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?

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Girls are Out! So look out.....

The Girls are out by Essie - one of the gorgeous shades from the summer 2013 collection

 

My nails before the manicure took place.  Can you see the ever-so-subtle shimmer in this polish?

 

As far as pinks go this shade is right at the top of my list of favourites.  The subtle shimmer really adds a touch of "bling" to it.  I think it's the perfect summer shade for either your finger OR toe nails.

One important factor of a really good polish brand is the application brush.  Essie normally has smaller, thinner brushes that always allow for easy application.  Granted, sometimes you require more that the usual three swipes on each nail to do a good job, but the brush is super easy to manage.

 

Not sure if the shimmer really comes to life in my photos.  It's hard for me to tell since I know it's there. 

 

My brief summary:  I love the shade.  It lives up to all my expectations of an Essie polish.  The application was easy and fussfree.  I wore this shade for 5 days.  Had I wrapped my tips better during the manicure, the staying power might have been better - my oversight.  I went ahead and applied it to my toes, which also looks amazing for summer.

Charlotte enjoying her beach time on the north shore of Cape Cod at Race Point

BTW - you might be wondering how I got that ugly brown spot on my ring finger...... you won't believe this!  My new dog, Charlotte is CRAZZZZZY about playing fetch.  In fact, she hounds me all day long to throw something for her to run after.  But the game can get slightly dangerous for the thrower as she doesn't release the ball right away.  She waits and waits; then drops it and jumps after the other one I am holding in my hand.  If I am not fast enough in throwing it, she occasionally catches my fingers with her sharp, little teeth.  OUCH!  That's how I got that little brown blemish on my finger.  Who knew "go fetch" could be so dangerous!

 

That's all for today!  So, I strongly advise you run out and check out the latest Essie shades this summer.   Most of the summer 2013 collection are on the lighter, pastel side, but "The Girls are Out" is awesome.

 

Have you tried any from this collection yet?

 

Stay cool!  Til next time,  Lisa M

 

 

 

 

The Luck of the Irish - St. Paddy's Day Mani

I was very surprised to find a number of "greenish" shades in my polish assortment.  Typically I wouldn't buy green polish, but these must have caught my eye somehow on my shopping trips.

 

Which one would you choose as a St. Patrick's Day manicure?

From left - right:  "Rags to Riches" by Rimmel London, "Stylenomics" by Essie, "Plume" by Sally Hansen and "Spanish Moss" by Revlon.

 

Sorry, they are hard to see in this shot.  I was playing around with my new camera and didn't seem to get the lighting quite right.  Will do better next time!

 

Thumb + Index finger have "Rags to Riches", Middle finger has "Stylenomics", Ring finger has "Plume" and Pinky finger has "Spanish Moss".  These are all 2 coats with indoor lighting no flash.

 

 

 

 

Well, there they are.....but not all of them really look like green shades. 

 

Your choice for St. Paddy's Day would be......

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Til next time,  Lisa M.

 

 

Gemstone 710 by Sally Hansen

This will be a very short post to show you Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails - Gemstone 710. 

 

 

This shade truly reminds one of gemstones.  It has a rich depth to it and a sheen that allows it to sparkle.

 

 

After applying 2 coats of Gemstone, I decided to try Essie's Pure Pearlfection, and what an amazing effect it gives most polishes.  It adds a subtle bit of bling to any shade.

 

 

Here are the products I used:  ASK Cosmetics' Base Coat as well as their Top Coat, 2 coats of Sally Hansen's Gemstone 710 and Pure Pearlfection from Essie's Luxeffects Collection.

 

Do you like to dazzle your manicures with some "special effects"?

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the rest of your day, Lisa M.

 

Gold Silk by Rimmel London

Rimmel London is one of my personal favourites, so when I saw several of their bottles on sale before Christmas I decided to take advantage of the situation.  Gold is always a "hit" during this festive season and this shade was no disappointment at all.  The brush is a dream to use and allows for a perfect 3-stroke application, which is clean and even.

 

260 Gold Silk - super durable, chip resistant nail lacquer with Shine Release Complex (written on back of bottle).

On your nails it appears to be more of a frosty gold-taupe shade than a bold, metallic gold.  Of course, these photos were taken outdoors and the colour looks a bit brighter in comparison to an indoor shot.  I applied 2 coats.

 

I decided it needed some glamourization for the holiday season, so I turned to my trusty glitter by Essie "A Cut Above".

 

 

 

 

I tried to draw the glitter up a bit higher on the left side of the nail, but there are several different ways to wear glitter.  For some inspiration, why don't you go to the ASK Cosmetics' Pinterest board entitled "Unique Nail Art" .  You can find tons of ideas by super talented nail bloggers.

Glitter can add a touch of glamour to any manicure, and there are endless shades, shapes and sizes of glitter polish nowadays; it really makes for tough decisions at your local polish shop. 

 

Have you ever experimented with glitter?

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enjoy your day, Lisa M.

 

Essie's Stylenomics - Greener than Green!

This Fall/Winter 2012 polish by Essie really gives your nails a rich shade of green.  Under certain light conditions it tends to go so dark you can't distinguish what colour it actually is.  Let me show you what I mean....

Coats:  2 (some people might prefer leaving the manicure with one coat only)

Thickness of polish:  on a scale from 1 (thinnest) - 10 (thickest) "Stylenomics" would be a 9.

Ease of Application:  fairly easy once you become accustomed to the thickness.

Wearability:  fairly good (5 days with minor evidence of wear and tear)

Appeal Factor:  lovely shade for late fall, reminds one of Xmas

 

In my humble opinion, dark green cannot be worn with all the trendy fall colours, but it will add an elegant accent to your nails that says: "Look at me!"

 

"No need to tighten your belt when you practice...

according to the Essie print ads seen in all fashion magazines.

 

 

I feel this green will be showing up in a lot of Christmas nail art this year.  So, I tried my hand at a very simple bit with my homemade tools again.

Base colour is Stylenomics by Essie with dots in Perfect Red by ASK Cosmetics Inc.

 

Fun Fact of the Day:  Light trauma, like typing on a computer stimulates nail growth.  Well, this kind of "trauma" is more like a massage for your nails. 

 

Would you wear dark green?  And if so, what do you think it would go well with?

 

Thanks for stopping by,  Lisa M.