WHICH COLOR?? Why choose just one??

 

  Last night, I decided my nails needed a color change. So I dug into my collection* (I have way waaaaaay too many nail polishes, I had to get a storage system...) and started grabbing colors. I ended up with 5 in the same color family and the same brand.

Butter London lacquers are fantastic, they go on beautifully, (I put on 3 coats of each just to have complete coverage) and I've never had a problem with any of them.

The list of colors, from pinkie to thumb are:

Snog, Trout Pout, Dahling, MacBeth and Jaffa.

My entire nail routine is as follows: Melt-Away Cuticle Eliminator by Butter London, then I push back my cuticles (gently!) and nip them with the Mini Nail Rescue Kit by Tweezerman from Ulta.com, then I use OPI Chip Skip to clean my nails. Then I use OPI Original Nail Envy to treat my nails, since they tend to bend and peel on their own. I use Orly Bonder rubberized basecoat, it's the best one I've tried, it helps me keep the polish ON my nail instead of all over my finger. Two or three coats of my chosen color, then this amazing topcoat Glisten & Glow fast drying topcoat which works even faster than the Seche Vite topcoat but without the "pulling" on the polish (when the polish pulls back from the tip and exposes the nail underneath). And it's incredible! It dries fast enough that I can paint all 10 nails, then go straight to bed. I love it! 

My nail polish usually lasts 4-5 days, if I'm not impatient and change them first, which is nearly always the case!

The lacquers were purchased by me via EBATES and Ulta.com, and the topcoat was purchased at Glisten & Glow. 

Happy New-Groundhog-Valen-Patrick's...oh ok, I've been lazy!

I have been lazy. I've had bunches of posts in my noggin but haven't put finger-to-keyboard! Sorry!

Now, to jump back in! What's one of my peeves? Texture! Bumpy, bubbly polish makes me want to scratch the paint right off, as exhibited in this post, UGH! That being said, there's a new trend coming out in full swing this spring: Liquid Sand by OPI.

 

The color above is "What Wizardry is this?" purchased by my pal, Barb (HI BARB!) and loaned to me to see how it looked. I believe she made her purchase at Ulta earlier this week.

My thoughts: It's a PRETTY COLOR! Bronze-y, gilded and sparkly. But the more it dried, the more the bumpy sandpaper texture came out. Granted, I used a supa-fast-quick-dry top coat, which the OPI website says to avoid, in fact the bottle says "Dries to a textured matte finish infulsed with reflective glints of light. Apply base coat and two coats of color. Do not use top coat." But I'm impatient and didn't want to be forced to walk helplessly around with my fingers up in the air waiting for them to dry.

Verdict: I like it, but I don't think I'll make any purchases of them This bottle was a loaner and I think the owner is going to be pleased, but the texture just isn't my style. If the top coat had smoothed it over, then I'd probably be ok with it. But it didn't. I'm not sure anything short of 6 coats of a top coat would actually smooth the texture.

If you like trends and aren't afraid of texture, then HAVE AT IT! OPI always has terrific color choices.

Nightstand Treats: Cuticle Oil

Hi there! It's been quite the while since I've posted, sorry. Stuff gets in the way of other stuff and so on.

I've been meaning to post about this marvelous little beauty, Handbag Holiday by butter LONDON for some time. I was privy to an express manicure at the butter LONDON salon at SeaTac Airport, where I made my purchase. (I took advantage of the 2 treatments for $25) The treatment retails for $18 US and can be purchased at Nordstroms, Ulta.com, butterLONDON.com, etc.

This lightweight oil, smells delicious and doesn't even need to be rubbed in to be effective. Which is terrific because, cuticle treatments past have been goopy and sticky and a pain in the rear, at least in my opinion.
I love this mineral oil free oil as my last step before I drift off to dreamland. Keeping the bottle on my nightstand is a good reminder to use it. A simple brush-brush-brush over my nail-beds and I'm set. I haven't noticed a residue on anything like my sheets or pillowcase, but I haven't been looking either.
The cuticle oil absorbs quickly, but yes it's an oil so you can't slather on a ton and rub your eyes. Less is more, and you don't need to dip back into the bottle often to get more product.
My cuticles look hydrated in the morning and I'm quite pleased with my pampering purchase!

With the holidays looming, or for an anytime present to yourself or your favorite nail enthusiast; Handbag Holiday is an easy choice.

Nailing it!

These are one of my favorite Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips I previously wrote about.

This set is called "Love Letter" and it is just lovely, it looks like an old handwritten letter and it's one of my favorite non-holiday related strips.

The popularity of the nail strips is making me really happy since they are so much easier to apply and maintain than regular liquid polish. The range of color and pattern for Sally Hansen vary store to store during each season, however Love Letter seems to be one of the staples. I'm glad because I thought it was limited to the February-Valentines patterns.

Look Ma, I did them myself!!

I've discovered the glory that is Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips and THEY ARE AWESOME! Don't be scared, these aren't like the press-ons we saw in the 80s!

After I do the cuticle remover from this post (Instant Cuticle Remover) I apply a quick coat of OPI Chip Skip which takes 0 time to dry, then begin the process of placing these adorable little strips of paint and design.

Like anything that's do-it-yourself, it's awkward at first. Peeling off the back AND front of the strip helped me loads (yes, I tried to put the nail strip on my nail with the clear part still on...I'd never done it before so I didn't know it wouldn't work!) and becoming fearless while placing the thin plastic-like strip down on the nail. Don't be too obsessed with getting the edges to line up. I discovered that you can use the orange stick (included in the package) to lightly press and edge out the excess, which easily peels away to reveal a perfectly formed edge!

Gently pulling the strip down and away from the tips of the nail insures that it will stretch out slightly and conform well to the nail. Be sure to press and hold the strip to the nail itself, the heat from your hands helps the product adhere better. Smoothing the paint from cuticle to nail tip also insures no bubbles or folds. Using the less abrasive third of the nail file (also included in the box) you can file rest of the paint/nail to the size and shape of nails that you prefer. I like something a little shorter and a square/round.

You can leave it at that; or do what I do which is once the strips have completely adhered, I add one coat of OPI Nail Envy and one coat of OPI Rapi Dry Top Coat just to finish it up and make my nails super shiny. I also follow up with the Nail Envy and Top Coat every two days after that. My nails keep in good condition for almost two weeks, or whenever I get bored or see another pattern that I love!

Here's some examples of the patterns I've tried:

I've yet to try any of the sets with just plain color, though there's no shortage of them. I just love the fun and funk of the designs. They are priced anywhere between $7-$10 US per set. The set includes 16 various sized strips, one wooden cuticle stick and one nail file/buffer and the instructions. Easy and fun!

Do-it-yourself cuticles that even I can do!

I have an admission. When I'm left on my own to take maintain the cuticles of my fingernails I pick. And then bleed. I'm a bit of a masochist apparently. I don't know when to stop. I have a loyalty to a nail salon near my home and they are wizards with my nailcare. But that kind of upkeep takes it's toll on the pocketbook.

Now, I can extend my time between salon appointments myself by using a quick and easy cuticle remover, an orange stick, and limiting my usage of a cuticle clipper.



This little beauty really does work! Following the directions, I do one hand at a time, putting the gel directly on my cuticles. Gently pushing back the gel/cuticle with the wooden stick (I used a metal cuticle tool and oops, scraped some of the top layers my nails off. That remover is POWERFUL stuff and I pushed too hard.). Immediately after I use the orange stick I immediately wash my hands, trust me, get that stuff off your hands as soon as you can. It works really fast and really well. The little bits that need to be clipped off are easy to see and super soft so they come right off when...well, clipped!

Since I purchased the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover, I've been able to give myself mini-manicures every two weeks since my last manicure which was easily two months ago. While a professional manicure is always the best, I'm very happy with the results. I don't recall precisely what I paid for it, but I believe the cost was under $5.00 US before taxes.

Do you have any handy finds for maintaining your nails?