Press Sample
If you've been reading PolishGalore for any length of time, you'll know that I'm pretty terrible when it comes to nail art. I love the look, I love the creativity, I just don't have "it" when it comes to creating half the time. That's why when I got these new UNO by Gelish MINI 1-step soak off gels, I knew that I could probably create something awesome for Memorial Day using vinyls. Let's see what happens, right?
UNO by Gelish MINI is a single-step process for DIY gel manicures. That's right, no base coat, no top coat, and no cleansing involved. Just get an LED light and your choice of over 20 colors and get to work. These durable, high-shine manicures boast a 7-10 day wear time, providing you wrap your tips, keep the gel off your cuticles, and use thin coats when applying. Please do not confuse "1 Step" with "1 Coat".
Side note: Do not use a LED lamp that has more than 18 watts. I have absolutely no idea the wattage on my LED lamp but it seemed to work fine with my nails.
First, as with any manicure (gel or not), I properly cleansed my nail, removing all my old nail polish, and making sure my cuticles were off the nail plate. Next was prepping the gel bottle - this doesn't sound like much but you do need to shake the bottle to make sure all the product is properly mixed, as gel tends to be thicker than normal polish. Then I started with one thin coat of the red creme called Traffic Stopper and cured in my LED lamp (60 seconds). Then I added a second thin coat of Traffic Stopper and cured that for 60 seconds. Next, I used the Starburst vinyl from NailVinyls and placed it about halfway on my nail before using the blue creme called Very Blueberry and cured for another 60 seconds. Afterwards, I removed the vinyl and was good to go. Very Blueberry was pigmented enough that I didn't need a second coat.
Now the only downside about using a vinyl with a 1-step gel is that there isn't a top coat to "seal" the edges of the vinyl. My vinyl didn't lift or get caught on anything but at the same time, my nail wasn't as smooth as the others, so I made this an accent nail only. A top coat would have smoothed everything out but that would have defeated the purpose of using UNO.
To remove, start by gently filing the surface of the gel with a 180 grit file to remove the shine (the nail should look matte), then place a cotton ball with your choice of remover on the nail and wrap with foil. There are many different products on the market to help aid you in removing your gel - I prefer the Steam Off by Katie Cazorla. You still file the surface but then you place your hand in the machine for 10 minutes and the steam created from the acetone penetrates to the polish and steams it right off. I've been using it every time I wear gel, without any issues.
The final look! I wore this to a baseball game on Sunday and it lasted me well. I did not wrap my tips and because of it, I had tip wear after Monday's chores of washing dishes and doing laundry. I will be wearing more of the colors as this month goes on as June will be really busy for us and can't wait to show you more colors!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
I have to take some photos today, and I knew I wanted a cherry red creme since the photos are for professional needs and I'm not the photographer. Now it's not that I didn't want to go with an awesome neon or a crazy holographic, but I wanted something timeless, elegant and classic. After a little hunting, I found my LVX Crimson from the 2015 Winter/Resort collection.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Love, Angeline Topped With Love top coat. My nails are a little long right now and in need of some TLC but the formula for this polish was a dream. One thing I'm learning is to just get your first coat on and don't worry so much about opacity and use a second thin coat to get your evenness.
So when I look at my nails dead on, they look fantastic. Under a little harsher of a light in my box, you can see a bit of visible nail line almost leading towards the the polish being more of a jelly instead of a creme but I'm calling it a creme. Again, this is just a pretty classic red and definitely a good staple in anyone's collection. For those who are tracking like me, this is #63 in the LVX line.
LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
I was first introduced to CND back when the colours/effects line of polish were popular with their matchy bottles. I was so sad when they were discontinued, especially Blackjack, as it was my GO TO black creme. Then Shellac came out, and next was it's middle sister, Vinylux. Today I have the "little sister" in the line, Creative Play and that amazing bottle up there is called Dazzleberry.
Creative Play is a traditional three-step nail lacquer system (base, color, top coat) that comes in over 80 colors with 10 different finishes. They are 7-free and can be purchased in select salons worldwide. Also, check with your favorite manicurist, and they may offer Creative Play as one of their in-salon services. Prices vary, so unfortunately, I cannot give out accurate pricing as of press time.
For this manicure, I started with the CND Creative Play Base Coat. The base coat is creme in color but goes on the nail clear, and give almost a matte look to the nail. Then the color. I used 3 coats of Dazzleberry. The first coat was super sheer, almost a jelly. The second coat brought out more of the glitter and base color and I ended up doing a third thin coat to make sure I had complete opacity. I finished with CND Creative Play Top Coat which does NOT appear to be a quick dry top coat, so plan accordingly. Additionally, this polish dried a little bumpy (not gritty, not textured, just not smooth as glass) so I used two coats of top coat.
CND calls this color a microglitter which is pretty accurate. The base color is a fuchsia pink/purple combination and there is different quite a bit of blue microglitter to give a shimmer effect as well as some rainbow reflecting/holographic microglitters for extra shine. Granted, you won't be able to pick up every single color from the bottle on the nail but all that added in give this polish a unique dynamic.
Overall, I'm happy that CND brought back this "type" of nail products back for people like me who don't wear their polish longer than their work week. Vinylux is great for my super busy weeks where I can't change my polish as much as I want, and Shellac is fantastic for vacation when I know I can't change my polish when I want but Creative Play is where I will play (hah) the most.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the
company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
I recently received a few Trust Fund Beauty polishes to try and I grabbed for Flirty & Dirty first. This deep dusty rose has a hint of shimmer to jazz it up. While not visible on the nail, it does give the polish an extra oomph over a creme.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Love, Angelina Topped With Love top coat. As you can semi-tell from the bottle shot, this polish has a long brush (think the old American Apparel bottles), so take the time to wipe a little extra off the brush. The formula was good, I almost got away with a one coat manicure but added a second coat to make sure I didn't have any visible nail lines before using my top coat.
I have a soft spot for dusty rose polishes. I love that they are office appropriate and almost a neutral for me but at the same time it's just very feminine and pretty. I can easily see myself grabbing for this polish over and over, no matter what the season is. It's a great palette cleanser as well against all the neons that the summer brings.
Flirty & Dirty is available for $15 on the Trust Fund Beauty website.
Trust Fund Beauty is available on their website. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
All photos courtesy of Trust Fund Beauty
I heard about Trust Fund Beauty through social media ages ago (and by ages, I mean a couple of years) when I saw their sparkly polish called Boy Tears and put it on my birthday wish list. It's still on my list, waiting to come home to me, but today I have a little more information about the line itself.
Trust Fund Beauty was created by Samara Granofsky in memory of her late mother. Her mother had cancer and went through chemo which made her nails brittle and yellow so she wanted to wear nail polish to feel better of herself. Colors were limited back then and Samara's mother wanted a cool fashion forward brand, but couldn't find one.
Years after her mother's passing in February 2014, Samara launched Trust Fund Beauty. She combined her mother's want and their joint sense of humor. Trust Fund Beauty stands out in the crowd with sensuous colors and witty, unapologetic names like "Adult Content" and "Flirty & Dirty".
On the flip side, Trust Fund Beauty is vegan, cruelty free, 10-free status (and you thought Big 3 Free was a big deal!), safe for children and pets, GMO free - really we can keep going.
But wait, Trust Fund Beauty is also about lipsticks! Oh yes.
Super moisturizing, almost matte lipstick that is 100% vegan, cruelty free, paraben free and GMO free.
So now you have your Lips and your Tips matching.
Back to the nails - Trust Fund Beauty also makes a base coat, a top coat and a non-acetone nail polish remover. They also have box sets and a subscription box available for those who want a little more out of their purchase. OH and for those makeup lovers, there is a highlighter stick that you may want to grab on your way out the door.
Trust Fund Beauty is available on their website. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
