My journey to discovering CND Shellac (Part 1)

Finding a nail salon that offered CND Shellac...and actually CND-approved, was a 4-6 week process. It didn't have to be if I had done proper research from the moment I decided I wanted my nails to get Shellac'd; but it was a spur of the moment thing that ended up costing a lot of time, money, and put my nails through hell and back. Let me explain.

My best friend and I decided to go for mani and/or pedi dates every 3-4 weeks. The second time we had our mani-pedi date, I noticed the salon offered CND Shellac. I heard about all the benefits of Shellac and decided in the spur of the moment to try it out. Hurray, my nails would look prim and proper for a good two weeks. Little did I know that the treatment was being applied wrong given that I was a Shellac virgin, but all of these signs pointed out to trouble:

1) My nails were buffed as if they were going to get gel overlays --- your nails don't have to be buffed to that extent with Shellac.

2) The Shellac regimen wasn't followed AT ALL --- Shellac works like regular nail polish; it needs a proper base coat, two coats of color, and finished with a top coat. Each coat is cured under a UV light for two minutes before the other coat is applied. When the top coat is finally cured, it is rubbed with alcohol and voila, you're Shellac'd! *NOTE: You must have ALL CND Shellac products used in the process for it to work.*

There my nails stood in all of their glory - super shiny and in Strawberry Smoothie. I was in awe until a few hours later when they started to crack like crazy. I tried to fix them over the next day but to no avail, I had paid an extra $20 on top of a regular manicure to get this glorified treatment done only to have my nails looking like crap. I decided to find a place close to where I work to get my nails fixed. I called up a nail salon that claimed they also offered Shellac but when I arrived for my appointment, they had a different brand instead. I figured I didn't have much to lose as I watched my nails being soaked in pure acetone for a good 15 minutes and then buffed down again. This time, the whole regimen was followed minus the fact that it wasn't a CND brand.

My nails held up for a few hours longer than the previous time but one by one, started to crack. After putting up with cracking and chipped nails for 5 days, the salon offered to remove the treatment and give me a regular manicure instead at no cost. Not surprisingly, my regular manicure lasted a good week and a half (with a coat of Seche Vite applied every few days). However, I didn't know the extent of the damage that had been done to my nails.

OPI DS Original (Review)

Lately, I've been on a holographic kick and have been obsessed with Nfu-Oh polishes. I thought I'd take a break from Nfu-Oh goodness and divert my attention to the OPI Designer Series holos. Boy am I glad that I did. OPI DS Original is purple holographic good. Compared to the Nfu-Oh and China Glaze holos, the particles are more scattered and not as dense, and it showed when it came to application. I used a base coat of Nfu Oh Aqua Base Coat, 3 Coats of OPI DS Original, and a top coat of Seche Vite. OPI holos are great because they dry to a shiny finish; so you can choose to skip top coat. For me, I usually hope that a manicure lasts nearly a week, so I used top coat and it didn't dull the holo effect in the slightest. Another plus is the wear time. My job requires a lot of typing and there has been zero chips *knock on wood* so far. I know a lot of holos will chip even with top coat; they are notoriously worse without it. OPI DS Original is definitely the most durable out of the lot by far. Now if you'll excuse me, I will go back to staring at the holographic awesomeness.

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

Holo-y Goodness - Nfu Oh 64

Meet the most holographic nail polish brand you'll ever know: Nfu Oh. I think this brand may be my favourite nail polish brand of all-time (sorry China Glaze); from their adorable bottles to their wide selection of colours to their amazing holographic polishes, can you really blame me for falling in love with this brand?

Pictured above is Nfu Oh 064, a gorgeous mauve colour. I used a base coat of Nfu Oh Aqua Base Coat, a layer of Nfu Oh 64, followed by another layer of Nfu Oh Aqua Base Coat, and finished off with one more coat of Nfu Oh 64. I skipped the top coat since it would dull the holographic effect. I had no problems with application and both Nfu Oh products dried incredibly fast. I don't know if I mentioned this in my last post, but it is strongly recommended that you use the Aqua Base Coat if you plan on indulging in Nfu Oh holos. I had these for months but didn't use them because it was a patchy nightmare sans the Aqua Base Coat.

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

Eyeko haul (and review)!

If you are interesting in Eyeko products, check out their website @ www.eyeko.com. Use my ambassador code: E10345 for an exclusive free gift with any purchase. :)

Recently, a London-based brand called Eyeko (www.eyeko.com) piqued my interest with their gorgeous shades of nail polish and super cute packaging. This my current Eyeko collection but I do have the Eyeko Cream with Extra Glow and Tinted Cream on the way. The verdict? I am in love with Eyeko products! The price points are affordable (especially if you are a student) but the quality is comparable to some top notched brands. I will go into further detail in my extensive reviews below. I will be reviewing the Eyeko Cream, Magic Mascara, and Lilac Nail Polish.

1) Eyeko Cream ($14 uSD) - "Create a flawless base with Eyeko's 3-in-1 Cream. MOISTURISER, HIGHLIGHTER & EYE CREAM in 1! Infused with skin perfecting light reflectors and antioxidant Vitamins A& E plus a Vitamin C boost for a radiant, clear complexion."

Much to my disappointment, the cream came in a small 28 mL jar, but a little goes a long way with this stuff. It definitely adds a glow to your face without going over the top. For me, I like to mix it with my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. I find that my tinted moisturizer has great coverage but finishes a little too dull, so 1/2 a dime-sized amount mixed with it does the trick. It gives my face a nice healthy sheen. All on its own, it works great in place of a highlighter when applied to my brow and cheek bones. I love this stuff and I definitely can see myself ordering more of it in the near future.

2) Eyeko Magic Mascara ($14 USD) - "Wave the Magic Wand for Long, Luxe Lashes! Our NEW lush outsized brush creates dramatically fuller and thicker looking lashes with a voluptuous curl that lasts all day long!

The 3 in 1 formula inks up lashes a treat and is magic to use! Just glide the wand from root to tip to magically transform limp lashes into a flirtatious flutter! Reveal instant full body volume; marvel at the extended length and applaud the amazing curl with astounding resilience!"

I have typical Asian lashes (translation: literally next to nothing), so volume is important to me when it comes to selecting mascara. The Magic Mascara did not disappoint when it came to creating volume for my limp lashes. However, it didn't create as much volume as let's say DiorShow or Lancome Hypnose; it created enough volume for the price I paid and that will suffice. The biggest plus of Magic Mascara is that DID NOT SMUDGE. My oily eyelids are very thankful for it! :)

3) Lilac Polish ($5.50 USD) - "Eyeko Polish features a nail friendly formula that is Toluene, Formaldehyde, DBP and Camphor FREE! No Colour fade thanks to UV absorbers and an amazing glossy, chip resistant finish which strengthens nails too!

Eyeko Lilac Polish: Dip your toe into the pastel trend for sweet nails with an edge as seen on Kelly Osborne."

Eyeko nail polishes come in a petite 8.5 mL bottle, which is enough for me given the quantity of nail polish I have. At the same time, it does make it a little pricey for $5.50, considering that you can get a 15 mL bottle of China Glaze polish for less. I've only had the chance to apply the Lilac polish, which is a gorgeous pastel shade of purple. The application however, is a different story. I don't know if it was my bottle but the formula was thick and goopy, which made application a little difficult. If the formula was a tad bit thinner, it would've easily been opaque in two coats, but since it was rather streaky, I used three coats to achieve full opacity. Despite this, drying time was rather reasonable.

^ Base coat: Nubar Foundation; Three coats of Eyeko Lilac Polish; One coat of Nfu-Oh 50; and Seche Vite top coat.

The one coat of Nfu-Oh and Seche Vite top coat definitely helped smooth things out. Wear time was great and it lasted me 5 days without any noticeable chip wear or coats. To avoid my problem in the future, I suggest adding 3 drops of Seche Restore to thin the polish out. I will be trying new Eyeko polishes in the future, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting a little more after reading a lot of positive reviews. Before I lose my train of thought, I did apply Eyeko Saucy Polish on my coworker's hands a few days ago and that particular polish doesn't seem to have the problem Lilac polish does. It applied smoothly and was opaque in one coat. Very pretty colour to boot, I must say.

THE VERDICT: If you are seeing beauty on a budget, Eyeko is the way to go. My must-haves from the Eyeko line are the Eyeko Cream and Magic Mascara. If you are going to try their nail polishes, make sure you've got nail polish thinner on hand. My must-try shade is Rain Polish - a gorgeous blue-grey creme with subtle shimmer.

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

One hundred fifty-two (152)

That is the number of nail polish I will eventually end up with; granted that I don't order any more (god-willing I probably will). How did I get myself into this predicament?

Collection pics coming soon.

China Glaze Peachy Keen (Part II)

A few days ago, I said that I wouldn't use Peachy Keen for a manicure. Well, I lied. After my Color Club shade (I think it was Oh Naturale) failed me miserably (I'm talking about thick, streaky, etc.), I decided to apply Peachy Keen on my nails too. I think this marks the beginning of my love affair with bright, pastel polishes.

I used a base coat of Seche Clear, one coat of CG White on White, two coats of Peachy Keen, followed by another coat of Seche Clear, and then finally Seche Vite to seal the deal. I'm impressed with the results. By the way, my pedicure is still going strong! :)

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

China Glaze Peachy Keen

China Glaze Peachy Keen is from the Up & Away Collection. It's a bright creme-based peach that almost leans towards orange, depending on the lighting. At the moment, I don't think I'd wear it as a manicure but it definitely looks great as a pedicure. :) My feet are happy feet! I used a base coat of Seche Clear, followed by 3 coats of Peachy Keen, then added another coat of Seche Clear before sealing the deal with Seche Vite. Works like a charm. This pedi has been on for over 4 days - no chips or the like. Behold, a picture of my right foot!

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

Zoya Reece and updated collection pic

So tonight, my Zoya cherry was popped after I decided to try Reece from the 2010 Spring Reverie collection. What a beautiful colour to lose my Zoya virginity to! Reece is a dark magenta duochrome flashing gold and light green. It's just so damn pretty. The brushes for Zoya polishes are smaller than that of OPI and China Glaze but I like it! I have long and slender nails so I actually screw up quite a bit whenever I apply OPI or China Glaze colours. The formula for this was perfect - not to thick or thin; and it dried relatively fast. I wore a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Zoya Reece, and a top coat of Seche Vite. If you love pink and purple polishes, you need to get Reece - it's the best of both worlds.

And here's an updated collection pic. I am too lazy to take them all out and name them all; but there is mostly OPI and China Glaze colours in there. Some stuff from Zoya, Color Club, Sally Hansen, Claire's, Avon, and Wet n' Wild too!

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

OPI Who Needs a Prince?

Besides the fact that the last two holos I applied chipped like mofos, I would've had to remove them anyways since I have a business presentation tomorrow. So I decided to apply a more neutral and professional colour. Here's OPI Who Needs a Prince?:

OPI Who Needs A Prince? is an almost white creme with pink/red shimmer. You wouldn't be able to make this distinction from far since it pretty much looks like a light peach. It's sheer on the first coat and opaque by the third. It's a very classic, yet pretty colour. I used OPI Natural base coat, followed by three coats of OPI Who Needs a Prince?, and finally, one coat of Seche Vite top coat. I have yet to discover another shade from another brand that is a dupe of this. You can purchase this shade via eBay (like I did) or scour for it in your local beauty store or hair salon.

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

Goodies!

I received my Color Club order earlier last week from Head2ToeBeauty (www.head2toebeauty.com); bought two Claire's polishes yesterday; and bought a jar of The Apothecary hand cream today.

First up, the Color Club haul:

In all their glory...

From left to right: Oooo La La, Front Row Diva, Pardon My French

From left to right: Oh Naturale, Fashion Addict, Revvvolution

All gorgeous colours IRL, but I have sadly only managed to try one colour: Fashion Addict. Fashion Addict is a gorgeous lilac holo and is very dense in colour. I only needed two coats to achieve full opacity but there is just one little problem - it chips ridiculously fast. We are talking within a matter of hours of drying here. At first, I thought it was because I tried the whole Seche Vite as base coat experiment but I had noticed that the few nails that only had Fashion Addict on were chipping as badly. I don't know if I just applied it on wrong and perhaps needed a base coat or if the formula was wonky. It's such a shame, because it is probably the prettiest shade of purple nail polish I've got.

On the the next one, the Claire's haul:

Glisten, Heart Princess

These two gems are still looking pretty in their bottles. I bought them because I was so fascinated with Claire's' mixable nail polishes, but it was buy one get one 1/2 price so I got suckered into buying Glisten as well.

Last but not least, The Apothecary hand cream: *My best buy*

I picked up this jar of awesomeness for $6.99 at...*drum roll please* Homesense! This stuff is heaven for your hands, nails, and cuticles. It's rich but not in excess, so it doesn't leave your hands feeling sticky and greasy. It also absorbs well into the skin quickly so you get instant dryness relief. The best part? The scent is incredible. I love body product based on honey and/or almonds; lo and behold, this smelt like honey AND almonds. I think I'm in heaven! Who would've thought that Homesense would have hidden treasures like this? I also bought my typical Joico shampoo and conditioner for $14.99 each - the conditioner usually sells for around $21! Talk about a sweet deal :)

I've got another nail polish order coming in (hopefully) this week and I believe I will be done, at least until the China Glaze fall collection comes out. I'm excited for that collection...I'm also excited that the Blackhawks are moving on to the Stanley Cup final for the first time in 18 years! Byfuglien has been clutch...kinda reminds me of the Gelinas of 2004 *sigh*. Anyways, next post is a nail polish review!

China Glaze OMG

China Glaze OMG from the OMG Collection is so worthy of it's name. It's a stunning silver holo that is gorgeous in almost all lighting and dries incredibly fast. It is definitely the gem of the OMG collection. I used Seche Vite top coat as my base coat (try it) and three coats of OMG to achieve full opacity. I will now resume staring at the shiny.

UPDATE (21 May 2010): Even though OMG is incredibly beautiful, it's probably the least durable out of the entire OMG Collection. Three of my nails chipped today, so off it went! It was nice while it lasted though. :(

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

China Glaze Rated Holographic

Good lord, I am loving my holographic polishes right now - I seriously cannot wait to try out all of the holos waiting to get painted on my nails. I am loving the Kaleidoscope collection right now and seriously want to get my hands on more shades from that collection - I've only got Rated Holographic and Kaleidoscope Him Out. :(

Which brings me to my latest swatch: China Glaze Rated Holographic - part of the discontinued Kaleidoscope collection released a few years back. The colour is a little more pink than TTYL from the OMG collection and it is so friggin' gorgeous. The holographic particles are larger and not as smooth as the OMG collection shades but I think this is what makes it so special! It gives that extra OOMPH to your nail colour! The holographic effects are visible under dim light but are incredible out in the sun. Yes, I am in love with Rated Holographic - so damn pretty.

Drying time was super fast and I used 3 coats to achieve full opacity. Again, no base or top coat. The only downside to this was its wear time. After work today, I noticed quite a bit of tip wear on my fingers. No biggie though - I just layered on another coat to touch it up. I'm gonna go stare at my nails now - it distracts me from the Bruins' loss tonight. *sigh* Have a great weekend!

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.

China Glaze TTYL

To avoid being called a liar, I am posting my first ever nail polish swatch: China Glaze TTYL. Nail polish connoisseurs will notice that the OMG Collection by China Glaze was released in 2009, so this nail polish swatch isn't exactly new. Well, it's new to me and I absolutely love it! The colour looks fantastic on my skin tone and the holographic effect really shows. The above pic was taken under artificial lighting. I used 3 coats to achieve full opacity.

The formula for TTYL was great - it applied smoothly and dried super fast. I did not use a base coat or top coat. I also thought that the wear time on it was pretty good for a holographic polish - it lasted for a good week with minimal tip wear. I deal with cash and coin going through the bank on a daily basis so it was a pleasant surprise.

There you have it, my first ever nail polish review. More to come soon!

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) in this post was/were purchased by me.