Press Sample
Happy Monday! As I said last week, I started a new job today. I will be closer to home and my hours are different so I'm hoping that means lots more time for blogging! I have missed showing you what I'm wearing, and it helps me learn what I like and what I don't. This falls into the latter.
Gelish MINI Mali-Blu Me Away is from the Colors of Paradise collection. I had decided one day that I wanted to wear blue polish on my semi-long nails. I normally reserve my non-traditional colors for shorter nubs but I wanted to be wild. Are you one to wear the non-traditional colors on long nails as well? Let's just say this look won't be my go to for the office.
I followed proper Gelish MINI steps for a manicure - cleanse & prep the nail. I used the Gelish MINI pH Bond which is a dehydrator followed by a thin coat of Gelish MINI Foundation (base coat). I cured that in my LED lamp, then started on the colored coat.
Gel polish is its own animal. You have to really shake, and I mean SHAKE the bottles to make sure if they have separated, that they get put all back together. I even have a craft paint machine to help me in case my hands just won't have it. However, even with shaking, this baby took three, count them THREE, coats to be opaque and even then... Yeah, I still have VNL (visible nail line). I finished with Gelish MINI Top It Off, and then used the Gelish Cleanser to take off the tacky layer.
Now, my gel application isn't perfect but I'm definitely getting better. Thin coats is where it's at, even if you want to glob that sucker on. You'll just end up with pockets of uncured gel and that's a huge issue. You can barely see the VNL here in my light box, but it's there.
Outside, my hands just looked washed out. One thing you HAVE to do after a gel manicure is use some type of oil for your hands -which I forgot. Gelish MINI kits come with a bottle of Nourish, which is an oil that soaks in fast, but I forgot to use it. Therefore, you see dry cuticles.
This last photo was after a few days of wear and with the flash inside. The color definitely looks deeper but you can still see some VNL. Additionally, I have a bit of scratching and wear across my nails because I was pretty rough on them.
So would I wear this color again? I'm not entirely sure. I may use it for a special occasion like a baby shower for a boy or maybe something with my alma mater as this is the same blue that in our school colors. But otherwise, this bottle will be collecting dust.
Gelish® MINI comes in an array of colors, applies like polish, with a twist cap and applicator, but are cured in an LED lamp for 30 seconds or in two minutes with a traditional UV lamps, just like gels. Gelish® MINI stays on the nail for up to three weeks of beautiful wear, with no chipping or peeling. Gelish MINI® soaks off completely in only 15 minutes. For more information, please visit www.gelishminis.com.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
So it's been a hot month - literally and figuratively. If you've been following my Instagram, you know that in July I was back to work full time, I went to Las Vegas for my 5th Cosmoprof North America convention, I've spent plenty of time with my Squish (who is now 3 months old) and then I got a new job! Needless to say, it's been a busy month and I have lots to show you from Cosmoprof - both mainstream booths I visited and the Cocktails and Colors 2015 Indie party that was held in the evening after the convention.
But today, I wanted to show you my new obsession. I've fallen down the rabbit hole that is Glam Polish. This Australian brand puts out SO MANY POLISHES a year and typically I need all the polish. Thankfully, they do have a USA stockist in house so I don't have to pay Australian shipping but that almost makes my wallet weep more. Let me show you the amazing WHAM! from the Knockout Collection Part 2. This is a crazy scattered silver holo that was perfectly opaque in just 2 coats. You heard me! TWO!
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. I was happy that this brushed on well because you never know with all that glitter. Thankfully, removal wasn't terrible either - just let your cotton pad sit for a moment on the nail plate before pushing down slightly and pulling it down off your nail. Don't scrub back and forth with the cotton pad... you'll just end up with glitter on your hands and possible tears in your nails. Patience is key to keep your nails looking fantastic!
I don't even know how to fully describe this color. Silver base, some holo, lots of rainbow reflection, and lots of microglitter. It's fantastic. I love it.
Here in the shade, I felt like the color pulled more gold and while it's still beautiful, you don't get the full holo in your face. It's still a great color to wear and I know I'm going to be wearing it again.
This is inside with indirect light. You can almost see a linear holo on my middle finger but flared out. Happy little holos. If you haven't checked out Glam Polish, you really need to. I just wish maybe they slowed down on the collections!
WHAM! sells for $12 but I purchased the entire collection which gave me a $10 discount (a little over $1 per bottle savings).
Glam Polish can be purchased via their website or through International Stockists. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Nothing To Disclose
Last week, 29 amazing bloggers decided to come together and decide their top 5 indie polishes. I make #30 but after a sick Squish all week and a job that doesn't allow for much blogging time, I fell behind. However, this holiday weekend let me catch up (until I snapped my SD card in my reader...)
So without any further ado, here's my top 5 indie polishes!
Digital Nails Purple Reign is a deep purple holo that is perfectly opaque in just 2 coats. The holo is ridic - just look at it! And that's with a top coat! Purchase Digital Nails here.
Girly Bits A Stripper Has Been Sleeping In My Bed is a crazy rainbow packed glitter in a gunmetal gray base. I actually used 2 coats over another indie to give myself a base to grip to. This is a thirsty glitter and needs a good top coat to cover. Purchase Girly Bits here.
Glam Polish WHOOSH! is a very light lavender holo that is opaque in just 2 coats and doesn't dull with top coat. The bottles always seem more holo that the nails to me, but there's still plenty of holo to go around. Purchase Glam Polish here.
ILNP Mega is the original silver holo from their line before they came out with Mega (L), Mega (S) and the most recent Mega (X). I just recently pulled all 4 from my boxes to play with but I only got them on a nail wheel before Squish started squealing for mommy. Check my Instagram for a short video and comparison. Purchase ILNP here.
Love, Angeline Did You Say Peppercorn?! is the combo breaker in my Top 5. It's a very muted, matte grey with blue microglitter that's only seen with a top coat, which I didn't add. I picked this color because it's a great office neutral and something that's a great palette cleanser to my holo and glitter bombs. Purchase Love, Angeline here.
And there we have it! Be sure to check out the other bloggers below!
Press Sample
Miss me? I've missed you. So since my little Squish was born, I hadn't been wearing polish because time & I didn't want to mess with chipping & that's when it hit me... Hello, Gelish.
Now, if you recall, I tried Gelish over 3 years ago and I hated it (read more here) but after careful trial and error, it's because I'm a dummy and didn't know you had to file off the top layer of gel before removal. Yeah, makes ALL the difference. That's kind of why gel tends to be professional only.
Gelish actually is a professional product but the Gelish MINI bottles are sold at Sally Beauty Supply for everyone to try. Just be smart and read all the directions first.
Also, I am obsessed with gel now because I bought The Painted Nail Steam Off system which literally steams your gel manicure off in 10 minutes or less. I will never soak again.
Back to the polish.
So I randomly picked out of my box and came up with Watch Your Step, Sister! from the Cinderella collection that came out in February. I was a fan of the Morgan Taylor polish sister (read the review here) but I was shocked to see how BRIGHT the Gelish was!
Here in the sun you can see it's a tab brighter than the Morgan Taylor polish sister. I'm still learning with gel and you can see a bit of tip wear and a little bit of VNL. Also, when I was applying, I was in a rush and tried to do my entire hand at once (instead of 4 fingers and the two thumbs separately) so I had pulling issues on both my pinkie (shown) and my thumb (which I'm hiding). Again, READ THE DIRECTIONS.
I wore this manicure for almost an entire week before removing - after about 6 days, I tend to get a little pulling up at the cuticles from new growth which gets caught in my hair when showering.
Gel is a great alternative for those who don't have the time (or energy) to keep up with regular polish. I go back to work tomorrow (and my Squish starts day care) so I'm going to see how I'm able to keep up with everything.
ALSO I will be attending Cosmoprof North America next month for one day only so I will be trying to squeeze in all the important sights. Be sure to follow my Instagram for the latest.
Gelish® MINI comes in an array of colors, applies like polish, with a twist cap and applicator, but are cured in an LED lamp for 30 seconds or in two minutes with a traditional UV lamps, just like gels. Gelish® MINI stays on the nail for up to three weeks of beautiful wear, with no chipping or peeling. Gelish MINI® soaks off completely in only 15 minutes. For more information, please visit www.gelishminis.com.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Fall already? In the nail world, you have to be on top of the newest collections and CND just announced their Fall 2015 Contradictions Collections.
6 New Shellac Shades
8 New Vinylux Shades
