Mani Review - Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

As a die hard nail polish girl, it may be hard to believe but I never jumped on the gel manicure bandwagon. I didn't even consider it as a wedding option. Back in the 90's I tried artificial nails. The process destroyed my nails and made them thin, lifeless and they peeled. I worked hard to get them back to a healthy state. I shunned getting a gel manicure for this reason and also the fact that I get bored with my nail polish color and like to change it often. Sometimes however, I need my polish to last through the work week. Several polish companies have released at home gel manicure sets but you still needed a light and they were difficult to remove. I wasn't on board yet. Then Revlon and Sally Hansen released no light gel manicure lines. You all know I'm a huge fan of Revlon. I decided to try the Sally Hansen version, since it was getting rave reviews.

I chose Camo Queen, I loved the idea of a light olive green polish and it was a perfect neutral for me. I got great coverage in just two coats. I could have gone with one but I always apply thin coats to speed the drying process. This was a late night polish job and I was worried I'd made a huge mistake. You know those times when you do a late night polish job and wake up with sheet marks on your freshly painted nails? Yep, that's usually me. Well, it didn't happen this time! The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel dried incredibly fast. It was still a little tacky when I went to bed. I was worried. The photo above is the next morning and it looked great. Now the real test. How long would it last?

Day 7 - My first chip.

Day 8 - Left hand

Day 8 - Right Hand

 I tried to wait as long as possible. I got my first chip on day 7. Then I did the dishes. For me that's the real test. I'm not big on wearing gloves to do dishes. I threw caution to the wind. The results are above. I have to say though, a week isn't bad. A manicure that lasts a week is a win. I'm betting it might have lasted even longer if I had added a coat of clear polish mid week but I wanted to give it a full and honest test.

The polish is on the more expensive side of drugstore polish ($8.99 per bottle and the drugstores near me). You can find combo packs that contain one bottle of polish (in a color) and one bottle of top coat for about $15.99. It's a bargain compared to the cost of a salon gel manicure. Plus, it won't destroy your nails and you can remove it with regular nail polish remover. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish comes in 47 shades. I think it's great and will be trying some other colors. My next trial will be testing out regular polish with the Miracle Gel top coat. Stay tuned.


Note: The opinions in this post are my own. I was not provided any compensation or product by Sally Hansen. I purchased these products to test them out and share my results with all of you.

White Polish - Plain or Art?

White nail polish is a hot trend right now. Frankly, I'm not sure if I like it or not. I'm planning a little mani tonight to try out the trend but I thought I'd get your input.  Do you like your white polish, plain, with art, or not at all? Here are some designs for thought.



Click the photos abover for more details.

 

I thought I'd try plain first and then go for a few other options.  I'd love to add glitter, or a simple design or work using my trusty Sharpies. I coulsd also try out some fun designs using my new dotting tools or striping tape.

What do you think I should try first?

Blue and Gray with some 4th

This week we celebrate the 237th birthday of our country.  In the midst of all of the hot dogs, beer, potato salad, fireworks and fun, many times we forget what we are truly celebrating. The freedoms we enjoy in the United States were won by people who sacrificed so much and also by those who continue to sacrifice. This week also marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. The Civil War was a dark time in American history. I grew up in the south and my mom and lots of my family live very close to Appomattox, Virginia.  I was raised on Civil War stories. If the war had ended differently, we would not be living in the same country we live in today. We would likely not be living in the United States of America.  During this week, I will pause to think of those who built our country. Those who fought hard to give us all the life and freedom we enjoy today. Now enough of a history lesson and onto a little fashion in the form of a manicure.

essie Stroke of Brilliance, Maybelline Color Show Audacious Asphalt

I wore this version over the weekend and early in the work week.

Using my Martha Stewart glue pen, I drew two lines on my ring finger nails.

Then I sprinkled the nails with red glitter, cleaned up each nail and added a top coat.

The finished mani for my 4th of July fun.

If you've been following Real Girl Runway on Google Reader, you can keep following on bloglovin'.

Just click on this link and start following. http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/1672084/real-girl-runway

Needing Some Sparkle

With a few exceptions (down trees, limbs, debris, power outages and a little flooding), most of us in the DC area weathered Sandy pretty well.  My thoughts are with my friends and family in the New York and New Jersey areas hardest hit by the storm.  I know this is a difficult time for all of you. Our pre-storm prep of tying down our deck furniture and bringing things into the garage gave me some peace of mind. Due to my job, I didn't even get a day off to do fun crafts or projects. On Monday night I took some Me time and did a mani and read a fashion magazine. Sparkle was in order due to the dreary weather.

I decided on a sparkly french mani.  I used one coat of essie ballet slippers as my base and then added essie luxeffects in a cut above for the tips and accent nail. I finished with two coats of top coat.  I used Revlon Colorstay base coat and top coat.

I love the sheer pink, almost bare nails with the sparkly pink tips.  The accent nail is just an added bonus. This mani definitely brightened my day and it was so easy to do.  No taping required. The jagged edge of the glitter gives it a pretty randomness.

If you were affected by Sandy, what did you do to make yourself smile?

Nail Stamping - My Try

For a long time I've been looking at photos and blogs that feature nail stamping. I've wanted to try the technique but what if it's not for me?  The thought of spending a ton on tools that I didn't use wasn't appealing.  Amazon sells bundles of plates and kits from a company called Konad.  They are the premier nails stamping company.  The least expensive kits sell for around $13.  Then I saw a Salon Express kit at CVS and it was only $9.99.  

My First Attempt

The kit came with 5 plates, a plate holder, a double ended stamper and a scraper. The directions in the kit weren't great. Enter my fellow bloggers.  I did a search for nail stamping tutorials.  I found lots of great tips on blogs like Nouveau Cheap, Nailcicles, and Swatch and Learn.  Because of their tutorials and tips, I didn't have as many errors as I thought I might. I followed their suggestions for tools and set up and lots of other tips.

My impatience got the best of me. I was so excited to open the kit that I didn't think to get a photo before I opened it and pulled everything out.  This is the package and as I mentioned, I got it at CVS.  The list price was $9.99. The beauty of CVS is that I could use Extra Care Bucks for this purchase and I only paid $1.99 for it!

To stamp I also needed polish remover, a nail file, cotton pads, paper towels, a old gift card and something to use as a table cover (newspaper).  I also should have used some plain white paper to test stamp.  I didn't do that but I will in the future.

I didn't love the whole nail plates that came in the kit.  Also, I think that I need more practice and better color combinations to make them look great.  The fan design I tried first looked okay but I didn't love it enough to do every nail.  The designs I like best a small and allow lots of the base color to show through. I've heard that the kits sold at Sally Beauty and Rite Aid come with different plates.  I might get one of those.

The nail polish you use is a key factor.  It doesn't have to be expensive or a specific type but it needs to be thicker that most polishes. Trying them out is important.  That's where the paper comes in handy. 

Base color - Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and Heart - Essie in Foot Loose

I decided to just do one accent nail instead of my whole hand. I like the single heart. It's pretty.

Best Tips from Bloggers

• Set up your area and supplies before you start stamping. 
• Paint your base color and then a clear top coat.  If you make a mistake you can clean off your nail with a quick swipe and you won't mess up your base color. 
• Buff your stamper with a fine grained nail file before you stamp. Just a few strokes.  It will help the polish adhere better.
• Use nail polish that is thick.  You can use special stamping polish, older polish or polish with a thicker consistency.
• Use a plastic scraper or an old credit or gift card.  It will keep you from scratching your image plate and give you a cleaner swipe.Which leads to a cleaner stamp on your nail. Test out the pressure you use. This will take practice.
• When pulling the design from the plate, stamp straight down onto the plate and use firm pressure.
• When stamping onto your nail, use a rolling motion to transfer the design.
• Let your design(s) dry for a while before painting a top coat.
• Only do one stroke of top coat over each design area.  This will create a shield but will help keep the design from smearing.
• After the first layer of top coat dries, you can add another. 

The results were good and I'd like to try other designs.  I will definitely be doing more stamping in the future.  I'll be trying other color combos and getting some other plates.

Have you tried nail stamping before?  If you haven't, will you?

Inspiration - This Week's Pinspiration

You all know my love of Pinterest. It's been a great tool for wedding planning and I collect everything from style ideas to recipes on the site. For years I've torn pages out of magazines and shoved them in a folder. The favorites link on my Internet browser could use its own Dewey Decimal system. I save ideas, sites, thoughts and everything that inspires me. Pinterest is a dream come true. I thought I'd share with you, some of my latest inspiration.

Five fashion editors wore the same rock t-shirt, five different ways. I love the way it shows individual style but you all know I love mixing rock t-shirts all sorts of ways.

Great tip on accenting your eyes.  I love the step by step that you could use with any eye color and liner.

Cherry lime popsicles made fresh from real fruit.  These scream summer to me. I definitely need to make them pronto!

Four easy braided hairstyles.  With this crazy hot weather and my struggle to keep from cutting my hair off, I've been loving braids lately.

What's not to love about an ombre glitter manicure?  It's already on my list of, must try, manis this summer. The color options are endless.

This outfit is simple, fun and a great way to try neon without looking like an 80's flashback. Did I mention that I used to own a neon ski jacket?  Mixing neon with neutrals is a perfect way to try the trend.

This saying spoke to me as soon as I saw it.  I've been in relationships and had supposed friends who dulled my sparkle but not anymore.  Growing as a person has taught me to never let anyone dull my sparkle.

Do you have a Pinterest account?  If you don't, be sure to request an account. It's fun and a great way to collect your ideas.  Once you have an account don't forget to show me some love and follow me.  I'm in the process of  following all of you lovely folks who are following me.

M is for Makeup and Monday

It's supposed to rain for the entire week here in DC.  I guess I can't complain since we had a beautiful weekend and it's supposed to be beautiful next weekend.  Rain really makes me feel blah so I'm going to try to boost my mood this week with some fun and color.  Today I thought I'd share with you some of my new favorite products.

I've made my love of the (fairly) new Revlon ColorStay Longwear nail enamel well known. It's truly the longest wearing nail polish I have ever found. I love the colors they have. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a nail polish slut and I need more options than just those provided in this line.  I have however, been using the base and the top coat with all of my nail polish and it helps them all last almost as long as the Revlon Colorstay nail colors.  It's amazing!  Right now CVS is selling this polish for $4.99 and you will get $3 in CVS Extra Care Bucks with your first bottle.  It's like getting the polish for $1.99!  If you can find an in store tear pad coupon then it will cost just 99 cents! If you don't live in the DC area, check your local ad for details.

Since I've been wearing Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Makeup, I've had lots of people ask me about my makeup.  I need a little extra coverage to even my skin tone as I've gotten a little older.  But I hate foundation that feels thick and heavy, especially as the weather gets warmer.  It's so light and still covers amazingly well. It gives my skin a pretty finish and I only use a grape size amount. I apply it with a brush.  I got this amazing foundation through a huge deal, using two coupons and also got ECBs back. 

I've been using the Revlon Photoready foundation with L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer. I don't use it as an all over primer because I like it more as a highlighter.  I put a tiny drop on my finger and blend it on my upper cheek bone and above my brow.  It gives my skin a pretty glow without looking sparkly.
 

From top:  Show Me Some Skin and Jewelry Heist

Jewelry Heist over Show Me Some Skin - LOVE this combo

Back in the winter, Wet 'n Wild came out with a new line of polishes called Spoiled.  They are sold exclusively at CVS for $1.99.  For inexpensive polishes they are good quality and come in an amazing color selection (link to the selection on vampyvarnish.com).  CVS has had quite a few sales recently (Buy Two get One Free and 99 cents each, on different weeks).  I've tried out several colors and I'm loving them for the quality and price. When I apply them along with the Revlon ColorStay base and top coats, they have great staying power. Without Revlon, they tend to last about the same time as the average polish.

Those are just a few of my new favorites.  Which products are you loving right now?

Have you ever thrown a fistfull of glitter in the air?

You know I'm loving pastels this season. Revlon ColorStay nail polish in Provence is the perfect lavender color.  Of course I had to add a little glitter.  Two coats of Provence, one coat of Essie luxe effects in Pure Perfection on every nail, except my ring finger and one thick coat of Ulta polish in Starstruck. Of course I followed with Revlon ColorStay top coat.

 

The title of this post is a line from the song "Glitter In the Air" by Pink.

Inspiration - Manicures for a Monday

Lately, I've really enjoyed playing with neutral bases and glitter in my manicures.  My cousin and I even had a fun girl's night recently with our glitter manis.  We drank wine, created our own glitter mani's and watched The Bachelor.  It was fantastic!  I'm still in love with Revlon ColorStay Longwear nail enamel and I've been adding glitter to their neutrals. A few weeks ago I tried Bones as my base with Nicole by OPI glitter tips.

This week I tried Stormy Night, covered about half of each nail with Essie Luxe Effects in Pure Perfection and then added Spoiled, I Have No Reception to the tips.

These nails, from my Pinterest boards were my inspiration. To get the details for each of these manis, go to my page and click on the picture.

My own glitter inspired mani turned out like this...

left to right - Revlon ColorStay  Stormy Night, essie luxe effects Pure Perfection, Wet n Wild Spoiled I Have No Reception

Finished Product - Fun but neutral enough to pass at work!

Mani That Lasts - Revlon ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel

It's fun to go to the salon and be pampered.  Getting a mani is great.  Sadly for me, no matter what I do, they never seem to last more than a few days. Also, I'm one of those nutty girls who really loves to paint her nails. I have since one of my babysitters first painted my nails when I was a little girl. It's fun for me.  Sitting there watching a trashy TV show or reading a fashion magazine and painting my nails is wonderfully zen for me.

I've tried so many ways to make my manis last.  So far, the only thing that has come close to extending the life of my polish is Seche Vite top coat. It does a good job but even that great product doesn't extend it past four or five days. When I heard about Revlon ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel I admit, I was skeptical.  Revlon claims that the manicure will last 11 days if you wear it with the base and top coats. I decided to test it out.

 
I purchased four bottles during a buy one get one 50% sale at Walgreens and I used a $1 coupon on each bottle.  My grand total was $19.94 for base coat, top coat, Stiletto (black) and Stormy Night (dark gray). If I was truly going to test this product, I wanted a color that would show every chip and all of the wear.  I chose Stiletto.  I love black polish but it never lasts for me. It starts to look crummy after a couple days.

Day 2

Day 5

Day 8

 

 

 

Day 10 left hand

Day 10 right hand

I decided not to reapply the top coat at all during the test.  After five days you can see some wear at the tips. At day eight I got a tiny chip on my left hand pinky.  It's on the outside and you can barely see it. Today is day ten.  You can see the growth at my cuticles and I got one major chip on my right index finger, earlier today. 

I'm beyond thrilled with the result of this polish. The application was easy, just like any regular polish.  It covers well, in only two coats. As you can see the shine lasted the full ten days. I don't know how the polish would wear without the base and top coat but even if you have to pay full price, it's worth every penny. At around $24 (full price) for base coat, a color polish and top coat it's a bargain! But I've been able to find sales and coupons for all of my purchases so far.

I highly recommend getting some for yourself. In fact, I bought three new colors today.  That's how much I love this polish. It comes in thirty colors, so there's something for everyone.

This is my personal review.  I wasn't compensated by Revlon.  It's my honest opinion and the photos have not been altered.

Wear the Trend - Orange You Lovely!

A month or so ago, Pantone issued their Spring 2012 fashion trend colors. The top color is Pantone color 17-1463, Tangerine Tango.  I love me some orange, whether it's peach, tangerine, salmon, or coral. Any color that has those orangey hues works for me.  I know you all don't feel that way but I'm here to tell you that anyone can rock orange. Even if you don't want to wear a top, pants or skirt in orange, you can incorporate it into your wardrobe.

Essie polish in Too Too Hot (no longer available)

Beach outfit, including orangey tank

There are so many easy way to incorporate orange into your wardrobe. If you aren't ready for a full outfit, you can try accessories like a bag or shoes. Try just one piece like a simple tee, even a cardigan.

Orange You Lovely by realgirlrunway featuring collezio watches

You can even go for orange lips, if you have the skin tone or orange nails.

Mary Kay Lip Color - Nourishine Lip Gloss in Mango Tango and Creme Lipstick in Sunny Citrus

Essie polish in Meet Me at Sunset

No matter what you chose, have fun with it!! You can wear the trend. Just make it work for you.