Polishes -Sally Hansen - Tenacious Ruby
user24678 8/30/2011 10:56:00 PM
This colour is in Sally Hansen's "NO CHIP 10 Day Nail Colour" line.This is my go-to ruby red. I find that the colour in the bottle is an accurate representation of how it looks on the nails. I have super fair skin and it looks great on my fingers and toes. The formula and brush are also wonderful and make it a breeze to apply. You could get away with one coat of this polish, but I usually do two just to make sure there isn't any blotchiness that may appear under different lighting. It's not a really thick formula so you can still use a base and top coat with it without your nails feeling super thick with product. I'm about 2/3 through this bottle and it hasn't thickened on me yet, and still wears well. I get about a week of wear from this with almost no chipping when used with a good base and top coat (China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat, and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails as a top coat). I would highly recommend this polish! I've also had luck with the couple other colours I've tried from the same line. I haven't bought any in a while though so I hope this line or this colour haven't been discontinued!
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Mennen Lady Speed Stick Invisible Dry
user24678 8/29/2011 1:24:00 PM
This is my usual go-to antiperspirant these days. I buy it in the Powder fragrance, which I like and find mild and inoffensive. I'm not a heavy sweater but I hate that clammy, sticky feeling under my arms on hot days so I do like something that works at keeping me totally dry on a normal day. I find most sticks leave my underarms feeling drier and comfortable due to their powdery texture, but they can also stain my clothes quite badly (and some may even bleach my darker shirts). And although gels have the benefit of being clear, I find that most of them can get sticky in high temperatures, which doesn't feel nice. And I just hate roll-ons because they're annoying to apply, they take long to dry and tend to dry to a loose powder and get on clothes. This Invisible Lady Speed Stick does a pretty good job at keeping me dry and comfortable (only find I get a bit clammy under extreme conditions, which is rare), and it doesn't stain my clothes like other sticks, but there often is still a small amount of white residue on my dark coloured shirts. It's not as bad as other sticks though and I find it always washes out easily and never leaves any permanent staining or bleaching. I also find that this doesn't tend to dry my skin out as many other antiperspirants do, but it isn't moisturizing either. So, it's really not bad, but I guess you just can't win 'em all!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri
user24678 7/14/2011 10:04:00 PM
I really like this top coat, and it surprises me because I usually hate fast drying nail products. I find they normally contain too much alcohol and chip or flake off really easily (or, in the case of fast drying topcoats, they can make the polish peel off of your nail in one big chunk). This is different though. I definitely find it works as good or better as a shield than most of the slower drying top coats (depending on my polish, I get up to a week out of a manicure with this and my China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat), and it's super shiney. It really does make your polish dry fast too. I can use it within less than an hour before going to bed and I don't wake up with sheet prints in my polish the next morning (which does tend to still happen with my other favourite, SH Hard As Nails). The formula is nice in that it isn't too thick, but I'm not a huge fan of the flattish brush. I think a thicker round brush would make it easier to spread the product around quickly, before it has a chance to dry. But other than that, I really have no complaints. It's not really expensive (around $8 CAD) and it's just an all-around good top coat. I've used it about 5 times now and I haven't noticed the formula thicken yet, so hopefully I'll be able to get through most of the bottle before having to buy a new one. I'd recommend trying it out! Update 08/23/2011: I've found that this does sometimes make my nail polish lift and peel off, and it has caused a couple of my polishes to chip really quickly (ones I've never had issues with when I've used Hard as Nails as a top coat). Boo! I guess this works for some polishes but for others. I guess you just can't win 'em all with fast drying topcoats. My favourite trusty top coat is still Hard as Nails. It may take hours and hours to fully dry on top of polish, but at least I can trust it every time! I'll still go to the Insta Dri when I just need to get my nails done quick and don't care if they don't last long, because it does definitely dry the quickest out of everything I've tried, and it's still half decent in most situations.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Muchi Muchi
user24678 7/7/2011 10:06:00 PM
I bought this during my search for a light pink that is easy to apply. It's not the worst formula I've tried so far (better than most of the OPIs) but it does still require quite a few coats (between 3-6, depending on the nail size... and I have tiny nails) to cover evenly, and then it looks kind of thick and odd and it doesn't even end up looking like the colour in the bottle in the end. It looks like a baby pink in the bottle but ends up having a bit of a blue/purple base once you layer it on to full opacity. I returned it for these reasons (especially due to the colour). I did like the brush though and the consistancy of the formula (not too thick or thin), so I may consider trying other Essie colours in the future. I just wish they weren't so darn expensive! They're $12 here. That's $2 more than OPI! *Sigh*
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rimmel - Lasting Finish in Celebrity Bash
user24678 7/7/2011 9:59:00 PM
I just painted my nails with this a little while ago (I had a bottle that I had bought a while back but hadn't opened yet) and I can't say I'm particularly impressed. It's a very uneven and blotchy formula for a red. Even after 3 coats, it still isn't evened out (with most reds, I need 1 to 2 coats max). It's a very pretty deep, blood red colour (reminds me of my old discontinued favourite, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Brick Wall) but I'm sure I could find a similar colour in another formula. I think this polish may too be discontinued now anyways. Oh, and also, the worst part... When I was half way through my second coat with this polish, the wand detached from the cap! I ended up having to hold the wand by the tiny plastic nodule on the end and finish painting my nails that way. Not ideal at all! So, 2/5 for the pretty colour and because it does still look fairly presentable despite the blotchiness since it's a dark colour (I have had worse formulas), but would definitely not buy again even if I could. I can't comment on the wear yet since I've just recently applied it. I will update if my opinion changes in either direction when I find out how it wears. Update 07/10/11: This began chipping around the edges on me the morning after I applied it, even with my most trusty base and top coats. I am all-around not impressed with this nail polish. Bumping this down to 1/5.
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Polishes -Essie - Fiji
user24678 6/30/2011 1:32:00 AM
I have the same issues with this as I do with Orly Kiss The Bride. They both look like a completely different colour on the nails (almost white, with no real detectable pink) and both take many coats to even out. They both apply so/so to the fingernails with many thin coats (though time consuming) but not very well to the toenails, and I much prefer the colour on my hands, which is unfortunate because I usually like my fingers and toes to match. I haven't worn either of them for long enough to comment on the wear, since I haven't had the patience to fuss with them. So for those reasons, I'm giving both a low rating.
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Polishes -Orly - Nail Lacquer in Kiss the Bride
user24678 6/30/2011 1:28:00 AM
This doesn't look at all like the bottle once applied. It's almost white (I find Essie Fiji has the same issue, and is almost identical in colour to Kiss The Bride). On the nails, you really can't detect any pink. I kind of like the colour for my fingernails if I have the patience to apply a bunch of thin coats (otherwise it's streaky/globby and doesn't cover), but it doesn't apply well at all on my toenails (and also looks unflattering against my skin tone on my feet for some reason, even though it looks okay on my hands), and I usually like my fingers and toes to match, so I have yet to wear this for an extended period and can't say how well it wears. So I'm giving it a low rating, since I haven't had the patience to fuss with it and haven't had much use for it so far.
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Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - 424 Black Creme
user24678 6/24/2011 5:56:00 PM
I was excited when I first tried this because the application was dreamy for a black polish. It wasn't thick at all (way easier to apply than the most recent formulation of Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Black Out, which has been extremely thick in the past two bottles I've bought) and can even be used as a one-coater if so desired. However, even with my most reliable base and top coats, it chipped very quickly. It started chipping on the second day and today, the third day, there's pretty much chips on every nail. I even have some tiny chips on my toes which I did 4 days ago (and my toes can usually go 2-3 weeks before re-application, and even then I only re-do them because the re-growth looks ugly). Ugh! I'm going to try "Ebony Hates Chris" in Wet 'N Wild's Fast Dry line next because I've heard those are supposed to wear better. Wish me luck!
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Black Out
user24678 5/22/2011 2:36:00 PM
This is my favourite black polish. It's got a nice medium-sized, semi-flat brush, the formula's easy to work with and it applies easily. It's opaque and even in 2 coats or possibly even 1 coat if you're really careful. It has a really shiney/glossy finish and it also wears very well. I can wear it for a week with a good base and top coat before reapplying because I only get a few very small chips by then. It's just a great basic black polish, and among the cheapest as well! Can't go wrong! Edit 06/18/2011: I seem to have jinxed it. I just started another bottle and it started out thicker and turned extremely goopy on me during the first use, and has chipped on me quite a bit as well. I had gone through a couple bottles previously and had no issues at all so I thought maybe I just got a bad bottle, but I bought another one to compare and it seems to have the same issue. Formula change or some bad batches, perhaps? Either way, I'm going to try Wet 'N Wild next. I liked their old formula (I have a bottle several years old and it still works okay for me) and it's too cheap to not at least try. I'm not sure I'll repurchase this polish because I've already bought two bad bottles in a row now. Boo!
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Polishes -OPI - Teenage Dream (Katy Perry)
user24678 5/4/2011 9:42:00 PM
I usually prefer solid cremes and this look of polish would normally be too girly for me, but I actually really like this one. I picked it up yesterday and experimented with it both on its own and over similar pink cremes, and it looks lovely both ways. It needs about 3 coats to cover if you're using it by itself, but you could get away with one or two over a pink polish and still get quite a bit of sparkle. This is more coats than I normally like to apply but still not bad considering this is just a glitter polish with a clear base and OPI's pink cremes even usually need more than 3 coats to cover (hence why I don't buy OPI's cremes anymore). The glitter is pretty evenly distributed upon application, which I like. The formula is a little thick but nowhere near as thick as China Glaze Fairy Dust, so I'm willing to deal with it. I can't comment on wear yet but most polishes and glitters last about the same amount of time for me when I use them with my China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails as a top coat. This is just a really pretty glitter polish. It's so delicate yet so sparkley. I put that I'd buy it again because I would eventually if I could, but I know I won't because it's been discontinued and I just don't see myself using it up in the near future (in fact, I'll probably hoard it and only break it out on the rare occasion). If you can still find this though, I'd highly recommend trying it out!
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Polishes -Borghese - Tempesta Black
user24678 5/4/2011 9:27:00 PM
I bought this yesterday and tried it out today. I had been looking for a black polish with black (not silver or multi-coloured) sparkle, and this is pretty close to what I had pictured that I wanted to try. It's a very fine black sparkle... I wouldn't call it a glitter but it's more than just a shimmer. The amount and size of sparkle is just right to still look clean and not obnoxious. The sparkle is subtle in that it's not noticeable if you just glance at your hands, but you can definitely see the difference when you look right at the nails. The sparkle is a bit more noticeable with a shiny top coat. The formula is creamy and not streaky (opaque and even for me in two coats), but the brush is a little too chunky for my liking. It's not even just wide... it's fat all around, which makes it hard to get to the edges of the nail without getting any polish on the skin. The wand is also very short. So, that could use a little improvement but I'm willing to work with it. It's not a cheap polish (about $13 CAD, which is even a few bucks more than OPI), but it's a different colour so I didn't mind spending a bit extra. I can't comment on the wear as I've just applied it, but most polishes seem to wear about the same for me when I use them with my China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat and Sally Hansen Hard as Nails as a top coat. I would definitely recommend this product if you're looking for a subtly sparkley black. I personally still prefer a plain black creme (or my usual deep red) but I know my boyfriend isn't all that keen on plain black polish (I think it looks sophisticated but I think he associates it with those darn emo kids!) so I thought I'd give this a shot, and it's pretty nice but not my favorite, just based on personal taste and my love for plain solid cremes. If you like black polishes and shimmers though, this will probably be right up your alley! Update: I'm a bit less impressed with this after wearing it a couple times, as I found the sparkle seemed to disappear (the weirdest thing) within a couple days both times I wore it, and the polish started to look kind of dull and blah and lost its shine and lustre, even with the shiny top coat. It looked kind of different and pretty for a couple days, but it all went downhill after that. Kind of disappointing, especially considering it's probably the most expensive polish brand that I've come across. I think I'm going to stick to my Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear's plain shiny black creme, "Black Out", which applies and wears much nicer for me.
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Polishes -Nicole - Nicole's Nickel
user24678 5/3/2011 8:47:00 PM
This is a glittery dark grey polish with a clear base that can be layered with a couple coats to create an opaque effect. However, the brush sucks (it's kind of "poofy"... odd) so it's hardly to evenly distribute the sparkles, and when you do, it looks kinda chunky and rough. You'd need to layer a lot of top coat over this. It also wouldn't work well over another colour (I was hoping to layer it over black polish) because it's uneven with one coat and is opaque with two coats. If you're really hooked on the colour of this polish, I say go for it and hopefully you can make it work for you, but I was a little disappointed with it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Nicole - I Pink I Love You
user24678 5/3/2011 8:42:00 PM
I picked this sheer sparkle polish up because I thought it might look cute over creme pink polishes. Well, this is probably the worst nail product I have ever tried. The new "Perfect Stoke" brush is too poofy and hard to work with, and the formula is HORRID! No matter how much you shake the bottle and how evenly the sparkles appear to be distributed on the brush... the sparkles always clump together and leave you with massive bare spots (most of your nail), with clumps of glitter (usually around the edges of your nail). This is both when applying to a bare nail or over another colour. Terrible, terrible, teribble! Would NOT recommend!
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Polishes -Orly - Pink Slip
user24678 4/26/2011 11:06:00 PM
The colour's a bit more bubblegum pink than it looked in the bottle, but still not bad on fair skin. Also so/so colour payoff. However, between the brush being way too skinny and the formula in itself, it's really streaky and doesn't apply evenly. Would not repurchase.
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Polishes -OPI - Passion
user24678 4/26/2011 9:20:00 PM
On the first coat: Colour does not show up. Only shine. Second coat: Detect faint milkyness, but still mostly just shine. Third coat: Starting to see a bit of a bluish white milky cast. Fourth coat: Sheer, uneven white. Looks sickly. Fifth coat: Starting to see a hint of pink, but still a bit sheer and now very thick and globby to the point that it's unwearable. Trashed, along with every other light coloured OPI polish I've bought so far.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No