Dermelect Cosmeceuticals Launchpad Review

This review is so late, it's ridiculous. I have been using this basecoat for at least 3 months now, I guess I am typing this now because I wanted to make sure I had a solid opinion on how this stuff performs (for me- everything works different on everyone).

This is how much I have used over the past three months:

As you can see, I have used a good amount. When I first tried this, I didn't like how it worked. It seemed that my polish chipped very quickly, like after a day. Then I decided to start using 2 coats of this basecoat before applying my color. And it was a miracle! My nail polish stayed on for about a week (with some tipwear but minimal chipping)! I was in love! I am in love!

The below pictures looks like they should be reversed, but these were my nails before:

(nekkid nails)

These are my nails now:

This was right after I filed them. Now, I like my nails short-I mean as short as I can get them. This basecoat kept my nails from chipping my color for a looooong time and it kept them from peeling and cracks. Which is what it claims to do:

· hydrates and strengthens nails

· resists chipping & splitting

· increases flexibility

 above from dermelect.com

I think the last pic really shows my nails yellow at the tips, but IRL they don't look like that. Besides, I never have my nails nekkid that long to actually show anyone--besides you guys!

Have you tried any Dermelect products? I am interested in trying their High Maintenance Instant Nail Thickener, has anyone tried it? I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Thanks for looking!

(this product was sent to me for review)

CND Oil Slick + Sapphire Sparkle

Here I have Oilslick + Sapphire Sparkle from the Colour + Effects Collection. Let me say that I LOVE the rubberized cap on these. They are so easy to unscrew! Especially when your nails are wet.

Oilslick is an inky blacken green. Very pretty very opaque in 2 coats and super shiny!

I did one layer of Sapphire Sparkle on all my nails except the ring finger I did a tip. As you can see so beautiful either way! Sapphire Sparkle has blue and purple tiny sparkles in a sheer base.

So beautiful!

Unfortunately this was after a day and a half of wear :(

Granted wear shows a lot more on darker colors and I didn't use a CND base coat, so that could be to blame.

Still a beautiful color!

Have any of you tried any of the Colour + Effects collections?

Thanks for looking!


*this product was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

The 2 last Mood Struck Polishes

Here are the last 2 Mood Struck Polishes I picked up at Meijer. And if you don't have a Meijer nearby you can buy a couple of these polishes here.

The first is a silver to pink color. I thought that this would be a pink version of this one, but the base color ended up being nothing like the bottle color! It's a silver shimmer with glitter. Here are pics w/o topcoat. I took a lot because this is a really pretty color!

This is my new cocktail ring that I got through Etsy here. But it turns my finger green :(  I tried the clear nail polish trick, but it just chips off.

Cold water

Here's the light orange to darker orange one:

Sorry about the middle finger. This dries kinda like those new vinyl Orlys.

I wanted to show this with topcoat as well, but below is the second day after applying topcoat and it chipped like crazy! 
The only different thing I used was a really old bottle of OPI Chip Skip (like 10 years old!)

A lot of the polish cracked on my nails and flaked off.

These polishes aren't the best for wear so I'm not so sure it was the Chip Skip.

The silver/pink one chipped after 3 days with topcoat.

Thanks for looking!

BB Couture for Nails Review & Giveaway!

A little while back I was sent 2 BB Couture polishes to review from the wonderful Kim @ Overall Beauty. She sent me Lovebug (a sheer jelly pink with silver glitter) and Fairytale (a deep frosty blue).

Junebug was really sheer (this is 4 coats) but it would be great layered over a nice pink!

Fairytale is a fantastic blue that goes on really opaque. (This is 2 coats!)

BB Couture claims that this is a 4 in 1 formula:

'Our exclusive all-inclusive long wearing 4 in 1 formula was 10 years in the making. We started with a fast drying high gloss nail color, enriched it with natural pearl and extra pigment for more vibrant colors. Then we added basecoat, strengtheners and topcoat.' ~BB Couture site

So of course I had to test the wear. I applied 2 coats without a basecoat or topcoat and wore this polish for 5 days! Here is the fifth day:

Not too bad for 5 days!

I had actually worn it for 6 days because I was a bit lazy and there was a chip on my pinky. But 5 days no b/c or t/c is incredible! And it DID NOT stain my nails!

OK, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Kim has generously offered to send one of my readers their very own Fairytale (since it is such a great color and a staple for any polish lover's collection) AND one color of your choice from the BB Couture collection @ Overall Beauty.

To participate in this giveaway, you must be a reader through Google Friend Connect, if you aren't click 'Follow' in the right column. Fill in the box below with the name that you follow me with (I will be checking), your e-mail, and the color that you would choose from Overall Beauty. Click HERE to pick out ONE polish.

OPEN TO ALL!!


Good Luck!!


*I was sent these polishes in exchange for an honest review.

A Beautiful Life Review

A while back I was sent 2 nail polishes and a soy nail polish remover from A Beautiful Life to review.

The first I tried was Frosh, a medium pink with a purple flash. This one went on a bit thick and I tried to use drying drops with a topcoat and this is what happened:

The tips shrunk a lot and the polish pulled inwards. That gouge on my thumb is from my little 7 month old brother-in-law about an hour after I applied the drying drops. So I started again...

This is how my nails look after I use the remover. I do like how it left them very moisturized and almost like I had just used cuticle oil. It did take a bit more of rubbing than regular acetone remover, but I can deal with that. A good handwashing is needed before applying your basecoat.

Here is my second attempt. 3 coats with drying time in between coats, no topcoat.

A lovely color.

This took forever to dry and I got many many dents and smudges from waiting. I miss my drying drops! :(

This is about 4 days of wear. Not horrible but I can't look past all the dents and smudges.

Next up is Envy..A vampy green with gold shimmer. At first glance this reminded me of Diamond Cosmetics Not So Ever-Green. I do not own this polish so I can't do a comparison, this is just speculation. I also can't comment on DC formula as I have not used any of their polishes either.

This is 3 coats and this went on a lot better than Frosh. Definitely not as thick.

This is after 3 days of wear. I try to test the wear of np's b/c there are a lot of us girls out there that don't/can't polish our nails every other day.

This hand had a regular drying topcoat on it.

This hand did not.

Mind you I washed three dogs about 2 days prior to this. So this polish held up pretty well.

The polishes are available for $12 each and the remover is $20 here.

Thanks for looking!

*This was sent to me from the company in exchange for an honest review.

NOTD: St. Patty's Day! Green Ocean over Carribean Frost

**EDIT: BTW let me know how this layout works for you. I changed it from yesterday b/c it was too hard to see. I wanted to be able to see what I have behind my tables, so I made it a little transparent. Let me know in the comments. TIA***

Here we are, Ladies. This is two coats of Wet 'N Wild Carribean Frost, which went on smoothly. Then another two coats of Sinful Colors Green Ocean, then a topcoat.

I'm not too crazy on the close-up appearance of it, but from far away it is stunning.
All of the following pics are taken in sunlight.

Close-up it looks choppy and like it has gouges, which it doesn't. That's just the Green Ocean, it has some big chunks in there.

There was a good amount of tip wear and chipping. Which might be from the Wet 'N Wild or the fact that there are too many coats? Not too sure.

Anyways...Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Is anyone going to have some green beer tonight? I know I'm not, :(

NOTD: Sephora Blue Sapphire and Nfu-Oh #52

Since Scrangie and Flavia at Similiar Attraction both reviewed Sephora's Blue Sapphire, I felt I should as well! I did agree that the bottle is teeny-tiny:

as well as the brush. The polish is a dark blue jelly silver sparkles. The formula wasn't the best, it had some dragging to it. I didn't really experience the tip-wear that the other girls did, that's probably because I layered it with Nfu-Oh #52 (scroll down to see the pics!) The color was very pigmented and it only took 2 coats. I'll stop taking, here are the pics! This is preclean-up all taken in Lamp Light.

Then since my Nfu-Oh order came in, I decided to add #52 to it.

I really like #52! It has a sheer base of a dark blue with green flakies! I love Nfu-Oh's more than I ever thought I would!

What do you think, Ladies?