TIPS Nail Conditioner - nominated as Best Nail Care Brand on QVC

 

Karen is very honoured to have her flagship product - TIPS Nail Conditioner - nominated for the award as "Best Nail Care Brand" on QVC US.  If you have used TIPS and think it is a great product, would you please take a minute to vote.  All you have to do either go to the Facebook page and click on the QVC survey link OR go to QVC 2013 Customer Choice Beauty Awards, scroll down to Q.35 - Best Nail Care Brand and check next to TIPS Nail Conditioner.  Anyone from anywhere around the world can place their votes.  Thanks a million for your support!

 

Enjoy the rest of your day,  Lisa M.

TIPS Promo Set - get your nails in great shape for less than $16.00

Hey Gals, 

Just wanted to let you know that there is an AWESOME deal being offered by ASK Cosmetics Inc., a Canadian company specializing in innovative, safe and effective nail, skin and hair care products.  I know some of you have tried TIPS Nail Conditioner with great success.  And some more of you have even filed with the Contour Nail File having zero grit strength.  A few nail bloggers have used it and were amazed at how it helped get rid of their "peelies".  It's specifically designed to seal the ends in order to promote longer, stronger growth.  Guaranteed - you've never tried anything like it before!

Well, good news because the set including 1 bottle of TIPS Nail Conditioner (5 ml) PLUS the Contour Nail File is still on sale for $15.99 + FREE SHIPPING internationally.  Now's the time to stock up for yourself, treat a BFF, get some Xmas gifts for friends and family or buy some "just because" gifts you might like to give on special occasions.  Just so you know how much you're really saving....... the normal cost of this set and shipping would be approx $40.00 (not including applicable taxes).

If you've been on the fence about trying TIPS Nail Conditioner, now would be a good time to give it a shot at this incredible price.

TIPS Nail Conditioner is a one-step, one product treatment for both nails and cuticles.  In just 2 - 3 minutes every morning you'll nourish your nails with lipids, moisturize them, fortify them and every TIPS application will help protect your nails from the damage water and harsh cleaning chemicals do to our nails during our everyday life.  Brittle, peeling, chipping, cracking, weak nails will be a thing of the past!

This offer is only valid until Aug 31st, 2013.  You can order online right here or call in your order toll free in North America at 1-877-275-5566 and be sure to mention you would like the TIPS PROMO set for $15.99.

Cheers,

Lisa

P.S.  If you know of anybody who might be looking for an effective nail treatment, be sure to share & tweet this out as well.

Let's get social:

Follow me here on this blog for helpful nail care tips!
Tweet with me on Twitter!
Pin with us on Pinterest!
Fan us on Facebook!
Watch me on YouTube!
Follow also via Instagram @TIPSbyASKCosmetics (that's me!)

Can't wait to connect with you - til then, Lisa

Base Coats: Are they necessary or a waste of time?

From left to right:  Essie's "Fill the Gap" ridge smoothing base coat,  Maybelline New York "Express Finish 50 Second Base & Top Coat",  ASK Cosmetics' Base Coat, 

Seche Clear - Crystal Clear Base Coat

 

You don't need to make an appointment at the salon and spend tons of money on getting the perfect manicure or pedicure.  It's possible to do it at home if you follow the right steps.

 

Experts say these steps begin with a clear base coat, which helps your polish of choice stick to your nails more easily.  A base coat also creates a barrier that in turn aids in protecting your nails from the damaging effects of nail varnish.  Base coats prevent staining and peeling, AND they will give your polished nails a more even texture.

 

Base coats come in different varieties:  plain, ridge-filler varieties and a dual purpose top & base coat in one.  Ridge-filling base coats are thicker than regular ones.  As their task is to fill in any lines, ridges and grooves giving the nails a smoother-looking appearance.

 

After the base coat dries (and it should dry relatively quickly with the exception of ASK Cosmetics' Base Coat which remains slightly tacky for better adherence of the polish), apply 2 thin coats of lacquer rather than one in order to give your nails a richer look.  Side note - by applying thin layers of polish your DIY manicure will last longer and not be as prone to chipping.  If you want to skip the coloured polishes altogether, you can simply use a base coat on its own to make your nails look shiny, but natural.

 

Finish off every manicure or pedicure with a good quality top coat to seal in the polish, create a shiny appearance and prevent chipping during wear.  Be advised that some products (Maybelline Express Finish 50 Second Base & Top Coat as seen above) combine a base and top coat functionality, but they may not work as well as the individual base and top coats.

 

So, although it may seem like a hassle at the time, base coats do extend the life of your manicure and help to avoid yellowed nails if you lean towards very pigmented shades such as fire-engine red!

 

 

Do you take the extra step to apply base coat?  If so, what is your favourite brand?

Let's get social:

Follow me here on this blog for helpful nail care tips!
Tweet with me on Twitter!
Pin with us on Pinterest!
Fan us on Facebook!
Watch me on YouTube!
Follow also via Instagram @TIPSbyASKCosmetics (that's me!)

Can't wait to connect with you - til then, Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

Want strong nails? Here's what you should eat to have naturally healthy, strong nails!

The majority of us have an array of lotions and potions in our bathrooms designed to keep our hair and nails in tip-top shape, but most of the things we need for shiny, radiant hair and strong, healthy nails can be found in the kitchen.

Just like every other part of our body, our hair and nails are at their strongest and healthiest when we eat a balanced, healthy diet that contains an adequate amount of protein and plenty of vitamins as well as minerals.

 

In fact, no amount of pampering will get hair and nails looking great if you don't have a nourishing diet. Believe it or not, the part of your hair and nails we actually see is dead tissue (otherwise cutting them would hurt terribly). However, it also means they are the last parts of our body to receive nutrients when we are ill or have a poor diet and their condition can speak volumes about our health.

 

This short video by POP SUGAR gives you a good overview of the kinds of foods you should definitely incorporate into your every day eating plan to cover the most important nutrients nails require to be strong and healthy: protein, iron, minerals.

 

A word of caution - spending tons of money on supplements such as calcium, biotin and gelatin pills will not help your nails significantly. It all boils down to your dietary habits and the foods mentioned below. The only supplement you should invest in is a good multi-vitamin tablet, and even then, if your diet consists mainly of fruits and vegetables it is questionable whether you need to take this or not. Do not be lured into thinking calcium or gelatin can improve the quality of your nails.

Let's get social:

Follow me here on this blog for helpful nail care tips!
Tweet with me on Twitter!
Pin with us on Pinterest!
Fan us on Facebook!
Watch me on YouTube!
Follow also via Instagram @TIPSbyASKCosmetics (that's me!)

Can't wait to connect with you - til then,  Lisa Mueller

Sometimes a little hug goes a long way!

Product Review: Bottle Hug - Rubber Bottle Holder

 

Photo 1 - All the different shapes and sizes of the bottles I tried in the holder.

Photo 2 - The product itself (purchased from Nail Polish Canada).

 

Some information about this product:

• It retails for $4.00 on the Nail Polish Canada website.
• The colour choices are white, pink and blue (shown here).
• The holder is made of soft, smooth, flexible rubber.
• There are slots for various tilted angles.
• It claims to have a large base for extra stability as well as a rough surface for easy grip. 
• The company Berkeley also states that all polish bottles fit snugly in it.

Photo 3:  Shown here are the brands and bottles I chose to test in this holder.

 

Photo 4:  The round bottle of Essence fit in nicely and had the perfect shape and size.

 

Photo 5:  The square shaped bottle of Rimmel London did not fit, and if I had forced it in this rubber holder there would have been damage. 

 

Photo 6:  Although Colour Club's bottles are square this one could be placed in the holder.  I wouldn't say it was a perfect fit, but it worked.

 

Photo 7:  The NYC bottles are smaller than most others, yet round.  As you can see from this photo this shape did not fit "snugly".  There was some movement of the bottle from side to side when I dipped the brush in and out of the bottle.

Photo 8:  Here it is even more obvious that this bottle is too small for this holder.  Granted, the bottle would be prevented from tipping completely, but not the perfect fit you would want and expect after reading the advertising statement: "fits snugly to all polish bottles".

 

Photo 9:  The brand name is Pure Ice and this bottle truly fit in perfectly.

 

Photo 10:  A very popular brand of polish is of course Essie, so I had to try it on for size.  It did fit, yet not as snugly as I would have like. 

 

Summary:

This product is a fantastic idea for preventing the tipping and spilling of nail polishes or nail treatments that you might be using.  However, just be warned that not ALL polish bottles fit in and only certain shapes and sizes actually fit "snugly".  That said, I think this would make a great gift for any nail polish enthusiast - an inexpensive, thoughtful present.  Maybe add a bottle or two of polishes (that do fit perfectly) and you've got an ideal gift!

 

By the way for all users of TIPS Nail Conditioner and TIPS for Toes ....

 

 

 

These bottles fit into the Bottle Hug - Rubber Bottle Holder very well!  This may just be the solution for many women (and men) who have had problems with bottle falling over and spilling in the past. 

 

Do you perhaps own one?  If so, has it proven itself as being practical?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peach & Cream by Essence

Brand new - Essence Nude Glam Series with Peach & Cream featured here today.

 

This shade is very attractive and innocent looking.  I can imagine it as polish shade for weddings perhaps.  However, as you can see for the few photos I post here, it's not a shade that is flattering for my skin tone. 

Credit goes to TIPS Nail Conditioner for the great nails I have.  Thanks to daily applications my nails are strong enough and yet flexible enough to withstand gardening, cleaning and all the sports I do.

TIPS Nail Conditioner can be worn with manicures as well.  Simply apply it around the skin surrounding your nails and generously on the cuticles.

I made a beginners mistake when applying this polish.  The first coat I applied was far too thick.  This resulted in a rather uneven first and second coat.  Things just didn't get any better during the second application, even though my toes were crossed.  Therefore, I'll only leave you with a few shots of this elegant shade and hope for better results next time round.

 

Always make sure your hands are moisturized.  Nothing looks worse than a well-groomed, manicured hand and dry cracked cuticles and/or parched hand skin.  I would highly recommend using a hand lotion that does not contain any waxes or silicones.  Why?  Well, these waxes and silicones found in many hand and body creams/lotions will:

• strip your hands of their moisture leaving them dry, cracked and possibly irritated;
• leave a "silicone glove" on your hands which builds up over time.  This so-called silicone glove will not allow the penetration of any nail care products you may be using.

Why would anyone use a lotion with waxes and silicones in it to begin with?  They are not natural to our bodies; they are not found in our bodies.  These ingredients are simply "fillers" for many personal care items such as:  hair conditioners, hand creams, body lotions, facial creams, etc.  You get the picture.  So be an aware consumer - anything ending with "cone" belongs in the silicone family.

 

 

So, keep your hands in tip-top shape at all times. 

 

Thanks for reading this today.  I really enjoyed writing for you and please don't be shy to leave a comment.

 

Have you ever considered what ingredients are actually in your skin lotions?

 

As always, stay in touch via FB, Twitter @nailcareasklisa or Pinterest @ASK Cosmetics Inc.

 

Have an amazing day,  Lisa M

Gorgeous Bling Bling by Essence

My fascination with Essence continues.  Out shopping I saw a new display with several summer shades.  This one in particular caught my eye and made its way into my shopping cart.

 

Gorgeous Bling Bling has very tiny speckles of bronze and gold throughout.  As you can see for the photos below this glitter effect goes on very evenly unlike some others where you have to fish for the glitters particles, and then they are all over the place and very difficult to apply evenly.  If you look closely, even the lid displays the shade and glitter very accurately.

A truly gorgeous shade - not red, not brown, definitely not orange, but a pleasant mixture of all three tones. 

It applied like a dream.  I find the Essence polishes wear fairly well - 5 - 7 days if you refresh the top coat every other day to ensure longer wear.  But who actually keeps a shade on their nails that long?

Many of you know from other posts that I always finish up my manicure with a healthy cuticle treatment of TIPS Nail Conditioner.  This product keeps my nails in great shape.  It is so simple to apply:  1 product, 1 daily application first thing in the morning, 1 step is all it takes to replenish essential lipids, protect your nails from water/chemical damage, moisturize your nails and cuticles, strengthen and fortify.

It certainly lives up to its name - Gorgeous Bling Bling.  I for one, hope that Essence brings out more of such awesome shades with a hint of sparkle in them.

 

So, thanks a million for stopping by and viewing my latest manicure.  I wish you all the best for the rest of the day.

 

And be sure to let me know - what YOU think of this shade?  Is it calling your name?

 

Take care, Lisa M

 

Stay in touch with me via FB, Twitter @nailcareasklisa or on Pinterest @ASK Cosmetics Inc.

Covergirl's Appletini

Wow, Covergirl really nailed it with the name they chose for this polish shade - Appletini!

 

Since I've seen so many similar shades from other brands, I just had to try this on myself.

Ones I have run across so far that might come close are
Wet 'n Wild's "Pin 'Em Slater"

&

Barry M's "Key Lime"

 

I believe this is my first Covergirl polish that I am wearing.  It applied well in two thin coats that evened out nicely.  The only problem was the bottle size and ultimately the lid and brush length.  They were much shorter than I am used to and this caused some difficulties in the application.

 

For a comparison I placed the Covergirl bottle of polish beside a bottle of TIPS Nail Conditioner, which is what made my cuticles look so shiny in these photos.  I always finish up every manicure with a healthy application of TIPS Nail Conditioner by ASK Cosmetics. 

 

Covergirl's bottle contains 3.5 ml (.11 oz) of product; whereas a bottle of TIPS contains 7 ml (.24 oz) of nail treatment.  So, be sure to keep that in mind when shopping for these Glosstinis.  You are getting much less than normal, so look closely at the price.

 

Next thing to consider is the brush length.....

That's how short it is.  As stated above, it was not easy working with such a lid/brush length. 

 

I love this shade, although I am definitely not a huge fan of greens.  Somehow this shade really has a summery feel to it.  I can't wait to use it in some of my nailart coming up in August.  So stay tuned!

 

Any comments from you on Covergirl, Glosstinis, green eggs and ham........

 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.  Enjoy this wonderful day.

 

Til next time,  Lisa M

 

Be sure to connect with me via FB, Twitter @nailcareasklisa or on Pinterest @ASK Cosmetics Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybelline's Poolside #975

Seen here 2 coats of Maybelline's Poolside 975

 

Sorry Maybelline, this shade did not impress me in the least.  Although it looked inviting at first, the shade looks awful with my skin tone.

 

 I won't write too much about this shade as my heart just isn't in it.  Last week I tried Azure Seas by Maybelline as well and wow, it left me super impressed.  My fault entirely for purchasing such a pale colour to begin with.

 

Here's how it shows up on two slightly different backgrounds.  I plan on trying to incorporate this into one of my upcoming marble/nailart manicures in August.  It might find its purpose in my stash then.

 

That's all for today.  Hope you are having a good one.

 

If you've tried this shade, let me know how you liked it?

 

Thanks for stopping by,  Lisa M.

 

Be sure to connect with me via FB, Twitter @nailcareasklisa and Pinterest @ASK Cosmetics Inc.

 

 

A tribute to Talia Joy

Friday July 19th, 2013 has been dedicated by some very heartfelt nail bloggers as a day of tribute and rememberance of a sweet young girl, who was taken from us far too soon.

 

When I saw the shout-out by @Let Them Have Polish and @Nail Polish Wars to find the perfect mint polish shade and sport it in support of Talia, I decided to take part.

 

Venus #622 by GOSH was my polish of choice.

 

I found a great summary about Talia for all those who aren't familiar with her name, this will give you a better idea of who she was:

 

The beauty world has suffered a great loss. On July 16th, at 11:22am, beauty guru and youtuber Talia Joy Castellano, just 13-years-old, has passed away.

Talia took the world by storm with her beautiful make-up tutorials and zanny personality. Always upbeat and positive, she drew in a massive following on her Youtube channel, TaliaJoy18. But Talia had been battling neuroblastoma and leukemia for 5 years. Always the optimist, she proudly rocked her bald-head, claiming "Make-up is my wig".

Talia's biggest dream was to have her own make-up line. She was made an honorary spokesperson by Cover Girl, and was working on a teen fashion line, called none other than "That Bald Chick". Unfortunately, Talia did not get to see this dream become a reality.

 In honor of Talia, I'm calling out to all polish makers to help keep her dream alive. I'm asking you to create a polish in Talia's name, and donate some of the proceeds to help fund pediatric cancer treatment and research (St. Judes, CURE Childhood Cancer, and American Childhood Cancer Organization are some really great and reputable organizations) In this time of sorrow, let's make something good happen!

We will always remember Talia - her strength, courage and beauty will never be forgotten.

 *For inspiration, go to TaliaJoy18 on Youtube.

Written by Llarowe and posted on FB July 17th, 2013.