NEW- Zoya Naked Manicure Ultra Glossy Seal Top Coat

 ZOYA NAKED MANICURE ULTRA GLOSSY SEAL TOP COAT 

  

Love the shiny, rich finish of gel-like top coat, but are tired of the long wait times required to achieve it? How about unwanted denting and sheet marks? Are you happy about losing the beautiful gloss and shine on your nails just a day later? Of course not…and neither were we! 

  

Introducing Naked Manicure Ultra Glossy Seal! A revolutionary twist on the classic top coat formula that delivers the highest shine, fastest dry time and longest wear never before possible from traditional top coats. This oxygen (Air) activated formula doesn’t require LED lamps or UV rays to work and can be used in any setting! Ultra Glossy includes a Z-Wide Brush!

  

...Dull is NOT an option! 

  

• Ultra Fast - 2x Faster Dry Time 

• Ultra Dense - Creates Dimension and Luster 

• Ultra Durable & Flexible - Strongest defense against chipping for up to 7 days 

• Ultra Shiny - Highest shine rating possible! 

  

What more can you ask for in a top coat?

Sally Hansen Color Whirl in Marble-ous

*Sent for review*

I have the new Sally Hansen Color Whirl in the shade "Marble-ous" for you today. Marble-ous is one of two Color Whirl polishes that are to be used on top of any of the regular Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes to create a spotted, marbled effect. Here's what Sally Hansen says about the Color Whirl polishes-

"Miracle Gel Color Whirl is a polish “overcoat” that creates a marble effect over any Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish, so you’ll still get the great chip resistant gel-like wear you expect, but now with an eye-catching design! Miracle Gel Color Whirl is available in two color-transforming shades, Steam Punk and Marble-ous, that work with the Miracle Gel 2-step system giving you a new salon-inspired look in just one swipe, right in the comfort of your own home!"

I tried Sally Hansen Marble-ous over two different Miracle Gel shades. The first is a classic black creme, Sally Hansen Blacky-O. I think this is such a perfect spooky Halloween mani! It looks aged and kind of decrepit, like a haunted house. I'm not sure if this would be an every day kind of mani for me, but it's definitely something I will rock at this time of year when ghouls and goblins abound!

I also tried Marble-ous over Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Good Cheer-y, a shimmering cherry red. This also makes a really interesting Halloween nail look, kind of gory looking, right?

The key to getting some good marbling with this polish is to use a really really thin coat. You must wipe the brush off on both sides and try to cover the whole nail in just one or two swipes. If you go back over any part a second time, it sort of closes up the spots and smooshes them together. I finished both of these looks with one layer of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel top coat. Sally Hansen made a video tutorial for using the Color Whirl shades that I found to be helpful. You can check that out here.

After trying Marble-ous, I am planning on picking up the black Color Whirl shade, Steam Punk. I think it would look so cool over orange for Halloween! If you're looking for something fun and different to add to your collection, definitely check out these new Color Whirl toppers.

Sally Hansen Color Whirl and Miracle Gel polishes are available at a CVS, Walgreens, or Ulta store near you!

Lynnderella Friday, Vol. 72!

 *sent for review*

Happy Friday! Sorry this was a quiet week around here... I made the mistake of thinking to myself that I had gone the whole winter without getting a really bad cold and then of course, I immediately got a really horrible cold. Lynnderella recently released three new beautiful shimmer toppers and I have one of them to show you today. Lynnderella Lilaquerella is a "pigment-packed lilac multishimmer".  It adds beautiful soft blue-purple shimmer to any base color.

This is one coat of Lilaquerella over China Glaze Grape Pop. It was easy to apply and looks nice and even. The consistency was great, no complaints here!

I also tried this over a plain black creme. I think this way shows off the complexity of the shimmer the best and gives you an idea of the blue tint to this. I want to try this over a pastel lavender creme too, I think it would be gorgeous!

The other two shimmer toppers are Peach Nectarella, a stunning peach shimmer, and Sugar Bubble, a blue, cyan, pink, and green shimmer. All three of these pretty toppers are available at lynnderella.com! For more Lynnderellas, check out Lynnderella on eBay and Amazon.

Vapid Lacquer Base Coat and Top Coat Review!!

*Purchased by me*

I've been meaning to write this review for awhile since I am totally in love with my Vapid Lacquer All About That Base and Get Your Shine On! Quick Dry Top Coat. Vapid Lacquer is having a restock this Saturday that includes these two products, so I thought I should post this now! All About That Base is a strengthening base coat that also seems to help prolong my manis. Since I started using the Vapid base coat about 5-6 weeks ago, I have noticed I have fewer peelies on my thumb nails. My thumbs always have peelies because I am a bad nail blogger and use them as tools. But the Vapid base coat is starting to help me get rid of them! I think in a few more weeks, the existing peelies I had will probably grow out and be gone. So I love this base coat just for that. But wait- there's more!!

 When I use the Vapid base coat and the Get Your Shine On! top coat for a mani, my nails still look great 4-5 days later! Above you can see my YSL Peace Green mani after 4 days of wear (including hot showers every day, dish washing, lots of hand washing after touching germy kids at dance class, etc.). There is a bit of tip wear and my right thumb had one small chip. But I have to tell you, most true quick dry top coats and I don't get along. My usual wear time with a QDTC is 1-2 days max. After that it is a hot chippy mess. So for me to get 4-5 days with a real QDTC (dry to the touch in 60 seconds!) is a serious personal victory. I also have to say that this top coat packs SERIOUS shine! The shine also lasts, it doesn't start to look dull on day 3. The Vapid base and top coat get an A+ from me!

Two more awesome Vapid things that will be available this Saturday- Chocolate Body Mousse and Nail Sauce! Chocolate Body Mousse is a delectable body cream that smells like hot chocolate or chocolate pudding. It is really nicely moisturizing, but doesn't feel too heavy or greasy. I am addicted to this now and sometimes I even open the jar just to look at it! I mean, it looks delicious, doesn't it?

Binx wanted to get in on my photo shoot, LOL!

Nail Sauce is a great cuticle product with a gel-creme hybrid consistency. It sinks right in to the nail area and makes my cuticles look so much better instantly. I bought it in two different scents- Unicorn Milk and Birthday Bitch. Unicorn Milk smells like Fruit Loops with a touch of vanilla frosting, while Birthday Bitch smells exactly like German Chocolate Cake, in my opinion. I have been using this product almost daily since purchasing and plan to order at least one more scent this Saturday. I have already nearly used up Unicorn Milk! I love this for cuticle moisturizing that seems enjoyable, rather than a chore.

The Vapid base and top coats have really made a positive difference in my nail health, as well as how often I can wear manis. Now that I can use a QDTC, I find it MUCH easier to just slap on a new mani whenever I want and not have to worry about it chipping a day later. I highly recommend all four of the products in this post.

Restock info: The restock will be at 1pm CT (Central Time) at http://vapid.mybigcommerce.com. For complete details about what will be restocked, please check out the Vapid Lacquer Facebook page.

Essie Gel Setter Top Coat Review

 *Essie Gel Setter was given to me as a gift*

I've been meaning to write a quick review of the new(ish) Essie Gel Setter top coat. Lynnderella sent this to me to try with her glitters because she really liked it and I have been loving it as well! This top coat offers a plush, extremely glossy finish. It smooths most glitters in just one coat and makes them really sparkle.  While it is not labeled as a quick dry top coat, it dries very quickly for me, pretty much as quickly as most QDTCs.  I do love the gel-like formula too, it just glides on and never feels thin or draggy.

I used Essie Gel Setter in this recent swatch of Lynnderella The Reason My Heart Beats and it looks so glossy and smooth- love it! This top coat has become my go to for swatching and also the manis I've been wearing.  You can't beat the shine or application, and it even dries fast!

Essie Gel Setter is available at a drugstore near you.

4 New Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Shades and Reformulated Top Coat Review and Swatches!

 *Sent for review*

I was very happy to hear that Sally Hansen decided to expand it's Miracle Gel range with 20 shades, as well as a reformulated top coat. In my first test of Miracle Gel polishes, I was very happy with the application and wear of the system. However, I did have some trouble with visible brushstrokes from the top coat. I found the top coat to be kind of thin, so I think this contributed to the brushstrokes. This new reformulated top coat is much more plush and easier to apply! Sally Hansen Terra-Coppa is one of seven "sun-baked" shades in the Tribal Vibe collection. Sally Hansen says it "melds the gleam of copper with the earthy appeal of pottery". Any rose gold polish fans will want to get their paws on this beauty ASAP! It looks more copper or more blush-toned depending on the lighting and the sparkle is just so luminous!

This is three thin coats of Terra-Coppa. It was opaque to my eyes in just two coats, but my camera loves to make this kind of sparkly foil look sheer, so I did a third just for the pictures. It was very easy to apply and has a great consistency.

Sally Hansen Tribal Sun is a bright orange creme with hints of coral and peach. This is a nice bright orange for summer, but would also work great in Halloween/fall manis. Tribal Sun is also part of the Tribal Vibe collection.

This is two easy coats of Tribal Sun. I really like the way these Miracle Gel polishes apply, and I find the shape of the brush to be easy to use. It takes some practice, but eventually it makes polishing quicker.

Sally Hansen Teal Twin is a moody blue-green creme. This is the kind of teal that could be perfect for both summer and fall, invoking either thoughts of the ocean or the jewel tones of fall. Teal Twin is a nice rich looking color. This shade is part of one of the new duo packs that also comes with the new top coat.

This is two easy coat of Teal Twin. It was nicely opaque and went on very smoothly. The Miracle Gel polishes do have that gel-like consistency that I find to be so easy to work with.

I've been all about the summer polish shades, but Sally Hansen Boho a-Go-Go reminded me that I will someday be very excited to wear vampy fall shades again! This deep plum creme is part of the Boho Chic collection. Like Teal Twin, Boho a-Go-Go is a rich jewel-toned shade. This kind of vampy shade looks great with the high shine of the Miracle Gel top coat.

This is two coats of Boho a-Go-Go. It applied pretty nicely, although I would advise waiting for each coat to dry to make sure the next coat applies perfectly evenly.

 *Sent for review*

All swatches are shown with one coat of the newly reformulated top coat, which I think is way better than the original top coat. It is thicker, but in a very good way. It makes the polish much more like a gel finish and I had no troubles with visible brushstrokes like I did with the first Miracle Gel top coat. Sally Hansen says the new top coat creates "dramatically fuller-looking nails with a high-gloss, mirror shine finish". I'm not 100% sure I get the concept of fuller-looking nails, maybe they mean your nails won't look thin and breakable? The finish is definitely high-gloss and I like the top coat, fuller nails or not. I haven't tested the wear with the new top coat yet, but if it differs from my original results, I'll let you know.

PRICE & AVAILABILITY: The new Miracle Gel™ Top Coat, limited edition duo packs, Tribal Vibe collection, and Boho Chic collection are available beginning July 2015 at chain drugstores and mass retailers nationwide. Miracle Gel™ Color Coat and Top Coat cost $9.99 each and the limited edition duo pack costs $14.99.

Barielle Top Coat and Fortifying Nail Builder Base Coat Reviews

*Sent for review*

Like most nail addicts, I'm always searching for a new, better base and top coat combo. I recently got to try Barielle Fortifying Nail Builder and Barielle Top Coat, and I am thrilled to say that one of them is a new HG product for me. Read on to discover which one!

I have been using Barielle Fortifying Nail Builder as a base coat/treatment for the past few weeks. I absolutely love it! My nails looks healthier and feel stronger and less dry. I have very dry nails and when I don't wear polish, the dryness sometimes really bothers me. It feels uncomfortable and I have to keep hand cream or oil on at all times. However, since I started to use this base coat, my bare nails have felt more comfortable and less brittle. I also usually have a bit of peeling on my right thumb nail, but that has almost entirely gone away now! I can hardly believe that, since I've had it for ages. I am still oiling before I apply my base coat because that really helps prolong my manis. Barielle Fortifying Nail Builder wears well as a base coat for me, about the same length of time as my last HG base coat (4 days with no chips). 

Barielle Essentials Top Coat is a good top coat, but I don't think it's my HG. For one thing, the top coat itself dries quickly, but you have to put it on dry polish or else it smears the polish. So it isn't really good for drying your whole mani. It also is a little on the thin side, so it's not the best for smoothing out glitter. On the positive side of things, I did not experience any shrinkage with this top coat and the wear time was great. I will definitely use this as my top coat for relatively quick drying cremes or shimmers that I want to wear for 4+ days.

I highly recommend Barielle Fortifying Nail Builder if you have dry, brittle nails like me. If you mostly wear cremes and shimmers and want a top coat that helps your mani last, check out the Essentials Top Coat too. Both are available at barielle.com.

Review of the 4 New Nicole by OPI Top Coats and Treatments

 *Sent for review*

I always love to try new top coats and treatments, so I jumped at the chance to review Nicole by OPI's 3 new top/base coats and cuticle oil. I've been testing them out for a few manis now and think I'm ready to give a verdict. Were they as good as my current holy grail combo? Let's see.

In accordance with my new mani method, I started by applying Nicole by OPI Oil To Go cuticle oil to my nails and cuticles. I love the idea of a cuticle oil in a to go package. My cuticles get very ragged when I'm traveling and maybe this will help prevent that. The consistency of Oil To Go is much thicker than that of an actual oil. But it does seem nicely moisturizing, probably more so than my old standby China Glaze oil.

I then applied one coat of Nicole by OPI 3-in-1 Base, Top Coat & Strengthener. This is the product I was most interested in, because I love the idea of a 3-in-1 product, but I feel like sometimes they don't deliver. Either they are not good as a base coat/top coat and your mani chips quickly, or they do nothing to strengthen your nails. As a base coat, this works as well as my old standby Nicole by OPI Base Coat Plus. I was already really happy with Base Coat Plus and this seems to have all of the same staying power and stain prevention. I probably need some more time to really test the strengthening aspect of this product, but I can say that my nails did look healthier when I removed the couple of manis I did with this so far. They also felt really strong while wearing the product, even though it is very cold and my nails tend to fall apart in the winter.

After applying my polish, I added another coat of the 3-in-1 Base, Top Coat & Strengthener, and then finished it all off with a coat of Nicole by OPI Quick Dry Top Coat. This top coat is definitely not as fast drying as the gold standard Seche Vite, but I did find it to dry all the layers of my mani fairly quickly (maybe about 3 minutes for dry to the touch and 15 for dry all the way through). I prefer this top coat to Seche Vite for several reasons- it has no disgusting smell that makes me feel like I'm getting cancer, I got absolutely no shrinkage with this top coat (I get HORRENDOUS shrinkage with SV), and much better wear time (I get less than 24 hour wear time with SV, this wore nicely for 4+ days).

Here is one mani I did with these products. The Quick Dry Top Coat is nice and shiny, as you can see, so that's another great plus! This mani was done with the 3-in-1 as a base coat, two coats Nicole by OPI Tink's In the Pink, one coat Nicole by OPI Confetti Fun, one coat of the 3-in-1, and one coat of the Quick Dry Top Coat.

I was also pretty excited to try the Nicole by OPI Matte Top Coat. You'd think by now I'd have enough matte top coats, but noooo, I love mattifying everything!! I am always looking for another great, inexpensive, and readily available, matte top coat. This one happens to be an excellent choice! One layer of this mattifying potion is enough to take out all the shine from your typical mani. Below you can see my Tink's In the Pink/Confetti Fun combo with one coat of Nicole by OPI Matte Top Coat.

A lot of drugstore matte top coats are really more like satin top coats. They leave behind some level of shine. As you can see, this one does not. I am in love with this matte top coat. Nicely done Nicole by OPI!

*Sent for review*

Overall, I think I have found a new set of favorites to use under and over my manis. I'll definitely be using the 3-in-1 as a base and top coat, and the matte top coat is my new go to for matte manis. The 3-in-1 and the Oil To Go will also be staples in my travel bag for sure. If I am in a serious hurry, I may still use Essie Good to Go over the Quick Dry top coat, as I think it dries a hair faster. But overall, I am very pleased with these products.

These treatments will be available January 2014 for $7.99 each at retailers including select CVS, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Duane Reade, Kroger, H-E-B.  In Canada these treatments will be available for $10.99 each at select Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart Canada, Jean Coutu, Loblaws and London Drug.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

SinfulColors Sheer Lustre Glitter Topcoats

 *Sent for review*

I have two polishes from SinfulColors Sheer Lustre Glitter Topcoats collection to show you, and both are festive choices if you need a last minute holiday nail idea. There are 6 polishes in the Sheer Lustre collection and all are meant to be layered over another polish to "transform your fave shades to instant glitz and glam", according to SinfulColors. This lovely gold shimmer topper is SinfulColors 24 Karat. 24 Karat could definitely add some gold pizazz to any old creme polish. It's not really glitter, there is no texture to it, but more like soft flecks of gold in a clear base.

This is one easy coat of 24 Karat over SinfulColors SinfulShine Devious. 24 Karat is packed with gold flecks, so one coat is perfect. I found this to be extremely easy to apply.

This holographic glitter treat is SinfulColors Top Me Off, a mix of blue and silver holo glitter in a clear base. This was way more holo in person- it looked more like it does in the bottle, with rainbows flashing all over the place.

This is one coat of Top Me Off over SinfulColors SinfulShine Set the Mood. I think Top Me Off could be worn on it's own in three coats or so, it was pretty dense. It applied really well, no problems at all.

*Sent for review*

I love both of these toppers, especially Top Me Off. There is also a gorgeous turquoise topper in this collection that I think I need to go hunt down. At the excellent price of $1.99, it's fun to mix and match these with other SinfulColors polishes to make new looks. These are available exclusively at Walgreens.