We always read about nail treatments, hand creams and nail polishes but rarely about removers. I tried to do a quick search and sadly not much came up and that's probably because most of us figure that a polish remover is just that, a polish remover and they're all the same so why even mention them? This is an almost non issue if you only wear light colors, French manicure or just use a top coat for a clean look but if you wear vampy colors like me, you may find removing your polish a pain without a good one!
That's what happened to me last summer! I had to replace an empty bottle and picked up what was available at my local drugstore. What I got was this particular drugstore chain's name brand and it was the worst ever!!! At first I didn't really notice how poorly it performed since the colors I was wearing then were corals and fuchsias but a few weeks ago I had Dior Nuit 1947 on my nails which you can see here. I think this is probably the darkest color that was introduced this fall out of all the new collections. It took forever to come off and even once I was done, my nails were stained red.
Ok so stained nails aren't such a big deal for me since I usually go ahead with new polish right away but the time and effort it took... argh!!!
That nail polish remover did have acetone in it but apparently not enough of it and yes, it did say Extra Strength on the bottle!
Next up I got Sally Hansen's Extra Strength. I think out of all the drugstore options we have here it's probably the most effective and most affordable. Seeing how much better Sally Hansen was got me thinking about what professional use. Now I've had a professional manicure done only once in my life so I have no idea what they go for. I know, I know, how on Earth is that possible? Well, I hate being touched and the only reason I went was because I had broken a nail just before a special event.
O.P.I Expert Touch Lacquer Remover...
I stumbled upon this one by luck last week at Winners and $12.99 for 480 ml is a little more than what I'm used to pay for such a product but I really was curious to see if it would be better.
How did it perform? Great!
I tested it to remove Guerlain Madame Batifole which is on the dark side, you can see it, here. I ended up using less product and my nail polish came off like a breeze! On the bottle there are no "Strengthening" or "Moisturizing" claims, no Vitamin E added or whatever. It's just a remover and truly the best I've used so far. As a bonus, it didn't dry up my cuticles as much as Sally Hansen does and I found this quite surprising.
Would I recommend O.P.I Expert Touch Lacquer Remover? Yes!!!
If you want to be quick about removing your nail polish, this is for you. It is more expensive but it's so much better! I don't plan on bringing you other reviews of nail polish removers but I guess any Professional option will do better by you than what's at the drugstore although Sally Hansen does perform well so in a jam I'll keep a bottle of it. At around $3,00 for 267 ml, it's a steal.
This O.P.I product has a suggested retail price of about $20,00 for 480 ml but believe me, a little goes a long way and it's still less expensive than Dior which sells for the same price but for a 50 ml bottle.
Bonus review...
O.P.I Nail Lacquer, Casino Royale...
From the 2012 Skyfall Holiday Collection this is just my kind of color. I glad I got this one last winter, I'm such a James Bond fan! A beautiful vampy dark plum, a classic! The formula is opaque with two coats but does require a top coat. Here is 24 hours after application and it's lost a little of its shine already. There are many dupes of this one but even if it's a color from last year, it's still available in some areas.
Of course the color is a little wonky! It's actually a little darker in reality.
Do you get your nail polish remover from a drugstore or from a salon?
Do you have a favorite James Bond movie or actor? Me, I think I would have to say Thunderball (1965) due to the underwater scenes. Sean Connery will always be Bond but Daniel Craig is turning out to be a pretty handsome good one!
