Brand Hits & Misses | Sally Hansen

I'm sure you have seen this kind of posts on other blogs but for me, this is actually a first, where from time to time I shall be picking a brand and show you my favourite products and the ones I definitely won't repurchase.

First up is Sally Hansen, which I'm sure you've all heard of by now. The US brand has quite established itself in the nail care market and it offers a vast range of products to enhance and care for your nails.

I have tried quite a few of their products and although there are more hits than misses, some products have really let me down. Here go the hits first and then the misses!

Hits

Instant Cuticle Remover - probably my favourite out of the bunch! This is a little miracle in a bottle and I am always in awe at its rapid action in removing excess cuticle and it makes an excellent prepping product especially for gel manicures as on a clean nail plate, the polish adheres better. Oh and it's boyfriend approved too ;)

Cuticle Rehab - another favourite is this little wonder product that I always carry with me in my bag. It is basically a nourishing gel that you massage into the cuticles and it restores them after just one application!

Extra Strength Nail Polish Remover - although this is on the pricier side when compared to other polish removers, it is one of the best ones and it is ace for removing glitter polishes and darker colours effortlessly.

Xtreme Wear glitters - I love the glitter pay off with these polishes and my favourite two are 510 Strobe Flash and 540 Glitter Gun. They are stunners both when worn alone or layered on another polish.

Xtreme Wear Nail Colors - apart from the glitter polishes, the Xtreme Wear range also comprises some nice solid colours. I'm especially fond of them as they provide excellent application and some are even good with just one coat. The shade 300 White On is an exceptionally good white for French manicures too.

Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish - I only have one of these polishes but I can already foresee my collection expanding with a few of these shades. They have excellent colour payoff and the formula is a pleasure to work with. The brand claims that you don't even need a base and top coat with them and I really like the glossy finish.

Insta-Dri Chip-Resistant Top Coat - the last hit is this wonder top coat. I bought it after seeing a good number of positive reviews on it and now I can affirm that it lives up to the hype. It provides a high shine finish and manicure is dry to the touch within seconds. On me, this lasts for roughly 5 days before I can see some minor tip wear. Highly recommended!

Misses

Insta-Brite Nail Whitener - I bought this a while ago so it could help maintain my nails to a healthy colour but it didn't really do much. On the contrary, it made my nails look even more yellow than they actually were.

No More Breaks Nail Strengthener - again, another product bought out of desperation. I was going through a phase where my nails kept breaking all the time - something which was new to me so I thought of giving this a go. I made sure my nails were clean and applied it according to the instructions but after just a couple of minutes it kept peeling off. I tried whichever way to make it work but sadly, nothing could get it to work.

No Chip Top Coat - the last miss is this top coat which I bought as part of my search for the perfect top coat. Contrary to the Insta-Dri Top Coat, it says 'no chip' but as soon as it dried, it just cracked and peeled off together with the polish underneath. I tried it another time on completely dry polish and it did the same thing. Definitely not recommended.

And that concludes my first Brand Hits & Misses post! let me know what you think about this kind of post and also, what you think about Sally Hansen in general :) Any other products you recommend from the brand? Which brand would you like me to feature next? 

Review | Orly Nailtrition

Today I have a product review that I have been meaning to do for ages but somehow it completely slipped out of my mind! Well better late than never they say so here goes!

 

As you can tell from the title, I will be reviewing Orly Nailtrition which I have claimed many times that it is my favourite base for strong, healthy nails. I maybe a little bit biased because Orly is one of the professional brands I use on my clients but having my clients confirm that it is an excellent product that does wonders to their nails, I think I do the right thing in buying this product over and over again.

 

Orly Nailtrition is part of the brand's nail treatments line and hence comes in a carton box with an open window on the front. Orly have recently revamped their packaging but I still have the old one for now.
 

 

The polish is supplied in an 18mL bottle featuring Orly's signature rubberised cap for a better grip and it is a very light pearl pink in colour that actually goes on transparent with a pearly sheen. The formula is on the watery side yet easy to work with and dries rather quickly. The smell is nothing overpowering and fades away quickly.

 

Orly Nailtrition is meant to be used as a nail strengthening and growth treatment for a period of two weeks. It is suggested that you apply a coat or two of the product to bare nails everyday for a week, take everything off at the end of the week and repeat the program for another week. Should you wish to repeat the two week program, it is suggested that you skip a week between applications. 

Generally I like to use Nailtrition a base coat though to strengthen and protect my natural nails and I can affirm that I personally have seen a difference in how strong my nails look and feel. I guess the keratin and bamboo extract in the polish really work their magic!

 

I recommend this treatment to practically anyone who wants longer, stronger nails in a short period of time but I do recommend having another base coat on the side to give your nails a break from hardeners as they can sometimes act the opposite of how they should (for more info on the matter, have a look at my article on eve.com.mt over here).

 

I buy Orly Nailtrition from Ebay and usually pay between €6 and €9 depending on the seller, shipping included.

 

Have you ever tried any Orly nail treatments?

Guest Post | Tips for Shiny and Strong Nails

Good morning lovelies :) I hope everyone is doing great so far! Today I have another guest post for you all and this time, it is all about tips for maintaining healthy nails from Chloe. I actually didn't know about some of them myself! Keep reading to see how you can have shiny and strong nails!

Shiny and strong nails can give you beautiful hands – even without the use of nail polish. Shiny and strong nails also help you to look more professional since cracked, dirty and bitten nails signal nervousness and disorganization.

While sometimes it may seem that you need a miracle elixir to keep your nails from chipping or to give them a little shine, you actually only need to follow a few simple tips to keep your nails shiny and strong. Here are a few tips:

Keep Them Clean

Dirty nails can look dull and unhealthy, and dirt can weaken the nail and cause it to chip or crack. Lemon juice is a great option for keeping nails clean. You can either dip your nails in lemon juice for 10 minutes every day, or you can dip a toothbrush in lemon juice and scrub the underside of your nails. The juice will dissolve dirt and has properties that will strengthen your nails.

Milk is also a good option. You can use it in the same way as lemon juice to clean your nails, either soaking your nails for 10 to 15 minutes in a bowl of milk or dipping a toothbrush in milk and scrubbing your nails with it.

Keep Them Moisturized

Dry nails will crack and break. Keeping them moisturized will help them to grow strong and will keep them shiny. Rubbing Vaseline into your cuticles and nails is a popular way to keep them moisturized. Other options include olive oil and garlic. You can use these treatments daily. Drinking plenty of water and limiting your use of nail polish can also help you to achieve and maintain healthy, shiny nails.

Keep Them Filed

Filing your nails will eliminate the start of any cracks or chips that could lead to larger issues that could take your whole nail. Filing them at least daily will help you to maintain stronger nails. Filing should be considered a corrective rather than a preventive measure. It will not create healthy nails, only protect them from further damage.

Avoid Acetone-Based Nail Polish Removers

Acetone will dry out your nails quickly and can leave them weak and dull-looking. If you like to wear nail polish a lot, make sure that you choose nail polish removers that do not include acetone. Follow up any nail polish removal with a good moisturizing and cleaning, as well.

Eat a Good Diet

What you eat can have a big impact on your nails. In particular, Vitamin B and fish oil can help you to achieve strong and shiny nails. Sardines, salmon and other oily fish are good sources of fish oil, but you can also take a supplement if you don’t enjoy the taste of fish (or the taste of those fish). Whole grains, lean meats and some dairy are good sources of Vitamin B. Again, you take a supplement if you want to be sure you are getting adequate intake. Just look for a B complex vitamin so that you get balanced levels of all the B vitamins.

Strong and shiny nails can not only help you look beautiful, they can also help you to appear professional and competent. Use these remedies to achieve strong and shiny nails naturally, without the aid of nail polish or other chemical treatments.

Chloe Trogden is a seasoned financial aid writer who covers specific opportunities such as beauty school grants. Her leisure activities include camping, swimming and yoga.

Review | Sally Hansen No More Breaks Natural Nail Strengthener

How is everyone doing so far? Upon request I will review the Sally Hansen No More Breaks Natural Nail Strengthener which I bought with the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. Seeing how good the latter product is, I really had high hopes for this one and after thoroughly testing it out, here are my thoughts on it. I will start with some background information about my nails first. 

 

So, my nails are quite strong in themselves but come summer, they need a little help not to break as they tend to grow much faster because of increased sun (hence Vitamin D) exposure. Therefore, I decided to get this product with that in mind.

 

Like all Sally Hansen nail treatments, the strengthener comes in a carton box on which are printed the ingredients and directions for use amongst other information.  The actual polish on the other hand has a light green tinge but results transparent on application. It comes in a transparent bottle, making it easier to determine how much product is left. The brush is a good size to apply the product in just two strokes.
 

 

Application instructions suggest that you apply the product on clean, dry, bare nails so I went ahead and removed excess cuticle and dehydrated the nails and applied one coat of No More Breaks, allowing a couple of minutes drying time before I applied another one.

To my surprise, the polish just peeled off my nail the minute it dried so I cleaned my nails yet again and this time, I applied two subsequent coats but to no avail...the polish just peeled off! I thought of using it over a good base coat to make it stay in place but then again, what's the use of a nail strengthener if it cannot adhere to the nail plate?

I'd say stay away from this product and spend the same amount of money on another polish or the Instant Cuticle Remover instead. Speaking of price, I think it is still good value for money as it retails for €7.40 for 13.3mL (although it is much cheaper in the US).

 

Did you ever try this? Am I the only one it didn't work for?