Splitting and peeling nails: my rescue product

Hi lovelies!

I often read questions on the internet on how to cure or prevent splitting and peeling nails. I finally found something that works almost instantly! My Cinderella hand had been splitting and peeling forever and I had tried EVERYTHING! Eventually I tried Herôme "Nail Growth Explosion", in an effort to speed up the nail growth process. And to my surprise, the peeling stopped! Let's dive into that a bit more:

Ms. Sparkle Lotion Bars

Hello lovelies!

The lovely Simone of Ms. Sparkle indie polish will soon present a new addition to her range of nail polish and nail art products: lotion bars!

Essence Nail Care Pen

Hi lovelies!

Today I want to show you a super budget-proof nail care solution, that also happens to be very easy to use! It is Essence's Nail Care Pen:

The pen contains vitamin A & E, ginko extract, jojoba, almond and avocado oil that is all easily applied by just "drawing" with it on the nails and cuticles. I also put some underneath my nail tips. 

It hydrates the cuticles and nails and where my nails looked dry and brittle before, after using this and letting it soak in for an hour, they started to look  happy again. I just wiped it off after that and went on with the day. Now, at the end of it, my nails still look healthy and I have been washing my hands a lot.

Here, an hour after application, one can see that my cuticles have absorbed a lot and the youngest part of my nail bed has soaked up the goodness as well:

And because of the easy, no-spill application, it is very appropriate for traveling, using at work (I do that a lot), or just a quick "oh gosh look at my cuticles, I must hydrate them!"-touch-up. Oh and it smells nice. Not too much, just a little, which is excellent, in my opinion (esp. for using at work; nobody will notice!).

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Essence Peel Off Base Coat Review - Ideal For Glitter Nail Polish!

Hello!! 

Today I have something brilliant for you glitter polish lovers: Essence's Peel Off Base Coat. I already showed a trick with aluminium foil, but this trick is even better. Let's see it in action!

First apply a nice and thick coat of the base coat on a naked nail. It starts out as an opaque white goo and you want it to dry until it is completely transparent. Here you see it half-way the drying process (top finger coat has dried completely and is transparent; bottom two fingers are still half opaque):

After it has dried completely, you apply your nail polish. I used Golden Rose Jolly Jewels no. 113, as shown in yesterday's Swatch-It Sunday. It kept for 2 days, not bad! Then it started to chip and I started peeling:

After you're done peeling, there will be some residue: 

You can easily remove this with nail polish remover. So in the end all you're left with is this: 

Conclusion: the Peel Off Base Coat works very well. It is very important to apply a thick coat, it will peel off much easier then. I'm super happy to have discovered this!

xoxoxo

Captain

How to remove glitter nail polish

Hey!

Here a quick post on how to remove glitter nail polish. This is always tricky business, since the glitter itself does not dissolve in remover, and acts as a shield between the remover and the underlying coat of nail polish. It seems to take forever to get it off. Here is an easy way to speed up the process. I read it somewhere ages ago and I don't remember where. You need:

1. cotton balls or cotton pads

2. aluminum foil

3. nail polish remover (acetone free is best for your health, although somewhat less effective)

First I cut aluminum foil in ten pieces of each 10 by 10 cm (4 by 4 inches). I cut 3 cotton pads in four or make a 10 pieces of cotton ball that fit well over my nails. Then I soak one piece of cotton in nail polish remover and place it firmly on my nail. I take a piece of aluminum foil and wrap it around my finger and cotton, so that it is airtight. I first do all the fingers of one hand and let it set for 5 minutes. Then one by one I take it off, scrubbing off the remaining nail polish and glitter with a clean piece of cotton and remover. Then I do the other hand. This makes it all much easier!

Hope this helps! Here some pics to show the steps:

xoxoxo

Captain

Stained nails - WHAT TO DO?

Hey lovelies!

Here a quick solution to those who suffer from stained nails, either from a specific nail polish colour, or the yellowing of the nails. You can easily take care of that yourself with some household products:

You'll need:

1 tablespoon of baking powder

a little olive oil

a few squeezes of lemon juice

an old toothbrush

Mix it in a bowl and rub it on your nails with an old toothbrush. Rinse with warm water after 5 minutes, and you're done! I would not recommend doing this too often, but every once in a while it couldn't hurt!

Take care of your nails by applying some caring nail balm or butter, to hydrate them. Use the cuticle remover to push back the cuticles and improve nail growth.

xoxoxo

Captain

Review: Essence Studio Nails Extra Moisturizing Nail Balm

Hello there! 

Today I have for you a very nice and cheap way to moisturize your nails: Essence Studio Nails Extra Moisturizing Nail Balm. Here it retails for 2 euros. It might seem like a tiny little tube of product, but since you only need very small amounts per treatment, it will last very long.

The balm contains Pro-Vitamine B5 and has a nice scent. It is very nourishing for both the nails and the cuticles. Apply tiny amounts on the nail and rub it in. Add some extra to the cuticles. It's absorbed within a few minutes (if there is some residue, just rub some more and it will be absorbed) and leaves the nails nice and healthy looking:

See how ugly my nails are? But repeatedly treating them with this does make them stronger and more flexible (so less prone to ripping and tearing). I've been using this (and these other nail products) for a couple of months and it really does make a difference!

xoxoxo

Captain

Review: Essence Nail & Cuticle Butter Stick and Cuticle Remover Gel

Hey!

Short review today: Essence's Nail & Cuticle Butter Stick and Cuticle Remover Gel. The butter stick is a nourishing and moisturizing combination of vitamin E, shea butter, lanolin and beeswax. It is easily applicable: one just smears a little on each nail and then massages it gently. It smells nice and it is not messy. I let my nails enjoy it for an hour and then washed it off, and my nails were all shiny and healthy. My cuticles looked happy too. 

Nails with the butter:

Next step:

I wanted to make my cuticles neat again and for that I've been using this product. Read the instructions carefully, this stuff should never meet your eyes. It is easily applicable and after applying one lets it soak in for a few minutes. The you can start pushing back the cuticles and removing excess skin on the nail. It does not only make the cuticles soft, it nourishes them as well. Win-win :)
The end result:

I'm really happy with the products and they are cheap! No more than 2 euros per product. Excellent :)

xoxoxo
Captain