Stealth Polish

In my search for cuticle oil and moisturizers last week I ran across a number of reviews for Dior Creme Abricot. Every single review I read was extremely positive and most reviewers stated that they had used the product for 20+ years. To my delight I found that this product was only $25. Normally I would not spend this kind of money on any product but all the reviews stated that the creme is extremely concentrated and lasts forever.  I am really optimistic about this product. Not only do I feel super fancy carrying around this little pot with the Dior logo on it but it is very thick and really seams to do the trick moisturizing my very dry nails and cuticles. The instructions recommend using this cream at night to allow it to soak in. In reality it's best to use this cream at night because it is super sticky! Because I typically surf the web on my iPad while laying in bed, and didn't like the idea of a greasy, sticky iPad I'm actually going to be keeping this at my d...

I purchased Orly's Cuticle Oil on Amazon thinking that I was getting the full sized bottle. I received the package last night and was a bit disappointed to find that what I purchased was a 1 oz. bottle of Orly Smart Gels Cuticle Oil. Luckily I only spent $5 for it and I actually really like this oil! This oil is very think, almost like a gel but absorbs wonderfully. My favorite part is that it has a fruity scent (Watermelon?) which is much more pleasant than the lavender scented Julep Cuticle oil I have been using. The downside...this is yet another oil that doesn't provide enough moisture to keep my cuticles soft and looking healthy. Living in Colorado has really done a number on my skin and I am finding that I need products that not only moisturize but hold the moisture in.

In my last post I mentioned that after a major fail with Salon Perfect brand nail polish I decided to go ahead a purchase China Glazes Summer Neon collection. China Glaze has, in the past, been a go to polish for me. Their polishes are normally well formulated and super easy to work with. So far I am NOT HAPPY with the Summer Neon Collection. I choose Love's a Beach to try first since I have been searching for the perfect neon pink. As I am writing this I can tell you I have not finished painting my nails but wanted to get a few thoughts down as I'm waiting in between coats. I am currently on my THIRD coat of Love's a Beach and fear I'm going to need a fourth coat. I am finding this polish is more finicky and difficult to work with than Salon Perfect's Loopy Lime. The first coat went on very streaky and I immediately noticed that the brush was picking up clumps of dried polish. In between coats I am having to shake the polish to clear the brush. The second ...

Before I start I have to say that in general I can fit most nail polishes into two categories: Good Polish or Great Polish. I have only one ran into a polish I couldn't stand (Floss Gloss) but I have now added Salon Perfect to that list. I have been craving neon nails for the last few days. In particular I really wanted to try China Glaze's Neon Summer Collection but I just couldn't justify spending $35 all at once for the polish. So instead I went out and purchased Salon Perfects Loopy Lime and Kaboom (I've been wanting to purchase Ninja Polish Floam for some time but can never find it) I purchased Salon Perfect Loopy Lime thinking I was getting a neon green creme polish. It wasn't till I got home from the store that I discovered this polish had white shimmer that had settled to the bottom. When I mean settled, I mean SETTLED! It took me a good ten minutes of hard shaking to get the polish MOSTLY mixed back together and as soon as you put the polish down i...

I'm wearing two coats of Sinful Colors Whipped with Nail Rock as an accent. I'm not sure what the name of the Nail Rock color is but it reminds me of Dorothy's Slippers from the Wizard of Oz. I picked both of these up at Walmart on clearance (yay!)  I bought Whipped thinking I was just buying black polish but to my delight I found that it is a matte finish. The finish is perfect but it did shrink away from my free edge and am already noticing some wear on the edges, and it's only about an hour old! Nail Rock...what can I say, I now obsessed with this polish. I really wasn't expecting much but it is gorgeous and was so easy!!!

For the first time I am truly disappointed by a Julep product. After years of having short, brittle, paper thin nails I decided to do everything possible to grow my nails and improve their health. I purchased Julep's Mighty Nail and Cuticle Serum back in January and have used it religiously every day, twice a day as instructed. Today I finally ran out, took one look at my nails and realized...that was totally not worth it. My nails are no longer, healthier, stronger than when I started.  When I purchased the product I was expecting either a think cuticle cream or cuticle oil. In reality the product is very thin. This does help the product to soak in very quickly and does not leave behind any residue but doesn't seem to do much.  Living in "The Mile High City" we deal with very, very dry air so I'm chalking this product failure up to just needing something with more moisturizers. 

I have mixed feelings about this product... I love the convenient size of the bottle. I have these stashed at my desk, in my purse, and in my polish tool box.  The oil has a very herbal scent which i'm not a fan of (I much prefer Solar Oil's almond oil scent) but it's livable.  The oil does a decent job of keeping my cuticles moisturized but to be honest I don't really have problem cuticles. I have not noticed any improvement in my nails though, they are still as dry and brittle as ever.  The thing that bugs me the most about this product though is the roller ball. Most of the time it doesn't dispense enough product so I find myself rolling the ball over, and over, and over my cuticles. For me this is slightly uncomfortable - I would much rather massage the oil in myself. I plan on using the bottles that I have up but I don't think I'll be purchasing this oil again.

Juleps website claims:  Reduces polish dry time Nourishes nails and cuticles with botanical oils and vitamin E Scented with lavender and ylang ylang I really can't vouch for this product reducing drying time. I have yet to try a quick dry product that actually does. I do however love the herbal scent of this product as well as the fact that the product helps to moisturize the cuticle. This is especially important for me since my cuticles tend to be very dry after I polish. Because I don't use this product to dry my nails I have actually banished it to my desk at work and use it throughout the day to keep my cuticles healthy.

Finish: Creme Color: Spring green creme Dupe: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri's Lickety-Split Lime Review: This polish is currently on sale from Julep for only $2.99 so of course I couldn't resist. Korin is a bright lime green creme polish.  I was able to achieve full coverage and a beautiful finish with two coats of polish. For fun (and because I was super bored) I added some hand placed holographic glitter then topped everything off with my Sally Hansen Top Coat. My only complaint with this polish is that even with two coats of Orly Nailtrition as a base coat my nails ended up staining.

This is another attempt to duplicate a Deborah Lippmann polish that I fell in love with. Forever 21's polish is affordable at only $2.80. It took three coats to completely cover my nails which isn't great but I love the finish, and for under $3.00 this polish is totally worth it. Forever 21 Mint Chip with Orly Glosser Top Coat Forever 21 Mint Chip with Orly Matte Top Coat

Two coats of Cover Girl Outlast Forever Festive. Accent nail has one coat of Ruby Wing Ridem Cowgirl. All topped with Orly Matte Top Coat. Forever Festive is a gorgeous blood red shimmer. I love how easily this polish went on but I'm already seeing some wear and tear on the edges. Ride'm Cowgirl is a clear polish with gold and silver sparkles. It is supposed to turn colors in the sun but so far I haven't seen this happen.

Whimsical Dupe: Forever 21 Subtle Blue Confetti Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air Review: I purchased Whimsical specifically because I love Deborah Lippmann polish but can't stand the price. My first attempt at polishing with Whimsical was a disaster. I wanted a full coverage polish, which Whimsical is definitely not, so it took 5 coats to achieve the coverage I desired. Once done I realized I hated the color. The color has a bit of a pale green tint that makes my skin look horrible! I ended up doctoring this polish to make it what I wanted. After adding some white and blue polish base I am much happier. I am able to get full coverage in just 3 coats and the tone looks much better against my skin. Below you can see the original color of Whimsical as well as my doctored version. Three coats of polish Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Top Coat Three coats of polish with Orly Matte Top Coat

Finish: Special Effect Color: Silver aubergine suede Dupe: OPI Ink Suede Review: I am obsessed with matte and suede polishes right now. Most matte polishes that I have found however are creme polishes so I was excited to find that Julep had a shimmer matte.  This polish goes on smooth like all Julep polishes but you definitely have to work fast to avoid streaks since the polish dries so quickly. The finish looks and feels like suede. 

Glam Roc Finish: Special Effect Color: Midnight purple and gold stardust (matte glitter) Dupe: ? Review: I received this polish in my Febuary Maven box. Glam Roc is a great sparkly deep purple with a textured finish almost like sand. I love polishes like this because they dry so quickly and are very hard to smudge. One coat is enough for full coverage but a second coat deepens the color. After three days I had no chips and very little wear on the tips of my nails. the sand finish does change a bit over time turning almost into a leather like finish which is still beautiful. For fun a tried this polish with a matte top coat which dulls the glitter and a shiny top coat which gives the polish a more traditional look.

Finish: Glitter Color: full-coverage multidimensional copper glitter. Dupe: ? This polish came in my February Maven Box. I'm not a huge fan of the color, to me this polish looks bronze rather than copper. That being said I love that there are different sizes of glitter in this polish which provides almost complete coverage in just one coat. This probably won't be a go to color for me but may end up as a gift or for special occasions only.

Finish: Glitter Color: Charcoal, multi-colored glitter Dupe: OPI Mad as a Hatter Review: I purchased Mila during one of Julep's warehouse sales for $2.99, a huge savings considering their polish normally sells for $14. This polish is packed full of glitter! I cannot believe how much glitter they were able to squeeze into their formula without making it clumpy and hard to work with. The polish goes on smooth and I was able to get almost full coverage with just one coat! This polish held up beautifully but I did notice it started to dull a bit after the first day. All in all this is a great, fun polish.

Julep's Website Hands down my favorite nail polish right now is Julep. I don't know how they do it but their formula is to die for. For many of their polishes I'm able to achieve full coverage with one coat and a perfectly smooth finish with a second coat. Add their Polymer Top Coat to that and you have nail perfection! I'm what I consider cheap when it comes to nail polish so I just can't justify spending $14 per bottle. Especially now as I am still growing my collection and am wanting to try everything. I did however subscribe to their monthly subscription service which, according to their website, gives you $40 worth of Julep products every month for only $19.99.  Every month Julep allows you to preview each of their boxes and choose which one you would like to receive. You can skip if you don't see anything you like. As a Julep Maven you also receive access to their "Secret Shop" which offers products only available to Mavens and...

I have always had a love of makeup.  My first memories relating to makeup are of my Godmother getting ready for work and letting me try on her lipstick. I must have been around four years old and I remember feeling so grown up. I wasn't allowed to truly wear makeup until I was in high school. Once I started wearing makeup I would rarely be seen without it on. For me wearing makeup gives me more confidence in myself. I find I am able to hold my head higher when I'm wearing my "mask." When I got pregnant with my son in 2012 I for the first time started going to work without makeup on. I was just too exhausted to bother with my usual makeup routine. This continued throughout my pregnancy and for the first year of my son's life. I have recently rekindled my love for make-up. It is the one thing that I truly do just for myself and have found that it has helped me to regain a sense of self after pregnancy.  My newest discovery is that I have an ob...