I have been following ella + mila since I met them at Cosmoprof North America back in 2015, and wow, how they have bloomed! Recently, I got a little care package in the mail with some great colors that I can't wait to show you but what I really needed was their nail and body care that was included!
If you've been watching my Instagram, you know that in April, I started going to a new salon that uses hard gel under the gel polish. I had never used hard gel before, and while I loved how durable it made my nails, it also made it where I couldn't remove my gel polish easily with my Steam Off machine.
I was going every 2-3 weeks to get a fill, but I missed being able to wear my own polish, so in early July, I made the ill-fated decision to remove my hard gel on my own. Now, you can safely remove hard gel if you have the right tools and patience, which I had neither. Long story short, I tried to file off some of the hard gel and ended up really damaging them. In the past 4 weeks, they have grown out quite a bit but are peeling and splitting when they get past my fingertips.
Back to ella + mila! Part of their body line includes Smooth Squad, a moisturizing cream that is non-greasy, hydrating, vegan, and high in antioxidants. It is also soy-free, wheat/gluten-free, paraben-free, and dairy-free which is a great alternative to so many currently available products. I'm currently being tested for celiac disease and have two recently diagnosed family members, so gluten products are starting to make a difference in my household.
I received the non-scented version, but ella + mila also sells a lavender-scented version. As you can see, the cream is thick so you can easily apply it and rubs it in quickly without feeling greasy or oily. I've also been using it on my tattoos to keep them looking bright and moisturized. The 3.3 oz bottle sells for $12 on their website and can also be found in their retail locations.
The other item that I've been using a lot of is the Soften Me Up cuticle oil pen in the scent Lavender. This 4.0 ml travel-friendly pen retails for $14 on their website. You twist the bottle of the pen 2-4 times to distribute the product to the tip, which is firm for accurate placement on your cuticles. As you can see, my nails have been in some rough shape.
I do previously own ella + mila Cover Your Bases, which is a ridge-filling base coat, so maybe I'll try and get some colors swatched sooner... the hard line where the nails were damaged can be distracting in swatch photos and I can't keep polish on more than a couple of days because of the splitting but that way you can see some of these really beautiful colors!
ella + mila may be purchased on their website or in cvs, Walgreens and Target stores. Join them on social media: Like on Facebook, Follow on Instagram, Follow on Twitter, Subscribe on YouTube and Follow on Pinterest!
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
