Zoya Naked Manicure Hand and Body System Review

*Sent for review*

I've been testing the Zoya Naked Manicure Hand and Body System for the last 3 months or so. When I received these products, it was still the unruly New England winter and my hands were a dry, gross mess. The first thing you apply is the serum, a spray that is a very light gel texture. The spray absorbs almost instantly and you barely feel the product after absorption. I used the spray alone several times too, at times in the day when I didn't want to feel a cream on my hands. There is an immediate improvement in the hydration level of skin after using this, and my hands looked smoother too.

The second step is the cream. It's a nice, lightweight cream and it also absorbs pretty quickly. I can feel it on my hands, but it just makes them feel kind of smooth. Both products are extremely lightweight. At this time of year when the weather is warmer and the heat is turned off indoors, these are the perfect products for use during the day and at night. In the worst of the winter though, I think I would still use a heavier night cream (I currently use O'Keefe's Working Hands), since my hands really get cracked and dry if I only use lighter creams.

I don't find hand creams to typically make a difference in the appearance of my nails, but these two products definitely make my nails look healthier and add a little glow to them. I would absolutely recommend this set for anyone looking for a fast absorbing, non-greasy way to add instant moisture and a smoother appearance to their hands.

The Zoya Naked Manicure Hand and Body System is available now at zoya.com.

Sephora Aloe Vera Hand Mask Review

 *Purchased by me*

Sorry for the radio silence around here, but our regional Irish dance championships are coming up this weekend and it's been non-stop for the last week or so. I promise things will get back to normal next week and I have lots of goodies to post. Being so busy, I definitely haven't been moisturizing my hands and nails enough and they were showing the wear. I decided to try out this Sephora Aloe Vera Hand Mask last night to see if it would help. This is a one-time use mask, with disposable gloves filled with a moisturizing cream/gel. You simply slip the gloves on, leave them on for 15 minutes, and then rub in the excess product. The cream inside is lightly scented with a fresh scent. So did it help with dryness?

I think it did! My hands felt better immediately after trying this mask and for quite some time after using it. I plan to repurchase this mask and to also buy the other two varieties (Avocado and Argan). I have liked the Sephora sheet masks for my face and am very pleased with this hand mask as well. Next I want to try the foot mask!

Sephora Aloe Vera Hand Mask is available at Sephora.com and in Sephora stores.

L'Occitane Extra-Gentle Lotion Reduces My Resemblance to a Lizard!

I am all for using heavy hand creams and cuticle treatments at night. I love that. But, I have found that trying to make up for a lack of moisture during the day by piling on heavy creams at night does not leave my hands and nails feeling optimally moisturized. However, I HATE using hand cream and then touching anything. I am always running around during the day and I just can't take 10 minutes to wait for my hand cream to absorb. What's a girl supposed to do?

I found the answer recently in the form of L'Occitane Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body. Sure, everyone knows about the classic L'Occitane hand cream in the pretty tubes. I myself have at least 6 of those and use them at night. I hadn't heard about this fantastic lotion until just a little while ago! This lotion absorbs super fast, leaving no greasy residue. It has shea butter, just like the L'Occitane cream, but in a lighter format that I think works perfectly for day.

My other favorite thing about this lotion is that it comes in a giant 10.1 fl. oz. pump dispenser! I have a weird aversion to taking off the cap of a tube, applying cream and then having to put the cap back on with my freshly cream-covered hands. So I really love the pump!

Ingredients for the ingredient buffs ^.

I got my L'Occitane Extra-Gentle Lotion on Apothica.com.

This product was purchased with funds provided to me by Apothica.com. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.

Sally Hansen x White + Warren for Winter!

Check out this great collaboration between Sally Hansen and White + Warren!

SALLY HANSEN TEAMS UP WITH WHITE + WARREN

 

TO PAMPER AND PROTECT YOUR HANDS THIS WINTER

Frigid weather doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to flawless hands. Nail authority Sally Hansen is teaming up with luxury cashmere designer White + Warran to offer consumers the warmth of beautiful gloves that they can slide their perfectly primped hands into. For a limited time, every consumer who purchases a pair of White + Warren Fingerless Gloves from the White + Warren website will receive a complimentary Sally Hansen Manicure Set filled with manicure must-haves.

Protect your hands against the drying effects of cold winter weather with White + Warren’s luxe cashmere fingerless gloves, and beautify your nails with Sally Hansen’s ultimate manicure kit.  The nail essentials set includes:

• Expert Nail File – to help you achieve the perfect shape for your nails;

• Nailgrowth Miracle Serum – for instantly softened and smoothed cuticles that resist dryness and damage as they grow;

• Complete Salon Manicure in Right Said Red – an all-in-one formula that delivers base coat, vivid color, growth treatment, strengthener and top coat in one smooth polish;

• Dry, Chapped Hand Cream – an ultra-moisturizing, gentle lotion that leaves hands touchably soft all season long

         

Best Hand Cream. Ever.

From what I've been hearing on The Weather Channel lately, Connecticut is not the only state to be experiencing the joys of winter weather. Snow storms, ice storms, freezing rain, Winter Armageddon... whatever your area's weather problem is, it can lead to some seriously dry hands. As nail polish addicts, dry hands is a major problem for us! Dry hands= chapped and red hands= makes your hot polish look kind gross. Plus, dry hands often go "hand in hand" with dry, torn cuticles.

So how I am planning to solve these problems for you? Invent a magical weather control device!! 75 degrees and sunny for all (damn you, San Diego).

No, I'm just kidding. I don't have a magical weather control device. I do have a REALLY good hand cream for you to check out though! My mom and I have been using Avon Moisture Therapy Intensive Treatment Hand Cream for probably 7 or 8 years now. No matter how many other hand creams we try, we continue to buy at least 3 tubes of this cream every winter.



This hand cream actually creates some kind of protective barrier on your hands. After it absorbs, you can feel it smoothing and moisturizing your hands for hours, even through gentle hand washing! During the day, I only use a few small drops of this cream, as it is extremely rich. It takes about a minute to absorb those few small drops, but the wait time is totally worth it. I really recommend massaging this into your cuticles as well. You will really see a difference in their appearance.



Now, in my opinion, the real effectiveness of this cream comes out to play at night. I squeeze gobs of this onto my hands and cuticles (so much that it turns white on my hands when I rub it in) and then put on my hand cream gloves. When I wake up, my hands are so smooth and moisturized, I almost forget that I live in the Arctic Tundra. But then I look out the window, and my dreams are ruined. I do NOT recommend applying gobs of this hand cream during the day, however. People definitely give you funny looks when your hands are covered in white goo.

I personally love everything about this hand cream. The only bad thing I can think of to say about it is that when the tube starts to be a bit empty, it gets a little bit hard to squeeze. This doesn't bother me too much, but my mom has wicked Carpel Tunnel, so it does bother her. If I had to rate this hand cream, I would give it a 9.9 out of 10. The BEST part-- right now, it's on sale for only $1.99!!!!! Avon does put this on sale pretty often, I think I bought mine for about $1.99 as well. Avon also makes body lotions and creams in this Moisture Therapy format, but I haven't tried them yet. I would definitely be interested in trying them in the future though!

Avon Moisture Therapy Intensive Treatment hand cream is currently $1.99 at Avon.com

Cold Outside? Top Hand and Nail Tips for Winter!

Ahhhhh lovely Connecticut. It's currently pouring snow outside and quite cold. I don't know if any of you readers are lucky enough to live somewhere warm, but for the rest of you, here's a post about how to keep your hands and nails in good shape during the long cold winter!!

Tip #1 WEAR GLOVES!
This tip is probably the most important. You MUST wear gloves/mittens/glittens (lol) when you go outside during the winter. Even if it "doesn't look cold out" or "I'm only going out for a minute". All of the hand cream in the world will not help you if you don't wear gloves! To help you remember to wear gloves, keep them in a highly visible area right by the door. If there isn't somewhere to keep them near the door, put a pair of gloves in your purse. I don't know many women who leave the house without their purse, so you should always have a pair of gloves! Find a stylish pair on Zappos!

Tip #2 HAND CREAM!!!
This one seems obvious, but I have a few tips within a tip here. First, before you put on the aforementioned gloves, put on a nice layer of hand cream. Then, put on your gloves and leave them on until you reach your destination. When you remove the gloves- taaa daaa! Moisturized hands! Second, keep various hand creams near you all day. Many stores (such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond) sell small or travel-sized hand creams. Buy several and keep them in your purse, car, at your desk at work, next to your computer at home, near wherever you watch TV at home, and next to all the sinks in your home. This brings me to my next tip!

Tip #3 MOISTURIZING HAND SOAP!
I know the temptation these days is to use anti-bacterial hand soap. However, most of them are very drying, and doctors say regular soap and warm water with vigorous washing gets rid of germs the same as anti-bacterial soap. My favorite moisturizing hand soap comes from The Body Shop. This time of year, I love their Merry Cranberry hand soap. A little later in the winter, I'll probably be washing with Satsuma hand soap. See both of these products in a cute sink-side set, including hand cream, here. If you're looking for something a bit cheaper, try Softsoap Milk Protein and Honey hand soap (available at drugstores and supermarkets).

Tip #4 WEAR NAIL POLISH
Ha! Like I have to talk you into this one! Seriously though, nail polish locks moisture into your nails. In the winter, this is even more important. Moisturized nails are healthy nails. If you don't have time to fix chipped polish, try wearing just a base coat on your nails. I'm currently loving Sally Hansen Nail Quencher Hydrating Base Coat. As an added bonus, this base coat has completely prevented any staining from dark or heavily pigmented polishes.

Tip #5 CUTICLE OIL
You know how you start using heavier face creams in the winter? Same thing with your nails. If you don't usually use a cuticle oil, you should definitely try one during the winter. Nothing moisturizes like an oil. My favorite cuticle oil is Creative Nail Design's Solar Oil. It smooths cuticles, smells like almond cookies, and also dries your polish quicker! Buy it at 8ty8beauty. Nubar also has a variety of oils that I have yet to try, but you can bet I'll be ordering one or two very soon! Look for a review on this oil soon.

Hope these tips help, especially on a snowy day like today!
Happy New Year's Eve! Stay tuned for my New Year's Eve manicure later today!!!