Christmas Gifts for the Nail Lovers

If you have a friend, sister, mum, auntie or even Nan who love having their nails painted and like to look after them, then this Nail gift guide might just solve your problems as you rush out to buy those last minute gifts!

Sensationail Gel Starter Kit - Still available in Boots for £69.99

For professional looking, salon quality nails at home. Everything you need to do your own sensational gel polish nails at home. No dry time - just apply, cure, wipe and your beautiful SensatioNail nails are completely dry and ready to go!

This kit includes enough for over 20 manicures/pedicures

• Gel Cleanser 14.6ml
• Gel Primer 3.54m
• Gel base/top coat 3.69ml
• Gel Polish 3.69ml
• Pro 3060 LED Lamp 3 Easy steps for a super high gloss shine and no dry time
• Lint free wipes
• Double sided buffer
• Manicure stick

I was also sent two further polishes in Sugar Plum and Smoky Night which cost £15 each and again there is a current offer of buy one get one half price on these polishes.

Fuse Gelnamel Vamp nail starter kit - Currently on offer in Boots for £19.99 instead of £35.

Kit Contains

• Fuse LED lam
• Fuse Gelnamel (10.65ml)
• Cleanser
• 12 lint-free wipe
• Double sided nail buffer and Manicure stick

Fuse Gelnamel has been developed for people who did not want the multiple steps & 2 week wear of a full gel polish, but still wanted no dry time. Fuse is described as being neither a full gel, or a standard polish – it’s a combination that applies in 1 coat (you can do 2 if you prefer), cures in 30 seconds and lasts for up to 7 days. what I love about this kit is that it is portable! You know when you are going on holiday, you have had your nails done and then you chip one - annoying! Well rather than carry half your manicure kit with you, all you need is this box of joy. 

 The lamp, is designed to fit one finger in it at a time, so if you are like me and like to take your time to do your nails to ensure each one is done properly, well this little beauty is just amazing! You can either plug it in at the mains, or whilst you are sat commenting on blogs, or even writing your post, you can use the USB adaptor and use it whilst blogging or reading the news or whatever - what a good idea that is right?  I think it is amazing and it is currently my favourite gadget!

Fuse polishes are available in a wide variety of colours and cost £15 each and again there is a current offer of buy one get one half price on these polishes.

The final products for the nail lovers is this trio from Nail HQ which work to help protect and nourish.

Described as being a new generation of nail treatments which uses cutting edge ingredients and formulations, Nail HQ offers you naturally beautiful nails that are nourished, strong and glossy.  Within this trio is the following:

Ridge Filler - Oxygenating Formulation.

Specifically formulated for weak, damaged and thin ridged nails. This smooth ridge filler gives a subtle sheen finish that revitalizes the nail. 

The formulation gives it unique hydrating, moisturizing and conditioning attributes which will help nails become more flexible, help regulate nail growth and improve the wear of nail enamel by providing adhesion properties.

Protect & Repair with Root Ginger and Hydrolyzed Collagen

With Root Ginger, Rice Protein, Soy Protein & Hydrolyzed Collagen. This clear coat is formulated for weak and soft nails.  Contains water to help hydrate/moisturize and condition. This helps maintain nail flexibility.

For initial treatment apply one coat without colour. Reapply daily over existing coats until your nails improve. After 5 days, remove with mild nail enamel remover and re-start the process.

All in One with Argan Oil

A multi solution product with Argan Oil & replenishing mineral complex.These ingredients help provide the moisture balance necessary to have flexible nails and prevent brittleness & breakage.

This formula also contains a unique mineral complex designed to help moisturize, condition & strengthen

I have been using all three of these products for last 6 weeks and have noticed some improvement in my nails.  I suffer with weak nails, they split and peel which is really annoying, so by using the All in One solution, whilst my nails are not perfect, they do peel less than they did.

The final present for any nail lover has to be a decent nail file, especially one which is as cute as this from Catseye London, everyone knows how much I love cats, I have three of my own, so for me, this nail file set and mirror would be a perfect addition to any stocking.

Have you bought any of these products? 

Guest Post | The 5 major benefits of using UV nail polish

If you’ve never used UV gel polish before, you wouldn’t know the benefits that it has over standard lacquer! To help you out, and to ensure you’ll never go back to standard polish, here are the five major benefits of using UV nail polish!

1. It lasts longer than regular polish

UV gel polish lasts for about three weeks usually – without chipping, fading or scratching off at all! That’s a lifetime in the nail polish world. As long as you cure it properly with the UV light it will last up to three times longer than normal polish. It’s absolutely worth using it; you’ll need to re-apply your lacquer less often, you won’t be as worried about smudging it straight after application, and lastly, there will be plenty of time in-between to choose your next colour.

2. It dries quickly!

Due to the curing UV light that is used, the UV gel polish dries within minutes. Not only is it handy for manicures, but absolutely perfect for pedicures – the quick drying feature means you can put shoes on merely minutes after painting your nails, and you will never worry about accidently knocking your hand into something smudge-worthy. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

3. It’s free from harmful chemicals

There are no harmful chemicals in UV gel polish, meaning that it’s not at all damaging to your nails. You can use this polish as many times as you like and you’ll never see your nails get weak or discoloured. That’s great news for anyone who is conscious of what they put on their skin and in their body. There’s no downside to using this miracle stuff!

4. It’s super easy to apply!

This polish is so easy to apply that it basically applies itself! As you paint it on your fingernails, the polish ‘self-levels’ and gets rid of the bumps and ridges on it’s own without you having to lift a finger. Simply apply it in the same way you apply normal nail polish, and you’ll end up with a smooth finish like never before!

5. It’s easy to take off!

UV gel polish is really simple to remove, which only makes it more inviting to use. The easiest way to remove UV gel polish is by soaking a finger wrap in acetone and wrap it around your finger for 10-12 minutes. For a more effective removal, wrap aluminium foil around the wrap to ensure it soaks into the polish completely. Once the 10 minutes is up, slide the wrap off – and bask in the simplicity of removing your polish.

There are clearly no downsides to using UV gel polish – so perhaps you should invest in some right away (unless you’ve already done the right thing and got some!) There are plenty of places to get UV polish from online, head to online stores like Glaze Me to look through all the colours, and perhaps purchase a couple while you’re there.

Stylfile with Tom Pellereau

When I was asked if I would like to attend a blogger event and sit down with The Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau, I jumped at the chance. One because I am a HUGE fan of the show and two because I was chuffed when Tom won, as he was my favourite candidate in that particular series of the show and my favourite candidate of all time.

Tom is the inventor behind the brilliant Stylfile brand. The S-File was the original product made and it came about when Tom has watched his sister file her nails.  

The S-file has been designed to follow the natural curve of your nail edge to centre, for me the product is simple yet genius. For hours I have spent my life trying to round off the corners of my nails and always ended up making a complete mess of it and now I can manage to do this task in a matter of minutes instead of hours.  I am quietly miffed that I hadn't come up with this idea myself!  

The event itself which took place in a lovely quaint little tea-shop called Drink, Shop and Do in Kings Cross and there was 5 of us in attendance for our little meet with Tom over tea and cake.  The event was put together to introduce us to some of the new products from the Stylfile range which are soon to be introduced to the market and to give our first impressions on some prototypes that Tom is currently working on and it was quite something to see a product in its initial stages, some parts held together quite literally with blue-tac.  

Now to say Tom is passionate about his products wouldn't be a lie, it was so refreshing to meet someone who had clearly put a lot of thought, time and effort into everything he does and in fairness he was bombarded with questions, comments and one or two criticisms, all of which I hope he did take on board and find useful.  

Within the Stylfile range you might recognise The S-Buffer which looks similar to the S-File in shape but its function is to make the 4 stages of buffing your nail easier.   Then there is the emergency file which is cocooned inside a protective spring which protects the file and prevents it accidentally scratching items that it comes into contact with.

Nailfiles aside, the Stylfile range also includes nail clippers - Nipper Clipper for babies and children and then the two I also think are genius inventions are the S-clippers which come in a mini version and a normal sized version and the slogan "Trim without the Ping" tells you everything you need to know in one clever slogan.  

Have you noticed that every time you trim your nails with clippers they ping everywhere? Well not with the S-Clipper which has been so cleverly designed with curved blades to stop that pinging, instead ensuring that clipped nail quietly drops or remains within the body of the clippers.  

They are really lightweight and easy to hold not to mention easy to use and unlike conventional nail clippers, they actually cut or clip in a straight line.

Then comes the S-Ped range, see Tom has thought of everything! The S-Ped is curved to follow the natural contours of your feet.  The stainless steel micro file gently remove unwanted skin leaving your feet soft and smooth.  

Now I hate feet and I cannot bare to look at the ped-egg it fills my stomach with dread and makes me feel quite nauseous, so the S-Ped has really tested me when using it and I've managed it without heaving because to me it looks exactly like a nail file, so in my mind, I am not grating my feet.  It doesn't hurt to use it and it does do an exceptional job at removing the dead skin cells.  

There is also the S-File X Exfoliator which is one of my favourite tools, you can use it as a stand alone product or clip it onto the S-Ped, which for me makes it much easier to grip, and then you can finish exfoliating your feet with the abrasive side, then flip it over to the less abrasive side to finish off your foot pampering with a bit of a polish and a final look to see if anything was missed.

Now those products in themselves are amazing but just when you thought Tom has covered everything, you thought wrong!  

All I can say is watch this space because there are some fantastic new products about to hit the shelves from July onwards and I have had the pleasure of using them before anyone else and I have to say, I am really impressed, so watch this space for a review coming soon.

If all of that isn't enough, here is a brief clip of Tom himself introducing the Stylfile Range

Have you tried any products from the Stylfile range? 

Do you think there is a product Tom could invent that he hasn't yet? 

Snails for your Nails!

I have no little people, but I am a mummy of three fur-kids whom most of you now know are my cats. Child issue aside, I was asked if I would like to try some nail polishes designed for little princesses called Snails, which stands for Safe Nails, a French-made chemical-free brand of kids nail polish.

Snails was started when Jeanette Sklivanou, a mum of two, scoured the market for safe non-toxic nail polish to add colour to the imaginative play of her little ones. She quickly found that such a product just didn't exist — so she created SNAILS**.

A brief description

"SNAILS Kids nail polish is unlike any other you will find. You’ll delight in our simple natural nail polish formula which is optimally safe and child-friendly. Our revolutionary patented formula contains just three main ingredients: water, acrylic polymer and non-toxic colorants and is paraben free. This sets us apart from other products. The toxic trio of Dibutyle Phythalate (DBP), Toluene and Formaldehyde dominate many children’s nail polishes currently on the market. Such chemicals are banned in Europe due to their links with cancer, birth defects and other illness. So you will not find a trace of these harmful substances in SNAILS. Just pure ingredients that are kind and gentle on little nails".

Some of the highlights of this brand:

• Revolutionary formula — containing just water, acrylic polymer and non-toxic colorants, SNAILS is safe in its simplicity. 
• Totally water soluble — SNAILS washes off easily with simple soap and water, making harsh solvent-based toxic remover a thing of the past.
• Environmentally friendly — from biodegradable packaging and lead-free bottles, to a strict no animal testing policy. 
• Hypoallergenic — SNAILS is chemical, Paraben and toxin free, so little nails are kept safe and sound and splendidly coloured.
• Vivacious colour choices — every SNAILS polish delivers glorious high-quality gloss and a deliciously gentle fragrance.

Here are the products:

These polishes come in a cute little bottle with a white lid and a pretty little bow to match the shade of polish, almost like a childrens version of Ciate in many ways.  The polish itself is smooth and is really easy to apply, more so than some of my adult brands, a few of whom could learn a thing or two here!

The two shades:

• Raspberry Pie - Glossy purple. Wear purple when you want to encourage fantasy, mystery and imagination
• Gingerbread - A hot, sun kissed orange shade, summer sunset in a bottle!

Raspberry pie I absolutely love, it would fit in perfectly with the whole pantone of the year "radiant orchid" theme.  Once applied it dries in just over a minute, which is perfect for little ones because I know they are not going to sit and wait much longer.  Last-ability is also quite impressive, I managed to wear mine all day without too much wear and tear but when it came to removing it properly there was no need to nail polish remover, I simply used soap and water and rubbed each nail and the polish came off and there was no staining to my fingernails and no trace of colour left on my nail.

Available from safe-nails.com polishes are €8 each, the site also shows all the countries they are for sale.

What are your thoughts on washable nail polish?