and my own Minicure products.
Below: Colbie is a Black Cherry shade with a blackened base. It's very rich and deep in color. I used 2 coats and all of the products in the Minicure set for this look.
Below: This photo was taken with a flash and shows the velvety glow of Colbie.
Below: Zoya Anchor basecoat in conjuction with Armor Topcoat, gave me a smooth application with a glass-like finish.
With the month winding down (yay! come on Spring!), I have a couple of reviews I wanted to share with you, as these products are prizes in my Anniversary Contest, which ends 2/28/10. You can find the entry details here, and all of the prizes one lucky winner will receive by checking out the 'Anniversary Prize Sponsors' box in the upper right-hand corner. The first item is Zoya's Minicure Color Lock System, which is a seasonal item and often available on Zoya's web site around the holidays. It is a miniature version of the most basic items in their full-sized Color-Lock system and does not contain the Get Even (ridge filling basecoat) or the Renew (polish rejuvenator) found in the full-sized version. It does however, contain probably their most popular treatments, including Remove, Anchor, Armor, and Hurry Up. Those are the four products I'll be reviewing today.

Remove-this is a 3-in-1 product that is primarily used for polish removal. It moisturizes, nourishes and fortifies the nail plate, and also acts as a nail cleaner and nail prep prior to polishing your nails. It's a very gentle acetone formula that is non-drying to the nails and surrounding skin. It has a scent that reminds me of anise and lavender. It contains only 5 ingredients, one of those being glycerin, which helps your skin to retain moisture. The remover I use most often, is Sally's Beauty Secrets. Zoya's is honestly a superior product and the only excuse I have for not using it more often, is that I don't plan ahead and Sally is right around the corner, which makes it easier access. I have the large Remove with the Big Flipper, but I use it sparingly and need to remember to order it again! The Sally brand isn't too drying, but I always feel the need to moisturize after using it, which is not the case with the Remove. I normally use 2 cotton balls to remove the polish from one hand (unless it's a glitter!), and with the Remove, I can accomplish the task with just one. Also, the Remove, like I mentioned, only has 5 ingredients. The Sally brand has 11, and when in comes to beauty products, in many cases, less is more.

Anchor-this is the basecoat in the system and is made up of protein chains to strengthen the nail. This applies thinner and smoother than many basecoats I've used, and dries quickly. I always am amazed how nicely this applies, because some of my basecoats tend to thicken up after the bottle is about one-third empty, but I have never had that problem with Anchor.

Armor-Zoya's topcoat (with UV block) is designed to protect the nail color while retaining flexibility of the nail and blocking yellowing UV rays. This is not a quick-dry topcoat, but it always dries in a reasonable time for me. It leaves my nails with a glass-like smoothness, and although I have heard some people complain about bubbles, this has never been the case for me.

Hurry Up Speed Dry Drops-as the name implies, this product dries your polish at a much faster rate than it would normally dry. It also is formulated to act as a polish enhancer, keeping the color true and bright for up to 2 weeks when applied over Armor every 2 days. I cannot attest to the enhancer/2 weeks statement, because I rarely leave my polish on more than a day, let alone 2 weeks! I can tell you that it does dry my nails in record time though. I did the manicure pictured above last night, and added the Hurry Up immediately after applying the Armor. I then went straight to bed and took the photos this morning. I took no caution with my hands, picking up one of my dogs, scratching and petting him like I do every night, putting one of my hands under the pillow, scrunching blankets...the usual routine!

*Products furnished by the manufacturer or PR company for review.


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Friday Follower Freebie!

You've got to take care of your hands and nails for all of that polish you buy to look good on them, right? Today's FFF prize is filled with products to treat your hands right. Your hands and cuticles are dry? Gotcha covered! Nails are weak and splitting? Check! You and your hands can have a nice relaxing spa day without ever leaving home. Of course now that your hands are all prettied up, what color should you paint them? How about one of my all time favorite discontinued China Glaze shades, Dripping Wet? One winner will receive all of the products pictured: 1 bottle of China Glaze Dripping Wet, 1 bottle of Barielle's Rebuilding Protein, Orly's Nail Rescue Repair kit, Orly's French Polynesian Island Spa Travel Kit for Hands, and California Mango's 6 piece Mango Tango Hand Care Kit.

THE RULES: You must be a follower to enter, you must leave your name and eMail in the comments section below as your entry, all entries are due by midnight tomorrow (2/20/10).


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