nail care and products | all about nails

Hello There!

For the past few months I have been wearing less nail polish to help strengthen and grow out my nails. While doing this, I have discovered a few amazing products that I thought I would share with you.

Sally Hansen "Hard as Nails" Treatment:

RP 4.00

This treatment specifically targets chipped and cracking nails, so if you have brittle nails this is a really great product! Although I have long, and somewhat strong nails, I find that when my nails get two long they get thin and break easily, so this treatment really helps prevent that. I also use it as a base coat underneath my polish, and it also does a great job of creating a "gel-like" manicure.

Sally Hansen "Hard as Nails- Advanced" Treatment:

RP 5.00

If you don't want a product as heavy-duty as the original "Hard as Nails" treatment, this product is a great option. I like this treatment because it does not necessarily need to be applied on bare nails, so you can apply it over other treatments. I have noticed a lot of nail growth while using this treatment, and my nails now do not break as easily or quickly as they did before.

Healthy Hoofs Intensive Protein Treatment:

RP 4.00

This is my favorite, holy grail nail product. A friend recommended this treatment to me, and I was so annoyed that I had to massage the nails and do all kinds of things to get it to work. However, I noticed results almost immediately! My cuticles healed and are no longer dry, my nails grew a lot, and my nails are also now much stronger than they were before. This treatment is absolutely fantastic, and I never would have guessed that it cost me less than five dollars! 

Sally Hansen "Mega Shine" Topcoat:

RP 7.00

This is by far my favorite topcoat! I have tried quite a few, including the Seche Vite topcoat, and I have found that the result is almost identical to this Sally Hansen topcoat, and yet the price tag of the Seche Vite topcoat is much higher. It gives me a super glossy finish that lasts a long time, but the difference between this topcoat and the Seche Vite that I love is that the Sally Hansen topcoat is not half as gooey and thick. I will continue to repurchase. It's a winner!

I hope this post was helpful for those who desperately want long, lovely nails. I used to have short nails that refused to grow without breaking, and now I have great nails. This sounds like an ad, I know, but I am super pleased with the results from these products, and I bought them all on a broke girl's budget!

What are some of your favorite nail care items?

xx BB

nail trend: holo polish | all about nails

Hello There!

I hate the word "obsessed," but I think it is possible that I am a bit obsessed with holographic nail polish! I know that "holo" polish is a bit tricky to find, so I thought I would show you two from Butter London. These shades are from the autumn/winter collection, but if you look online you can still find the colors. 

I love Butter London because of their wide and varied color selection. I have never found such unique shades in one brand! The formula is also perfect for me- it's not too thick, but also not super thin and sheer. For both of these holographic polishes, I apply 3 coats to make it completely opaque. Here are the two shades:

RP 15.00

I love Dodgy Barnett because it is a classic silver holographic, but I also really like Trustifarian because it has a lovely pastel green tint. The only part I am not a fan of is that both colors, especially Dodgy Barnett, do not show up as "holographic" on the nails as I would like. However, my favorite part about these polishes is that, when they hit the light, they look absolutely amazing. 

I am in love with the holo trend! I know that Butter London polishes are a bit of a splurge, but I think these polishes are totally worth it. Wearing a holo polish makes an outfit much more exciting, and a holographic polish goes with just about everything!

Have you tried a holo polish?

xx BB

the nail polish graveyard | all about nails

Hello There!

I finally decided to get rid of some of my grossest and oldest nail polish. I am a bit of a hoarder, so I thought I would share the polish that really had to go. 

Sally Hansen Inst-Dri:

Pros: This polish has amazing pigmentation, and is completely opaque in one coat! 

Cons: The formula does not end up being as shiny as I would like it to be. However, the biggest issue I have with the formula is that it is very thick, and it can get gooey and sticky really easily. I normally like to apply 3 coats of polish because it creates an opaque, gel-like nail look. Unfortunately, I can't do this with the Insta-Dri polish because the formula is so thick. I prefer a thinner formula. I also find the color range to be a bit "eh," so overall the collection doesn't do anything for me. 0/10 would not repurchase.

Essie:

I love Essie! I love the color selection, formula, and lasting power. I can't think of a single con. So why am I throwing away two beautiful colors? Because I have used these two shades down to the bone. I plan to repurchase these same colors- they are my top favorite shades for summer! 10/10 would repurchase.

Julep:

This brand is a bit unknown, so for those who have not heard of Julep it is an online brand that provides a monthly subscription service. I find the colors in this range are really hit or miss. The formula of this brand is also really thick, but I am a big fan of the color selection. This color, Michelle, is a beautiful rich navy creme- it applies like a dream, and in two coats it is completely opaque. Unfortunately, a certain sister (my sister) left the cap unscrewed for too long, and now it is unusable. If you know of a great navy polish, let me know! 6/10 might repurchase.

N.Y.C. (New York Color):

These 3 bottles of color are really, really old, so they had to go. In fact, I have not tried the new formula, so I cannot speak to the opacity or longevity of the new formula of N.Y.C. nail polish. What I can tell you about the old formula is that it doesn't compare to some of the dirt cheap polishes from Wet N' Wild or Sally Hansen. 0/10 would not repurchase. 

Petites:

These polishes have now been discontinued, but it is not a bad thing. These polishes were low-quality and overall a really cheap brand. If you were not able to pick up these polishes, you are not missing out! 0/10 would not repurchase.

10 Professional Laquer:

When I was on the hunt for the perfect lavender polish, I found this shade and got really excited. However, the quality of the formula is gooey and, in comparison to other lavender shades from other brands, is not worth the cheap price tag. I love the color, but the formula is not very nice. 0/10 would not repurchase. 

When it comes to nail polish, I think the most important thing to keep in mind, with a few exceptions, is quality over quantity. While they look attractive, a lot of the cheap drugstore brands are bad quality because they are so inexpensive. These ranges also, for the most part, have a terrible color selection, so if you want great colors I would recommend going for the nicer brands. My favorites are:

Essie

Butter London

China Glaze

O.P.I.

Look out for my other nail-themed blog posts throughout the week!

What are some polishes you are throwing away?

xx BB

on my blog | weekly themes, just for fun!

Hello There!

Recently I have been lost for ideas of what to write about on my blog. I was looking back through some really old posts, and I realized that almost 2 years ago I used to do weekly themes, so I thought I would try it again!

photo courtesy of tumblr

This week (Thursday, June 19 to Thursday, June 26) I will be writing daily posts all about nails, from polish to care! Let me know what you would like me to write about.

Enjoy!

xx BB

summer playlist #1.

Hello There!

This summer I thought I would share some of my favorite songs. I promise this time I will update regularly!

throwback to my photoshoot at an abandoned house

Lay Me Down- Sam Smith

Nirvana- Sam Smith

Latch (acoustic)- Sam Smith

Wiggle- Jason Derulo

Love Never Felt So Good- Michael Jackson 

Easy- Mother

Recovery- Justin Bieber

Bad Day- Justin Bieber

The Wire- Haim

Make a Move- Sweater Beats

With Me- Cashmere Cat

I Wanna Be Down (remix)- Brandy

Sing- Ed Sheeran

A Sky Full of Stars- Coldplay

Formidable- Stromae

Batard- Stromae

Papaoutai (remix)- Stromae, Angel Haze

Jubel (original)- Klingande

Higher- Classified

Sleepless- Cazzette, The High

What songs have you been enjoying?

xx BB

new to me | Stila Garden of Glamour set.

Hello There!

Recently, I realized that I don't own  anything from the brand Stila, so I decided to pick up the Stila Garden of Glamour kit. This set contains some of the brand's most popular products, including the lip glaze and the lip and cheek creme. In a preliminary review, I am in love with all of these products!

RP 42.00

The palette is a beautiful selection of really lovely neutral shades, including a bronze and two deep plum colors. The texture of the shadows is actually somewhat dry, however the shadows blend easily and are quite pigmented. The only problem I have with this palette is that all of the colors are a tiny bit powder-y. Otherwise I love all of the shadows, and the packaging is super slim and easy to travel with.

The eyeliner is amazing! Damsel is a dark brown, almost black shade, and glides on like a dream. The formula blends easily, but it is a waterproof product so it dries quickly, so you do have to work fast. However, I do love this color for an easy everyday line, and the retractable packaging makes it easy to use on-the-go. I love easy-to-use items!

The product that I was the most excited to try was the lip and cheek creme. The shade I got is called peony, and it is a beautiful neutral peach shade that I think would look good on a lot of different skin tones. The formula blends beautifully and looks natural and dewy on the skin. If you have very oily skin I would recommend topping the cream blush with a powder, but otherwise I am a huge fan! I have yet to see if the product makes me break out, but I will update you if I do.

The lip glaze was probably the disappointing product of them all. The lip glazes are one of the most popular products in the Stila range, however I found that the gloss was very sheer and really sticky. The color I got in the kit is a warm neutral color, but nevertheless I found it barely showed up on my lips, even though the shade is very glossy.

Overall, I think this set is a really great deal! Almost everything in the kit is full size except for the cream blush, so if you bought all the products individually it would cost you over eighty dollars. I am very pleased with the Stila brand, and I look forward to trying lots more products from the line!

If you would like a more in-depth review on one of the items in this kit, let me know!

What are some of your favorite Stila items?

xx BB

MAC Prep and Prime Powder | a review

Hello There!

I have found a new favorite product! Yes, it is quite expensive, but it is absolutely fantastic. The MAC Prep and Prime powder is great for a number of reasons. 

RP 25.00

This powder blurs imperfections on the skin, and gives a poreless appearance. While this powder does not give coverage, it is really mattifying. My favorite two ways to use it are by itself with a tiny bit of a highlighting concealer and lots of mascara for a lazy day, or to set foundation and concealer without looking cake-y for a long-wearing look.

I have been using this powder almost every day, because it is so versatile and always makes my skin look lovely and matte. If you are looking to splurge on a really nice powder, this is a really good option!

Do you have a current favorite powder?

xx BB

spring & summer photos.

Hello There!

I missed you! Here are some photos I took recently with one of my most beautiful friends, Vanessa.

What I'm wearing: Top- Urban Outfitters | Jeans- Topshop | Shoes- Vans | Necklace- American Eagle | Lips- MAC

What Vanessa's wearing: Top- Urban Outfitters | Shorts- thrifted | Necklace- unknown

See you soon? Fingers crossed!

xx ac

(I am now annabelclaire on almost all my social media sites. My URL on this blog is still BriticaBeauty, but if you are looking for me, you can search AnnabelClaire.)