DIY Gel Nails in Con-Fuschion

For those of you concerned about the damage gel polish might do to the nail, here's a look at my bare nails after a solid year of wearing gels. 

My nails look as good as they ever did. In fact, they split and break a lot less with gels on because the gel polish acts to thicken the nail and in essence, to provide a protective coating. The nail surface is very smooth and the cuticles look pretty good, if I do say so myself. 

Here are the polishes I used for this particular manicure, in conjunction with my MelodySusie mini LED nail polish dryer (The LED dryer is awesome, it dries each coat in only 45 seconds, versus two minutes using a UV dryer).

I used IBD Just Gel Polish in "Con-Fuschion." I like to use IBD polishes for the color coat, because their polishes are very complex and multi-faceted, whereas the Gelish colors are more opaque and flat. This particular fuchsia has a VERY subtle blue and pink shimmer in bright daylight. 

Here's a look at how they came out: 

February Birchbox Review

Hello friends! If you've never heard of Birchbox, it's a monthly beauty sample subscription. In essence, you pay a fee of $10 a month, and receive a box every month with 5 beauty samples delivered to your door. The products range in size from sample-size to full-size. You then have the option of purchasing the full-size version of the sample via their website.

 Click here to join!

What I like most about the Birchbox program is that you have the option to review your samples the month you receive them. For each sample you review, you're awarded ten "thank you" points. When you accumulate 100 points (the equivalent of 10 product reviews), you receive $10 off the purchase of a full-size item in the Birchbox online store! I did the math- if you review each item you receive in a given month, you'll earn 50 points. Thus after two months of review, you'll have earned $10 off! I currently have $30 worth of these "thank you" points sitting in my account that I intend to cash in shortly!

#1

Ruby Wing// Color Changing Polish (in “Kitten Heels”) $10.00 Full Size

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/ruby-wing-nail-polish

This nail polish is supposed to change color between natural light and indoor light (from pink inside to a darker red outside). I didn’t find this to be the case. It was a uniform hot pink color both indoors and outdoors. I find the color-changing to be gimmicky anyway- I don’t see the point in my polish looking different in sunlight, so I wasn’t too disappointed. That being said, I was satisfied with the quality of this polish, and actually thought that the hot pink color I ended up with was very pretty (it’s pretty true to the color it appears in the bottle). I would recommend this brand on color and quality alone, but can’t say it does what it advertises.   

Here's what it looked like on my toes in the shade versus in the sun:

A Hint of Sparkle

About a year ago, my mom suggested we get gel manicures. I didn't know what they entailed, but her friend couldn't stop raving about them, so I was game. The process was somewhere between a regular manicure and acrylics. The result was the shiniest set of sparkly purple nails is ever seen. And four weeks later, although my nails had started to grow out, there was not a single chip to be found. I was hooked! The only downside was the price. One manicure set me back $30 plus tip. I knew it wasn't a realistic long term option for someone like me, who rarely splurges on my nails. The solution? An at-home gel nail polish system. 

Here's what you'll need: (I recommend Gelish for the foundation and top coat, they have a great starter kit called Gelish Basix you can purchase on www.amazon.com ) I got started for right around $100, the cost of just over three salon manicures, so within three months the system was cost-effective.

It's really a simple process. Here's the abridged version. Prepare nails like you normally would before a manicure, trimmed, buffed, etc. Then use the cuticle oil, and using a lint-free wipe, clean the nail with the nail surface cleanse. Once the nail is clean, use the PH bond to dry out the nails so that the polish will adhere to the nail. 

Click below for more instructions: