Gel Polish

Manicure Monday – 11/5 – China Glaze Gelaze Recycle

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China Glaze Gelaze RecycleManicure Monday – 11/5 – China Glaze Gelaze Recycle

Anyone watching V for Vendetta today? I will be! Does anyone actually paint their nails on Mani Monday? I don’t! I don’t tend to do much exciting nail art these days, but my nails are almost always painted. I usually paint over the weekend so they’re fresh for the work week. It follows that I’d start a Manicure Monday series; the content basically creates itself!

Before

The Friday before Halloween, I did a simple black set with Sensationail Midnight Rendezvous (which I used in my glitter gel nail tutorial) On my ring fingers, I slapped a coat of Essie Matte About You topcoat for a nearly-no-effort accent nail. I don’t wear black often, and was initially like, “Ah! This is so stark,” but by the end of the ninth day, I found myself rather fond. Yesterday, though, I decided it was time for a different color.

Surprisingly had a devil of a time removing that set. Usually, I can pop my gel polish off fairly easily, but this took coaxing and inspired a bit of swearing. Anyway, after I removed the black gel, I slapped on some Solar Oil and let my nails rest for a while, lacquer-free, while I got some stuff done around the house.

Picking a Color

I found myself torn between the new-to-me nude shade I wore before Midnight Rendezvous (posted on Insta on 10/14), China Glaze Gelaze Awakening, and what I ultimately chose, China Glaze Gelaze Recycle.

I’ve written about my love of Recycle before. Grey is fantastic for Autumn, absolutely counts as a neutral, and isn’t as harsh as black but is still on the edgy side.

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New Sensationail USB LED Lamp

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Happy Mani Monday! Yesterday, I did a gel set of Sensationail Nude Mood, which I used for the first time. Check it out:

new Sensationail LED lampSensationail USB LED Lamp

This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Content has been updated for clarity, but opinions are the same!

Back in 2016, I went shopping for the Sensationail Polish to Gel. There, I was faced with two options: just the Polish to Gel, $7.99, or a Starter Kit with the new Sensationail USB LED Lamp, $23.99. I was like, “Wait, NEW lamp?!”

I bought the starter kit. Yes, I already have a lamp – but I wanted to see what was so, “new and improved,” (or if it was indeed, ‘improved’) about the new lamp.

Power

The new lamp is powered via an included micro-USB cable, and comes with an AC adapter.

My desk is also where I usually do my nails, so it being USB-powered is perfect for me. If I choose to do them at my vanity, I just bring a power bank over there with me. USB power makes it way better for travel, should you need to bring it with you – it (generally) means you can travel with fewer cables, fewer things to need adapters for. Less competition for AC outlets, too.

Lamp Features

Instead of an annoying switch-and-button combo, the new Sensationail LED lamp has a motion sensor. The lamp detects when something is placed within and automatically comes on, as well as powers off when nothing is inside. This is awesome for flash-curing any colors that may be fussy about shrinkage.

Additionally, the new Sensationail LED Lamp’s base is magnetic and pops off to support easier use for pedicures. Some professional lamps are bottomless for this precise reason; it’s really nice to see this in a small, home-use lamp. I don’t do gel pedicures very often, but it is SO CONVENIENT to have this option. It’s great for when you’re dabbling in messy manicures (like embedding glitter in gel), too.

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China Glaze Diva Bride

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China Glaze Diva Bride - Gelaze

China Glaze Diva Bride in their Gelaze formula might have dethroned as my go-to nude-pink nailcolor. I’d been wearing a lot of OPI Bubble Bath; it’s a nice, effortless neutral that looks good with everything. As it wears down/away/lifts/chips, it does so gracefully and without making it glaringly obvious that attention is required. I enjoyed it apart from three caveats

  • Accessibility
  • Price
  • Coats to Opaque-Enough

The Caveats

OPI Gelcolor lacquers are technically pro-only – so getting your hands on one as a plebe is a difficult task if you don’t know a licensed beautician. I have no idea how much they cost a pro; I know on the diverted market I can get them for anywhere between $15-20, and then there’s the question of whether you’re getting legit product or not (I’ve lucked out so far). It requires three coats to the minimum level of opacity I prefer.

China Glaze Diva Bride Mitigates Bubble Bath’s Caveats

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June 2018 Favorites

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June 2018 FavoritesJune 2018 Favorites
MUFE Rouge Artist Natural N9, $11 / China Glaze Gelaze Diva Bride, $11 /
Hot Tools 1.25 Curling Iron, $40 / Polar Toasted Coconut, $1 / Kenra Dry Thickening Spray, $17

Frankly, it’s amazing that I was able to scrounge up the time to document my June 2018 Favorites in light of:

  • Looking for and dealing with pre-house-purchase stuff
  • Running an annual, weekend-long event mid-month (that destroys me)
  • Crazy work
  • Buying a house (!!!)

…so, I’m giving myself a participation trophy. Details on my June 2018 Favorites after the jump!

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Sensationail Polish to Gel

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Opinions and content are the same. I love this product!

I shared the above photo a few days ago on Instagram. I was trying, for science, to see if Sensationail Polish to Gel would make China Glaze’s notoriously fussy Flip Flop Fantasy (old formula!) easier to work with. It’s a monthly favorite (that post goes live on Wednesday) for a reason, after all, making my RnP > Gel dreams come true.

Unfortunately, I crashed and burned – but not because of the Polish to Gel. This stuff is awesome. Unfortunately, Flip Flop Fantasy is SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS that it could not be redeemed by this wonderstuff.

You can purchase Sensationail Polish to Gel one of two ways – alone, for $8. Or with a lamp, for $24. Get the damn lamp. The lamp is new, awesome, and approximately 17 times better than the original lamp. More on that in another post.

The Superior Method

Sensationail Polish to GelSensationail Polish to Gel & China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

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March 2018 Favorites

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March 2018 FavoritesMarch 2018 Favorites
1. Scunci Stay Tight Barettes; long & short, $4.50 / 2. Wet n Wild Walking on Eggshells, $3 /
3. CND Solaroil, $8 / 4. Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash, $7 / 5. Sensationail Express Gel, My Cherry Amour, $6

Without a purpose in mind, my March 2018 Favorites shaped up to be accessible in terms of where you can purchase (drugstore! Target! Online!) as well as an awesome <$10 each month. I shudder when I see favorites posts and videos where all the products are $25+; for most people, that just isn’t realistic. Details on my favorites after the jump.

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