O.P.I Expert Touch Lacquer Remover / Review...

What's in a nail polish remover? A lot if you ask me and I didn't even notice until recently!

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!

Mavala Minute Quick Finish Top Coat / Review...

Last spring, some of you may remember, I purchased three Mavala nail polishes which can be seen, here. As an update, I've ended up wearing Paris a few times this summer and really have nothing negative to say about it. Each time it applied easily and lasted a good five days with hardly any tip wear. My guess is that not all colors are created equal hence the bad reputation Mavala seems to have in some circles.

I don't recal if it was a review or a comment made by Gio from Beautiful With Brains but I remember her mentioning a Mavala top coat as being pretty good. At $3.49 a bottle I figured why not give it a try as I did with the nail polishes?

Orly Shade Shifter Color Changing Gel FX Coat...

Remember this scene from the movie Total Recall where a secretary or receptionist changed the color of her nail polish with the tip of a little stick?

Here on top of the image you can see the "magic" stick.

Ok so it may be a little old for most of you since this movie came out in 1990. Still, it was a pretty neat trick. I personally flipped when I first saw it and even if I wasn't much into nail polish I just loved the idea. Who knows, if it had really existed maybe I would have gotten a little more into it.

Sally Hansen's Get Juiced / Review

This will not be my nail of the week!!!

Today I decided to pick up Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Juiced Up 400. I've been wanting a coral and knew I wouldn't be able to go and get Chanel Lilis this weekend so I figured why not try this one in the meantime.

The only thing it's got going is the nice big flat brush à la O.P.I. After that it goes downhill. The formula is on the thin side and the first coat was streaky. Sometimes this happens but when you apply the second coat it all falls into place. Not here! The second coat didn't fix anything and was just as horrible as the first.

I photographed my right hand because it's always a little harder to do than the left. That's of course if you are right handed to begin with. Notice my middle finger and please forgive the dry cuticles. I didn't bother to moisturise nor clean up the edges because this is coming off! Here the color appears a little darker than in reality. That's what happens at 6:00 pm with my camera when there is no sun.

The color is really lovely and would have been perfect for this week but streaks??? No way! 

These get on my nerves just as much as chips if not more and in reality they are worse than on the pictures.

Would I recommend Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure in Get Juiced? NOPE! 

So this is going in the fail bin, like, right now! At $8.59 it's way too expensive for the result I got.

Some Summer 2013 Nail Polish Collections & a Few Drugstore Options to Consider...

Out are several beautiful new makeup collection which all include gorgeous nail polishes. If some of us can't afford a high end compact of eye shadow palette, there's a good chance we can go for either a lipstick or a nail polish. Here are some of the nail polishes that have been creating quite a buzz so far for Summer 2013.

YSL Tie & Dye. Sheer top coats that give a hint of color, they can be worn alone or over another color. Interesting to see the deposit of color at the bottom. When you shake the bottles, the pigments stay evenly distributed for a while so you don't have to shake every time you dip your brush in the bottle. They are $34.00 each which I find a little out there for such a sheer finish but I know many will love them.

Dior. From the Birds of Paradise Collection inspired by Latin America, Brazil and its luxuriant and tropical nature these polishes are sold as duos. The first, Samba, reminds us of the feathers of the peacock. The second, Bahia, more whimsical with its hibiscus pink and beautiful lagoon blue. Each duo sells for $30.00 and they are available now. In June, Dior will also introduce Summer Mix which is a collection of four new nail polishes at $24.00 each, paired with cream blushes. Also worth a look at is their Gel Coat, a top coat that gives a gel like finish.

                                                          Samba                                             Bahia

Capeline, Creoles, Sunnies & Tie & Dye (name similar to YSL)

Chanel Summer 2013, L'Été Papillon Collection. Stunning, just stunning! Papillon means butterflies and here seeing these beautiful colors, you can trap a bit of these ephemeral flying beauties on the tips of your nails. Just a little info, when you see a butterfly, do not touch its delicate wings for it will die shortly after. Three colors, Bel Argus, Azuré and Lilis at $27.00 each. I have my eye on Lilis. :)

Clinique! Did you know they had brought back nail polish? They did and for Summer 2013 they have beautiful limited edition colors. Mid range, they sell for $18.00 each.

Hula Skirt, 70 and Sunny, Juiced Up, Pinkini and Hi Sweetie (regular color)

There's also, Grape Ice (purple magenta), Strappy Sandals (silvery grey) and Hot Date (purple)

Butter London may be more your style if you're not into pinks and brights with Summer Holiday Bespoke Collection 2013, they will be available at The Bay for $17.00 each.

Sun Baker, Champers, Pool, Body Dazzler, Marbs & Bit Faker

From the drugstore...

If you don't want to splurge for a nail polish you can find great ones at the drugstore in practically every color imaginable. In many cases, you can find good dupes of high end shades and most are under $10.00 which is great. Even if some high end colors are pretty unique, in some cases, you wouldn't be able to tell if one is wearing Dior or Sally Hansen.

Every time I go to to one, for some reason I always end up looking and looking and looking... at nail polish displays! Last Thursday at one point, I must have had four in my hand with intent of purchase but as usual, I put them all back in their respective spots. I know, I'm a little bizarre.

I thought it would be fun to show you the ones I've been looking at recently. Here's just a few new nail polish collections, from my tiny little drugstore.


L'Oréal...

I've been eying these for a while but the colors, although beautiful are too sheer and would 
take more than two coats to achieve the look shown, a type of gel like finish.

Sally Hansen's...

On the left, fruity sherbet, on the right, blues and more beautiful blues. I just might end up 

with one of those for a pedi. The fourth one from the left would look great with jeans.

Mavala...

This is my favorite. Often overlooked, these are fun and don't require a long term relationship.The small sizes are perfect if like me, you tend to change nail color often. Mavala has always had a great color selection. As a teen I had blue and green, way before it was in fashion. Their names... make me dream of exotic vacations.

Chili & Spice Collection, I want them all!

Trinidad, Bamako, Samarkand, Bali, Cuzco and Jaipur

Also to be considered, Revlon,which by the way is coming out with scented nail polishes again this year, Maybeline, Essie, Nicole by O.P.I and depending on the drugstore you go to there may be other brands available I'm missing here. Another brand that must not be overlooked, although not available at the drugstore but with excellent prices is Avon. Every season they come out with great colors and the quality is way up there.

About the drugstore display pictures, I know! Experience is starting to sink in. Next time, I'll turn the bottles a bit so the price stickers will be less obvious! :)

So, as I said, I have my eye on Chanel Lilis as well as the Sally Hansen blue but I must admit that Dior's Summer Mix colors appear to be stunning. I just might go for one of them.

Do you have a favorite so far?

Seche Vite™ Dry Fast Top Coat / Review

For years I didn't bother with top coats simply because I didn't wear colors on my finger nails. I always wore a clear or sheer nail polish to give my hands a clean look and that was it. These days my favorite color to wear is Essie Recessionista from their Fall 2012 collection, a dark red with prune undertones. It goes with everything and I just love the shade.

Although Essie's nail polish formula has good staying power, it does lose some of it's shine after a few days and this to me seems more obvious with dark colors. After the fiasco of Essie's no chips ahead chip free top coat, I was using Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat which I already owned. This one did an honest job but I figured there must be something better out there. I was planning on trying another of Sally Hansen's offerings when I stumbled upon Seche Vite™ at one of my local drugstores. This one I had to try!

How does it perform? Beautifully!

I usually do my nails one evening, applying two coats of color and go for the top coat the following night. Somehow I was always afraid if I did all of it in one night, it wouldn't have time to dry hard enough to avoid ruining the finish during the night. With Seche Vite™ I decided to put it to the test and do it all in one night. I applied it over my two coats of Recessionista at about 10:00 p.m., went to bed at around 11:00 p.m. and woke up to perfect nails!

Durability and finish are quite good. My polish has chipped less than with Mega Shine and stayed shiny longer. I reapplied Seche Vite™ on the 4th day to give my nails an extra 3 days of shine. From Thursday night to Thursday night, my nails where good, in fact, I only had a little tip wear which is to be expected.

Would I recommend Seche Vite™? Yes!

If you don't want to have to redo your nails every 3 days or so, this will definitely help in protecting the finish. At under $13.00 for 14 ml (.5 fl oz) which is a little more than your average nail product, it's well worth it.

Seche now makes color nail polishes, I do hope they will be available soon. Given the quality of the fast drying top coat, I would think the colors would be pretty amazing!


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 4 / 5 lippies for 1414 reviews.
Beauté-test: 4.2 / 5 stars for 64 reviews.


Picture from the companie's website.

Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat / Review

My favorite nail polish these days is Essie's Recessionista from their Fall 2012 Stylenomics Collection. It's a deep burgundy red with plum undertones which I find goes with just about everything. Although it has good staying power it does loose some of it's shine after 2 days or so.

I already had Sally Hansen Mega Shine and having worn it on it's own for a more finished look I figured I might as well give it a try and see how it performs as what it was meant for, a top coat.

Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat

From the website:

Dries in just 60 seconds! Advanced formula dries your manicure from top to bottom in just 60 seconds - no more smudges! Fuses and seals all your manicure layers into one powerful protective shield that resists chipping, cracking, peeling and damaging moisture. Micro-diamonds add mirror shine and strenght.

I must admit that I haven't put it to the 60 seconds test since I usually make sure I won't have to use my hands a good 30 minutes, just to be on the safe side. It does give a nice shiny finish but the chipping, I'm not convinced. Oddly enough, when I wear 2 coats of Recessionista without Mega Shine, after a few days I only see a some tip wear but nothing dramatic. When I do apply 1 coat  with Mega Shine, well, the nail polish does chip a little. Nothing dramatic but just enough to notice the difference.

Essie Recessionista is a good formula that lasts an average of 6 days on me on it's own. With Sally Hansen Mega Shine, it can get a few chips but it remains shiny longer. It also works well with Essie Burgundy and Rimmel Burgundy Flirt, the other 2 shades I've been wearing these past few months.

Do I recommend Sally Hansen Mega Shine? Yes & No

Yes because it's so inexpensive, under $10.00 and does an honest job and no because I find it annoying that it picks up color when I apply it. I'm always afraid it will ruin my manicure. In other words, I think if you're used to wear light shades it's fine, on dark ones well, you have to work fast. At least it's much better than Essie's no chips ahead chip free top coat, reviewed here.


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 3.3 / 5 lippies for 196 reviews
Beauté-test: there are only 2 reviews, giving it 4.5 stars out of 5.


Screen capture from Sally Hansen website

At Home Gel Nail Polish Kits

I have only recently started to wear color again on my finger nails after years of going either bare or transparent and before that it was French manicure.

The colors I go for these days, dark wine reds! I love seeing red!

Sadly, these shades don't last more than about 4 days. Cooking, dishes and especially typing (I spend a lot of time on my lap top) are not gentle on nail polishes and the darker the color, the more obvious the wear.

Looking for a more durable option without spending a fortune? These could fit the bill. I have seen  gelshine™ manicures and the effect is stunningly beautiful. If like me you're not into salons and prefer to do things yourself, these kits may be worth a second look.