Monday, February 27, 2012

Weekend Nails: star decals~

This is not really a tutorial but i would just like to share my weekend nail art.


There are times when i just don't feel like spending time glamming up my nails. In times like this, i just use decals. It's a sure-fire way to achieve great nails in just a matter of minutes!


I used my own franken polish that i called Confetti (thanks to my Doc Idol for the name suggestion!) as my glitter base. The glitters & flakies are not showing up but it looks beautiful in person. Walter can't stop staring at my nails because he was fascinated with the flakies..hahaha!

I have to make a post about my franken polishes some other time.

If you want to have the same decals that i use here, you can hop on over to KKcenterkh.com. You can use the coupon code BLGA124TH10 for a 10% off your purchase.

By the way, i am loving the top coat that i am using. See how shiny it looks like on the first pic?!
Yay for D Nails gel Look Top Coat!

My internet is down today. I hope that it will be ok asap. I'm just using my mom's plug-it device.
Now i'm off to the post office. I've been dying of excitement! I hope it's my spectraflair already! hahaha!

Hope you all are having a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^


ps:
Product sent as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. Buy at your own discretion.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Miss Kat AM & PM Face & Body Soap Review

 Did you remember this soap from when i visited the Noel Bazaar late last year?


I guess it's high time for me to make a review about it.

The packaging of the Miss Kat AM/PM soap is gorgeous,huh?
It's really unique by itself... 2 soaps in 1 box! The AM yellow soap is for morning use (obviously!) & the PM blue soap is for evening (of course!).


You can read my initial thoughts on THIS POST for reference.
100% natural! Yay to natural ingredients!


I've talked with Nelly who started these soaps & she said that she had personally tried each & everyone of their products. She herself suffered from acne before & understands how hard it is to deal with acne that's why she formulated her own.

What impressed me the time when we were talking is that she doesn't claim that this one soap will work for everyone.  She knows that every person's skin is different so if something doesn't work for you she could recommend another.

That's why if you are planning to try her soaps i recommend that you buy the trial pack first which consists of 5 mini soaps. It would contain the am & pm soaps, the 3 in 1, 24kgold, & the argan soap.

Anyways, on with the review...


AM Beauty Bar
Soap Idea: Clear it!Our AM beauty bar clears moderate acne and bacne and regulates dull oily skin. It dries out pimples fast that visible result can be seen in just3 days! leaving you a healthy-looking skin!
Direction: Start your day with our AM beauty bar! Lather over  face  in 1 to 2 minutes and you’re done! Visible results can be seen in just two weeks.
For first time users,do patch testing by applying small amount of product for 5-10 minutes. If no irritation occurs, continue to use the product.
Ingredients: glycerin soap base, BHA, Kojic, Calamansi, Borage Oil, Cantalope fragrance oil, black beads



This is how the AM soap looks like...
It smells sweet! What a nice way to start your day!
^_^

I feel like you could get a sugar rush just by sniffing this bar...LOL!

PM Beauty Bar
Soap Idea: Heal it! Our PM beauty bar will wash away those ugly acne marks , evens skin tone and tighten those large pores but never over dry leaving you a healthy-looking skin!
Direction:  Use PM beauty bar before bed time. Lather over  face  in 1 to 2 minutes and you’re done! Visible results can be seen in just two weeks.
For first time users,do patch testing by applying small amount of product for 5-10 minutes. If no irritation occurs, continue to use the product.
Ingredients: glycerin soap base, BHA, Kojic, Papaya,Borage Oil, lux fragrance oil, black beads
  • No artificial hardeners
  • No harmful colorants
  • No artificial bubble enhancers
  • No harmful preservatives
  • 100% BIODEGRADABLE
  • 100% VEGETABLE SOAP
  • HIGHLY MOISTURIZING



The PM soap smells nice too.
The only thing that differs with the scent is that i think this has somewhat a powdery scent compare to the AM.

Now i'll tell you about my experience...

I am sticking with what i said about how my skin can't stand kojic acids, click HERE to know why.
That's why i am most hesitant to try these 2 because it contains kojic, but it didn't sting at all! That's why i'm so glad that i can finally experience the benefit of kojic acid on my face minus the sting.  Of course this doesn't only contain kojic acid but other ingredients as well.

Now, i don't have acne anymore so i can't really attest how this product will fare for those with acne but what i can say is that the claim for 'visible results can be seen in just two weeks' could most probably be true. Why?

3 days after using this combination i felt a small bump on my jaw area. I thought at first that this product is not good because i got a zit but it just so happens that i had my monthly the day after. When i realized that it was because of hormones & not the soap itself i continued using it to see if it could stop my soon-to-be-pimple.

The next day it became a pimple but wonders! it wasn't the kind that is really red & angry-looking. It was actually just a tiny red spot so i surmised that the soap might have done its job because before they will be really red once it's already a full-blown pimple during my post-acne stage. I continued using it for a week & sure enough, it dried up within the week!

So i guess i would agree to what they claim that visible results could be seen as early as 2 weeks (but not for acne, because again, i don't acne anymore).

Now, these are things that i would just like to point out:
  • 2 soaps for a day
Personally, i find it a nuisance. I mean i've gotten used to using just 1 soap for morning,afternoon & evening washes. I wash my face every now & then. Oh please, before you go saying 'That's not how it's done,Thia. You should just wash your face 2x a day.", i'll just tell you that i know what works for my skin & i find out that i was able to stop my acne by that.

So when i have to wash my face in the afternoon i was like, 'uh, do i use the AM or PM?"
LOL! I just used the Am though, but the point is i find it a nuisance to switch soaps every wash time. But this would sit well for those who got separate products for morning & evening!
  • i don't think you can buy a separate soap
Anyway, you're supposed to use both for 1 day,ne? So i guess you'll be able to use them up both at the same time.
  • smells too sweet
At first i find the scent nice but later on i seem to have 'gotten tired' of the scent. I find the too-sweet scent to be somewhat nauseating. I have a sensitive sense of smell & i wash my face every now & then that's why but if you do not wash your face every now & then like how i do & love the scent of this then good for you.
  • doesn't lather that much
Hey, that's good! It means that it doesn't contain harsh ingredients that could strip your skin's natural moisture. But for someone who is used to/loves products that lather you might not like it.
  • this lasts forever! hahaha
OMG!
These soaps are amazing! I have used it for my body too & it's still whole! Of course i've used much but to think that i started using this december of last year & i still have 1/3 left is just simply amazing! I remember Nelly saying that it could even last for 8 months as long as you just wet your fingers then lathering it on a part of the soap. I agree! this could last for months!

These are just the things that i want you to know so that you could decide if you'll want to try this. You decide for yourself if the things that i wrote at the top would fall on the pros or cons,ok?
Let's summarize,of course:
PROS:

  • locally made with 100% natural ingredients
  • locally available
  • gorgeous packaging
  • it works!
  • it lasts for a long time (i just have to stress on this!)
CONS:
  • can only be bought online (i think?)
  • not internationally available
  • could be a bit expensive at first (it's sold for P249 per box of 2 soaps)
Will i buy it?
Nah. Since this lasts for a long time i think these 2 are enough for me.

Note: 
I stopped using this already just because i am getting nauseous with the scent but it doesn't mean that i didn't like it.

Again, i highly recommend that you buy the trial pack first so you'll know what works for you. they even have argan oil soap! I'm sure most of you know the benefits of argan oil,ne?
^_~

Make sure you visit their WEBSITE because you can get a free beauty book! How awesome is that?
You can really tell that they care for you! Kudos to Miss Kat!

Hope you all are having a great evening,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
Product presented as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. Use at your own discretion.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ebalay Nail Polish in 009 vs Orly Space Cadet

Feeling bummed out because you missed out on Orly's Space Cadet from the FX Collection way long ago?
I got news for you then!
Feast your eyes on this!


Oh, yeah!
You are seeing it right! A possible dupe for Space Cadet!
How did i get a hold of something precious like this? You can take a look at KKCenterhk.com.
They have a wide variety of this Ebalay polishes, this one is 009


Just look at how awesome it is!


See the play of colors?
It goes from a deep purple to magenta then greenish-gold glitters depending on the angle!


I'm in love!

This is a comparison with Orly's Space Cadet. Excuse the mess. I didn't realize that it would look this messy because i cleaned it before i took pictures but obviously, it wasn't enough.


My pointer & middle nails have the Ebalay, while the ring & pinkie sports the Orly.
They look almost the same except that orly has more of a teal jelly base, while Ebalay has a purple jelly but it could almost be comparable. The difference is not really that obvious in person, especially if you layer it over a black base.

Plus the best thing about it is that it's only $6.80!
That's a steal compare to Orly,ne?

If you want to order this, click on this LINK to be directed to it.
You can use this code BLGA124TH10 for a 10% off of your purchase.
^_^

I have one more Ebalay polish to share with you,ladies
Have a great day!
Jaa ne~!


ps:
Product sent as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. Buy at your own discretion.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

another franken polishes + my failed valentines nail design

 I've been so into frankening polishes lately. I guess it's because of the influence of our nail art group but it's just so fun to do it~! hahaha!

Anyway, here are 2 glitter polishes that i've made. I included the blurry photo so that you can see how the effect of the glitter is, since i found that it's easier to show the blingy effect blurred. I don't have any names for them yet.
Can you help me name them?


Please excuse the chip at the edge of the nail because i swatched this last night & wasn't able to take picture until this morning.

I used a green flaky polish together with a few drops of holo polish & also an iridescent shimmer! This is under a black base.


This one just have a hint of holo base effect together with a holo glitter polish!
Yay! I love holographics!

Since this is all nail talk, i would also like to share the first nail design that i did for this month. I find it messy & the shape of my hearts are not really equal i just didn't feel like making a tutorial but i guess i could still share it because it took me a while doing this. I just wasn't satisfied with how i traced the heart though...


If you still want me to post the tutorial for this one just tell me though i have to say that i am not comfortable with you seeing how messy the process is..
LOL!

So, give me some suggestions for my glitter polishes,ok?
have a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Valentines nails: Valentines Leopard~

Another short post...
I know that i'm late in posting this nail art tutorial..hehe
Better late than never,ne?


Sorry for the messy & dry cuticles.
I haven't cleaned it yet because i don't want to risk destroying it because i can't apply top coat on the hearts.
The buillions' color will fade if i apply top coat... such a shame!

Materials needed:
  • pink polish base
  • white polish/acrylic
  • detailing brush
  • red acrylic/striping pen
  • gold buillions (or glitters, pearls, rhinestones, etc!

Let's start with the tutorial:
Click the picture for a bigger image


1. Choose your base color, pink preferably for that love-vibes.
2. Add random white dots...
3. It doesn't need to be uniform.
4. Then using a red acrylic/nail art striping polish trace the edges of the white prints.
5. The random looking it is the better... to make it look like real leopard prints. rawr!
6. With your red acrylic/ red nail art striping polish trace a heart in the middle of the design.
7. Then fill in the sides with the red acrylic/polish.
8. You can then adjust how small or big you want your heart to be or make sure that the shape is right.
9. Apply your top coat.
10. Using gold buillions, carefully put it one by one...
11. If your top coat dried out, just apply more to make sure that it would stick.
12. Then time to admire your work!

If you don't have buillions, you can use other things to trace the heart. You can go for glitter polishes, rhinestones, faux pearls, etc. You can even leave it bare if you were able to perfectly form the heart!

If you don't want to go all out with the heart shape then you can just do a pink leopard design!


Kawaii,de sho?
Cute,isn't it?

How was your Valentines?
My pare & I are not really into valentines celebration though...hehehe!

Hope you all like this nail art!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Monday, February 13, 2012

Have you checked out StrawberryNet?

If you haven’t checked it yet, now is the time for you to do so! Why?

I’ll give you reasons why:


  • They offer FREE GIFT FOR NEW CUSTOMERS
The first time that I bought for them I didn’t really believe that they do offer free gift for new customers back then. Since that was the first time I have tried shopping online I wasn’t really sure if this website is trust-worthy so I only bought the Stila Solid Perfume (http://thiamere.blogspot.com/2009/02/stila-jade-blossom-review.html). Such a waste! I should’ve really spent a few more dollars to get the free gift.

Oh, well!
Now I personally know that I can trust StrawberryNET & would highly recommend it to anyone. So trust me on this, you can be sure that this website is real. You can take advantage of the free gift for new customers who spend more than $25.

  • They have a wide selection of products
Products that are not readily available in our country would be a breeze to get with StrawberryNET. I’m sure you have heard of Lauren Luke. Did you know that they carry her palettes? Amazing,huh?

Same with other products such as Korres, Cle de Peau, Bumble & Bumble, & a few more.

  • Free shipping worldwide
This is one of the main reason why this is the first international online shop that I choose. I don’t want my first shopping experience to be complicated because of the shipping fee that might cost an arm. I still check this site every now & then

  • You’re guaranteed that the products are in good condition & authentic
What’s nice about this is that they package your goods in a box full of styro, making sure that they will be protected from any mishandling that could occur during transport. They also gift-wrapped the packages especially on Christmas season.

In fact, the gift that I gave one of my godchild was from StrawberryNET. I didn’t have to wrap it because they did the wrapping for me. Talking about going for the extra mile for their customers,huh?
  • You always get a discount!
Aside from the fact that they already have discounts on several items, you will also be able to avail of bulk discounts for more items & also a loyalty discount too! How awesome!

With the said reasons, I would highly recommend this website to any who are thinking
of doing their first international online shopping. I guarantee you that your experience will leave you hunting more shops, this site included, of course!

I made this post because I have received inquiries about this website & I think that this opportunity is something good & can benefit you.

So, again, if you are thinking of online shopping make sure you check out StrawberryNET & take advantage of the free gifts that they are offering!

Hope you all are having a great day,hunnies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Body Recipe Spa Body Masque Review

I already have made a post about clay mask HERE.
I still have a tube of Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask & i use it on times when i feel that my oil glands are out of control.

Spas are offering body mask services too,right? I think the concept is basically just the same with what i wrote on my post about mask. The only difference is that you;re paying a ridiculous amount of money for something that you can do at home.

Yes, you can do your own "body mask-ing" at home with the use of HBC's Body Recipe Spa Body Masque!


I have had this tub for quite sometime & i put off making a review of it for a couple of reasons. I'll tell you why later.

You can take a look at the ingredients here:


You'll also see how much this... Php 170 for a 200g of product.
I think it's not bad because it really works, plus the fact that this will last for a couple of use on which if you compare to having it at the spa, you would have to pay a lot more!

 This is how it looks like...


A white kaolin clay mask that has this perfumed menthol scent.
Uh oh... i'm not a fan of products that has this weird scent. I would classify the scent of this as something that could give me a migraine with prolonged scent-sposure (scent exposure!haha).

I know the benefits of clay masks.
That's why i never run out of clay mask at home because i find it an instant skin remedy, so when i saw this at HBC before, i added on the things that i would like to try but i just wasn't able to check the scent.

Benefit-wise, this product does the job well.
There are sometimes when i just feel & smell so dirty especially when i spent my whole day outside. That would also be the time when i feel that no scrubbing, no matter how hard, would take away the lingering scent/dirt that i accumulated over the day. In times like this i reach for this & i would feel all those icky be absorbed by my body.

Now when you apply this on your body it would have this cooling sensation. It gets cooler the longer you leave it on your skin so this is also one of the reason why i can't use this as much as i want to especially now when it's quite cool. But this would be great for summer!


What i do is i take a bath first, do my scrubbing & everything then i towel-dry my skin then apply this on.
In spas, they would wrap your body parts in plastic. That would be so that your skin would absorb all the goodness of the clay & won't dry out on it's own. You can also do so if you want to but in my case i don't have to bother with it. Again, the cooling sensation gets stronger eventually so i just rinse it out when i can't abide the coolness of it.

So with that let's do a short summary...
PROS:

  • locally made & available in HBC stores
  • affordable (Php 170 for 200g of product!)
  • it works well in drawing out impurities
  • has a cooling sensation!
CONS:
  • i don't like the scent
What i like about this is that you can easily know when to ditch it because the expiration date is clearly printed on the side!



Will i buy it?
If they'll be able to come up with a line that is scentless or smells way better than this i would!

Will i recommend it?
Sure!
If you like trying home products like so instead of going to the spas than you have to give this a shot.

So, have you tried having a body mask?
How about trying out spa products meant for home use?

Hope you all are having a great day, ladies!
Jaa ne~!
^_^


ps:
Product presented as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. Use at your own discretion.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Lip Balm in Raspberry Cheesecake

When i received a sample kit from Nanny Rose, this is actually the first that i opened. The words "four slices of raspberry cheesecake" on the box just screams at me! haha!

Everyone likes cheesecakes, ne?
Oops! I remember, i know someone who doesn't like cheesecake. hehe

Let's get back...
Presenting Nanny Rose's Queen Bee Lip Balm in Four Slices of Raspberry Cheesecake.. boy! that is long!


Feel free to read the description...


Hmmm.... honey & raspberry sounds like something that would be able to send you to the land of sweet treats!  It is a non-colored balm on a tin pot.


When you pop it open, you'll be greeted by the scent of raspberries bagging you to quickly apply it on your lips. I did, closed my eyes & inhaled it & was entranced by the sweet scent of raspberries!

I'm not sure about the cheesecake though but at that point, i don't care the pure scent of raspberries are engulfing me on a quick trip to a raspberry farm! There i was, imagining myself happily humming & skip-hopping with a basket of raspberries just by the scent of this.

OMG!
I highly recommend this to whoever like their lip balms scented. I am not really a fan of scented lip balms but this one is something that i could forgive. It stays on your lips but not something that would give you a migraine. If you pout your lips every now & then you might get a whiff of it.

It's not that waxy, which is ok.
It has that little waxy feeling but since you get to control the amount you put on your lips so it's not that big of a deal compare to tube balms.

As for it being moisturizing... i'm not sure. I have said before that the reason why i never did like using lip butters & a few selected lip balms is that it doesn't really provide any "moisturization" on my lips. What it does is locks in any moisture that was on my lips, making sure that it won;t evaporate leaving my lips dry. I think this is the same with this product.

It locks in the moisture on my lips, sealing it in place, but not really hydrating it.
Here are the ingredients:


No colorants, parabens, phthalates & sulfates free!
Yay for products that are natural!

I never did like lip products that are in a pot. I find it unhygienic all because you would have to use a separate lip brush just to get it. You can use your fingers but i think you risk contaminating it if you have dirty hands. But of course, this is just my personal preference.

If you like raspberry scents, natural products & do not mind balms in pot then i would recommend this for you.
I'm sorry but i'm not sure how much this is. i'll check it once i go to Watsons, but i'm sure that it will be worth your money since you don't need to apply much. A pot contains 10g of it compare to ordinary tube balms which would contain less.

PROS:
  • locally made & easily available in Watsons
  • the scent is nice & not overwhelming
  • tiny packaging but boasts 10g of product!
CONS:
  • not hydrating enough for me
  • a bit waxy but not disturbing
  • no spf

Will i buy it?
Nah, i think this pot is enough for me.
A little goes a long way for this product. it lasts for a long time even with you drinking & eating.

They have a waxing kit too. I also have it & has been testing it.
I'm not sure if i like it though so it will take me a while before i can have my final say on it. I'll do a post about it sometime soon.

Hope you all are having a great Monday!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
Product sent as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. Use at your own discretion.

Saturday, February 04, 2012

how to:nail art brushes part 2

If you missed my first post about how to use the nail art brush set, you can take a look HERE.

So, continuing with what i have left...

THE FLAT BRUSH


What i like about this brush is that it's very easy to apply polish/acrylic. Unlike brushes that is included in the bottle, flat brushes can make polish application a breeze. You have to try this in pigmented creme polishes, you can achieve a full coat with just a swipe or two with this. You can do flower petals too! Just lightly drag the tip on the surface.

As to flat brushes, you can also do one strokes with it. I'm not an expert when it comes to one stroke method yet. I have tried once though but not this brush. hehehe

One thing that i like about this is that it's great for removing/cleaning excess polish! Since it is flat, it can easily go to the crevices of your nails to remove any lingering polishes! Just dip the bristles on your polish remover then go around the sides of your nails to clean it up.

THE ANGLED BRUSH


You can do flower petals with this brush like the filbert brush but I prefer using it for one strokes though. I think that this is easier to work with for one strokes rather than flat brushes.


You can take a look at Tartofraises' video for a how-to for this design HERE.

This is also a great tutorial from her!

THE DOTTING TOOL
Now, this is one of my favorite!
This is one of the easiest but versatile nail art tool that you can use. Depending on the tip of it, you can make large to tiny dots. I have used dotting tools countless of times on my nail art tutorial & i have to say that it's so versatile, it's not just simply for making dots! You can do all these designs using this.
Here are a couple of nail designs that i made using a dotting tool. This is a very easy design to do, i promise!~
This is one of my favorite dot designs.
Another favorite of mine! I adore contrasting colors!
Making heart designs are a lot easier with dotting tools rather than brushes, believe me!
Now, the next time you see a dotting tool, don't just think of dots designs,ne? There ya go. Hope you find this post somewhat helpful! If you want to get the same set of brushes that i have you can order it HERE. You can use the code at the left sidebar of my blog for an additional 10% of your purchase. Again, if you haven't checked my first post about nail art brushes, then go HERE. Have a great weekend everybody! Jaa ne~! ^_^
ps: Product sent as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

How to grow strong nails the BornPretty way~

This is one post that really took me months to decide on how i'll go with it. I have to make sure that i cover any grounds because i don't want to mislead people with my post.

My readers would often think that i always shave long beautifully-manicured nails when they see me. I remember someone greeted me while i was browsing the mall & when she asked if i am 'thiamere' & i said yes, she said she's not too sure because i have short & bare nails. hahaha!

Well, i do love donning on nail art but it doesn't mean that i always have long nails. I guess that maybe you'll be surprised when i tell you that i suffered from weak nails too. Well, it wasn't as weak as how it was before but i had my time. Then there was also a time when they would just chip very easily... grrrr!!!!

So, i know,ladies, how it feels when you want to grow long nails but it just won't cooperate. But don't fret! You can do something about it. I had it before (& sometimes i still do) & i was still able to grow my nails long,ne?

This is the only 3-care-system that i have ever used because i'm not a fan of those. I have been using this for more than 3 months, though not regularly.


Presenting the 3 system manicure-pedicure kit! This is available at BornPrettyStore.com
According to the website:

3 pcs Nail Art manicure kit
White-soften tool- It soften the dead skin and make the dead skin throw away easily.
Pink-under-oil added caluium-it is used to smoothen brighten and preserve nail, adding ca. on the nail lustering the nail.
Yellow- Nourishement oil- unique essential oil, irrigate nail and the skin around it. Make skin more greasy and much brighter.
All these 3 bottles will make your nail much more healthy and beautiful.
net weight: 114g
Perfect for both professional and home use!

Let's start with the Cuticle Softener:


I don't really push my cuticles. But when there would be times when i have dry cuticles, i would sometimes trim it using a nipper but i don't cut it too short. I have read that cutting it short (almost to nonexistent!) could possibly make dirt/germs enter the layers. I buff my nails to smoothen the nail plate to make polish application easier but i don't do that often.

When my cuticles needed grooming/trimming that's the time when i would just use this. Can you see how little product i have just used? It's because i don't often do it. You only need a little product because it is easily absorbed. It would dry faster than any ordinary liquid cuticle remover but this is way better because it makes the cuticles really soft in just a matter of minutes!

Then the Cuticle Oil!


I prefer to apply cuticle oil/cream after cleaning my nails & before the strengthener.

Now, i have to admit i don't use this cuticle oil very often just because i have a cuticle oil that i really like but it doesn't mean that this is bad. It works just the same but i, just not a fan of oil-products on a bottle packaging because i'm clumsy. I always end up tipping the bottle when i'm applying it. I prefer those squeeze bottle that has a long tip for easily dispersal.

Cuticle Oil/Cream provides moisture that your nail needs to prevent it from breaking. You will know & see the difference of nails that has been using cuticle oil as to nails that doesn't use any at all. I only apply polish every weekend (sometimes i don't even do my nails at all!) but i make sure that i apply cuticle oil everyday. Actually, make that every night. I massage the oil on my nails in a circular motion so that it would be easily absorbed.

Last would be the Calcium-based Nail Strengthener


This is the one that i have been using a lot ever since i received this.

Now, let me say a little bit about calcium-based strengtheners. I'm not an expert when it comes to ingredients like this so i'm just basing my opinion based on what i've read,ok?

A lot of people said that calcium is the main component of nails & bones. So when you think about it, to have strong bones & nails you need to intake calcium. I guess that's also the reason behind calcium-based strengtheners. I have tried them & let me just say that i don't think it makes a difference from non-calcium-based ones. I read this article before that said about a study conducted from women who took in calcium but doesn't have any changes at all. Again, i don't think it makes a difference whether a strengthener is calcium-based or not.

Nails, in fact, are made of keratin strands. I'll just ask you to click that article to take a quick look about nail strengtheners.

If your problem is weak nails, then nail strengtheners are your best friend. I have pretty weak nails before. I can't grow them as beautiful as i do now because i can easily bend it from the edge of the plate. Constant application of nail strengtheners made my nails a lot stronger.

I'll honestly tell you, i don't think that this product made a big difference on my nails because i have been a user of nail strengtheners ever since. I just continued my routine but just a different brand so i can't really say that this worked for me.

If you suffer from week nails like i did before, you have to get a nail strengthener. What i like about this is that it dries really fast! It could dry in a matter of 15 seconds (with a really thin application!), how cool is that?!

Now, let's do a little summary of this system...
PROS:

  • affordable (the whole set is only $6.55!)
  • smells good (only the cuticle oil & softener, you know how strengthers smells like..)
  • can be bought easily with free shipping worldwide! Click HERE
  • the bottles are big!
CONS:
  • not available locally

With everything that i have said, do i recommend it?
I guess yes. It's pretty affordable & they have free shipping. You can also use the code that you see at the left sidebar for 10% discount!

Did they work?
Of course, they did! But just like what i said, i have been using cuticle oils & strengtheners even before i got this so i didn't notice any change. On the other hand, if i didn't notice any change it means that this is good because it was able to maintain my nails like before... to think that i was using LUSH Lemony Flutter as my cuticle cream! I like the softener, it's my favorite among the lot!

I still think that you get your money's worth for this provided that you will stick to the regimen. As what i said before, there is a difference to nails cared for with cuticle creams/oils & strengthener compare to ones that wasn't even cared for.

So, tell me, what are the products that you use for your nails?
How do you take care of them?

Hope you all are having a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
Product sent as sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Opinion shared is personal view & is no way influenced by the company. Use at your own discretion.

Believe in B.liv's Dump Off Drawn! I do!

I was contacted by B.liv weeks ago to try out their products. I have been so lazy in applying any skin care products lately that I can alrea...