Hard as nails - how I coped while my gel nails were growing out DIY during Covid-19

Warning - long waffle post - I just have too much to say about this...

During the March to July 2020 lock down era, I've been trying to keep my nails nice and long but it's been a traumatic time. I will explain why!

Back in February I finally took the plunge and made a decision that I wanted acrylic nails and went from quite long natural nails to almond shaped daggers within an hour! I wanted to try out an ombre nail and this was the only way I could do it as I didn't know any nail technician that would work on my natural nail. SO I had them done. I flinched when they used metal clippers to just "denail" the nails that had taken me months to grow and I'd put expensive treatments on them too, and avoided using nail polish as it had stained them in the past so my natural nails literally flew out of the window.
I went from this:

to this ... (I just couldn't grow my little finger out at this stage for some reason). 

Now don't get me wrong, I loved the ombre nails which went to a white tip so were a take on a French Mani but more modern. The shape was so different for me too. But when you can grow your own nails quite nice it does seem bad to just chop them off and glue on some plastic! Another thing to note was for two days, they were so sore, they felt bruised and bashed about because I do not treat my nails so roughly, I think they were in total trauma mode. It did go away after two days though and the nails lasted weeks without any lifting or issues and not too much regrowth. I painted over the top of them a few times to change the colour and they looked nice. The only thing about acrylics was how thick they were, I had to relearn skills and couldn't press buttons or open cans or do any regular things like pick coins up off the floor! They felt so thick and I missed how well my nails can scratch an itch (with or without gel). But the Acrylics did not get dirty and looked lovely and clear all the time so I liked that - you couldn't get dirt under them as the extensions were flat on the back. Bit gross but you really can't pick your nose with them (I know you shouldn't anyway!). 

Anyway, roll on to early March and I had the acrylics redone, with more pink and less white as I had the length reduced a bit but they had not grown a lot. I could feel people were talking more about lockdown and in the third week of March I had these removed at the salon and just opted for some pale pink nail gel polish. I couldn't cope with the idea of the acrylics growing out and had no way to remove them as they were fixed on so well. So on to the gels now.. they looked nice, I chose a nice pink and whilst they looked good they felt awful.

And they were BENDY!!! Shockingly so. I'd got the length and the shape I wanted but by the time I got home I had broken two of them beyond repair. This was due to the nail drill used on my natural nail so it was a big gulp for me as lock down began and I needed to grow out my entire nail. I have super long nail beds so to grow out a full nail has literally taken me from March to July and I still have a bit left of the pink gel on some of my nails. It just won't come off and I really don't want to ruin my natural nails now with drying acrylic soak off so I'm happy to grow it all out and cover up in the meantime!

This picture shows me trying some regular OPI polish - a glitter topper to try and save the lovely length.

So what did I do?
I turned to home gel. I hadn't used my lamp for ages, but it worked just fine when I used it.  like this and boy has it seen some use. It has largely been a success but with a few frustrations along the way! I would say that this lamp is worth the money for sure. I reverted back to pretty square shaped nails as these tend to break less for me. I had a couple of short nails but had a look through my collection and the Boots nail lamp I use (SENSATIONAIL)

After the fiasco with the salon nail gel and the frequent bendy breakages I decided to take matters back into my own hands. Literally. I had discovered that the gel glitters offer incomparable strength to the colours so I was painting a base of gel colour (I've been using cashmere from Amazon) then topped with this Bluesky silver explosion glitter also from Amazon (priced £6.95 currently and lasts ages) actually I have bought the silver glitter polish twice as I lost it once and really can't live without (I have found it since though, it had rolled under the bed!!). Another gel product I have bought twice, highly recommend and could not manage the home mani without, is this box of sticky remover wipes, they are fab, each comes sealed so they are great value for money and I use them to wipe each nail top layer and it removes all the tack. At £10 for 200 the Mylee gel polish prep and shine wipes - they are such good value. I reviewed them ages ago and came back for more they were so good.

SO layering the cashmere and silver really works, see for yourself... (my fourth nail looks bent but it's just a trick of the light on the photo!).

Now one last touch, to make them extra special... is a regular Barry M nail polish I bought from Superdrug - it is a limited edition and yes, I am that person who finishes WHOLE bottles of nail polish (as if that's not a skill I'm putting it on my CV!!) ...but you could easy find something similar from drug store / boots ranges. it's a holographic multi colour micro dot regular polish.It adds further rigidity to the nail I find.

And finally one last product I have used I bought on a whim in M&S in January sales and it's the Leighton Denny gel polish converter that you use to sandwich regular polish so you do a base and top coat with this and it's quite a flexible clear coat that you cure with the gel lamp. The polish comes in a kit with some cleanser in a bottle (which I don't really use). It's currently selling for £18 on the nail polish direct website but I paid less than that for the one I bought in the sale.

So, all in all I am very grateful I bought home nail gel kit ages ago and hardly used it at the time but I have been really using it a lot lately. It's not as good as a salon nail job, but I won't use the nail drill as I think it is harmful and clearly made my nails paper thin. I just hope they grow back strong like before but the tips are still bendy so I am still waiting.

What problems did I have? 

I have struggled a bit with PEELING I do cap the ends off when using the polish but it just doesn't seem to work on all ten nails. I must have an oily nail bed, plus I'm not dehydrating the nail and using a nail drill so I don't expect it to grow out. Plus, I can't leave them alone when the cuticle ends starts to lift, I'm my own worst enemy!! I have found thin layers work best as the thicker layers just act like vinyl and peel off or even flap off when you use your hands too much.

So right now I have seven nails all perfect (left hand 100%, right hand 20% good lol) It takes me five minutes to fix though so it's OK, I'm in control and could go fix them any time as I have all the tools I need to hand. I didn't really want permanent glitter nails but I'm stuck with them for now because I need the hardness the glitter provides. The only thing to note is that when I put solid glitter nails on my natural nail (not gel) they break really easy as the nail gets too hard with it and with the gel they seem to be hard but without the brittleness so that is good. I will just use the Leighton Denny top coat I linked above with glitter in the future as it doesn't seem to stain my nail at all. Plus, I don't really need to soak them off, I can get the polish off like Vinyl if I want to they just peel and they don't take my natural nail with it so it's good and bad I suppose. The other positive is that the gel nail polish does not smell like regular polish so it doesn't make my husband complain so much (it's just the machine beeping after 30 seconds he objects to now!!).

Final thoughts
Looking at the three bare nails I currently have, I can see some trauma to the nail where the nail drill has been. But they are hard and as I'm waiting to redo them on the gel lamp with the cashmere and silver glitter, I'm not worried they will break. I've given them a layer of OPI nail envy original to cheer them up while they wait. It's clear, so I'll just stick the nail gel on top of this when I get round to it. I've also been using lots of nail oil by CND solar oil and big bottle of £3.99 (and 3 for 2!)  Barry M nail and cuticle oil that I slap on a few times a day. It makes my cuticles, well, cute. :-)

Future plans
So now nail bars are back open, what are my plans, after this fairly long 'recovery journey' ? It's so tempting to go and get nice nails done but I don't think I can cope with that nail drill so I will be resisting "that place" again. I think I'd rather save the money and spend it on a few more shades to use at home. I like being independent and in control but I don't like how the home gel doesn't last. I want my cake and I also want to eat it, clearly! SO I will hold off getting any more gel nails or acrylic for that matter... on last question, will my natural nails EVER be this long again?  Thanks for reading. I'll review my Look Fantastic Beauty Box next. Till then x

TK MAXX Bargains JULY 2020 post lockdown grab it...

Whaddaya know? I'm back with some fashion bargains from TK Maxx where I usually raid the beauty section. Well I was looking for some designer goodies at market prices and I was not disapointed.

What did I buy? I'm sat here with the receipt to price check rather than rely on my memory.

I got a gold jacket by Clements Ribeiro which is all sequins and simply fabulous. Paid £7 it has no fastenings but the lining is really pretty and it's great quality.

Some Michael Kors black needlcord flare high waist jeans. Paid £7. They are RRP £165 

A pair of cream Tommy Hilfiger ivory cream wool trousers again high waist. Paid £7 

A pair of loafer Kylie crazy shoes for £1.20 (yes, I couldn't believe it too)

Another pair of shoes that are like mirror shoes by Zara paid £5

Some lace up shoes by Bershka - look like Dr Martens and have a tartan lining... paid £5

... and fail of the day I also bought a pure cashmere jumper for £7 and it was a pale lilac and had a couple of small shop marks on it, so I washed it and shrunk it!!! oops. The only beauty item bought was a lip balm (a dr paw paw one) in a peach shade, which I keep in the car as it doesn't mind melting in the tube so much. I paid £1.40 for that which I was happy with as I love using that brand. 

So what do you think? Did I get some good bargains? We have two TK Maxx stores in my home town so I went to the other one the next day and was really disappointed with their sale items. I did buy some Tommy Hilfiger matching underwear sets for the kids at £7.99 each but they were not in the sale.

Thanks for visiting - I'll be back soon with more beauty news. 

Tarte beauty - funny name but quality items...

I recently fell for a beauty bargain on QVC from the makers known as Tarte. You can only buy this brand from QVC (I think) and I only previously had a mascara  which came in the QVC "Try it love it" beauty box. and I swapped an eyeshadow palette with someone on a facebook beauty group I frequent called "Beauty in a box UK." The seven piece set plus a beauty bag came in at under £50 including postage. Sounds a lot but it's good for a premium brand like Tarte and all the pieces I think I will use so it was worth the buy. You selected the set according to the foundation colour you wanted and the shade I would probably have opted for had gone but light-medium was still available to buy so that is the one I went for.

I try to operate a strict one in one out rule when using make up to ensure I use up what I started - a quick glance at the make up table tells me I have 5 mascaras on the go at the moment so I'm failing quite badly on that front!  I suppose I am saying that I will keep this set new until I am ready to start it.

Here's a picture of the full set, the packaging is all leopard print and very me!

Taking pictures in the middle of the family day can be difficult as you can see... 

Well we are all sat on the bed together watching the Smurfs movie and I have a few things to list on ebay , reviews to write and this blog... so time to just crack on with it!

What do you get in the set ? 

• An amazing day 12 hour full coverage foundation with spf 15 sized 50 ml I opted for light-medium. I don't know how good it is yet, as I am working through my YSL foundation at the moment but the colour looks good through the leaf packaging (I think it's a clear leaf!). 
  
• A chunky Kabuki brush
• A double ended eyeshadow brush (I love this!) 
• A black automatic eye liner in my favourite shade, black. It has a sharpener in the lid which is great and I much prefer this to wooden eye pencils. 
• A black magnetic mascara
• A double ended lipgloss / lipstick which is handy for nights out as you only need to take one item to touch up your lipstick. The shade looks really wearable too. 
•  My favourite bit, the palette with seven shades of eye shadow and one bigger sized highlighter. Perfect shades for everyday wear! 

This set sold out quite quickly but they have other nice sets on their site that may be worth checking out. Their "Rainforest of the Sea" range looks amazing! There is currently a set for £44 reduced from £70 that looks really good although again, not all the shades of foundation are available.

The other good thing about QVC is that you can try their goods for 60 days and if you choose to return it you can get a full refund. Look out for the next "TILI" try it love it beauty box which is due for release. They are always a bargain price and good to try new branded beauty items.

Well, I think I got a really good deal! What do you think? I will review the items properly once I get them in to regular use, I am hoping that they will all be really good.

Look Fantastic UK beauty box May 2017

This month's beauty box from Look Fantastic is one of my favourites. There's two reasons for this, firstly, that I know I will use everything that came in the box so that is a winning box combination for me. Secondly that I have never tried any of the items before so they are all new discoveries which I will find out whether I like them or not.

Each month, the box has a theme and this month the theme was "Get the Glow" which has an instant appeal for me, I mean who doesn't want "the glow" on their skin! I was expecting highlights, exfoliators, oils and tans and I was not disappointed! The products came in a lovely pink box with the lid themed and a nice little message inside the lid as per usual, it's a nice touch!

So, the first item to catch my eye was a lovely eye shadow, by a brand I had not heard of before "Mellow" but it is available from the Look Fantastic Website at £6 for an individual shadow or there is a palette on there for £20 that looks very nice. The colour I have is Peach and it's a lovely neutral shade with a light shimmer to it. I have just finished my single pot from Bourjois so it's  good time for a new base colour to enter my life. I love a light shade as a base with lots of mascara on the lashes, it's a simple fresh look that I wear often.

Next up was a bottle of clear liquid with a spray top, a James Read gradual tan h20 spray mist which sounds lovely for a light summer tan. The small bottle in brown is a Real Chemistry three minute peel which sounds like it will be a good exfoliator.

The next bottle is a great sized 30ml it is by System Professional and is a solar sun oil, a hair protecting product which is great when it comes to holiday time. i like to put something through my hair and wear a hat during the day to nourish my hair whilst I am in and out of the pool and in the sun. I particularly like the dosing system of the pump top lid as it helps to get the right amount out and makes the bottle last longer! 

So, the last three items are all sachets. The Nuface prep n glow carded sachet which contains a travel friendly wipe to cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate. I will take this on an overnight stay to get the best use from it. the second item is by Glov and it is a single packaged wipe to remove make up that you activate with water, sounds handy!  Finally a sealed bag of coconut cranberry scrub love that is described as a hydrating coconut oil body scrub. It feels a bit squishy in the packet and has a resealable lid so should do a few treatments. I will use this in the shower as I can switch off the faucet to scrub then rinse away. Definitely a great pre holiday treatment!

Well, I do think this is a great value box and can't wait to get stuck in!

The box was bought for me as a Christmas present (two years in a row now) and I really love the monthly surprise the box gives me. You can buy them for as little as £13 per month and this includes postage.

I have another box or two coming soon so I will review them when they land!

February Look Fantastic Beauty Box

Last month's Look Fantastic Box was really pretty and in quite contrast from February's maroon and gold box but each has its merits. Anything that gets me "Runway Ready" is most welcome (LOL) so I was intrigued to find out what the contents would be like.

TK Maxx - Best beauty buys

I love shopping at TK Maxx and find some bargains and unusual items in there in the beauty section. Last time I went I bought a set of foaming face masks, a carrot gel moisturiser shaped like a carrot and some Bareminerals lip balms.

First up these face masks, costing £3.99 for five masks (they were in a yellow sticker sale so reduced twice).  Each mask is in its own sealed sachet and is a sort of orange colour when you first open it. It reacts to the air and foams up after a couple of minutes and is quite good fun to wear. I do it in the bath as it is a bit messy for a bedroom face mask.
 

When you unwrap it, it's a bit strange as it only fits on the lower half of your face. I am not sure why the forehead does not benefit from this mixture but you can always plaster a bit upwards once the foam gets going. I would definitely buy these again at that price as I love Korean beauty products and they are fun to use.

 

 
 
 
 

 

Then the Jeju carrot soothing gel. I really like this but am saving it for our holidays as I think it will be a great skin soother after days spent out in the sun. It was just £3 in the TK Maxx yellow sticker sale. A bit of fun too with the packaging. I have not found anywhere else in the UK that stocks this so it may be a one time wonder unless I ship it in.

This next item was not in the sale but still a good price, £24.99 was the recommended retail price but they were marked at £12.99 and I must admit I ummed and aahed about them before deciding I definitely wanted them. They are mostly sheer (especially the middle one!) with a hint of a tint to them and great moisturising properties. I think these are great for slipping in your pocket for days out when you are not bothering with much make up but want nicely soft lips. Especially on winter days too!

 

The other item I bought (I just remembered!) was an eye shadow palette which is by Cargo but I have not tried it yet so I will blog about it yet and also a set of eye make up remover pads by Almay. I got four of these little pots, which I have almost finished one. There are 80 slim pre soaked pads in each pot and they are nice and cool for removing eye make up. I use one on each eye and find them effective for removing eye make up and I also use one before applying make up in the morning to make sure there is no remnant of panda eye and it adds a little moisture and de puffs too so double bonus. I paid £1 for the green tubs and £2 for the pink tubs, both are similar and work really well. I bought every one the shop had. These are available online at https://www.vitamingrocer.co.uk/ but they are a lot more expensive than I paid. I do think these are a great travel solution though.



January 2017 Look Fantastic Beauty Box

... and so the adventure begins... is how the box presented itself.

I meant to cover all my beauty box buys on this blog then promptly forgot so this review is totally late! I liked the look of this when I first opened it. The subscription was a Christmas present so any good contents are a bonus for me.

I liked the tweezers from the vintage cosmetics company, new tweezers are always welcome in my life and I have had these ones before.

The Nuxe miscellar water was also welcome whilst it was a mini size, it's great for travel and I know my skin likes it.

I used the hair mask straight away, the tube did me two full masks whilst in the bath and I can't argue with the quality of it. I have used this mask before and will buy it again in the future.

I like the Pixi brand but I was not so bothered about the brow taming product (looks clear in the tube). My brows are just not unruly enough to require this product as they do not grow very long.

The trifle cosmetics highlighter went in my daughter's beauty bag as I won't use it as it looks too shimmery!

I have not tried the fairy lashes mascara yet as I have a few open and don't really need another on the go. I am enjoying the Tarte mascara I got in another beauty box.

So that's it! I thought this was a very strong box for January with plenty in it. The box is £15 to buy on the Look Fantastic site and if you do a subscription you can get them a bit cheaper. The site often do threshold spend offers where you get a free box which I sometimes do if I need to rebuy something from there.

In terms of the sub, this is the one box I have stuck with having tried them all! I enjoy the surprise each month and generally find the contents to be good. Here's me with my "calm" hair! I'll take more photos of the contents next time...