Kiss Gel Dress Sugar & Spice

Good Evening.

I hope everyone is staying warm and dry with all this crazy weather right now.  I know when I left for work at 7am this morning it was about 37 degrees and then later on it started raining and sleeting.  Everything was freezing over.  It was cool because I didn't have to drive in it.  I just hope those that did made it home safely.

Now onto the fun stuff.  I was at Walgreen's this past weekend and I found these Kiss nail strips that are different than their normal ones.  They are made of a gel polish solution which means they are supposed to last longer.  Also if you have an LED lamp for gel manicures (I do not) you can cure them to last longer.  I just have to do the regular application.

This is what they look like outside of the package.  It not only comes with all of the full size nail strips but also french tips.  That's part of the reason why I bought them.  I thought that was really cool to add that.  The other reason is the floral print.  I can't stay away from floral anything.  I just love it.

So usually when I use nail strips I only do accent nails and not full manicures with them which it what I did here.  I used three coats of Sephora by OPI Mermaid to Order on my pinky, pointer, and thumb.  On my middle and ring fingers I used the Kiss Gel Dress strips.  I didn't apply any base coat.  I just made sure my nails were well prepped by wiping them down with Zoya Remove+ and then I applied them like you would any other.  I wanted to try out the french tips but I think I'll save those for another mani.

So far these have stayed on all day without peeling up on the edges.  I did apply a top coat to them so I'm guessing that's helping a bit, but the package says they last up to a week without using the LED lamp so I guess I will keep you all updated on how they wear.  I might not do a full post on it, but I can add an update to this post and post it to my Facebook page as well.

Have a great night and keep warm!  ♥

UPDATE 1.29.14 : So these only ended up lasting one full day and then half a day.  Keep in mind I work in retail and I am constantly using my hands for typing, unpacking boxes, moving merchandise, etc. so the fact that they lasted a full day without lifting or peeling is great and then another half day.  Pretty good in my opinion.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Product Review

*This product was provided to me from Influenster for review*

So I know we've all read product reviews on these and heard all the hype, but you haven't read mine.  My first attempt at any nail strips was with Sally Hansen (the ones with the skull and crossbones) and it was a disaster.  I figured it being my first time, I probably f'ed it up somehow because they we "chipped" and falling off within the hour.  This was not a good sign and I basically vowed to never buy them again.  Well, I still haven't, but I did get my Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox (review/video coming soon) and low and behold, Sally Hansen Salon Effects were included.  So I guess I'll give them another go.

CLAIMS (from sallyhansen.com):

Nothing feels or wears like real nail polish. Now Sally makes it easy to get Salon Effects anytime, any place using real nail polish – with no dry time! Don’t settle for plastic imitations that peel off. We’re the real thing. Just peel, apply & file! Learn more at www.sallyhansen.com

• No dry time

• Lasts up to 10 days
• Removes easily with nail polish remover

• 40 must-have styles

Ok so 3 out of 4 ain't bad.  I agree that they have some amazing styles and yes they do remove easily.  However,  I have yet to see them last up to 1 day, let along 10 days.  I was lucky to get 5 days out of my Kiss Nail Strips and those I buy all the time.

APPLICATION:

I followed the instructions to the T and wiped my nails down with polish remover to get rid of the excess oils.  I applied them one by one to my nails, each one tearing so easily.  They tore so far back that I couldn't get them to cover the tips of my nails now.  STRIKE ONE!  I tried to pick the correct size for each of my nails, but that was a struggle in and of itself.  The smallest was too skinny for my pinky, the medium sized ones were too fat for my other fingers.  I did the best I could but that was definitely STRIKE TWO!  I then tried to use the file to remove the excess strip but again they kept tearing leaving small chips on my tips, and since they are glitter, they wouldn't file off evenly.  The tips of my nails look and feel rough and have chunks of glitter sticking out, and they are starting to peel up at the tips already.  STRIKE THREE!

I won't even show you all the photos because they are just terrible.  This is exactly why I vowed to never buy them again and I'm glad I did.  NEVER AGAIN!  I will stick with using my Kiss Nail Strips.  You can see my review on those HERE.  Have a great night everyone.

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Essence Choose Me and a Product Review

Today's polish is Essence Choose Me.  Love this color!  I couldn't wait to swatch and post this eventhough I've had it forever and worn it a hundred times.

I definitely couldn't get it to photograph correctly or maybe it just pulls more blue on my skin.  The actual color is more green/teal with some micro glitter.  It's pretty amazing.  There are many dupes out there in the world including Orly Haley's Comet and OPI Catch Me In Your Net, but for the price (99¢ at Ulta), I say this one is the best.


Now for my review on Kiss Nail Polish Strips that I used in THIS post just like I promised.  


I was extremely pleased with them; especially for the price.  I found them at Dollar General for $3 and they had 10 to 12 different prints from leopard and butterflies to swirls and flowers.  The application was a breeze.  There was no tearing, no wrinkles, nothing.  Just a smooth, easy application.  I noticed they are a lot thicker than the Sally Hansen strips which I think helped.  The only issue I found was, of course, longevity.  I only had a tiny bit of tip wear but nothing really noticeable.  They claim, just like every other brand, to last up to 10 days.  Well mine only lasted 5 days which I wasn't so upset about since I was itching to take them off and paint my nails again.  When it came time for removal, it was also a breeze.  I didn't even need nail polish remover.  I just picked up a side that had started to loosen and peeled it right off.  It did leave a little sticky gunk on my nails, but a little water got that off as well.


Review Wrap-Up
Price: $...a great value
Variety: I thought there was a wide variety of designs and I noticed on the Kiss website, there are even more that I did not see in the store.
Application:  super easy; no issues at all
Quality: great!  I love how thick they are.  The SH strips feel like tissue paper to me.
Wear:  They were awesome.  I didn't have any lifting or tearing and minimal tip wear after 5 days  of showers, baths, dishes, lotions, etc.
Removal:  extremely simple. I just peeled them off.  No polish remover needed.
Would I Purchase Again:  ABSOLUTELY!


I hope you guys enjoyed this lengthy post and thanks for reading!
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Gal-entine's Party!

Real quick post everyone!  I have my bestie over for movie night and an early Gal-entine's Day.  I put together a little basket with chocolates and a candle and some fun nail stickers.  Here's what we accomplished.

Tina's nails

My nails with Essence Glamorous Life accent nail.

The only reason I had to do an accent nail was because the stickers didn't fit correctly.  Oh well!  I'll let you all know in 10 days if these still exist on my fingers.  Enjoy!


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