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

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.

 

 

Off to Miami by Essence

And here it is "Off to Miami" by Essence.  It's a very pretty, rich coral shade - perfect for summer.

 

If you are interested in the ingredients, there is a pamphlet one can take at all the Essence cosmetics displays.  I have to warn you though, there are some "nasties" in their polishes.

 

2 coats seen here in this photo taken outdoors - I really liked the way the sunshine was caught by my digital camera.

 

For me an important criteria is the brush.  It is easy to work with; does it allow for even application; is it too wide or too narrow on the stroke?  I've tried to show you what the brush of all Essence polishes is like in these shots.

As you can see, it is very wide and for people with larger nails - it might be great to work with.  However, for people like myself with very small nails, it can be a nightmare at times.

 

Now, Essence is one of the most inexpensive polishes on the market that I know.  And so it is no surprise that you get what you pay for with this brand.  Admittedly, I keep going back because they have introduced some enticing shades, but I am always disappointed at the quality in comparison to other brands and I own, wear and work with regularly.

 

I always finish off all my manicures with a healthy dose of TIPS Nail Conditioner to treat the cuticles.  While wearing polish, it is advisable to apply TIPS around the nail and on the cuticle, but seeing as NOTHING will penetrate polish, it is a waste of product to apply TIPS over nail polish!

 

Would love to hear from you.....have you dabbled with Essence before?  How do you find the quality?

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day,  Lisa M.

 

Quote:  "Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece.  You cannot be improved.  You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it!" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rimmel London's "Wild Orchid 370"

This lovely shade of polish really gets one in the mood for springtime.  It's a happy medium between a lighter pastel and a richer, deeper purple.

 

I think the name is very suitable.  It applies beautifully with the flatter Rimmel London brushes, which I love using.  Interestingly, I purchased this bottle and a few others that I will be featuring on sale for approx. $2 CAD at Shopper's Drugmart.  I guess they were weeding out some "older" polish shades, but I think I really got some great colours at a fraction of the price.  Thanks Shopper's Drugmart!

 

 

There are more Rimmel shades to come......

 

What's on your nails today?

 

Thanks for stopping by,  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.

 

Any Breaking Dawn Fans out there?

If you followed the Twilight Saga, you might have already seen these two shades.  They were introduced in connection with the launch of Breaking Dawn Part 2.  Admittedly, I didn't watch the saga, however these two shades caught my eye whilst out shopping last week.

 

Alice had a Vision - Again by Essence seems of offer drama to your nails.  The lacquer in the bottle appears to be a very dark purple with subtle glitter.  Actually, it looks quite stunning and so I was very excited to try it out.

Here's how it looked on my nails:

2 coats of "Alice had a Vision - Again" by Essence

 

A little bit closer... but you can see how dark the polish looks.  The glitter does show up quite nicely though.

 

The second one that I was drawn to looked very much blue in the bottle, again with glitter throughout.  The shade was named "Jacob's Protection".

 

And here it is on my nails:

2 coats shown here.

 

 

They were both rather thick in their application.  I was somewhat surprised at how dark they looked on my nails.  In the bottles they appeared a bit lighter, but I have been so often deceived by the look in the bottle.  When I hold the bottles in my hand and the light or sun hit them, they are gorgeous.  I guess, in the end I prefer Alice had a Vision - Again over Jacob's Protection.

 

The best part of these two manicures was the removal.  I was a little worried about getting the polish off my nails with the glitter and all.

 

Using the Revival Nail Polish Remover by ASK Cosmetics makes taking off your lacquer easy, fast and hydrating for your nails.  If you have never tried it before, it is definitely high time!

 

Polishes purchased at Shopper's Drug Mart

Nail Polish Remover available on the ASK Cosmetics website & shop

Thanks for stopping by today.  Cheers,  Lisa M.

 

 

Oh My GOSH!

There's a new polish brand in town, which is available at Shopper's Drug Mart here in Canada.  GOSH caught my eye recently when I was on the look-out for different shades of blue for the Juvenile Diabetes Fundraiser, where I did blue manicures for all the young girls.

 

Shown here - 2 coats of GOSH #605 Blue Balloon

 

 

 

 

 

I thought this shade would be a definite winner among the girls and it turned out to be a very close second behind Maybelline's "Styled Out." 

 

In the meantime I have tried a few of the GOSH shades, all of which were great to apply.  This one offered great coverage after two coats. Although the shade on my nails was very true to the colour in the bottle, it is not a shade I would necessarily wear on its own.  So, here is what I decided to do with it.

 

I added one coat of Sally Hansen's #440 In the Spotlight.

 

This additional bling provides a lot more dimension, even a galactic look to it.

 

What do you think of this combination? 

 

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