Currently wearing: Essie's Exposure
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Essie's Exposure
For that fruit punch kick without having the Kool-Aid Man bust down my wall.
Oh yeah!
You can take it home with you: the nail lady
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Sporting Illamasqua's Marquise over OPI's Where Did Suzi's Man-go? (nails by me)
I l-o-v-e getting manicures, it's probably my biggest treat. In order to reign in my spending I cut back on weekly manicures, thankfully I took loads of mental notes and pictures and I think I'm now well equipped to paint my own talons every now and again.
My one takeaway tip from watching the pros do what they do is properly wiping off excess polish on the rim of the bottle before bringing the brush to the nail. A giant glob of polish is far more difficult and messier to deal with and takes entirely too long to dry.
Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil
To keep my cuticles in fighting form (especially in winter) I invested in a bottle of Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil. Simply dab a small drop where the nail meets the cuticle and gently massage in. I find that if I keep the bottle near the sink it serves as a gentle reminder for me to apply it before hitting the pillow.
Another favourite product of mine is OPI's Avoplex Exfoliating Cuticle Treatment. This mighty tube of goodness helps to prevent hangnails by keeping my cuticles properly hydrated.
Elemis' Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream
For those times when I don't have cuticle oil in close proximity, I count on moisturiser (the workhorse kind) to keep my hands soft.
These are my go-to hand moisturisers:
- Elemis' Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream* - I keep this baby at my desk. The lotion melts into my skin and nails without leaving behind a greasy residue.
- Provence Sante's Hand Cream - merely purchased to keep the French Pink memories alive. This stuff is the cat's pajamas.
- The Body Shop's Spa Wisdom Africa Honey & Beeswax Hand and Foot Butter - Personally, I really hate the jar it's packaged in, but I'm willing to deal because the scent and texture is pure magic.
- The Body Shop's Almond & Nail Cream - Why Body Shop, why did you have to break something which didn't need to be fixed? The texture and overall performance is still the same, but the scent! Why?!?!
Hand lotion is my BFFL, can't you tell?
Also, be sure to invest in a really good pair of cuticle trimmers and remember to be super careful when nipping off dry bits of skin around your nail. Here's a helpful video from Cute Polish which showcases her nail care techniques.
Finally, I take one Flaxseed Oil supplement every day which helps to keep joint soreness in my knees at bay (yes I'm getting older) and the other added benefit is my nails have become noticeably stronger.
Healthy hands and nails make for happy hands and nails.
*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.
Copa, Copacabana: OPI's Brazil Collection
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OPI's Brazil Collection featuring four Copacababies (from left to right): Kiss Me I'm Brazilian, Where Did Suzi's Man-go?, AmazOn...AmazOFF and Next Stop...The Bikini Zone
OPI couldn't have timed the release of their Brazil Collection any better, especially with this whole World Cup Business going on. Soccer doesn't really tickle my fancy, but some of these nail polishes sure do!
Grab your maracas, maybe even a whistle or a bell and your dancing shoes, because it's time to samba!
Close up (from left to right): Kiss Me I'm Brazilian, Where Did Suzi's Man-go?, AmazOn...AmazOFF and Next Stop...The Bikini Zone
Kiss Me I'm Brazilian is a creamy pink, while pretty it certainly didn't bowl me over. Honestly, if it had been more cooperative I think I'd be more inclined to sport this shade on my nails for longer than a hot second. I found the polish to be sticky, so much that it had a hard time letting go of the brush, which created pulls and streaks. In the end I applied three coats to get some semblance of a smooth and even finish. Is it just me or is this pink an exact match to the pink frosting used on the Stella D'Oro cookies? P-Cakes, help me out here!
Where Did Suzi's Man-go? is a creamy tangerine orange. The formula had a tendency to mimic Kiss Me I'm Brazilian; despite some strife I was able to reach full opacity in two coats. Personally I'd prefer to wear this orange hue during the height of summer when my skin isn't so pasty white.
AmazOn...AmazOff is my personal favourite of the bunch. The formula is almost jelly-like because of it's subtle translucency. This "deep jungle green" has a hint of shimmer throughout, it's really a whisper of sparkle -- I only spotted the shimmer upon closer inspection. Here's a tip, apply a base coat before painting AmazOn...AmazOff, I can attest to the fact that it will stain your nails.
Next Stop...The Bikini Zone is described as an "amethyst-toned pewter." This three coater would look stellar layered over a creamy purple, black, white or cream polish.
OPI's Brazil Copacababies is a great buy for the indecisive set.
Now, which colour should I wear?
The Bagful breakdown:
Total amount for OPI's Copacababies:
Value for money spent (performance and quality):
- 7 out of 10 bags — it'd be nice if OPI gave you the option to select your personal favourites.
Would another purchase be on the horizon?:
- Live.Love.Carnaval is next on my hit list.
*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.
Holy Lisa Frank, Tiger Claw is on the prowl
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Tiger Claw's debut
Beauty subscription services are most certainly still a thing. More often than not, they bomb in my eyes -- same, same, not different and "hey, didn't I already get that in my box last month?"
Tiger Claw has taken a detour with its bimonthly subscription service - the contents give nail art newbies and aficionados a sense of direction, inspiration and kick @$$ nails for a night out on the town (a clear topcoat will lock down gems and glitter for a bit longer). I say that because even Kesha can only keep her glitter, unicorns and James Van Der Beek in tow for so long, amiright?
How does it work?
After signing up here, expect to receive a Tiger Claw box every two months.
What do I get?
Tools of the trade (this particular box contained an orange stick and a nail file), a feature coat, a base coat, nail accents and nail art tips and tricks. There's even a video demonstrating how to execute each of the suggested looks.
Here's a closer look at some of my favourite items..
Feature coat (left) in Indigo Purple and base coat (right) in My Darlin' Clementine
A glittering pot o' gold
How much does it cost?
$19.95 AUS, call it $10/month. Erin and I both know full well that we get ripped off in Australia when it comes to purchasing anything really. Case in point: a bottle of nail polish from the likes of Essie, Butter London and OPI costs $20.00 on average.
The fact that you get so much for so little is nuts and Erin's removed a lot of the guesswork, too.
My thoughts.
Well, patience is not one of my greatest attributes, but Tiger Claw kept me entertained in between calling my Dad and dinner last Sunday. Looking back I probably should've watched Tiger Claw's video prior to attempting anything, because I sprinkled way too much glitter on the tips of my nails -- the fade looked more like a depressed disco ball. The glitter accoutrements are intended to last you a few manicure sessions, but I managed to waste a lot, oops.
Pretty Serious' My Darlin' Clementine was a boon, opaque after one coat and dried fast -- juicy, sweet! Kleancolor's Indigo Purple while playful was a slight miss for me. The brush was packed unevenly which caused a few strands to stick out from the rest, manicure scissors FTW!
Back to that whole patience is a virtue thing, let's just say my nails looked like a hot mess from rushing, so much that I can't bare to show what I did out of shame.
Oh, be sure to stay on the lookout for nail art competitions Tiger Claw will be hosting every now and then via Instagram and Twitter (I think).
The Bagful breakdown:
Total amount for Tiger Claw:
- $19.95 AUS every two months, including shipping. Sorry, Tiger Claw is currently available in Australia.
Value for money spent (performance and quality):
- 8 out of 10 bags — Erin has made nail art accessible, attainable and fun. It really took me back to how I passed the time one summer.
Would another purchase be on the horizon?:
- Being the control freak that I am, I would rather leave it up to the pros. Hello, OCD!
*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.
