Review: Orly Bonder

A while ago I asked everyone to let me know their base coat recommendations. Nailtek Foundation II and Orly Bonder were the ones that stood out from the crowd. I had the chance to order Bonder so I went at it. I've been using it for some months now so I figured a little review wouldn't hurt!

According to Orly:

"This exclusive rubberized bond grips polish to the nail surface for adhesion that lasts. Prevents nail color from peeling, chipping or wearing off for up to two weeks."

let's see about that!

Extending wear, good application, creating a smooth canvas, protecting my nails from peeling and staining, are all things I find really important when it comes to a base coat. And I have to say...

...Orly Bonder scores very well if you takes these criteria into consideration.
Orly claims that manicures will last up to 2 weeks, which I find a bit daring to say. This all depends on your body chemistry, nail polish and top coat you will use, and don't forget about your daily activities. I noticed I can wear manicures around 4 or 5 days when I use Bonder, which is quite impressive, to me. But nowhere 2 weeks! It also applies easy peasy, and it dries pretty fast, allowing me to apply my first layer of nail polish almost immediately.

Is it all that?

Bonder leaves a rubber-y layer on your nail, I guess this helps a lot when it comes to chipping, since it adheres very well. I've heard some people experienced peeling and splitting nails, but I haven't, and I've been using it for a few months now.
But, yes there comes the but, preventing stained nails is a huge factor to determine wether I really like a base coat or not. Well, Bonder isn't that good at this. I've noticed that my nails stain horribly when I use nail polish with a lot of red in it, somehow Bonder isn't capable of fighting these devilish red pigments off.

Conclusion

I grew quite fond of my Orly Bonder. I love the way it applies, the rubber cap, the brush, the way it prevents chipping.. But that staining has got to go! So for now, this is definitely one of my favorites, but I'm still on the lookout for that one base coat that will steal my heart forever. I might give Nailtek Foundation II a spin after finishing this one. How do you feel about this base coat?

Orly Bonder costs 7 USD for 18ml (prices may vary depending on where you buy). You can get Orly Bonder from Boozyshop (starting tomorrow) or find a store near you using the Orly Store locator.

Review: Gosh - Fix Base Coat, just as good as Nfu Oh Aqua Base?

Hi guys, maybe you remember my review on Nfu Oh's Aqua Base? Nfu Oh Aqua base is a base coat especially designed to go under hard to apply holographic polishes. I'm really happy with this base coat because it works absolute wonders. When it comes to applying, but also extending the wear majorly.

Some weeks ago I got an email from Marte, she told me about the Gosh Fix Base Coat and how it should have a similar effect! Ironically I've had this base coat for ages, months before I even ordered the Nfu Oh Aqua Base, but I never tried it beneath holographic polishes.

Nfu Oh vs. Gosh

Marte was right, these two base coats are really similar, the have the same structure and almost an identical smell, but do they both work...?

My answer is yes! I tried it with Nfu Oh holos and the notoriously hard to apply Gosh Holographic nail polish and they went on sooo easily. You'll get better coverage, which allows you to use less product for the same end result. Both these both coats work really nicely with matte and suede polishes as well.

Conclusion

So, if it's hard to get your hands on Nfu Oh, or you don't like to order online and have access to this brand, definitely give the Gosh Fix Base Coat a shot! Thank you so much, Marte, for the great tip!

Relatively the price is quite a bit higher than the Aqua Base (9.10 EUR for 18 ml) though. Gosh Fix Base Coat costs 6.95 EUR for a bottle of 7 ml.

Thank you all for stopping by and have an awesome day!
- Michèle

How To: Feed your Nails

Hi guys! A lot of people ask about how to keep nails long and strong and I decided to do a little write up on the matter. There are many many products claiming obscene nail growth and strength but you can make a difference just by looking at your lifestyle.

When I had my last nail break I tried a product by Herome: Nail Growth Explosion. I went as far as measuring the nails, applying it daily on the sad short nail. After 2 weeks I checked, and all nails gained the same amount of length! So it did absolutely nothing. Maybe it's because my nails are strong and already growing fast as it is, but most products like these have little to no effect on me.

A lot of people forget that a good diet is essential for overall (nail) health. A lot comes from within really. Biotin-rich foods can be really helpful if you want your nails to be in good shape.

Biotin

Biotin or vitamin H is part of the B-vitamin complex, and helps you metabolize fats and carbohydrates and is essential for healthy growth. The best food sources of Biotin are liver, egg yolk, yeast, nuts and beans. You can also take Biotin supplements, but be sure to do some research on this first, as it caused my skin to break out! On this note, just minutes ago Dermelect announced on Twitter they're working on an alternative for Biotin with less side effects, definitely interesting!
Foods rich in sulphur minerals like apples, cucumbers, grapes, garlic, asparagus and onions have a positive effect on your nails as well.

I'm not claiming to be a nutritional know-it-all, but I've read more than once that nails and hair are often a reflection of our overall health. According to Ezinearticles, these are some ways to listen to what your nails are telling you:

symptom	cause
brittle, concave, ridged, white half moons	iron / protein / calcium deficiency
separation of the nail bed	nervousness / hyper thyroid
bluish discoloration	respiratory difficulties
yellowish discoloration	bronchial difficulties (or a sucky base coat ;-) )
pale nail beds	anemia
peeling nails	vitamin A deficiency, dehydration of nails caused by wrong products
poor nail growth	zinc deficiency
thin, brittle nails	vegetable quality oils deficiency
washboard ridges	consumption extremes in diet (especially meats and refined foods)

So, if you're having some nail problems, it might be a good idea to look into this before spending $$$ on treatments that might not even work! Hope this was helpful..

With love,
Michèle

Ezinearticles and the book "Nutrition for Dummies"

Review: Entity Cuticle Oil

Cuticle oil

Even though I'm happily married to Mister L. Flutter, I like to try out other products as well. NailXL was extremely kind to offer me this cuticle oil by Entity, so I went ahead and tested it for a couple of weeks, all on its own.

For me, one of the biggest disadvantages of using cuticle oils, is the mess they can create. Since this oil comes with a pipette, it's real easy to use! The oil also absorbs fairly quick, another major plus. The scent is quite pleasant, even though I think it smells like a mixture of acrylic powder, avocado and apricots. I think it reminds me a little bit of beauty parlors, which is a good thing!

Unlike the last cuticle oil I tried, this one isn't filled with crappy, cheap, mineral oil. The ingredients are actually pretty decent, score!

Ingredients

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Violet 2 (CI 60725), Red 17 (CI 26100), Green 6 (CI 61565). Miscellaneous: T ocopherol, Propylparaben

Oil or balms

I've used this everyday and maybe it's just me, but I think oils just aren't right for my hands. It wasn't bad at all, but creams and balms seem to moisturize my cuticles better. Somehow, my cuticles always end up a bit dryer than I'd like after using cuticle oil for a while.
But, if you're someone that prefers oils over anything, I'd totally recommend snatching this one up, because it was one of the better cuticle oils I've tried so far!

You can order Entity Cuticle oil for 8.50 EUR (15ml) at NailXL. NailXL also carries an impressive range of Nfu Oh, CND, Konad and other products, so make sure to take a peek!

The product in this post was provided to me by NailXL for consideration - for more information please read my disclaimer

Zoya Remove +, - the $$$?

Hi guys! Just a quick little post today, guess being a night owl all the time is finally catching up on me, because I'm quite tired! I do have lotsa cool stuff for you in the next couple of weeks, so hang in there!

Glycerin

Maybe you remember my post about Zoya Remove +? I friggin love the stuff, but it's expensive and not easy to get if you're outside the US. I was browsing the Nailboard at MUA a while ago and I read that you could mimic Remove + by adding glycerin to your straight up acetone. I kinda forgot about it until I ran into some glycerin at my local drugstore.

Mix it up

The mixture should be 2 capsful to 16oz (appr. 450ml) of acetone, but 1 cap could be different depending on your bottle, so I just fiddled around with it until I got it right. And yes, it does remind me of Zoya Remove +. It doesn't smell as nice, but it does the job seemingly similar!

Let's have a look at the following:

ingredients Zoya Remove +

2-Propanone (Acetone), Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Fragrance, D and C Violet #2

So, basically, Zoya Remove + is acetone, water , glycerine, some fancy scent and a bit of color. Not that impressive! So, if you can get your hands on some pure acetone and glycerin, I'd say give it a shot, you might like it! I know I'll be using this mixture for my clean up for sure.

I got my bottle of 100ml glycerin for 2.64EUR, and it goes a long way too.

Have you tried this? What are your thoughts?

Review: Nfu Oh Aqua Base

Extra oomph?

Lately I've been reading a lot about a special base coat by Nfu Oh, the Aqua Base. This base coat is specifically designed to go under holographic nail polish. On several blogs I read this base coats gives extra "oomph" to holographic nail polishes, it would even make Nfu Oh 61 a dupe for Chanel Holographic. Oh la la. So my nail polish heart beat a little faster and I before I knew it I had ordered myself a bottle.

Application

Nfu Oh holos are notorious for their patchy application and bad wear, but this base coat makes application a whole lot easier. This milky base coat smells a bit funny, almost like glue, but luckily it doesn't have a very strong scent. I only need 2 (!) coats of Nfu Oh #66, when applied over the Aqua Base instead of the usual 3 or 4 to cover up any bald patches. So that's a huge plus for me! I can't really tell anything about the wear yet, but I promise to update this post when I know more.

Put it to the test

But does it really spice up the holographic effect? I tried it myself, with Nfu Oh #66, a gorgeous lime green holo. I applied 2 layers of the Aqua Base and 4 layers on top of Orly Bonder. I skipped the top coat. Mhmm, honestly, I see no difference, do you? I'd totally recommend this base coat for its ability to handle holographics so well, though!

I wanted to end this post with a little bit of news for my Brazilian readers! Yesterday I stumbled upon this link, and found out a brand called Rivka is going to introduce esmaltes Holográficos in Brasil. Sanction Angel is also releasing (in 10 or 15 days) a bunch of - to die for - holos, how hot are THESE?!

You can order this base coat at NailXL or check out my faq for other etailers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
- Michèle

Review: Nfu Oh Flower Oil

Ingredients

Nfu Oh Cuticle Flower Oil packed with nourishing botanicals and aroma essential herb oil. Real flower provide the great fragrance to your nails and cuticles. Nfu Oh Flower Oil filled enriched with Vitamin E and aroma esssential oils. It has mositurizer for penetrate deeply and quickly, softening into skin for healthy, growing natural nails.

Mineral oil, Aroma Essential Oil, and Dried Flowers.

Eye candy

For today I have a review on Nfu Oh's cuticle oils, named Flower Oil. Let me start off by saying these are hands down the prettiest cuticles oils I've come across so far. The oil is contained by the 'regular' Nfu Oh bottle we all know and love. The cap is shaped like a corset, and the bottle is a draped skirt with scroll and floral details, just as you'll find on the cap. On the bottom of each bottle you'll find dried flowers floating about which makes it incredibly cool to look at. So, when I placed a Nfu Oh order a while ago I just had to try these out. I got the Banana scented one and my mom chose the one that smell like Jasmine.

Is it all that?

I'm afraid the praise has to end here. While the smell is nice, this product isn't really doing anything for me. And my mom isn't a big fan either. It just doesn't feel like it's moisturizing at all. After some research online (the label doesn't list any ingredients), I found out what I already suspected: the main ingredient is mineral oil. Now the opinions are divided on this, but mineral oil (basically just baby oil) to me is pointless as it cannot penetrate the nails or skin. It can work as a sealant, so maybe it could do any good if you apply this after you rubbed in some Lemony Flutter.

Final judgement

I don't really understand why a brand with such great packaging and normally high quality products, would want to sell cheap ass oil that doesn't do jack. It isn't cheap either, depending on where you buy it you'll have to pay 8.55 EUR or 12.50 USD for 17ml.

Available Scents:

Vanilla Banana

Sun Flower Mango

Orange Rose

Strawberry Plumeria

Bubble Gum Lavender

Peppermint Jasmine

Review: Sally Hansen Nail Quencher Hydrating Base Coat

Hi everyone! I'm sorry for another review, I'll be posting nail polish again very soon! But I'm in dire need of some advice so I'll start off with this review about Sally Hansen's Nail Quencher Hydrating Base Coat.
Please note: this product is discontinued so maybe this review isn't relevant for everyone, however I found some places where it's still easily available, so I figured, why not?

Sally Hansen Nail Quencher

I actually got this product because I had heard many many ravings about it, it's a holy grail base coat for a lot of nail polish junkies out there! In the first weeks of using it, I thought it was pretty ok: my nail polish didn't chip right away, and it prevented staining rather well.

But after a few weeks it became painfully clear: I don't like it. At all. And I think it's safe to say that, because I finished an entire bottle!

It goes on pretty thick due to its gel-like substance, I figured this is why my nails weren't as stained. But it bubbles, like crazy. And honestly, I don't want a base coat that leaves my nails looking like a moonscape.
The emptier the bottle, the thicker the base coat got. It even got stringy on me, and therefore highly unmanageable.

The drying time wasn't great either, I actually had to wait a good 5 minutes before I could get on with the rest of my manicure. Another disappointment was the brush, it's small. I don't want to spend too much time on applying something exciting as a base coat, so I need at least a medium sized brush and something that dries quickly.
So overall, it's safe to say, this base coat is not working out for me.

Please help me!

And that brings me to the following question:
What base coat do you use or would you recommend? So far I've tried OPI Natural Base Coat, OPI Ridge Filler and the Sally Hansen. Please help me out!

Thanks so much for stopping by! -
Michèle

Follow up

Hi everyone, I did a quick follow up because you were all so incredibly helpful!! Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences with me. After reading all your comments I think I'm going to give either Nail Tek or Essie's Protein Base Coat a try. Of course I'll review these at some point for those who haven't tried these. Wish me luck and thanks again!

Your recommendations

My current routine & products

Hi everyone! How's everyone doing? I'm getting a lot of questions regarding my routine or products I use and I keep promising making a post about it, so here it is :-).

	Nail polish remover is usually the first thing I'll use when I start a manicure. There are many kinds of remover available, but the mildest ones work best for me. My nails don't really mind whatever I use, they can stand straight acetone pretty well. But my skin tends to disagree! To avoid super dry and wrinkly skin I use either Sephora's acetone free remover or the one by Etos (acetone free as well, but way cheaper). I'll use Sephora's remover when my hands are a bit dry to begin with, since it contains Macadamia oil and vitamine E! I also love the smell of this one. The Etos remover is from a Dutch drugstore and I really like it, it's cheap, works fast and doesn't irritate my skin!
When my nails are nail polish free I like to file them a bit. I use a very fine buffer file to remove ridges and some staining. I don't really know what brand mine is, since it was a gift. I think I do this once a month. However, some times I use this file on the new growth only, to smoothen everything out without the risk of thinner nails. For shaping your nails I'd strongly advice getting a glass file. These files are so fine, they'll definitely cause less tearing. These may cost you a bit more, but they last you a long time! Mine is from Herome, and I'm not leaving the house without it ;-). When you file, do this in one direction to minimize any damage.
	This is something I absolutely love: Cuticle Remover by Nfu Oh. I apply this on my cuticles and after a bit of soaking I'll use a rosewood stick to get rid of any excess skin. I love it! I always think only little will come of, well usually I'm wrong. Some cuticle removers do absolutely nothing or irritate the hell out of my skin. Not this one! I've used little scissors in the past to cut my cuticles, but I'm not going there again. Why go through the hassle and pain (if you're as clumsy as I am) if there's stuff like this! After using this product you'll want to was your hands. Tada, no more messy cuticles! I do this once a week.
Now we're ready to apply base coat. I use different base coats for different reasons. When I choose to wear a sheer or jelly polish, I always grab OPI's Ridge Filler. This BC dries pretty opaque, which is very convenient when you want to avoid a visible nail line! Most of the times I use OPI's Natural Base Coat. It applies pretty well, but I found it doesn't prevent all staining. The bottle's almost empty, so I started looking for something else, and I've decided to give Sally Hansen's Nail Quencher a shot. I've only used it a few times, but I'm liking it so far. It's hydrating, contains no formaldehyde and I've heard it prevents staining pretty well. If you have any experience with this one, please do share!
	After applying base coat and a color, I always finish with a top coat. Not only because of the shine and the fact your polish will last longer, but because I want my polish to dry fast. That's right, I use a quick drying top coat. I've tried several but OPI's RapiDry and the David top coat work pretty well for me. RapiDry thickens up quite fast though, but nothing a little thinning can't fix. My current top coat is the David top coat. The formula of this is amazing, and it dries fast! Maybe a not as fast as OPI RapiDry but I think the formula makes up for that. It even fixes some bubbling in my nail polish! I've heard extremely different opinions about this product, but I like it a lot.
When everything is done, it's time to pamper your cuticles! Until recently I used different kinds of cuticle oils and balms, but I think I may have found my Holy Grail cuticle treatment: Lemony Flutter by Lush. Rubbing this lovely lemon scented butter into your cuticles will really help them remain soft and hydrated. I love doing this before I go to bed, so I wake up with really soft and healthy looking cuticles. I'm not a big fan of cuticle oils as some of them contain mineral oil and actually make my cuticles even dryer.
	Another crucial product in my routine is hand lotion, I can't live without it. I've been looking for the perfect hand lotion for quite some time. I've gone through a lot of brands but finally found one I really like. I use Nivea's Anti-Age Q10plus lotion, it absorbes rather quickly and doesn't leave my hands shiny at all. Also, after turning 26, I figured some anti aging stuff wouldn't hurt haha. I've actually already repurchased this a couple of times, which I can't say about the other 8 tubes of hand lotion that are condemned to the bottom drawer of my Helmer.

So now you know all about my routine and products I use. If you've used some of these yourself, please let me know how you like them!
I hope you find this article a bit helpful. Thanks for stopping by, take care and till next time!