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.

When is the best time to apply T.I.P.S.?

To start off  I would like to begin with a few fundamental facts about nails:

• Your nails are so porous they absorb water and other substances 10 times faster than our skin;
• Underneath the hard nail is the so-called nail tissue, which resembles a sponge. 
• Our nail tissue absorbs water very easily and quickly, and it becomes swelled up.  Then once water evaporates again, it shrinks back down to normal size.
• Constant swelling and shrinking of your nail tissue (which we can hardly avoid when washing our hands several times a day!) causes dry, brittle nails.

 

One of the most common FAQ's is about the best time for application:

 

When is the best time of day to apply T.I.P.S.™?

Apply The Incredible Protection System (T.I.P.S.) when your nails are the driest, which for most of us is first thing in the morning.  Our nails have not been exposed to water during the night, so our nails and cuticles can absorb T.I.P.S. fast and effectively providing them with maximum protection for the rest of the day.   Any application of T.I.P.S. must be done when your hands have been out of water for at least 1 hour.  The reason being is that if your nails and cuticles have been exposed to water, they will be full of water and not dry enough to absorb our conditioning treatment.

If these concepts are clear, then it makes sense that T.I.P.S. Nail Conditioner, which is super rich in lipids, must be applied BEFORE exposing your hands to any water whatsoever.  T.I.P.S stands for The Incredible Protection System and that explains what it is designed to do:

1. replenish the lipids that are the "cement" holding your cells together and providing the nails with flexible strength;
2. protect your nail tissue and cuticles from a number of elements, for example: water (#1 cause of dry, brittle nails) as well as stripping substances/chemicals in cleaning detergents such as  harsh surfactants;
3. fortify and hydrate your nails and cuticles.

So, the bottomline is you want your nails to be completely dried out, which means no water in the nail tissue whatsoever, in order to get the maximum protection and fortification this product offers AND to achieve maximum results.

 

Thanks for stopping by and take care,  Lisa M.