Nails: Spring In Pink

Pink enamel shades always make the nails look good. At this time of the year,  they very much relate to the flowers which are blooming here and there. If you have no garden to look at and enjoy, you can simply make your nails bloom with a (more or less affordable) nail polish.

1. New York Color Long Wearing Nail Enamel #156 (Target $0.94)
The nail polish is really great - a shimmery and vivid color. It gives a rather sheer coverage on the nails though. I like it anyway. It gets dry on the nails fast and makes them look pretty.
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5
Price:5/5

2. Vernice Brillance Nail Lacquer #61 Rose Pastel by Yves Rocher ($9 - often available with 50% discount)
Another shiny polish. Although the Rose Pastel is a bright shade, it covers the nails well because it is well pigmented. The brush is rather flat which makes the application easy.
From the manufacturer: Tested under dermatological supervision.
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5
Price:3.5/5 

3. Cutie Girl Nail Polish (Dollar Tree $1)
I came across it by accident and I am glad I decided to buy the nail color. A good brush, makes the application even, with no problems. The nail polish dries quickly and lasts on the nails quite long. I love the color which is more purple than pink of course. 
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 4.5/5 
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5
Price:5/5

Great brush - makes even application really easy

4. Anna Sui Nail Color #305
The Nail Color is part of Dave Lackie's sweepstake prizes which I have won at the beginning of this year (I wrote about it here). It is a very delicate nude-like, pink shade with some shimmery accent which looks really elegant on the nails. The bottle is cute. However,  I need to get used to the shape of the upper, black part. Since it is rather flat, it makes the nail polish application a bit more difficult. But if you can manage dealing with it, the results are quite pleasing.
My rating
Packaging: 4/5 (esthetic impression 6/5)
Brush: 5/5
Durability*: 5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5

 
5. Scented Nail Enamel Grapefruit Fizz by Revlon
It contains brocade-like, shiny particles. The scent, which is quite nice, appears when the nail polish gets dry. The brush allows an easy and flawless application. Although this kind of nail polish has been discontinued by Revlon, many shades of the Scented Nail Enamel series are still available at some online stores. I purchased mine in Poland some time ago. I cannot recall how much it cost there but the price was certainly quite resonable.
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 3.5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5

* My hands/nails & nail polish are 'exposed' to all the housework (including washing/dish-washing) I do every day


Whenever I decorate your nails with an enamel, I also use some base coat to protect the nail plates. This Quick Dry Coat by Revlon is one of the best I have ever tried.
From the manufacturer: DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde-free.

To make the nail polish last longer, prevent it from chipping, and add some extra shine to the nails, I also apply the Strengthening Top Coat by Sally Hansen at the end of my mani session. It was transparent when I bought it, it got some color due to the enamel shades used. Although the Top Coat dries quickly on the nail polish, I still have to be careful for an hour or so, not to mess up my nails which I most often do anyway. I simply have no time to sit doing nothing and wait till all the layers on my nails get totally dry.

Happy Spring nail coloring!

In Red

Despite many trends in makeup, which come and go, change so often - almost every season, red lipstick and red nail polish have always been in. An intense red shade adds a touch of glamor to an evening image and enchantingly complements an elegant outfit. That is why it is good to have 'something in red' in our beauty/makeup collection.
My current choice is a Grand Rouge moisturizing lipstick by Yves Rocher which contains camellia oil, vitamin E and organic sesame oil. Thanks to the creamy texture, it is really smooth and covers the lips evenly. Another positive feature: the red lipstick stays on the lips long, I do not need to reapply it again and again. I got this lipstick as a free gift when I ordered some other cosmetics from the Yves Rocher store - a great and very useful present (regular price = $16)!

A lipstick shade looks better on the lips when they are defined by a lip pencil. It enhances the color of the lips/lipstick. More over, a good lip liner is also supposed to prevent  a lipstick layer from bleeding.
I like the color of the Red Love lip pencil by Oriflame. The deep red looks gorgeous on the lips, and the tip of the pencil is very soft. It is easy to 'paint' all the lips red. However, a disadvantage is that during eating/drinking, the lip liner smears beyond the lip line and messes up the look. It is not a perfect lip defining tool but I like its shade, that is why I have kept it.
A better, and not that totally soft lip liner, is Long Wear Lip Definer (4240 Berry) by Oriflame also. This self-sharpening liner matches matches my red lipstick well, is soft enough to define the lips and does not bleed at all.

A red nail polish complements our evening chic appearance.

Revlon Sheer Nail Enamel

The Red (Revlon Sheer Nail Enamel) by Revlon, in my opinion,  is truly great. An intense red tone, the nail polish smooth application is nice and easy. It gets dry on the nails quite quickly, does not chip and lasts long (usually about a week time, at least five/six days), even when I do all the regular everyday washing and cleaning at home.

In Red in practice. Happy New Year!