I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’ve launched, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
For as long as I can remember, Seche Vite and Poshe have been staples in my top coat collection. When it comes to quick dry, they are the gold standard BUT (and that’s a very big “but”) the major complaint has always been the thick, tricky-to-apply consistency that only gets thicker as you work your way down the bottle. Sure that’s what Seche Restore is for but what if there was a product that worked just as well without that issue? Fanatics, I’ve found it! Olan Labs Quick & Slick.
My uber-fab eyebrow waxer recommended this top coat to me a while back and I bought a bottle on the spot but let it sit in my to-be-tried box for way too long. I finally cracked it open a couple months ago when I was short on time, low on Seche Vite and not in the mood to add Seche Restore. Well color me impressed!
Quick & Slick is 3-Free, non-yellowing and quick drying. It leaves a high gloss shine and the thin, self-leveling formula applies like a dream I’m about halfway through my bottle and there’s not a sign of those telltale strings from thickening when I pull out the brush. In my opinion it’s pretty comparable to Lippmann Addicted to Speed except it’s less than HALF the price!
You can purchase Quick & Slick directly from the OlanLabs.com website for $7.95. There’s even a trial size for $2.95. I’m sure if you search online you’ll find other e-tailers but I purchased mine at John Robert’s Spa in Mayfield Heights. p.s. if you’re in Cleveland and looking for a waxer/esthetician see my girl Abby. She’s phenom!
Have any of you tried Quick & Slick before? What do you think of it?
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’ve launched, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
If you were to take a peek at my polish room, one thing you’d notice is the numerous amount of polish remover bottles hanging out on just about every surface. I couldn’t swatch colors without them. And even though I try a bunch of different brands, my staple and nail life line is Zoya Remove+. I’m never without a bulk 32oz bottle on hand to refill my Big Flipper. If, like me, you go through a lot of remover due to constant polish changes you should seriously consider switching to Remove+.
What so fab about it, you ask. Well, the fact that it’s one of the only acetone based removers I’ve used that doesn’t dry out my nail beds like they’ve been living in the Sahara. That’s huge!! As you know, most fanatics prefer acetone because it quickly removes anything you throw at it. But acetone can be so drying and damaging. Thanks to the added Glycerine, my nails stay healthy through numerous swatching sessions.
When you’re testing polish as often as I am, you need the gentlest yet most effective remover you can find and for me, it’s Remove+. It has a pleasant lavender scent and a very simple ingredient list: 2-Propanone, Water, Glycerine, Fragrance, D&C Violet #2 (for color).
You can pick up Remove+ on the Zoya.com site. The Big Flipper retails for $9.99 and the 32oz refill bottle sells for $25.
Which nail polish remover is your favorite? Where are my fellow Remove+ fans?
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’ve launched, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
Can you imagine the shocked looks on my friends and family members faces when they ask me for a nail file I tell them I don’t have one on me? Hello, I’m the nail girl, I’m SUPPOSED to have every nail tool known to man in my possession at any given moment. Well, here’s the deal. I haven’t regularly carried a nail file in my bag for two reasons:
1. I LOVE glass nail files. Love, love, love them! Problem? They’re glass. And while I shouldn’t have to worry about them breaking in my bag, the amount of times I’ve fallen, breaking something, has grown to a staggering amount. I’m not a fall down drunk people, just a klutz!
2. Carrying an emery board/paper file equals one of two situations. I either bang into it while digging in my purse, ruining my manicure with scrapes. Or it gets too filthy and vile from whatever ends up living in my suitcase of a bag. Gross, I know but at least I’m clean enough to NOT use a dirty file.
So to make rambling story short, now that the Zip File from Tweezerman entered my life, I no longer travel file-less. You see the Zip File comes encased in a protective plastic sleeve to keep it sanitary and avoid manicure mishaps while I search for my keys. The dual sided file has medium and coarse grits and exists on a sliding mechanism. So you just extend it out to fix chips, nicks or breaks and click it back, locking the file in place for storing.
Considering how often my klutz self ends up banging into a wall and breaking a nail, I will no longer have the temptation to chew (nast, I know) because I’ll have my Zip File with me.
And as if you need another reason to pick up this handy little guy, Tweezerman is donating $1 for every file sold to the Smile Train Charity, an organization dedicated to correcting cleft lips & palates in 75 developing countries.
The Zip File retails for $5.50 and can be purchased at Tweezerman.com
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’m launching a new series, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
Let’s kick off The Arsenal with China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier, a new addition to my list of staples. Being that I put my hands though hell and high water with all the polish swatching, my nails end up pretty wrecked looking on a highly productive day. We’re talking dry and prone to breaking/splitting. Since I’m already at a nail health disadvantage due to my DDS (Danny Devito Syndrome), I need a product that not only works in the long term but also provides a quick fix. Enter Calcium Gel Fortifier.
Its blend of Vitamin B and Wheat Protein totally rejuvenates my nail beds. I swear, it’s like a facial for the nails. Shall we call it a naicial? Even if it’s only overnight, I slap a couple coats of Fortifier on my nails and when I take it off in the a.m. for some early morning swatching, the surface of my tips feel smoother. And when I force myself to take a sanity (those polish fumes can make a girl wacky) and nail health break, I see a major difference in how quickly my tips grow using the Fortifier. Plus it makes my naked nails look incredibly shiny. I’m telling you, it’s like magic and stuff!
China Glaze Calcium Gel Fortifier retails for $3.99 online at e-tailers TransDesign.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’ve launched, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
