Hey Everyone! I finally had a chance to do my nails properly! This is my first polished look since I gave birth a month ago.
So I decided to test out what would happen if you used the Gelish base coat and top coat with regular polish in between. This is the look I decided to go with...it's a nice wintery manicure. =)
You might have noticed, I filed my nails a little differently...instead of the square edge, I've decided to go with a more rounded look. I'm just testing this out to see if I like it. So far, I'm not crazy about how it looks, but it actually feels more comfortable and easy to manage than the square manicure.
Anyhoo, back to the polish! First off, I used the PH bond, then put on a thin layer of the foundation gel. After curing, I put on one coat of Orly's Winter Wonderland over the entire nail. After letting this dry, I sponged on Orly's Royal Navy to the tips, adding an extra layer at the very tip to create a fade. It's kinda hard to see in the pic, but it's there! =) After, I used a clear top coat to adhere a light blue rhinestone to each nail (using just a drop where I wanted to place the rhinestone). I let this dry, then put a thin layer of the Gelish top coat over the whole nail and cured it. When it was done curing, I used alcohol to wipe off the tacky layer, and then added more of the top coat to just cover the rhinestone and cured it again. Then I wiped off the nails one last time.
I wanted to see if this manicure would stay the 2 weeks like a full Gelish manicure would. However, I already chipped 2 nails within 24 hours. It was worth a try, though! The chips are small, and I'm going to see how long this manicure lasts. Well, see if it lasts until I get bored, anyway, lol. I'll keep y'all posted!
In the meantime, I have a couple pics to update my Latisse use:
This is after 2 weeks of use. I thought my lashes looked thicker, but my mom said I was imagining things. LOL
This pic to the right was taken after 3 weeks of use. I think my lashes definitely look thicker in this pic! My left lashes look thicker than my right lashes. I can't really tell a difference in the length yet, but I'm not too worried. Most people start to see a change around 6 weeks in.....so I guess I'm half way there? Hehehe
I also picked up a tube of Kat Von D's Painted Love Lipstick in Lovecraft. I haven't actually tried it yet...I was in a rush in the store and just knew I liked the color. Will post pics when I can!
Anyhoo, gotta run...hubby wants to sleep and is annoyed with my typing! Till next time!
Hey everyone! So I wanted to do a quick update on my Latisse experience so far. This pic was taken before I started using Latisse. Mind you, I haven't used any eyelash lengthening products since March--approximately 8 months (basically since I found out I was preggerz, lol). As you can see, my eyelashes are hardly visible, and they are very straight. My lower lashes are pretty short, as well.
So the one week update (sorry, no pic - you really can't see THAT big of a dif!) is that my lashes look a *tiny* bit longer, but they have started to curl at the ends too. Yay! I can tell that it's working, and I just need to be diligent about applying Latisse every day.
How I use Latisse: I just follow the instructions -- Put a drop on the sterile brushes that came with the kit and swipe it along the upper lash line of each eye, once every night. I was told by someone else who was prescribed Latisse that she was told to use it twice a day. I guess this would have to be okayed by your doctor, because Latisse has the potential to mess with your eye pressure or something. I'll have to ask mine the next time I see her.
I'll keep y'all updated, but I've been told not to really expect results for 90 days. Also, as a quick update, my broken nails still need some time to grow out....especially my thumb. BLEH! Lol
Hey everyone, I just wanted to do a quick update, since I've been a little MIA. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on November 6, 2010. I had to have an emergency C-section, but am recovering pretty nicely. Unfortunately, I broke 2 nails at the hospital, and have now cut down all my nails. =( It's okay though, gives them time to grow out healthier...or they would be healthier if I could remember to put on cuticle oil!! LOL
On another note, now that I am not pregnant anymore, I have officially started using Latisse. I tried to take some "before" pics, but they kinda turned out blurry. I'll be posting a short blurb about that when I have a chance.
Anyhoo, I'll try to post more nail stuff when my nails grow out. Unfortunately, one of the breaks is about 1/2 way down my nail bed, and it's on my thumb. =( I swear, my thumb nail is like the slowest growing nail ever....I suppose it could because it's also the biggest, but yeah...it's going to be awhile. In the meantime, I'll try to figure out other beauty stuff to post about.
Don't you just love the Paul Frank onesie? I think TnT actually fits into it now...but I'm trying to make sure he wears everything at least once, so he might not make it back to the Paul Frank one before he grows out of it. We'll see....
Hey Everyone! I had an awesome time on Friday, and I'm sure you can guess where I was from the pic: BLIZZCON 2010!!! And yes, that's a glittery Horde symbol on my cheek. It took me 1/2 an hour to draw on, but I loved the way it turned out. Sorry the pic is blurry...I didn't even take backups. =/ Ah wellz!
It was sooo much fun to test out Diablo 3 (this time they had 5 classes to check out...last year they only had 3). They announced the last class: Demon Hunter...which sounds like it's going to be fun to play! I also tested out Cataclysm beta, and played Worgen for the first time (last year I only tried the Goblins). It looks like it's going to be fun as well.
But enough geek talk, moving on to makeup and nails!
So I decided to try out Finger Paints's "Be a Pal-ette". I didn't take a pic of my look before I threw on a design, but you can kinda get a good idea of the color from the pics.
The color was pretty solid after two coats, and it's a pretty, shimmery, purple for the fall. I wanted to do a Konad design, but I didn't have my plates with me at my new home (still at my parents's house, lol), so I just made do with what I had: mainly the white and silver striper polishes.
I know this kinda ends up to be my fallback design when I cover my whole nail in a polish. I really should expand to more designs, but I don't really have a long attention span at the moment. I like designs that are quick and easy. =)
In the top pic, I used Seche-V, the UV top coat. Unfortunately, it does not work the same as their regular Seche Vite top coat. I thought I had waited long enough for the design to dry, but when I applied the top coat, it smudged! This normally doesn't happen with Seche Vite. I was pretty disappointed. Plus...after I set it with the UV lamp, it still wasn't really shinier or glossier than the regular Seche Vite top coat. I might have to try this over a different polish to compare. In the other pic (the one on the left), I used Seche Vite, and like I said, I couldn't really tell a difference between the two. In fact, the one with Seche-V chipped first. Sad, isn't it? It also chipped within a few days...didn't even last a week. I couldn't stand having chipped nails, so I decided to change my look. I will say, though, the Seche-V removes pretty easily with nail polish remover. I hate it when it takes forever to remove nail polish! LOL
Next, I decided to try MissChevious's Vampire Nail design. Here's a link to her video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkgbp1mOe5Y . This pic to the right shows two coats of China Glaze's "Lubu Heels". It looks almost completely black, but you can still tell that there's a hint of red glitter. Two coats gave a pretty opaque coverage.
I know in the video, MissChevious covers her whole nail in the vampy polish, but I was in the mood for a French, lol.
I added my fangs to the ring finger, and then added some drops of blood.
I think the mani turned out to be really cute! I definitely like doing Halloween looks, although I'm not too fond of creating them myself (in case you haven't noticed, I haven't done a Halloween tut this year!).
I topped this look off with Seche Vite, and was happy to report that this look lasted a week before it chipped.
Lastly, I was tired of worrying about chipped polishes, so I decided to sport another Gelish manicure. =) I'm still wearing this look.
Basically, this is Gelish's "High Bridge" as the base color and "Gossip Girl" as the tip. I then put on a little nail art flower on each nail (from Sally's Beauty Supply), and topped it with a generous amount of Gelish's Top Seal to ensure I wouldn't lose it, lol. So far, it's been about 4 days and it's lasting just fine.
I don't plan to change my nails anytime soon, but I'll keep you updated on how this manicure lasts. Unfortunately, I broke my pointer finger on my left hand...instead of doing the "right" thing and taking off the Gelish manicure to fix, I've been trying to keep it together with just some nail glue. But of course, this doesn't work...it stays solid for only a day....the break has gotten bigger now. I may have to just suck it up and redo that nail properly. =/
Anyhoo, I realized that in my haul, I didn't mention that I did buy one other thing from the MAC Venomous Villains collection: a mineral eye shadow for Maleficent "My Dark Magic".
It's a black and pink shadow on one side, and a black and opalescent shadow on the other side.
I had a hard time deciding whether to get this duo or the other (She Who Dares). I only decided on this one because I figured I'd use these colors more. It's not very often I'd wear a dark green or dark blue shadow.
When I bought this, I was told the colors would show up better with a greasestick base (which I coincidentally already owned, lol).
As you can see, without the greasestick, the colors are very faint. I'm sure you could layer it until you got the right color, but why bother when you can easily get the dark rich colors with a greasestick?
I absolutely love how it looks with the greasestick....it's like a black base with pink/opal shimmer.
So far, everytime I've worn this shadow, I've used my greasestick. This also makes the colors stay on longer...at least 8 hours. =)
I think I'll experiment on this with my eye shadow mixing medium (aka Glycerin and water, lol). I want to know if this make any impact at all....I'll let you guys know how it turns out. =)
Anyhoo...that's all I have for now. Till next time!
PS Sorry if the blog looks a little funny...I had to change templates, and I'm having some technical difficulties, lol. Hopefully the next post will look better.
Disclaimer: 1. I bought every product I'm showing by myself (nothing was sent to me for free). 2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog. 3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used. 4. These are my honest opinions.
I bought some Blossom Cuticle Oil recently, and I figured I'd do a little review on it.
I bought two of them, Lilac and one other scent (I'd check, except the little sticker fell off, lol). They both smelled REALLY good, but I liked the Lilac one better and gave the other to my mom. (Her cuticles are super dry...she really needs to step up her nail care!)
But how does this oil compare to others? In the past, I've used Seacret's Cuticle Oil, Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil, and Burt's Bee's Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.
If I apply Blossom Cuticle Oil, I can already tell that I need to reapply within 8-12 hours. Now this isn't so bad...I'd apply cuticle oil twice a day anyway. But I just don't like that my nails go from moisturized to dry in such a short amount of time. Each bottle runs around $2.50.
If I apply Seacret's Cuticle Oil, I can see my cuticles drying up within a day...sometimes two. I feel like I don't have to be as diligent in applying the cuticle oil twice a day. This oil doesn't really have any scent. Each bottle runs around $10.00.
If I apply Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil, I think I would need to reapply every 16-24 hours. Cuticle oil is recommended to be used twice a day, so I guess it does its job. This oil also smells pretty nice (though I'm not sure how "apricot" it smells, lol). Each bottle runs around $4.00.
If I apply Burt's Bee's Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, I can probably wait at least 1-2 days before reapplying. Maybe this particular choice feels more moisturizing because it's a cream and not an oil. It does have a nice refreshing lemon scent. Each container runs around $7.00.
All-in-all, I guess you get what you pay for. The more expensive the bottle, the longer it lasts. This may not be try for all cuticle oils, but it was for the ones I tried out. I haven't finished any of the bottles, so I couldn't tell you how long they last. I would guess a 4-6 months each.
If I were to recommend any of these, I would probably recommend the Burt's Bee's cream. It just seems to work the the longest, and feels the most moisturizing.
Hi Everyone! I finally had some free time after my super busy weekend to update my blog and make a new video.
This look to the left was the design I sported for my best friend Liza's wedding this past weekend. Her colors were Dark Red & Silver. =) It was such a fun wedding, but seriously...my feet/ankles were super swollen with all the standing I had to do. It's a tough life, being a bridesmaid, LOL.
Anyhoo, here's the video:
What I Used:
Seche's Recondition (Base Coat)
Orly's Bare Rose
Orly's White Tips
Art Club's Silver Glitter
Art Club's Red Glitter
Art Club's White Polish
Seche Vite (Top Coat)
Silver Rhinestones
It's a pretty simple look, based on a picture I saw on CoolNailArt.com. It's a wonderful site to get ideas from!
Anyhoo...on to my HAUL! Like I said in my last blog, I haven't done one in a long while....but I decided to get a bunch of polish for the fall. There are lots of awesome new polishes, and I've always liked darker colors. =)
My new 9 Polishes:
I got two from Finger Paints (Sally's), two from China Glaze (Sally's), four from Orly (Beauty Headquarters), and one from MAC. All in all, not a bad fall collection, right?
This is Finger Paints's "Be a Pal-ette". I thought this was part of their Seduced by Fall collection (it was in the display), but when I checked on their website, I couldn't find it (AT ALL!).
Basically, this is a very deep, metallic purple. Swatched on the left is two coats. I think two coats actually gives a nice even coverage, though it's hard to tell in the picture.
This runs about $4.99 regular price, at Sally's Beauty Supply.
This next color is Finger Paints's Autumn Blaze, which is definitely part of their Seduced by Fall collection.
This is a very deep, metallic red. The color actually looks a lot darker in real life. Shown on the right is two coats. It applies beautifully and very even.
This runs about $4.99 regular price, at Sally's Beauty Supply.
Next up is China Glaze's Mummy May I. This is from their Halloween collection (obviously you can tell from the name, lol).
This is a black polish with purple glitter. Swatched on the left is three coats. I needed the third coat for a full, even coverage. Without a top coat, you can kinda see from the picture that the application leaves bumps where the glitter is. I would recommend using a thicker top coat to smooth out the bumps. I think I'll experiment a little to see which of my top coats will do the job. =)
This runs about $5.99 regular price, at Sally's Beauty Supply.
This next color is China Glaze's Lubu Heels. This isn't from their Halloween collection or anything. In fact, I'm not sure if it belongs to any collection? I just saw it on their Halloween Display and decided to pick it up, LOL.
This is a black polish with red glitter. Swatched is three coats. It pretty much applied the same as Mummy May I, and it looks really similar, except the subtle glitter color difference. It also need a thicker top coat to smooth out the glitter bumps. MissChevious (on YT) as come up with an awesome Halloween nail design, and she uses Eyeko's Vampira as her base color. I would say this China Glaze dupe comes pretty close, and I'll be trying out her look in the next couple days. =) Will definitely post pics!
This runs about $5.99 regular price, at Sally's Beauty Supply.
Next we have Orly's Winter Wonderland from their 2010 Holiday Collection. (I suppose this is more a winter look than a fall look....)
This is a very translucent polish, with very fine silver glitter. Pictured on the left is just one coat. I'm sorry it's a little blurrier than I'd like. =/ But you can still see that one coat would add a nice amount of sparkle to your nails, if you're looking for something along those lines. I'll post pics of what it looks like on normal nails, with probably three coats (depending on coverage) whenever I get the chance to put it on. It might go on my mom first, LOL. She's already sporting one of my new polishes...but I keep forgetting to take a pic of it!
This runs about $5.00 at Beauty Headquarters. At Sally's, Orly's regular polish is around $5.99, but not sure if this one is considered part of the premiums.
This next polish is Orly's Glitz and Glamour. This is also from their 2010 Holiday Collection. I think this color's wearable from fall through winter, just because it's golden. =) LOL
This is a gold metallic polish. Strangely enough, I didn't have one in my collection, so I decided to pick up this polish (I have a silver one, though...). Swatched on the right is 2 coats. I did it when it was kinda dark, so I didn't notice that the coverage was still uneven. I think a third coat would've tidied things up. When I have it on regular nails, I'll try to remember to take a pic to update. =)
This runs about $5.00 at Beauty Headquarters. At Sally's, Orly's regular polish is around $5.99, but not sure if this one is considered part of the premiums.
Next we have Orly's Out of This World. This is from their new Cosmic FX collection.
This is a deep purple polish with very fine purple & gold glitter. It's had to see the gold flecks in the picture on the nail, but you can kinda see it on the bottle.
I suppose that it's a little disappointing that it looks super cool in the bottle, yet doesn't have the same wow factor on the nail. =/
This runs about $5.00 at Beauty Headquarters. At Sally's, this polish is $8.99.
Here is another polish from the same collection: Orly's Lunar Eclipse.
This is a blue polish that has very fine blue and purple glitter. There are two coats on the swatch. I think a third would even out the tone, but still, I can't see the purple on the nail. Perhaps another disappointing polish?
This runs about $5.00 at Beauty Headquarters. At Sally's, this polish is $8.99.
And last, but not least, we have MAC's Bad Fairy, from their Villainous Villains collection. I wanted to get Formidable too, but it's sold out like EVERYWHERE!
This is a pink-ish polish, with very fine pink and gold glitter. This swatch has two coats and it doesn't look too even, but I assure you, on normal nails, two coats looks perfect. (This is what my mom is sporting atm!) The picture does not do it justice...it really does show the two-toned glitter very nicely. =)
I was told that the other two polishes in the collection have Orly dupes....but I think I'd rather have the MAC version if the Orly ones aren't cutting it....
This runs about $13.00 at MAC.
Not a bad collection, right? I will be trying these out within the next few months, so I'll try to take updated pics and whatnot.
Till next time!
Disclaimer: 1. I bought every product I'm showing by myself (nothing was sent to me for free). 2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog. 3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used. 4. These are my honest opinions.
Hi Everyone! As promised, here are some pics and my thoughts about putting MAC's Fluidline in my waterline.
To the left, I have a pic of how my eyes looked after I had put on eye makeup (without mascara), including the gel liner in my waterline. As suggested by JuicyStar07, I dried my waterline first, with a cotton swab. Then, using an angled brush, I applied MAC's Blacktrack into my waterline. Drying my waterline with a cotton swab felt a little funny at first, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I do agree that it helps the liner apply easier, and probably helps it stay on longer, so it's a good step to include.
This second pic is blurry, but this is after I applied a purple eyeshadow (the darker color of NARS's Jolie Poupee Eyeshadow Duo) over the Fluidline. As you can see, it softened up the lower lashline, so it wasn't a harsh black line. Plus, it's always good to set a liquid with a powder. =)
This pic to the left was taken 8 hours after application. I know my eyes look like their facing weird directions (I feel like ALL these pics make me look like I have a lazy eye or something!)....but anyhoo, you can see that most of the waterline makeup is still there.
Yes, I know, this pic to the right is blurry, but you can see that if you're looking straight at me (and not down into my waterline), the liner is holding up pretty well. =)
Hmm...not sure why my eyes are kinda pink in all the pictures. I don't remember them looking so pink that day....maybe it's just something the camera picked up.
Soo....in comparison, I must agree that gel-lining the waterline definitely lasts longer than just using a plain eyeliner. Usually, I need to reapply a regular eye liner into my waterline every 4-6 hours (if I'm not being lazy, lol). It's really annoying to have your makeup disappear (into your eyes?) after you've spent a lot of time making sure you have it they way you want. With using a gel liner, I could apply it and forget about it, knowing that it'll stay put for at least 6-8 hours. It applies really smoothly, though I want to get a softer brush. My angled brush (MAC's 208) is perfect for eyebrows and applying gel liner to my top lid, but it feels a little rough when applying to my waterline. I know MAC has a softer, albeit larger, angled brush...so I might pick one up this weekend...along with Bad Fairy (one of their 3 new nail polishes coming out for their Villainous Villains collection). I've seen some pictures and reviews on it, and it looks fantastic! And the guru's say that there's no dupe for it, so I'm definitely splurging the $12.50 for it. =) I believe I'll be heading there on Sunday, so I'll try to get it swatched that night to include with my latest nail polish haul. I can't believe I haven't done one in FOREVER....but I haven't really bought that many since I've become preggerz. However, I decided it was time to update my collection for the fall, and have bought quite a few polishes (8 so far, + Bad Fairy will make 9, lol).
I also have a quick and easy nail art tutorial that I'm putting together coming soon. My nails look pretty enough for a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding this weekend. I'm not 100% thrilled with them, because they don't look close enough to the photo I based it on....but hey, that was probably done by a professional, and I'm just a lil old amateur. =/ Still, I can't wait to show them off at tomorrow's rehearsal. =) I'll also be following a hair tutorial to get a Taylor Swift inspired look for my hair. I'll probably take a before and after pic for that, and post them as well. Lots of stuff to come, it seems like!
Anyhoo....till next time!
Disclaimer: 1. I bought every product I'm showing by myself (nothing was sent to me for free). 2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog. 3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used. 4. These are my honest opinions.
Hi Everyone! After letting my nails rest a few days, I had finally found a design I wanted to try out. This look is based on a picture I saw online...somewhere on Coolnailart.com. Unfortunately I don't have the link or the name of who posted it, but if you see it or it's yours, please msg me so I can give you the proper credit!
So...back to the look. Basically it's an arrow French, with a heart drawn in where the bottom point fits in snugly to the arrow. It's a pretty cute idea, and I thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately, I draw hearts with a brush like a little boy would. =/ I'm sure with more practice I'll be able to get it....maybe.
Here's the video I uploaded to YouTube (Steps are simplified):
Bluish Holographic Glitter
Gelish: PH Bond
Gelish: Foundation Gel
Gelish: Water Field
Gelish: Gossip Girl
Gelish: Top Seal
Beauty Headquarters Gel: White
How to create the look:
*Note: If you want to do this look in regular nail polish, ignore the gel-requirements like curing and such.
Step 1: Clean nails with alcohol
Step 2: Apply PH Bond
Step 3: Apply a thin coat of Foundation Gel (Base Coat)
Step 4: Cure for 30 sec
Step 5: Apply one coat of Base Color (I used Gelish: Water Field)
Step 6: Cure for 1 min
Step 7: Apply one coat of Tip Color in a French Arrow Tip (I used Gelish: Gossip Girl)
Step 8: Cure for 1 min
Step 9: Apply second coat of Tip Color
Step 10: Cure for 1 min
Step 11: Draw a Heart (I used BH Gel: White)
Step 11a: If you want to, you can add glitter using a thin brush on top of the white. (Optional)
Step 11b: If you want to, you can add rhinestones (I used blue ones on my right hand.)
Step 12: Cure for 2 min
Step 13: Apply Top Seal (Top Coat)
Step 14: Cure for 2 min
Step 15: Clean of tacky layer with alcohol
And voila! You have a French Heart Manicure! This pic to the left is my right hand. You can see that my left hand is totally incapable of drawing a good heart, but I tried to camouflage it with rhinestones.
Now, this look takes a lot of patience...I think I spent almost 2 hours....but I was super slow! I'm sure if I had to do it again, I could do it in a lot less time. The part that took really long was drawing those damn hearts, lol. I bought a brush (shown in the pic above), but I realize now that I should've bought a thinner brush that could draw thin lines easier. But I guess it's cool. It was my first time using that kind of gel for nail art....I think it's really hard, but the gel is kinda forgiving. I plan to try out flowers next...I've seen a video that makes it look easy. =)
In this pic to the right, You can see that the glitter part got a little messy on my thumb. I fixed this by putting a layer of top seal after the French tip, but before the white hearts. This step is optional, but I just wanted to test it to see if it worked...which it did. =)
On my middle and pinky finger, I was able to brush off the excess glitter, whereas on my thumb the glitter stuck to my tacky layer. I should've put glitter on my right hand because it looks like the glitter camouflages the poorly shaped hearts a lot better than the rhinestones, lol.
All in all, I'm actually pretty happy with how my nails turned out. Obviously, my next try will look a lot better...but how often do I really re-do a look? Well, once in a blue moon...like with 3TanjaJ3's look that I've repeated like 3 times already, lol. I may try this out with regular nail polish....which I haven't worn in over a month, lol. =) This Gelish nail polish is just more convenient to wear because of the no-chipping and stuff, even if I don't last the whole 2 weeks before WANTING to change my polish, lol.
I've actually tried out using a gel-liner on my waterline and have taken some pics...I'll post that blog up sometime next week. =)
Till next time!
Disclaimer: 1. I bought every product I'm showing by myself (nothing was sent to me for free). 2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog. 3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used. 4. These are my honest opinions.
Hey everyone! So my nails are currently nakkid (*gasp*) as I'm giving them a few days break before my next Gelish manicure. My last one (the red French tipped one) lasted about 10 days. Not bad! I could've made them last longer, but I was getting tired of them, so I figured I'd give my nails a break, and then figure out my next mani. =) I'm probably going to do another french manicure of some sort, but haven't decided on colors (I only have 4!) or type. I'll post pics when I finish them up!
In the meantime, I decided to make a post (even though there's a million of them out there) on fixing a dried up gel liner. My friend and I were in Sephora a few days ago. She was looking for some serum, and I was looking for a gel liner to replace the ones that dried up (I had 4! =( ). I had finally decided on a brand, when my friend came to see how I was doing. When I explained why I was getting a gel liner, she was like..."why don't you just add water? Everyone does that! Just google it!" (or something like that, lol). I had never thought of doing that, so I decided to go home without buying an replacements and look it up.
As you can see from the pic above, my gel liner was REALLY dried out. I didn't take pics of the other 3, but they were in a similar condition. After watching a few videos on YouTube, and reading a few blogs, I decided that I wanted to use contact solution. I know some people think that contact solution doesn't work as well as eye drops, but whatever. =P I decided on contact solution because it's obviously safe for your eyes AND it's supposed to be moisturizing (to some extent...yes, on this score, eye drops would be better....but I didn't have any on me at that exact moment!!). Anyhoo, so here's the solution I used. It's AMO's Complete Moisture Easy Rub Formula. It's a relatively new bottle...I would really hesitate at using expired contact solution. (Expired eye drops are okay though.)
Next, I took some hand sanitizer (for this, I would recommend a non-scented one because you don't want any irritants). I cleaned a new waxing stick with this, to kill all bacteria. Since you're working with stuff that goes near your eyes, you want to be extremely careful as to your tools and cleanliness.
I then put in a few drops of the contact solution into my gel liner, then started mixing it.
I actually mixed this for a good amount of time because I wanted the consistency to be even. Don't worry if you used too much contact solution...I'm pretty sure I put in too much too!
After I felt like I had gotten a pretty good even consistency, I used the stick to clean up the sides and push everything down to the bottom of the container.
What I ended up with is to the left. As you can see, the excess contact solution was at the top.
This was easily remedied by getting a q-tip and slowly patting out all the excess fluids.
It seemed to work out pretty nicely. However, when I tested the gel liner, the line was pretty watery. So I decided to heat it up and let it cool, in hopes that it would lock in the moisture.
I took some boiling water, and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then I put the water into these little cups and stuck each gel liner into one.
Then I let this sit until the water was cool (about 10 minutes or so).
And the final result looked like this. Now when I tested it again, it still wasn't the exactly right...if you drew a line with a brush, it was still really easy to wipe off (not how a gel liner is supposed to be!).
So I decided to let this sit overnight (closed, not open!), and test it again in the morning.
To my surprise, in the morning, the gel liner was exactly how it was supposed to be! I'm sorry I don't have pics on the testing I did, but I think you'll see what I'm talking about if you try this.
Anyhoo, soooo the whole reason I even wanted to get my gel liners back was because I watched a YouTube video where someone used a gel liner on her waterline. Now, I normally use a regular pencil (or a kohl pencil sometimes) on my waterline, but I find that it doesn't stay very well. The girl (JuicyStar07) said that she dries her waterline with a cotton swab first, then applies a gel liner. She also suggests patting on a powder shadow to set the liner. Verrrry interesting...I wouldn't have thought to do that myself (except the powder part, lol)! So...I haven't actually tried this just yet...but I will! And I'll have to post back on how it went. I'm actually a little hesitant on the part where you dry your waterline with a cotton swab. I'm scared of fluff getting in my eyes...it's just those little strands that are so hard to get out, you know? Well, whatever. I'll have to buck up and try it, lol. Be a real (wo)man.
*Yawn* Time for bed! Till next time!
Disclaimer: 1. I bought every product I'm showing by myself (nothing was sent to me for free). 2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog. 3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used. 4. These are my honest opinions.
Hi everyone! I know I said I was going to post a blog sooner, but unfortunately, my mother (the DOCTOR) has expressed a deep desire for me to STOP w/ my nails! Can you believe that? Of course you can...I can only imagine how all the fumes and whatnot can affect the poor little dear inside me. So, as a compromise, I've cut down...and I've dealt with the whole chipping thing with having her (yes, HER, lol) invest in a new gel polish system. I couldn't afford it without her, and I'm blessed she still spoils me! =)
This pic here is me sporting a cute French Mani, courtesy of babsita84's Faded French Hologram Manicure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnj3evqlXGQ . I think they turned out really cute, but it was quite tedious to do. You are supposed to put each hologram glitter on one at a time...as you can see, I got lazy and did a few at a time, and so my fade looks a little funny. =( Oh wellz! I still like them! And of course, I chose my Lakers Colors: Purple & Gold! =) Can't wait for the season to start!
Now, on to the Gelish Polish Review! Before actually buying a soak-off gel polish system, I did some research before choosing which brand I wanted to go with. There are many reviews of the big 3: CND's Shellac, OPI's Axxium, and Harmony's Gelish. The main reason I decided to go with Gelish over the others is the price. My manicurist friend told me that you get more bang for your buck with Gelish. LOL So yup, I brought my mom with me, and she seemed to like what she saw, so she bought me the whole system (as an investment, of course!).
*Update At ShearUp.com, there is a Gelish Starter Kit for $119.99! (Much cheaper than the $200 my mom spent to buy all the stuff I needed, lol.)
Now, this does seem a little pricey....but, you need to look at it from the other side as well. A typical gel polish manicure here, in the LA area, runs you about $30. I know on the east coast, they run closer to $60. So, if I do at least 5 manis/pedis with this set, I will have made it worth its investment. I've already done that, actually...mani/pedi on mom, mani/pedi on me (plus an extra French mani now!), and a mani/pedi on my mom's friend. That's 7 total...which is about $210. Not bad for owning it for 2 weeks, eh?
To the right is how my nails looked right after I was finished with them. The system is pretty simple.
Step 1: File/Shape your nails, push cuticles back.
Step 2: Clean nails with alcohol (on a lint-free wipe).
Step 3: Apply PH Bond.
Step 4: Apply Foundation Gel.
Step 5: Cure for 30 seconds.
Step 6: Apply 1 coat of color polish. (In my pic, my first coat was Gossip Girl.)
Step 7: Cure for 1 minute.
Step 8: Apply 2nd coat of color polish. (In my pic, my second coat was Water Field.)
Step 8: Cure for 1 minute.
Step 9: Apply Top Seal.
Step 10: Cure for 2 minutes.
Step 11: Remove tacky layer with alcohol (on a lint-free wipe).
And you're done! All in all it took about 30 minutes to do one manicure. Not too shabby!
Since it was my first try, I didn't do a great job...I got too close to the cuticles, and my top coat was too thick. My second time around, I kept all my coats thin, and the mani looks MUCH better!
This pic to the left is from the 2nd day. They look exactly how they did the day before. I wish you could see how shiny my nails are...it was almost as shiny as glass. The gels have a beautiful finish.
This pic to the right is from Day 3. You can kinda see the shine a little better from this angle, but the picture doesn't do it justice! The nails still look perfect...no chipping, no wear & tear at the tip.
Because I went too close to the cuticle, some of the polish lifted a little toward that end. You can't tell in the pictures, but you can feel it...especially when running your fingers through you hair! LOL So that was my bad...other people have reported that they stay in perfect condition for 10-14 days, even longer.
This next picture to the left is from Day 5. They look like I just got them done! You can kinda see that my nails are growing out a little, but besides that, they look great.
At this point, I was kinda getting annoyed with the length of the nails...This was the longest I've kept them in awhile, and they just started to bug me. I didn't do anything about it at this point, because I wanted to keep taking pics...hehehe.
Sorry this picture is blurry! Sometimes you look at the little tiny screen on your camera and it looks perfect...but when you look at it on your big monitor...it's blurry as hell. Oh wellz...
This is from the last day I kept my manicure: Day 7. At this point, I really wanted to cut my nails to a more manageable length. From inspecting my nails, I could tell that the manicure would last at least a few days more, but I was also bored with the color. I mean it's pretty....but to wear for an extended period? I would need something more my style, like... a French manicure! LOL So that's why I removed them (soaking in acetone for 10 minutes then removing with an orange stick is the proper method), and began a new manicure!
Here is a pic of my mom's manicure. This is two coats of June Bride. I think my application was a little flawed because in the pic, the color looks darker on the tips. But this was back when I was still figuring it out, so don't judge! LOL She has also removed her polish, but she didn't want to get a new manicure yet...she broke two nails yesterday while cooking, and she doesn't know what she wants to do yet, lol. She said her nails grow fast and I think she wants to wait for them to be a little longer before doing another Gelish manicure. Two weeks is a pretty long commitment....
So this is my current manicure...my right hand. I used Water Field as my base, and Good Gossip as my French Tip color. Then I added some big bling in Teal & AB. I was basically doing this to test if rhinestones stay better with the gel system. Unfortunately, these rhinestones were too big...the top seal is too thin to have a rigid hold on the rhinestones. I think I should use regular clear gel to secure them...
Here is my left hand...with light pink & AB rhinestones. I think the teal stands out a lot better, but the pink does have a nice soft look. These two pics were taken right after I finished my manicure.
Unfortunately, I lost a few rhinestones already...replaced them, and have lost one again. This is definitely a pain in the butt....the lost rhinestones leave a ridge, so my nails aren't smooth. =( Bleh!
And also unfortunately, the camera is not picking up the gorgeous gel shine and all the sparkles! LOL But, as you can see from the pics, I don't look like I'm wearing anything but regular nail polish! My coats are very thin and even, and I stayed the proper distance from my cuticles. My top seal is a little thick on the nails that have the rhinestones, but I'll have to figure out a better way to apply those next time. I think my mom wants some bling in her next mani, lol.
I did post a quick video on YouTube showing all the pics above. It was just a slideshow, but here's the link anyway!
It's hard for me to compare Gelish to other brands...I've heard that Shellac actually applies thinner (perhaps easier?), but have you seen the bottles? They're smaller than the Gelish ones! Both are about the same price, but the Gelish Polish comes with .5 floz while the Shellac only comes with .25 floz. Crazy! You get double the product for the same price! I don't know if you'll necessarily use 1/2 as much Shellac just because the product applies thinner, but I don't feel like my coats of Gelish are THAT thick anyway. The Axxium system doesn't come in a nail polish-like bottle (which Gelish & Shellac do). The Axxium gels come in a pot, which you need a separate brush to apply. Each pot runs around the same price as Gelish and Shellac, but it only comes with .14 oz (not sure how that converts to floz). I believe the Axxium system applies the thickest of the three.
I'm really happy with the Gelish system...which seems to have more color choices than the other two. I don't think I'll be trying Shellac, but the OPI colors do interest me (I absolutely adore "I'm not Really a Waitress"!). I'm quite tempted to try it out...but I don't think that'll happen in the *near* future. Will keep you updated if I do test it out! Maybe I'll ask my manicurist friend if I can mooch of her, tee-hee!
Anyhoo, will have to wait and see when my next post is! It'll prolly be a little sporadic until a few months after the baby is born, but I'll try to post stuff when I can! =)
Update: ShearUp.com is offering my readers 10% off if you use the promo code: PRINCESSTEA
(Please note that I don't get anything if you use this promo code. This is completely for your benefit!)
Disclaimer:
1. I bought every product I'm showing by myself (nothing was sent to me for free). -- Exception, my mom bought me the Gelish Polish System. =)
2. No one has paid me or compensated me for this video or blog.
3. I am not affiliated with any of the companies of the products I used.
4. These are my honest opinions.
