Review | Mont Bleu Foot Scraper File

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to Mont Bleu glass nail files and they are pretty much everything I use to keep my nails flawlessly in shape. Today, I will showcase another product I was sent by the company, the Foot Scraper File.

I was sent the Cyan Blue coloured foot file and I was pleased to see it came with it's own plastic sleeve. Moreover, you would be happy to know that these Czech tempered glass files come with a lifetime guarantee on abrasive surface.

The difference between a traditional nail file and a foot file is immediately noticeable - the latter is much thicker and harsher to enable it to file away the hard skin we usually get on our feet, especially the heels.

I have been using this foot file consistently for the past few weeks and I can attest that I have seen a dramatic improvement in the way the skin on my heels looks and feels. It took a few uses to really get rid of the harder layers of skin but I guarantee it is worth the effort! I prefer to use it dry rather than wet as I can see exactly where I'm missing.

I like how the skin on my feet has improved over time and for just €16, I personally think they are money well spent.

Mont Bleu glass files can also be found on Amazon.

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Express Manicure at Persona

Following my complimentary laser session at Persona last month, I was given a voucher for an express manicure which I gladly accepted and fixed an appointment for, earlier in June. 

An Express Manicure at Persona consists of cuticle tidy, nail shaping, hand massage and nail polish application (worth €17). My manicurist for the day was Leann who I must say did a very good job from beginning to end!

First off, she asked me to soak my hands in some water so as to soften my cuticles and prepare them for the treatments to follow. Next, my cuticles were pushed back and tidied and any dry skin was nipped off before my nails were filed into an oval shape.

Subsequently, came my favourite part of the whole experience - the hand massage with coconut scented hand cream. This was divine and I almost fell asleep! Nail polish application followed and I chose a gold colour which we all know looks good with everything.

I left Persona with hands as soft as a baby's and nails manicured to perfection! It's nice to have someone take care of my hands every once in a while!

Once again, thanks goes to Persona and the lovely staff there for the treatments. Persona is located on Sir Ugo Mifsud Street in Ta' Xbiex. For appointments call +356 21 340 366. Alternatively, you can visit their website for a full list of treatments and services offered.

The Express Manicure was offered to me free of charge by Persona. All opinions are my own.

Review | Born Pretty Store Nail Transfers

Born Pretty Store have once again come to the rescue with their nail transfers. I had broken a few nails some weeks ago so I couldn't do proper nail art product reviews but now they are back, all the same length!

So, back to the review. Born Pretty Store had sent me some nail transfers from their extensive range to try out and I chose the black and white dots I am wearing here and some Audrey Hepburn ones which I haven't worn yet.

These transfers are very to use, even for beginners. Just remove the protective film, plunge into some water, remove the backing and carefully apply over your nails avoiding air bubbles. Here is the manicure I wore for 5 days straight:

These nail transfers only cost $1.64 for the dotted ones and $2.40 for the Audrey Hepburn ones. Remember to put in my code EBABK31 at checkout for 10% off your order!

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Review | Born Pretty Store Gel Cube Rhinestone Picker

Hello guys I hope everyone is doing well :) Today I have a Born Pretty Store review for you, so, nail art lovers, rejoice!

The product I have here today is the Gel Cube Rhinestone Picker which as the name implies, is meant to help you pick up your rhinestones and place them on your nails to complete your nail art designs. I have never used any kind of rhinestone picker before as I always used a dotting tool dipped in some clear polish but I was curious to see how this will fare out.

Basically, the pink cube comes in a little plastic wrapper and has a piece of protective backing on both sticky sides. The cube is meant to be cut into smaller pieces so it will last you for a long time. 

To use, cut out a small piece of the gel cube and remove the protective backing from both sides. Next, use an orange stick like you would a rolling pin and roll out the gel to thin it and make it more pliable, then wrap the gel around the orange stick to have your rhinestone picker ready for use. Here is a little step-by-step tutorial:

I found that the gel cube works better at picking up rhinestones and placing them on your nails than my usual method of using a clear polish. It is great for picking up any size or shape of rhinestones and you really will not need anything else! The best thing about this gel cube though is that you can change to a new bit once it isn't sticky any more. I do store mine in a small plastic bag to avoid it getting dirty and help it last longer though.

Buy the gel cube rhinestone picker from Born Pretty Store for only $1.63 and quote my discount code EBABK31 at checkout for 10% off your order.

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Review | Born Pretty Store Peel-Off Base Coat

If like me you like wearing glitter nail polishes, you know what a pain they can be to remove when you want to change your manicure. Of course, there is the very effective foil removal method but sometimes that can get a little time consuming. Peel-off base coats have been popping up on the market but sometimes they come with a price tag that I cannot bring myself to justify for something that is not even going to show.

Of course, there are many a tutorials to make your own but what if you can have an effective, cheap peel off-base coat that's ready made? Enter the Born Pretty Store Peel-Off Base Coat!

The bottle this come in really reminds me of the Ciate ones except this doesn't have a bow on it. It contains 7ml of product and the base coat is a transparent, milky colour. It does have a scent that is a little off-putting at first but I got used to it while working with this base coat. The brush is a standard size and I had no issues with it.

For this Halloween nail art, I applied two coats of the peel-off base coat on bare nails and allowed 3 minutes for each coat to dry before proceeding with applying the nail polishes (two coats each plus top coat). The base coat was easy to apply and it didn't interfere with the polish application. I like that on applying the polish, it didn't re-activate the base coat as it usually happens with regular base coats.

I removed this manicure after 3 days and look how easy it was to peel it all off!!! The glitter came off in one piece and so did the creme nail polish! I was actually surprised that it didn't peel off on its own after I wash my hands as I expected it to do so this is definitely a gem every nail polish addict should have in their stash!

Thus, I guess I have found the perfect solution to wearing glitter nail polish without worrying about the hassle to take it off! You can buy your own Peel-Off Base Coat from Born Pretty Store for just $4.57 and you can also claim 10% off it with my code EBABK31 at checkout!

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Review | Born Pretty Store Holographic Nail Foil #77

We all have to admit that holographic nail polishes are a spectacle to look at so when I was offered the chance to review one of the new holographic nail art foils from Born Pretty Store, I jumped at the opportunity to have a go at something different with a holographic finish.

The nail foil comes in a transparent container and you get a full meter's length of holographic goodness. The foil's width is 4cm. The design I chose resembles stars/laser light and I thought it looked best over a dark coloured polish (I used China Glaze Jungle Queen as my base).

You will need some foil adhesive to apply the foil to your nails. After the polish is completely dry, smoothly apply a fairly thick (not too much!) layer of glue taking care to avoid brush marks if possible. The glue will go white at first but will dry transparent. Wait for it to go tacky (you will know it has reached this stage as it will be clear) and firmly press and smooth the foil onto your nail, foil shiny side up. You can use a cotton disc to help smooth out the foil and then, gently peel to reveal the transferred design. I suggest you work one nail at a time to ensure a smooth application and prevent the glue from drying completely from one nail to the other. Finally finish off with a top coat.

This particular foil transferred effortlessly to my nails and application was fairly smooth. The manicure lasted me for around 5 days before I could see any tip wear and the foil peeling off.

Born Pretty Store have a whole range of holographic nail foils with beautiful designs all throughout. This one I have retails for $3.07 and you can get it at 10% off if you quote the code EBABK31 at checkout.

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Review | Born Pretty Store 4mm Metal Ring Nail Studs

One of the latest additions to my nail art decorations stash is this wheel with 6 colours of metal ring studs courtesy of Born Pretty Store.

The package comes with silver, chrome, gunmetal, gold, bronze and copper rings, all of which are 4mm in diameter. My first thought was to use them as a base for liquid jewels but they turned out to be a little smallish for the job. 

I then used them to enhance this white and rose rose gold water marble design and I was very pleased that they held on really well throughout the five days I wore the manicure.

The only thing I am not keen on with these rings is that their ends overlap and they scratch so I recommend filing them down a little before adhering them to your nails.

These metal nail decorations cost $2.66 and you can get 10% off with the code EBABK31 at checkout.

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Review | B-Pro Systems Hybrid Gel Polish 122

A few weeks ago I posted a picture on my Instagram with a new kind of gel polish - hybrid gel polish to be exact which is produced locally by

B-Pro Systems.

I was sent the shade 122 which is a gorgeous Italian Pink that is very apt for the summer months and began testing it right away. What makes B-Pro Systems Hybrid Gel Polish different from other gel polishes? Well, you just apply the colour and cure! No base and top coat needed!

So, let's start with the basics...B-Pro Systems Hybrid Gel Polishes come in 8ml bottles just like regular nail polishes and I really like the size and shape of the brush as it fits my nail bed perfectly. Being a gel polish, the formula is obviously on the thicker side but it is very easy to work with.

What I did was prep my nails to remove surface oils so that the gel adheres to the nails, apply the first coat of colour, cure under UV or LED light, and repeat with a second coat and I was done! No base coat, no top coat, no nail cleanser! And i was left with a super glossy manicure in a little over 5 minutes!

How did it perform? I must say I was really impressed with the staying power of this gel polish especially when keeping in min that I did not apply a base and top coat. I started seeing the first signs of tip wear after about a little over a week and then by the second week, I had a really huge chip on one of my middle fingers which is going through a 'soft' phase at the moment and it bends easily so I guess that is what caused the chipping.

As for removal, I used acetone and wrapped my nails in soaked cotton discs for just 10 minutes and it was all gone without causing any damage to the nails. 

The B-Pro Systems Hybrid Gel Polishes are only available for sale to professional nail technicians from Beautica in Paola and they currently come in 24 shades but they keep adding new shades every so often so keep your eyes peeled for more shades.

I look forward to purchasing some shades in due course and introduce this service to my clients who sometimes just want a quick polish!

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Review | Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate BP-21

Hello lovely ladies :) Today I am here to share with you the latest addition to my stamping plates collection from Born Pretty Store.

I chose the plate BP-21 which features three geometric designs with circles and lines and an arebesque motif - definitely a good choice of nail art designs which are becoming very popular! The plate comes with a protective film which you have to peel before using the plate. What I like with these new BPS plates is that they don't have the extra sharp edges that the old ones used to have so there is less risk of cutting yourself on them.

I decided to go with the circles design for this post and I used a black stamping polish, also from Born Pretty Store. I really into the concept of large stamping images lately as I find they transfer better onto the nails and you're sure to be left with design on the whole nail.

If you liked this plate, you can get your own from Born Pretty Store with free shipping and 10% off with the code EBABK31. Retail price is $2.99.

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Review | KIKO Milano Acetone Nail Polish Remover Fast & Easy

I guess we all know the familiar feeling of being torn over whether or not to paint our nails in that gorgeous-but-I-can-imagine-what-a-pain-it-will-be-to-remove glitter polish or that dark vampy red shade that will end up all over your fingers.

Up to now, I have been using the foil removal method at it works wonders at removing such stubborn polishes but I cannot always do both my hands at once unless I get some help from anyone at home to apply the cotton pad and foil to my dominant hand so it can get a little time consuming.

Consequently, I decided to give this dip-sponge type of polish remover from KIKO Milano a go in my last order and I am still thinking to myself why didn't I get the whole stock???

First things first, this polish remover comes in a 75ml bottle with a screw-top cap and it has two big acetone polish remover soaked sponges with a small hole in between them where you put your fingers. It has quite a strong smell so a well ventilated area is a must when using this. The bottle is supplied in its own box.

I am very impressed with the fast mode of action of this baby as it works wonders at removing any kind of nail polish effectively in just a few seconds! All you have to do is just dip your nails one at a time in the hole between the two sponges, twist the bottle back and forth for a few seconds and voila'! your nail polish is gone without a trace! It is also effective at removing soak off gel polish and plastic false nails.

Even though this nail polish remover is acetone based, I have never had any issues with it drying out my nails or anything primarily because it acts very fast so you don't need to soak your nails in it for a long time.

KIKO Acetone Nail Polish Remover Fast & Easy is available from the KIKO Cosmetics website at €5.90 and is also available in an Acetone-Free version.

Review | Born Pretty Store Striped Metallic Round Studs

I am always looking for new and unusual nail art embellishments to add to my stash and the latest ones come courtesy of Born Pretty Store and their striped, round rhinestones.

There are round and oval studs to choose from in different sizes and I chose the round 2mm ones for they fit my nails better. These studs have a domed appearance and they bear a striped design which makes them truly unique.

They can be used in different nail art designs and I chose to add them to the centres of flowers I stamped on my nails. I find these studs go best with purples, greys, reds, oranges and blues so you are really spoilt for choice with colours to match them to. All studs held up well with a good adhering base polish. 

These striped studs come in sets if 10 or 15 pieces and retail for $4.20. You can get 10% off your order by quoting my code EBABK31 at checkout. Shipping from Born Pretty Store is always free so you can splurge a little more ;)

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