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

 

 

 

 

 

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

Azure Seas by Maybelline

An unbelievably beautiful blue!  It reminds me of wonderful vacations by the seaside and awakes a strong yearning to head to the beach.  I present "Azure Seas #990" by Maybelline to you today!

 

Seen here are 2 coats of this wonderful summery shade.  The photos I display on my blog are usually taken outside in natural light as I find it shows the polish shades closest to their appearance.  I also enjoy finding enhancing, natural backgrounds for my shots - like this one in front of one of my beautiful hosta plants.  The contrast of blue on green here really makes this polish shade come alive, don't you think?

 

 

Whether in the direct sunshine or in the shade this colour is so attractive.  The name is quite suitable and I couldn't stop comparing my nails to the colour of the water in a movie I recently watched.  Have you ever seen "Out of the Blue" starring Paul Walker, Jessica Alba and Josh Brolin?  Well, this was the very first time I saw a movie with Ms. Alba.  The jury is still out on her acting ability, but what I enjoyed most about this movie was the fantastic underwater footage and the breathtaking scenery on the waters surrounding the Bahamas.

 

This is definitely one blue that will be in my collection for a while.  The application was good as always with the Maybelline Color Show polishes.  The brush quality is normal and allows for easy application (please don't look too closely at the job I did here - two strong cups of coffee are not a good pre-requisite for an excellent mani!!)  The wear was standard as well - 5 - 6 days without any significant wear showing up.  I've tried others from the Maybelline collections before and I think they are great!  In this particular case, you get the quality you pay for.

 

Best Practice Advice:  For those of you who use TIPS Nail Conditioner or TIPS for Toes - don't forget to apply TIPS every day around your cuticles and under your natural nail.  Your newly developing nail begins to form between your first knuckle and your moons, so apply TIPS back that far as it penetrates and replenishes the nails and cuticles with essential lipids that we strip our fingers of each day.

 

For more information on these nail care/nail treatment products,

go to ASK Cosmetics website/online shop.

 

Is this a shade you would wear?  Does it make you want to pack your bags and head for the Caribbean?

 

Thanks for stopping by and take care,  Lisa M.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh my GOSH!

I asked, and you answered by question:  Which one of the two GOSH shades would you like to see first - Bubble Gum or Miss Minty?  The voting resulted in a tie, so I'm showing you both of them today.

 

So, let me introduce Bubble Gum & Miss Minty by GOSH

 

3 coats each, normal wearability, easy application, good brush

 

 

Note to viewers - try to overlook the nasty little paper cut I had on my pinky!

 

 

Let me begin with the one that intrigued me most, namely Miss Minty.  I have seen tons of mint shades bearing various brand names being swatched by other nail bloggers.  The bottle really had me fascinated.

 

As pretty as this shade is, it really doesn't look that great on my fair-skinned hands.  And....I think it is a shade for the younger generation of nail polish wearers.  I guess the verdict for me is - I would rather enjoy my mint in the form of chocolate than on my nails. 

 

Products used:   3 coats of GOSH "Miss Minty", TIPS Nail Conditoner after the manicure to treat the cuticles, and after several days of wear the polish was removed AND my nails and cuticles were treated with TIPS at the same time with the Revival Nail Polish Remover by ASK Cosmetics.

 

"Bubble Gum" truly lives up to its name.  This shade reminds one of those very pink wads of bubble gum we used to chew as children.   Not sure what kind you enjoyed, but I have vivid memories of Hubba Bubba.

 

 

My little paper cut is still quite noticeable in this shot.  You can also see the shiny areas around my nails and cuticles, which have been treated with TIPS Nail Conditioner after the polish has drided.  I also keep the polish away from my cuticles, because polish will dry them out AND removing the polish from your cuticles causes stimulation to them, which can result in damage to the cuticles.

 

 

I stumbled upon these two shades at Shopper's Drugmart just last week. Upon noticing that they were reduced from $7 each to $3.50, I decided to add these two spring pastels to my collection. However, when I had a closer look at my receipt I realized they had charged me full price for the polishes, so it wasn't a two-for-one deal after all. Unfortunately, I no longer had the opportunity to go back and a lesson was learned - ALWAYS check your receipts while still at the store!

 

I will leave you with some more outdoor photos that show how the ice had formed on the lilac tree in our front yard.  There was so much damage to hydro lines due to this storm that we were out of electricity for some 48 hours.

 

 

So, what's your choice?  Would you go with Miss Minty or Bubble Gum on your nails?

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous Nails on Your Wedding Day

It's wedding season once again, and brides all around the world are getting ready for one of (if not the) biggest days in their lives.  Everything has to be perfect - from head to toe - since all eyes will be on the blushing bride.

 

One of the most exciting moments of this glorious event is when the groom slips the wedding ring on his bride's finger.  After that everyone wants to feast their eyes on her hand.  Doesn't everyone want to have the most beautiful looking hands on this day?

 

For the ultimate wedding manicure I have chosen two polishes:

 

 

This indoor photo shows Rimmel London's "French Rose 140" on the left, TIPS Nail Conditioner in the center and "Sheer French Pink" by ASK Cosmetics on the right.

 

 

Indoor photo:  3 coats of "French Rose" by Rimmel, which started out very similar in its transparency to the second polish by ASK Cosmetics, but took on much more of a pinkish tone after 2 coats.

 

Indoor photo:  3 coats of "Sheer French Pink" by ASK Cosmetics, which makes your pinks look pinker and your whites look whiter.  Many people have noticed my nails with this polish on and commented how nice my French manicure looks.

 

 

All three pics above show Rimmel's "French Rose".  If you love the slightest hint of pink on your nails, this polish will fit the bill wonderfully.

 

In the above three photos you can see my right hand with 3 coats of "Sheer French Pink" and the last one shows TIPS Nail Conditioner, which I apply after each and every manicure to treat the cuticles.

 

Some more outdoor shots to show the difference between the two....

 

Rimmel's "French Rose"

ASK Cosmetics' "Sheer French Pink"

Which one do you prefer - more pink or more sheer?

 

 

Let's get social, shall we?

 

Connect with me here:

 

on Pinterest

 

on YouTube

 

on Facebook

 

or on the ASK Cosmetics website & online shop

 

Take care and til next time,  Lisa M.