Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Review: Nailene French Manicure kit

The first Nailene (http://www.nailene.com) product that I used from the prizes that I won was the Nailene French Manicure kit.  I was so excited to use this product first because I'm a huge fan of french manicure style nails.  This is typically the only way I do my nails so getting this was like a dream (haha).


Starting off with clean, groomed nails, I added the nail guides provided in the kit.  Typically I don't use the nail guides and just free-hand the tips because of past experiences using the guides from the Sally Hansen French Manicure kits, which I hated.

Unlike the Sally Hansen guides, which never gave me a clean line even after minutes of drying (it always bled through the guide), the Nailene guides gave me a SUPER clean nail tip which I couldn't believe.  It seriously looked like my tips were fake.

For the polish, I wasn't a big fan of the brush in the white polish.  I'm not sure if it was just me painting it on really badly, or the brush itself.  But I found myself struggling to use it or to keep dipping it back into the polish.

What I did like was the base color that came with the kit.  I was a bit scared to use it since the bottle looked really pink, but when I brushed it on, it came out with a nice opaque color that did not over power on my nails.

The acrylic top coat that came in the kit was the best part.  None of the top coats I've used had a lasting effect on my nails.  They'd either start chipping off the polish in HUGE chunks within a day or two.  With this top coat, It actually made the polish last at least a week with little or no wear.
Even with the constant rustling through my purse and luggage during vacation, I was still able to maintain this look without any great damage.



Adding a touch of the nail art stickers (which I will review next), I've created a look that I was very satisfied and happy with.  I'd definitely recommend the Nailene French Manicure kit to anyone who's looking for a quick and easy (and inexpensive) French manicure that you can do in the privacy of your own house.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Nailene Haul

My first entry in this review blog was for Nailene's (http://www.nailene.com) first giveaway. I was fortunate enough to win a prize for my review and got a great selection of prizes from Nailene.


You have no idea how excited I was to see the package sitting on my computer table when I got home that night.  I immediately opened up the package to see the nailene bag neatly prepped inside.

Found in my swag bag was:
* Nailene French Manicure w/ Top Coat
* Nailene Perfect Toes
* Nailene Acrylic Fill Kit
* Nailene Perfect Tips & Toes
* Nailene Nail Studio Nails (burgundy color)
* Nailene Bedazzle Nail Art
* Nailene Nail Art Stickers (4th of July and Rhinestone stickers)

I'll definitely get around to making tutorials and reviews when I get a chance to use them.
I've already tried out the French Manicure kit which I'll be putting up a review later on this week.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Review: EOS Lip Balm

I'm a huge fan of lip balm.  I HAVE to have one no matter where I am.
I used to carry a stick with me at all times in my jean pocket and it's very apparent in one of a pair of my jeans leaving a faded line mark in the front right pocket (haha!).
Now, i've tried a lot of different brands like Blistex, Carmex, Chapstick, etc.  Even though i'd go back to using the same kind of brand over and over again, it wasn't because it was my favorite brand and what-not, but because it was inexpensive.

I've heard great reviews about EOS (Evolution of Smooth) lip balm and how it'll keep your lips smooth for quite awhile.  Just recently I jumped on the hype and bought two EOS smooth spheres in the summer fruit flavors (2 for $5 deal!). 
I felt like a kid during Christmas when I first opened it.  I couldn't wait to try it (not to mention I had lost my chapstick prior to this so I REALLY needed to use it).  I was quite surprised when I first tried it out.  I didn't think the lip balm would be just a mound or as big, but it's so conveniently designed that it's no wonder the size was as is.  What I liked was how the shape of it allows you to apply to both the upper and lower lip at the same time, which means less strokes!

The flavor of this lip balm is incredible.  It has such a sweet taste to it, yet it's not as if you have sugar on your lips.  Now, I constantly apply lip balm on my lips, only because I end up wiping it off in some way or another, but I was amazed at how well this has kept up.  I've been working on the same one for almost a month now and I'm just about half way done now.  Usually for a regular stick, i'd be about 3/4 of the way down.
Overall, I really enjoy this lip balm and would love to be able to continue using it in the long run.  There's still 3 other flavors to try out, which I'll do a review on when I get to that chance.  In the meantime, I totally recommend this lip balm for those who don't mind carrying it around since it's a bit bulkier than a stick.  Not recommended for guys, but will suggest to try the stick form of EOS' lip balm.