Nail Treatments
Nails Inc Kensington Caviar 45 Second Top Coat Review
 Twitter followers may remember my overzealous tweets about the Nails Inc. Kensington Caviar 45 Second Speedy Dry Top Coat (that’s a mouthful) while I was in Vegas for Cosmoprof. You can’t give a girl like me a product with such significant claims like a 45 second dry time and expect me to wait to try it out.I was very skeptical of this whole “45 Second” thing but they aren’t kidding. Even over multiple layers of polish, I’ll explain that in a second, it dried my CND layering project to the touch in under a minute. Crazy, right? Now I could just say it dries in 45 seconds and expect you to believe me but wouldn’t it be better if I showed you?I put the Kensington Caviar Top Coat to the test for all of you. Not only did it get my standard 5 Day Wear Test but I also shot a VIDEO to show you how fast it really dries. See the results after the jump! |
Orly Nail Rescue Saved Me. It Can Save Your Nails Too!
 I’ve told you about my DDS (Danny Devito Syndrome) in the past and it reared its ugly head just before my trip to Vegas. You see, my thumb nail split and peeled which fed into my tendency to pick at things. So of course I peeled back the split layer and made things worse. Even with a ridge filling base coat I could see the unevenness in my thumb nail. Not to mention the fact that one wrong move would have just torn that piece off. That’s when Orly Nail Rescue came into my life.
I met with a rep from Orly at Cosmoprof and we were discussing treatment products. She told me of her love for Tough Cookie (I’ll be testing it soon) and I told her about my nail issue. She immediately grabbed for a Nail Rescue kit, saying it would literally save my nail. Considering that I get these kinds of splits often, I figured it was worth a shot. See the results, after the jump! |
It’s an easy 3 step system that left my nail with a flawless surface. Included in the kit is a bottle of Nail Glue, Nail Repair Powder and a Buffer. As demonstrated in the image below you just Brush, Dip and Smooth! Step 2: Immediately dip your nail into the Nail Repair Powder. Orly’s Nail Rescue Kit is available online at OrlyBeauty.com ($9) or Head2ToeBeauty.com ($4.95) and in stores at Sally Beauty Supply ($6.99). What’s your favorite method for repairing broken nails? Have you tried Nail Rescue? Share!
As you can see in the “before” pic (left), the tear was pretty big and left me with a flimsy piece of nail that was barely hanging on. I know a lot of people use nail glue and patches or pieces of tea bag to fix breaks but Orly Nail Rescue seems much simpler to me.
Step 1: Clean the nail bed and brush the nail glue over the entire nail, avoiding cuticles. Tip - If you are fixing an uneven area, like I did, you’ll want to repeat this process using the glue on the lower section ONLY to even the nail surface.
Make sure you brush off the excess powder.
Step 3: Buff the nail surface smooth. This was my first attempt and I did repeat the steps to even out the broken layer. As you can see, it’s not a beautiful look but it’s smooth, even and ready for polish while you grow out the breakage.
You can’t even tell my nail is broken!
Removal: Soaking in acetone will remove the hardened powder which means you MUST use a non-acetone remover when taking off your polish.
The Arsenal – China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’m launching a new series, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
Let’s kick off The Arsenal with China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier, a new addition to my list of staples. Being that I put my hands though hell and high water with all the polish swatching, my nails end up pretty wrecked looking on a highly productive day. We’re talking dry and prone to breaking/splitting. Since I’m already at a nail health disadvantage due to my DDS (Danny Devito Syndrome), I need a product that not only works in the long term but also provides a quick fix. Enter Calcium Gel Fortifier.
Its blend of Vitamin B and Wheat Protein totally rejuvenates my nail beds. I swear, it’s like a facial for the nails. Shall we call it a nail-cial? Even if it’s only overnight, I slap a couple coats of Fortifier on my nails and when I take it off in the a.m. for some early morning swatching, the surface of my tips feel smoother. And when I force myself to take a sanity (those polish fumes can make a girl wacky) and nail health break, I see a major difference in how quickly my tips grow using the Fortifier. Plus it makes my naked nails look incredibly shiny. I’m telling you, it’s like magic and stuff!
China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier retails for $3.99 online at e-tailers TransDesign.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com
Nail Fanatic Gift Guide – Hands, Feet, Body & More
Looking for the perfect gift for the nail fanatic in your life? Is she the kind of gal that owns 100s of bottles of nail polish so you have no clue what to get? Or perhaps you feel that picking out nail shades is too hard or personal? Well look no further for I have scoured the web to bring you the best holiday gift items for your favorite nail gal.
Hand/Foot Care Gifts: By far, the easiest route is to snatch up a pre-made gift set. Talk about quick and painless shopping. Any of these kits are sure to delight but I’m partial to the ones with gloves/socks because they’re the type of item that I can’t justify splurging on but desperately want.
1. B&BW True Blue Spa Pampering Foot Set Shea Cashmere ($25) 2. Heel To Toe Put Your Feet Up Holiday Kit ($14.99) 3. Bliss The ‘Sock’ettes Spa Set ($68) 4. Bliss I “Glove” New York Set ($64) 5. B&BW True Blue Spa The Model Manicure ($24.50) 6. The Body Shop Peppermint cooling Foot Heaven ($14) 7. Gena Pedi Feet To Go Kit ($14.99)
Make Your Own Gifts: Perhaps you want something a little more personalized well then a make your own gift basket is ideal. Grab a cute bag or basket from a local craft store and fill it with miniature nail goodies. We love anything mini and having lots of nail toys to play with is always fun. I suggest adding a pair of moisturizing gloves or cute slippers, like uber-adorable Lambie’s below.
1. OPI Let’s Play Juicies ($10) 2. CND Scentsations Winterberry Lotion Minis ($3.90) 3. B&BW Lambie Slippers ($10-$16) 4. Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa Beauty Queen Wave ($25) 5. CND Treatment Minis – Stickey, Toughen Up, Air Dry and Super Shiney ($2.25) 6. Poshe Traveling Tootsies Kit ($9.95) 7. CND Solor Oil Minis ($2.25)
Body Care: If your nail fanatic is anything like me, she has a love for all things beauty including indulgent skin care treats. Then I highly recommend Qtica Smart Spa gift sets. The sugar scrub is my all-time favorite “holy grail.” It’s beyond ah-mazing and because it’s gel based (not oil) there’s no messy, slippery residue left in the shower. As an added bonus, these sets include a pair of exfoliating shower gloves and O-M-G are they fantastic. Better than any loofah or sponge I’ve tried.
Qtica Smart Spa Holiday Gift Spas – Lemon Dream & Grapefruit Surprise ($18)
Nail Gal Trinkets: Being from the Midwest, I’ve always heard about the Christmas Wonderland called Bronner’s in Frankenmuth, Michigan but have never been. In case you’re not familiar, it is the world’s largest Christmas store. People travel from all over just to visit. Though I had no idea they have an online store let alone, nail related goodies. A personalized nail polish bottle? Talk about the best ornament ever!!
Bronner’s Nail Tech Ornament ($8.99) and Personalized Nail Polish Ornament ($7.99)
Well there you have it kids. Whether you’re buying for yourself, your wife or BFF, these treats are sure to please. Happy Shopping!
Swab Plus Cuticle Conditioners
I’ve been exploring my new neighborhood and I discovered a GIANT Bed Bath & Beyond not too far from me. I’ve never seen a BB&B with a beauty section before, let alone an entire aisle for nails. Yippee!!
On the shelves, I found these little gems. I’ve seen ads for Swab Plus products before and have always been curious about their eye makeup and nail polish remover swabs but I have never seen them in stores. So imagine my delight when I saw these Swabplus Cuticle Conditioner Swabs on display. At 99 cents for a package of 12, I had to snatch up a box.
Packaged in a convenient plastic case, perfect for travel, each swab contains enough product for one application.
You just snap the tip along the green line and as air rushes in the tube, the cuticle oil is sent to the cotton tip at the opposite end.
Pros
- Purse & Travel Friendly - no bottles to break or balms to melt
- Disposable – not environmentally friendly but convenient
- Non-Greasy – for an oil, it absorbs quickly
- Lightly Scented – these is a hint of scent but it’s faint and fresh (must be the aloe vera)
- Sanitary – You don’t have to worry about getting germs or dirt in your cuticle oil and since there’s no double dipping you can give a swab to a friend.
Cons
- Amount of Product - a lot of oil is absorbed in the cotton and you really have to press to cover all your cuticles
- Ease of Application - or lack thereof. The first swipe deposited a lot of product on my nail so I suggest using it on your thumb nail to start. As you continue it becomes more and more difficult to get product on your nails but you can get complete coverage with effort.
All in all, I give them a well moisturized thumbs up for being easy to carry, non-breakable and cheap. I plan to snag up a few more packs to keep in my purses in case of cuticle emergencies.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
