Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

Whole Foods has a pretty good return policy for cosmetics apparently.  I (well, my mom) ended up returning the nail polish because the changing color just "wasn't working for me" (Guess the British TV reference!).  So yesterday, at Target, I went looking for the perfect coral nail polish.  Unfortunately, the cosmetics aisle was filled!  The nail polish rack was crowded with people.  In all the hullabaloo, I decided it wasn't the best time to ponder different coral polishes.  Besides, I could hardly find a single one!  All I could see were yellows and blues and reds, but not a single coral that wasn't red based.  And then I the new nail polish strips on the top shelf, and decided I might as well try them out.

Application:  The directions are relatively easy to follow.  I have short nails, so I cut each strip into two and rounded the edges.  I found that the directions tell you to file the excess down, however, I would recommend sticking it to the free edge of your nail before you do so, and wait a while, otherwise it will tear.

Sorry for the weird picture, my camera wouldn't focus correctly.

It did take me a while to apply these, but after a day, they are still looking gorgeous, so I can't complain  (and I was watching Doctor Who).  Though I think they would look better on longer nails, they look professional either way.  Tips:

• Wait a while after you apply these before you shower/wash your nails, or it might peel off.  I put a coat of topcoat on, and it held on fine.
• Add a clear topcoat over the patterns for extra wear time.
•  To prevent the unused strips from drying out, I just put them back in the original container and duct-taped it.  Not the most efficient way, but hey.  It (might) work.

 Wear time:  They are supposed to last ten days.  I'll keep you posted!

Color:  The patterns look professional and don't stretch out, which is a plus.  The black areas of the hounds tooth have what look like air bubbles in them, but it could just be a manufacturing error.

Would I buy these again?  Definitely.  There are a lot of different patterns to choose from, like animal print, lace(which I'm leaning towards), and even solid neons.  Even though the price ($9.99, find at your local Target/drugstore) is pretty expensive, if you cut each strip into two, it can give you 3 manicures.  Pretty cool for something you can do at home!



Again:  not sponsored to review this product!
 

No Miss Nail Polish Review

My camera is out of batteries, and apparently we don't have any left!  So you get this review with no pictures, boo.

No Miss Nail Polish is touted as a less toxic nail polish with no toluene or formaldehyde, and says it has UV inhibitors, a glossy finish, and all that good stuff.  The ingredients is short and sweet, with only the few essential ingredients and colorings.  But does it live up to its word?

(Not the exact product, but I couldn't find a single picture!  Image from nomiss.com)

Application:  Almost a one-coater, which is good!  The color I got, Pinellas Peach (Which is really more of a vermilion) was too red for my tastes, so I tried to tone it down with (almost half a bottle of) Essie Limo-Scene.  Well, last time I try frankening with old polish.  Though the application before was great, after it became slightly thick, though still easy to apply.

Color:  Like I said, I tried adding a lighter pink (Essie) to tone down the almost-neon hue a bit.  Even though I added almost half a bottle, it didn't change the color a bit!  However, the polish, once I applied over a not-quite-dry basecoat, became darker.  Not evenly dark, but streaky dark, which is strange because it looks very light and even in the bottle.  It seemed to do this once it touched water, too.

Wear time:  Without a topcoat (which I don't want to add because of the streak issue), about a day before the edges show a bit of wear.  It's better than E.L.F., though, which lasted a day with topcoat until it drove me mad and I replaced it with No Miss.

Overall, I think it's better to use the No Miss base and top coat with this polish.  I don't know if it's the frankening or just the product, but it seemed to become darker sometimes when I applied it.  I like the range of colors, but the cost( about $7, and you can find it at your local Whole Foods) and the fact I can't find reliable swatches for the colors means that I'll only buy these if I'm looking for something more natural and if I don't mind a hit and miss.

What do you think?  It is worth a try?  And if you have any suggestions, I'm still on the lookout for a bright, summery coral nail polish!



If I was sponsored to write this post, I would not be broke.  I am (broke, that is).

Honeybee Gardens Watercolors Nail Enamel Review

...why such long names?  Regardless, here is the low down:

This nail polish is water based, and so has no chemically smell.  It does, however, have a faint whiff of acrylic paint, which comes from the acrylic, but this really doesn't bother me.

I got the color in Nude Beach, which is a cream warm-toned beige.  Now, onto the important facts:

1. Application:  This was...not bad, if you have a steady hand (I don't).  Even for a cream, it didn't streak too badly, though I would advise two to three coats.  I expect a shimmer would be less noticeably uneven.
2. Wear Time:  Meh.  Without a base or top coat, about a day or two.  I would advise to shower only one or two hours after applying this product, otherwise it will chip.  However, it dries in about ten minutes and doesn't smudge after, so that's a plus.
3. Finish:  It's not as shiny as a traditional polish, but this, I imagine, would be quickly remedied with a clear layer.  It is much shinier than a matte or satin finish though.
4. Removal:  It was easy to remove with 70% ethanol, and didn't  totally destroy my nails like normal nail polish does.

As a total?  Not bad!  They do have a limited range of colors, and buying options may be limited, but at least no body at home complains about the smell.  I got it for $6 off of Ebay, so it's definitely affordable for me.  Would I repurchase?  Yes, for something more natural, this is definitely an acceptable alternative to chemical nail polish.

I was not sponsored to review this product.

Orly Out of This World Swatch

 Um, I promise this is not going to turn into a nail polish blog.  It's just that it's been rainy and cold and I haven't been able to see the William Rast for Target collection yet.  Boo!  Anyway, recently I bought Orly Out of This World, from the Cosmix FX collection at CVS.  It's a really pretty color.  At first I was disappointed because Space Cadet was sold out, but after wearing this-wow!  Out of This World is a purple iridescent shimmer with flashes of pink and green-gold.  In the first picture, you can see in looks near black in some lighting.

But under sunlight/good indoor lighting?  Pow!  It comes alive.  I've had this on my nails for almost 5 days, but had to redo some of it (I keep smudging it! Plus bad base coat), so it doesn't look it's best.  But the wear time is pretty good, and the shimmer is more forgiving than a cream finish.

In other news, break is here at last!  Although I'll be missing some of it, as I'm headed for a 4 day trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.  Has anyone else been there?

can you hear the whispers of a thousand hearts beating?

Yes, my hair has blue streaks in it.  In case you can't tell, it's on the left side of my head.  Had to bleach it twice because my naturally dark hair WOULD NOT lighten.  Also redyed it three times, because it's semi-permanent and started to fade.  It's not this noticeable in real life; it's only this bright when sunlight hits it (like a vampire? not!).

 

I could never be a nail polish blogger.  This teal is Sonia Kashuk's Taunting Teal from the fall/winter collection, and while gorgeous, dries to a darker shade than what's  in the bottle.  Like, really dark.  I'm wearing this with a slightly shimmery satin topcoat, so the color is not quite true.   Love it though.

I haven't been to the flea market in a while, but I ended up finding something for my friend's birthday(shh, don't tell her!), a mask pin, a scrap booking/inking pen, and a fleur-de-lis bracelet.  All for under $20!

The watch and the horse pin are not from this trip's finds; the watch was from Etsy and I added a chain, the silver pin was from a different trip.  I thought the mask pin was fitting, seeing as our school is performing a Shakespearean comedy!

That's all for now!  I'm beat, and I still need to study!