July 4th Nail Art with CND VINYLUX!

For once this year, I will be out celebrating the 4th of July and so I knew that I needed some rocking nails. Because I will be out of town, I wanted something with lasting power and what better nail polish to use than long lasting CND VINYLUX Weekly Polish?

I decided to go for a water marble for my test run and the results were definitely neat. I'm my own worst enemy and I have some ideas on how to improve but for now, check out what I did!

To prep, I started with clean nails and got my supplies ready.

I have my favorite polish remover, cotton pads and clean up brush for clean up, regular petroleum jelly with cotton swabs to prep my skin with, orange sticks, glass of tap water and CND VINYLUX in Rouge Red, Cream Puff and Blue Rapture. The last bottle is the CND VINYLUX Weekly Top Coat.

To start, I applied 2 thin coats of Cream Puff. Now, you can see it's a tad streaky, and possibly a 3rd coat would even this all out but I wasn't too concerned - I just wanted a base to marble on.

Then I marbled. I tried a number of variations, including not adding white, alternating white between the red and the blue, and attempting to swirl the colors completely. What transpired was a different design on each nail.

I'm not sure which nail I love the most. They all were so unique in their own way. I was really impressed with the Top Coat, as this was my first trial run with it, and my nails were dry enough to go to bed within 30 minutes. For a long lasting product like this, I expected it to take longer to dry but CND states that the top coat dries in just 8.5 minutes. 

One mistake that I made was that I didn't cap the tips of my nails. I'm at the stage where my length is too long for typing in my day job, leading to tip wear immediately. Because of my tip wear, I had to remove my design but it all works out because I'm getting a manicure before the trip so I can water marble again.  I also got some great tips on my Facebook, including to use a smaller cup and try bottled water. I look forward to marbling again VERY soon.

You can purchase CND VINYLUX for $9.90 per bottle at select salons.

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Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Paint the Town Red, White & Blue with Salon Perfect®

Can you believe that the 4th of July is NEXT WEEK. Seriously, that blows my mind.

I'm not sure what I'm doing for my nails but Salon Perfect is giving you a whole bunch of options. Get to your local Wal-Mart quickly and see what you can create! Share your manicures with me using #hellopolishgalore on Instagram!

Please enjoy the following release - all images courtesy of AII.

Soap & Paper Factory Shea Butter Hand Cream

Did the hard winter wreck havoc on your hands? It definitely did for me and so I've been looking at all kinds of new products to help take my hands back to their soft self.

Soap & Paper Factory Shea Butter Hand Cream in Bouquet ($18, 2.3 oz.) is a beautifully scented hand cream, loaded with the finest oils available in nature. Carefully selected, these oils will sooth and protect, leaving your skin feeling silky and bursting with vitality. Soap & Paper Factory’s Hand Creams are free of parabens, phthalates, and petroleum.

Available at http://www.soapandpaperfactory.com/

What are you using to soften your hands? Share with me in the comments!

Barielle Cream 'N Sugar

Press Sample 
If you work in an office setting, you may be quite limited on your polish choices. Thankfully, my boss allows me to wear any polish I'd prefer but if I ever got stuck in a stuffy place, Barielle Cream 'N Sugar is a perfect pink nude for the occasion. This is from Barielle's "Velvets" Collection.

I used a base of Cult Nails Get It On, 3 coats of polish and finished it with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. I had hoped this was a creme like the name implies, but instead, I'm just calling this "holy sheer". Barielle calls it a "sheer soft beige" but either I don't know what beige is, or they don't.

I was pretty determined to make this opaque in three coats so this is a bit of a thick coated three but it still dried well with my top coat, so I'm calling it a win. You can see that it's almost a good mannequin hands polish for me.

In the shade, you can really see how sheer it is. I have VNL (visible nail line) on all nails. I don't know how this would fair for someone with stained nails, so if you're stained you may want to proceed with caution.

Indoors with some indirect sunlight. You have no idea how happy I am to have my new door and screen storm door so I can bring you photos like these. It's a little scary posting my hands all close up but I do my best to make them pretty. I don't Photoshop out my cuticles or any cuts, although I know that's a popular thing to do. Nothing against those bloggers, I just don't have time for that. Dat.

Overall this is a pretty office nude but too sheer for me to want to grab regularly. I would like to try it in a jelly sandwich (layering a glitter between sheer layers of polish) but that will have to wait for another day.

Barielle retails for $8/bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Father's Day Gifts

Press Sample 

I am habitually late. The only thing I was on time for was my own birth, and that's only because the doctor pulled me a month early. Otherwise, I'm a lost cause.  There are some things I'll be on time for - massages... I was on time for my wedding... dessert. Anyway.
I was a bit at a loss at what to get Mr. PG for Father's Day. Being a beauty blogger, you'd think I'd have some idea. It was through blogging that I learned about a sake-infused shave cream that Mr. PG was pretty obsessed with for a year. 
When I got this fantastic package in the mail last month, I was excited to give it to him for Father's Day. Instead, however, he saw it and ran away with it. Literally.
First off, it came in a camo toiletry bag "Chapter" by Herschel Supply Company. Mr. PG is former Navy, current Navy Reserves, so if it's camo, it's his. He didn't even wait to look inside and just "Ooh mine!" Now he knows how I feel when I see polish. You can get one at Nordstrom here.
Inside was this awesome treasure trove of items. Now, yes, Father's Day was yesterday, but if you're like me either you didn't get your gift out on time OR (and I swear this isn't my fault) if you're like Amazon, you didn't mail my gift out to my father-in-law. Do you see the side eye I'm giving you? (True story, I purchased through Amazon on the 10th with 2-day shipping, and it still hasn't arrived.)
SO don't wait any longer and go search for the following items to make the father in your life feel and smell good. It's so much better than another tie.

American Crew Alternator is a styling and finishing spray that uses polymer based technology for all-day control while allowing the hair to remain flexible for styling and adjusting. The unique formulation of Alternator enables men to reshape their style and control their image. Unlike gels that can dry crunchy or tacky, Alternator is a pliable product that does not dry hard. Alternator provides a natural look with medium hold and medium shine. Suitable for everyday use and washes out easily. 3.3oz/100ml: $14.95 

American Crew Post-Shave Cooling Lotion is a dual-action formula that works as a lightweight moisturizer and calming aftershave. A blend of extracts promotes healing and healthy, balanced skin, while essential fatty acids help regulate sebum production. Active minerals inhibit inflammation and soothe the skin post-shave. Antioxidants in Post-Shave Cooling Lotion work to provide a barrier for skin against environmental stressors such as pollution and harsh winds. Post-Shave Cooling Lotion works well for all skin and beard types. Suitable for everyday use. 4.2oz/125ml: $9.95

CND Cucumber Heel Therapy is an intense, refreshing moisturizing complex to help heal and repair dry, cracked skin on heels, as well as knees, elbows and other areas prone to roughness. Thoroughly rub a dime-sized amount into the heels and other areas that are in need of intense moisture.  2.6 oz jar (US$15.50/Canada $18.80) or 15 oz jar (US $45.50/Canada $54.90)

SOLAROIL™ A “Manicure-In-A-Bottle.” A cuticle and nail oil made from an exclusive blend of four naturally light oils which penetrate the skin’s pores while sealing in valuable moisture. Massage into nail and cuticle area daily. SolarOil™ can also be applied directly to rough skin on knees, elbows and feet or poured into a hot bath for all-over body moisturizing. 1/4 oz. bottle (US $7.00/Canada $9.10) or 1/2 oz. bottle (US $11.00/Canada $14.30).

Thanks again to the lovely ladies at Rpr who helped hook me up for Father's Day. Mr PG thanks you too!

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.