Category: Creme

IsaDora Gel Nail Lacquer

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I’m still in one piece so I’m trying to get a few posts written before the baby decides to arrive :) I’ve taken these photos quite a while ago and just haven’t had time or energy to write the post. So next few posts will still show my nails with some gel layover on them. Now all the gel is gone and my nails are all natural. Just gotta get these few posts out of the way and then I can show you what my nails look like now.

So lets get this party started with IsaDora Gel Nail Lacquer review. This is a polish that dries in sunlight and doesn’t require UV-lamp to cure it like regular gel polish. I received a limited edition shade 224 Scarlet Red for testing and I was quite happy with it.

This polish doesn’t require a base coat but it is recommended that you use your preferred base coat at least with darker colors so they won’t stain your nails. After the base coat you apply two coats of gel polish and let it dry for 3 minutes. Then add a coat of IsaDora Gel Nail Lacquer Top Coat. The application of Scarlet Red was flawless. The polish was very well pigmented and with two coats it was perfectly opaque. Top coat is a bit thicker and I took a good amount of it on the brush. The top coat was still easy to apply and it gave my nails a very nice, gel like glossy finish.

 

 

 

I tested this polish on a pedicure first and the result was impressive. I used Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! as a base coat and then followed the application instructions that are also printed on the bottles. The manicure dried within minutes and looked really shiny. I kept this manicure on my toe nails for 3 weeks before it started chipping. The polish stayed very shiny for the first two weeks and was still pretty good when I removed the pedicure after 3 weeks. For me this was a good result. Usually my pedis stay good two weeks max before they start chipping. Naturally there was minor tip wear but not noticeable enough that I needed to do something about it.

After that I did the manicure test. IsaDora promises up to 7 days of wear time for these Gel Nail Lacquers. I only had an opportunity to test this for four days though. I already mentioned the flawless application and for my manicure I used the same base coat as I did for the pedicure. Where the pedicure stayed excellent for over two weeks the result wasn’t the same for the manicure. I did not expect it to be either though. The shine started to fade a bit after 3 days and day 4 there was the first chip. My test wasn’t perfect though since my nails were still very thin and I was growing out the gel nails removal damage. Also left hand nails still had some gel layover left. So on healthy nails I probably would’ve gone more than four days without chipping.

As said the shine and glossy look stayed perfect for over two weeks on my pedicure but started fading from the manicure after three days. This is mostly caused by the fact that I have to wash my hands a lot. I wash dishes without gloves and so on. So all the soap and chemicals that I expose my hands to during the day definitely took their toll on the shine.

Removal of this polish was very easy with non-acetone nail polish remover and there was no staining since I used a base coat.

 

I’m very happy with the wear time on the pedicure and I think this performed well on the manicure too. Quick dry time makes these Gel Nail Lacquer perfect for everyone who wants easy to apply, simple and quick manicure that lasts for more than one day. Color range is pretty and there’s also shades for creating a full french manicure using these polishes.

I will definitely be using this polish and buy a few more shades to use on my pedicures and on the days when I need something reliable and quick to apply for my manicures.

 

 

 

***IsaDora Gel Nail Lacquer and Top Coat were sent for review.

CND Vinylux Spring 2014

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Today I have something to show you that was a totally new concept for me, CND Vinylux polishes.

“VINYLUX™ is a breakthrough polish system that endures a week of fashion perfection…without a base coat! Exposure to natural light secures the patent-pending technology, creating an enduring, long-lasting polish. While ordinary polishes become brittle and deteriorate over time, VINYLUX dries naturally to a flawless finish and strengthens its resistance to chips over time. VINYLUX is available in 71 fashion-forward polish colors and 60 colors that match popular CND Shellac™ shades.”

Since I have the gel layover on my nails I haven’t had opportunity to test these properly yet. I have now removed the layover from my right hand nails but they are in a horrible condition and paper thin so testing these on my nails wouldn’t be realistic either way at the moment. So this time I’m just going to show you swatches of these polishes and the test results blog post will follow in a near future.

I received five polishes for review but I’ve also seen the spring collection with six polishes. I really had no issues with application. All of these were a little streaky on the first coat and evened out nicely with the second one. They are also opaque with two to three thin coats. All photos are taken with Vinylux Weekly top coat.

 

Mint Convertible – two coats with Vinylux Weekly top coat.
Sun Bleached  – three coats with Vinylux Weekly top coat.
 
 
 
Desert Poppy – three coats with Vinylux Weekly top coat.
 
 
Clay Canyon – two coats with Vinylux Weekly top coat.
 
 
Sage Scarf – two coats with Vinylux Weekly top coat.

 

***These polishes were sent for review. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

Glitter Gal Australia Blooming Babes Spring 2014 Collection

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Glitter Gal Australia is just about to release their Blooming Babes Spring 2014 collection. This collection includes five shades, four cremes and a stunning holo plus Gloss Boss top coat. Today I have swatches of the whole collection for you.

Let’s start with a few words about Gloss Boss Ultimate Color Enhancer top coat.

 

 

 

Gloss Boss top coat “is the ultimate colour enhancer with a gel like, super glossy finish.  Can be applied over Glitter Gal’s entire polish collections, even holographics.  If applying to holographics, wait 2 minutes for the holographic effect to be enhanced.” 


This top coat is a bit on the thick side but easy to apply and it’s self leveling. This really does enhance the color on creme polishes I have tried it on. Finish is very shiny and has a gel like feeling to it. This is not a fast drying top coat but the dry time is not too long at all. I quite like this one and I love the glossy finish it gives to creme polishes.

 

 

Then let’s move on to the gorgeous polishes on this collection …. and oh yes, I filed my nails shorter and got rid of the stiletto shape for now. Just felt like I needed a change :)

 

Nuddy Nude – two generous coats with Gloss Boss top coat. A beautiful pale sand-y beige nude. This is your basic neutral nude creme. Perfect for many different skin tones. Subtle and chic color. Very pretty! This takes two somewhat generous coats or three thinner coats to be even and opaque. The formula is very good and smooths itself out nicely so I didn’t see a problem with two thicker coats.

 

Good On Ya – two generous coats with Gloss Boss top coat. Pale green creme with a hint of yellow. This color is so awesome. I want to call it pastel neon cos it’s pastel but also so vibrant. Really cool and unique in my collection. This also creates the “Ohh! My hands are tanned!” effect. Love this color and I’ll definitely do some nail art on this. This is the same way with Nuddy Nude, applies well, levels itself and takes two thicker or three thin coats for a perfect result.

 

 

Mozzie Bite – two normal coats with Gloss Boss top coat. Juicy, squishy berry red crelly. Great application and lovely glossy finish. Beautiful!

 

 

Bikini Babe – two generous coats with Gloss Boss top coat. Delicate pastel pink creme. Perfect girly summer shade. I think this might have just taken the #1 spot of pastel pinks in my collection. Formula and application on this is very similar to Nuddy Nude and Good On You.

 

 

Love Bite – three thin coats, no top coat. Stunning red linear holo. Excellent application and quick dry time. Photos are taken with daylight bulbs and the holo effect is even stronger in direct sunlight. I applied three coats but shorter nails will get away with just two. Such a beautiful shade of red! Love!

 

“All Glitter Gal Australia’s polishes are 5 free and do not contain Formaldehyde, DPB, Toluene, Formaldehyde Resin or Camphor”

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Glitter Gal Australia polishes and more info is available at their website. You can also find Glitter Gal from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

***Nuddy Nude, Good On Ya and Gloss Boss top coat were sent for review by Glitter Gal Australia. Love Bite, Bikini Babe and Mozzie Bite were sent to me by CesarsShop (Finland stockist). I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

OPI – Where Did Suzi’s Man-Go?

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Today I have two OPI posts coming up and tomorrow I’ll show you two Delush Polish glitter toppers layered with these pretties.

So let’s start with Where Did Suzi’s Man-Go? A gorgeous bright mango creme from OPI Brazil – Spring/Summer 2014 collection. I LOVE this shade! Looks like it’s full of summer and sunshine! Absolutely gorgeous!

Formula is great too. Application is nice and smooth. This is two coats with HK Girl top coat.

 

 

 

***Where Did Suzi’s Mango was sent for review, HK Girl was received as a gift.

OPI – Alpine Snow

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OPI Alpine Snow is your basic white creme. I didn’t use to like all white nails on myself but with this length and shape I actually like it quite a lot. White/very light cremes can be a nightmare to apply sometimes but this one is actually pretty decent. A little streaky on the first coat but evens out nicely on the second. You should take a good amount of polish on the brush. If you try to apply this too thinly it’s going to look uneven for sure. This is two coats with HK Girl top coat.

 

 

 

 

***Alpine Snow and HK Girl were received for free. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

Some Glitter Gal Australia pretties

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Today I have two polishes and a holo top coat from Glitter Gal Australia.

Let’s start with She’s Cactus, a creme polish from Celebrate Sydney Style collection. This is two coats with Glitter Gal Gloss Boss top coat. Application was a little uneven on the first coat but the second one smooth it out nicely. Even after the second coat the result wasn’t perfect at first but the polish seemed to smooth itself out while I was cleaning the cuticles and Gloss Boss top coat made the finish look perfect. This dries a little bit brighter than it looks in the bottle and adding top coat brings out a hint of yellow on the color. I also tested this with HK Girl and it dried exactly the same way, more yellow than it looks in the bottle. I really like this bright color and it’s absolutely perfect for spring and summer!

 

 

Today I also have a gorgeous holo polish for you, Lizard Belly. This is very deep, dark green linear holo polish. I applied three coats, for shorter nails two will be enough. Application was very good and even. Unfortunately the sun wasn’t out when I was swatching this so all I have is photos taken with daylight bulbs. This was stunning and somewhat dramatic looking on my long nails. Love it!

 

Last but not least there’s Galaxy Holo top coat “an intense multi-coloured sparkle with a holographic prism when viewed under light.  An absolutely beautiful twinkle”.

This top coat can be used over any color and finish you want to. Naturally it’s gorgeous over creme polishes but I also wanted to try how it looks layered on a holo polish. So I decided to add a coat of Galaxy Holo top coat on Lizard Belly. The result was super-sparkly and very pretty. The photos don’t do justice to the sparkle of this combination at all and I should have taken a video to show it better.

Application was nice and even and it dried very smooth and shiny.

 

“All Glitter Gal Australia’s polishes are 5 free and do not contain Formaldehyde, DPB, Toluene, Formaldehyde Resin or Camphor”

Glitter Gal Australia polishes and more info is available at their website. You can also find Glitter Gal from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

***These were sent for review. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

OPI – Live.Love.Carnaval

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This is OPI Live.Love.Carnaval from the gorgeous Brazil collection. Stunning bright coral creme with great formula and good application. For this manicure I used two coats of Live.Love.Carnaval with HK Girl top coat.

 

 

 

***Live.Love.Carnaval was sent for review. HK Girl was gifted to me. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

OPI Gwen Stefani collection

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I was so excited when I first saw the news about Gwen doing a collection with OPI. I’m a huge Gwen fan and this collection just makes me so happy :) I think this ended up looking a lot like Gwen. It’s a solid and stylish collection. All the polishes go together really well and there’s a countless amount of combinations for nail art designs. Just Perfect!

 

 All these polishes applied perfectly and were opaque in two coats. All of the cremes and In True Stefani Fashion have a top coat on them.
 HEY BABY is a gorgeous bright pink with a hint of raspberry in it. It’s fresh and not too in your face color. Perfect for summer!
I SING IN COLOR is a very deep dark red polish with some chocolate shade in it. You can see the wine-ish red much better with just one coat but this requires two to be completely opaque. I have quite a few vampy shades in my collection but not one just like this. Very pretty!

 

 

 

OVER & OVER A-GWEN is a classic bright red. As many others have said Gwen collection has to have a bright red polish in it. This beauty comes in it’s own collectors box with some Swarovski studs and crystals, a nail glue plus instructions and tips for some nail art using the polishes on this collection.
I love red nails! I have a lot of red nail polish and this one is now the queen of those reds!
IN TRUE STEFANI FASHION has square and hex silver and holographic glitter on a clear base. This one is quite packed with glitter so only one coat is enough if you want the base to show through. On the photo I have one coat over I Sing In Color. Very pretty and sparkly!
4 IN THE MORNING is a black satin matte with subtle silver shimmer. I love the velvet-y look this has but if it isn’t for you no one is telling you not to add the top coat for shine.
LOVE.ANGEL.MUSIC.BABY. is a gold satin matte. I really like this one! The gold tone in this one is also so neutral that it’ll go well with a lot of different skin tones. Very beautiful!!
 PUSH AND SHOVE is a gorgeous silver chrome polish. Very shiny, almost mirror like finish. This one will only work with the Lay Down That Base base coat that comes in the package. Apply the base coat on clean nails and let dry for two mins. When applying Push And Shove you need to be quick and careful. Don’t go over the same spot twice since that might cause balding and dragging of the polish. Let the first coat dry well before applying the second. Don’t pay too much attention on the visible brush strokes or try to fix them by going over them again. Most of them will disappear on their own when the polish dries. You are not supposed to use a top coat with this polish.

In real life this looks awesome! So shiny! It worked great with my nails and UV-gel layover I have on them. On natural nails the shiny finish will make the tiniest flaws on your nails very visible so you might want to buff them a bit before using this polish. OPI says this is only meant for one night use.

I also have to mention that over the UV-gel this also worked without the basecoat. I didn’t see a noticeable difference between the nails with the base coat compared to the ones without. It also stayed looking perfect for the 24 hours that I tested it.

 

So how do you feel about this collection? Have you bought any of these polishes yet?

 

 

***This collection was sent for review.

Wet n Wild Megalast – Disturbia

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I bought this polish quite a while ago for a discounted price and I just now got around to using it. Mostly cos I wanted to layer a holographic top coat on it but more about that on Saturday’s post.

This is Wet n Wild Megalast Disturbia. Dark purple with subtle pink shimmer. The shimmer is more visible in the bottle than it is on the nails. Application was good and it took three coats for an opaque result. Shorter nails will get away with just two though. I’m still happy with all the Wet n Wild polishes I have bought. Sadly they are getting harder and harder to find here in Finland :/

For this manicure I used three coats of Disturbia and HK Girl top coat.

 

 

***Disturbia was purchased by me. HK Girl was gifted to me. I don’t benefit from clicking the link on this post.

Linda Johansen Nail Candy – Demoiselle

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After the crazy pirate/skull nails i decided to go nude. This is my first Linda Johansen Nail Candy polish, Demoiselle. Creamy nude creme. Good quality and application. I applied two normal coats. This works great on it’s own but I think it would be even better as a base for nail art :)

For this manicure I used two coats of Demoiselle and HK Girl top coat (This is also now available on Norway Nails).

Linda Johansen Nail Candy polishes are available at Norway Nails. You can use the code “POLISHAHOLIC” to get -10% off of any purchase. Norway Nails offers a wide range of gorgeous indies and other polish brands. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

 

***Demoiselle was sent for review, HK Girl was gifted to me me. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post or use of the discount code in any way.