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

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect Tips & Toes with a little help from Nailene

After seeing so many different, stunningly modern variations of the "Classic French Manicure", I can't tell you how excited I was to try one for myself.  Knowing I had two awesome polish shades, which would compliment each other famously, I began the manicure with much enthusiasm. 

 

Base Colour was 2 coats of O.P.I.'s From A to Zurich and the tips are Rich Sapphire by ASK Cosmetics Inc.

 

I can't begin to express how much I enjoy working with O.P.I.'s nail lacquer.  The application is so smooth, and the brushes are so easy to work with.  This shade is by no means a strong red, but rather a muted shade that has sophistication to it. 

You can read my review/swatch of this gorgeous shade right here.

 

 

 I've had this sitting around anxiously waiting to be used, so today was the day.  The idea is ingenious, but would they leave a clean, French mani look?

 

The instructions are well labelled on the back of the package.

 

So, as you can clearly see, I didn't manage to place the strips straight across the ends of my nails.  In addition, my nails have a squoval shape, which makes the end effect look slightly different than if you were sporting square-shaped nails. 

 

 

At this point - Rich Sapphire by ASK Cosmetics enters the scene. 

 

Yes, it looks messy, but wait to see the final result.

 

Wowza!! The strips have been removed and a good, healthy coat of ASK Cosmetics Top Coat has been applied for extra shine and long-lasting wear.

 

I simply love the effect! 

 

My final comments on this product by Nailene:

 

 

These "strips" were super easy to work with; stuck to your nails "like glue"; held their position extremely well; were very easy to remove, and they didn't allow the contrasting tip shade of polish to run. 

Each package holds 96 strips, so well worth the money you pay as you can do manis and pedis several times over.

 

Just a bit of trivia today......

 

Did you know...the French manicure isn't actually French? It's a product of old Hollywood and the pain of actresses needing to change their polish for every wardrobe change. Who knew?

 

 

Do you prefer the classic version of the French mani or do you like to change it up a bit like I did?

 

 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to leave a comment below and stay in touch,  Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girls just wanna have fun!

Last Saturday marked a huge achievement in my family.  It was the 50th wedding anniversary of my parents.  This is truly an incredible accomplishment, so we had to commemorate it by having family photos done by a professional photographer. 

 

My nieces wanted their nails done for the occasion and seeing as I had been having some fun myself with the funky nails tattoos I had been sent to review by Fake Tattoos, I offered to give them all cool designs on their little nails.

 

Nr. 1 in Europe regarding fake tattoos for both nails and skin - FAKE TATTOOS on FB

 

 

Needless to say, they went crazy when they saw all the different choices and wanted tattoos on each of their fingers.  It wasn't an easy decision, but here's the final look they chose....

 

Meg is a die-hard nail polish fanatic and absolutely loves nail art too.  When she heard I had tattoos to apply, she simply couldn't wait to try them. 

 

She decided on moustaches and bows.

 

Kyra chose a mixture of images.  You can see a palm tree, bows and a small ice-cream cone on her nails.  Very proud to show off her glammed-up talons!

 

These girls could have easily applied the nail tattoos themselves; they are so simple to work with.  The only problem might have been positioning them.  These nails were pretty tiny, and we had to choose the smaller tattoos for a better fit on their nails.

 

Last, but not least, Jada chose an array of designs:  a jester's hat, a bow, an ice-cream cone and a red lady bug.  They all looked awesome!

 

We finished off their simple manis with a layer of top coat to help seal the tattoo and promote longer wear. 

 

Top Coat shown here is from the ASK Cosmetics Nailwear line.

 

More to come on Fake Tattoos.....

 

Thanks for stopping by and til next time,  Lisa M.

 

 

 

 

Rimmel London's "Burgundy Flirt 390"

Yet another awesome shade by Rimmel London.......

 

 

As reds go this is right at the top of my list after "Perfect Red" by ASK Cosmetics.  The name describes this shade so well  having a strong burgundy undertone to it, but yet it still passes as a gorgeous "Sweep me off my feet" red.

 

 

 The application was fantastic.  The wearability factor was great.  Shown here are 2 coats, which could easily be intensified with a third coat.

 

This is one of the bottles I puchased on sale for $2.00 at Shopper's Drugmart.  If you live in Canada and have the chance, check out the deals they have on offer.

 

Don't forget to apply a good basecoat especially with very pigmented lacquers like the one shown above.  The basecoat really does help to prevent yellowing of the nails.

 

 

In order to prolong the wear of your manicure re-apply topcoat every 2 days to add shine and durability.

 

 

 

 

 

These are the four red shades I own and love:  (from right to left) ASK Cosmetics Perfect Red, Rimmel London's Burgundy Flirt,  Sally Hansen's Unbreakable Heart and OPI's From A to Zurich.

 

Do you have a favourite shade of red?  What is it? 

 

Have a great day from snowy Canada!  Til next time, Lisa M.