Essie Partner in Crime Nail Polish Review

ignore the bad paint job- i literally painted them in the dark 😬

 I definitely meant to review this last week (or years ago) because this is a long discontinued shade. 

Essie claims:

a dark chocolate brown creme nail polish with subtle mahogany undertones. 

from the 2014 Nails to Kilt Collection.

This was my stand in for a black nail polish for years. Because it's so dark/deep it mostly passes for black. It only looks a little brown in the pictures/bottle. I love brown nail polish though- it just looks sophisticated. Maybe not this one in particular. But others I have seen.

This is from 2014 so this is definitely an older shade. I've probably had it since then. I don't pay much attention to nail polish collections- I think I grabbed this in TJ Maxx on clearance. I didn't have any shades similar to it so I thought it would be a nice  one to add to the collection. 

I'm glad I picked it up. I just wish it was more noticeably brown instead of just off black/ brown undertones.

It's a thicker polish-and very pigmented. I like to do two coats but you can get away with one. I usually like a sheerer polish that you have to build up over 2-3 thin coats.. I find them more forgiving. But this one is nice. Essie always wears the best on my nails- I usually get around 2-3 days of chip free wear. Could be a little more or less depending on the quality of the base coat/top coat though.

I almost forgot- I do really like it as a pedicure color too!

If I do ever finish it I wouldn't look for a replacement bottle- but I would pick up another brown polish (hopefully more brown than black) since I am a fan of brown.

Essie Bikini So Teeny Nail Polish

 Today I have the best selling Blue Nail Polish from Essie, according to Essie. For some reason I love buying blue nail polish- I don't particularly love wearing it so I don't know why I keep buying it? I have since acknowledged I have a problem and I've stopped. I seem to have re-focused and moved on to buying green nail polish....

Anyway...Essie claims:

Daring meets darling in pretty yet provocative cornflower blue. This sparkling nail polish bares it all with a wink and a smile and no strings attached.

Daring meets darling in Bikini So Teeny, a sparkling cornflower blue nail polish. This shimmery, light blue is your go-to nail color that turns heads at the beach, on vacation, and everywhere in between. Equal parts playful and polished, it's the best blue nail polish for when you want your manicure to do the talking. 

 

RICH COLOR & SHINE: All essie Original nail polishes offer a salon-quality, billion pigment formula that is vegan, providing saturated color payoff and shine in every coat. This is a very old bottle. I've had it for a long time. I have another color that is so similar to this that I really didn't need this. I've also stopped buying duplicates. Yay, me.  Essie is my favorite brand of nail polish. I find it wears the best on my nails. At the time of this picture I've had it on for two days with minimal wear- at least for my nails. 

Sorry about the blurry pictures...

I wish I bought my bottle with the new brush- which just so happens to be my favorite nail polish brush. I have the old style thin brush which works but I prefer the wider rounded shape. It makes painting easy.

This ia two coater- it will be streaky with just one. I find I get decent coverage with two. I've been wearing it for two days (with top and base coat) and it looks decent. I could probably wear it another two days with no major chipping.

As for the color- on my hands I think it's OK. I mostly love it as a pedicure color. It's a pretty cornflower blue/pastel blue that looks very summery. I really enjoy the color and quality of the polish.

Overall, I'm glad it's in my collection. I think it's a good nail polish. Not sure I would buy another bottle though because there are just so many other shades/brands/ colors out there to try. 

Zoya Wyatt Professional Lacquer Review

 I've been meaning to do this review for a little while now. I just have been lazy to paint my nails because they have been in such awful condition- breaking and peeling everywhere. And nothing I do has helped.

Zoya claims:

Wyatt is a true racing green with a deep pigment, full coverage, and smooth application.

Finally I just figured I would go back to painting over their ugliness. Disguise it a little. And get this review out the way. This is my very first Zoya polish. I've always heard the greatest things about them. I bought it when I went back to the states- another thing I wanted to be sure of what to make sure I picked a more unique color- at least unique to my collection. I tend to by the same shades in multiples but I'm trying to stop.

I did a horrible job of painting my nails- but the excess polish will come off tomorrow in the shower...

So I picked up this lovely shade of green. Packaging is nice.  I guess at least you get a nice package for the price. Because I don't think the polish inside is worth that.

I don't love the brush. It's just your standard thin brush. I've been spoiled now with the Essie wide brushes- without a doubt my new fave. The formula is nice though, it goes on easily and very opaque. A second coat can easily be skipped.

I expected more with the formula though. I don't find it to wear any better than any other brand- it could be my top/base coats but I just haven't been impressed so far.

The color is stunning though- I can't believe this is my first true deep green- it's definitely one of my favorite shades in my collection at the moment. I think it looks great on me- manicure and pedicure.

Love the color- the formula and brush aren't my favorite. This shade is one I would be very tempted to re-purchase if I manage to get through my bottle. 

Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Thickener Strengthener Review

 My nails have been trash ever since I started painting them again. So I'm trying to give them a little break. I think it might be the base coat I'm currently using that is wreaking havoc on my poor nails. I don't want to throw out the base coat though, I might just start doing double coats to try to use it up quicker.

Anyway...Sally Hansen Nail strengtheners have never worked for me. And this is no exception.

Sally Hansen claims:

MIRACLE NAIL THICKENER

Weak nails need a miracle? With Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Thickener™, get up to 70% thicker nails in just 4 days!*

Bolster soft, thin and ridged nails with this emergency thickener. 

When your nails need protection against bending and breaking, our exclusive Calcium and Ceramic Gel formula builds a hard shield. Ridges and imperfections are filled in, for thicker, harder, stronger nails. 

*Measured layers of nail protection. 

I'll start with the packaging. It is a purple overspray bottle. Packaging does feel al little cheap. But I don't mind...as long as the product works.

Which it doesn't. 

I think part of the problem is that it does not stick to the nails. I look at it and it's chipping and flaking everywhere. For that reason I would never try to use this as a base coat. The finish would take your nail polish off just as soon as you painted them! 

It is pretty glossy and thick on the nails.And it does dry fast. It also tends to bubble and look thick in a bad way on the nails.

The worst thing- I don't think it thickens or strengthens my nails in anyway. Maybe they do feel a tad stronger with it on, but I think that's just the reinforcement that any old polish can give.

I don't like this product. I don't know why it's still on the market. Mine has been kicking around for a few years and will probably stick around for a few more before I can finally use it up. 

Essie Piece of Work Nail Lacquer Review

I've been sleepy- which is the reason I haven't been blogging. Then I wake up and do nothing productive.... I'm still trying to get through reviewing all my current nail polishes. It's taking years. Really and Truly. But I have made it my goal to get through them all this year. I don't think I have many left...but we shall see.

Another thing I started doing was really whittling down the collection. I got rid of possible eBay knock-offs..and stopped buying the same colors over and over. I tend to always be attracted to the same purple/blue shades. I'm trying to make an effort to purchase unique colors. Hence, this Shrek green shade. 

Which I LOVE!  

Essie claims: 

craft a mani masterpiece using this vivid, lime green nail polish with yellow undertones that adds an eccentric touch to any look.

It looks more yellow green than it is in person- it's definitely more a shrek green.

This is definitely one of my favorite colors in my collection. I've really been loving green polishes lately. I am currently trying it as a pedicure color and I'm not really sure how I feel about it...part of me wants to take it off because I think it's ugly. The other part of me is lazy so it will stay until it has to be changed. But I LOVE it on my hands. 

The wear is OK. I get little chips here and there on day 2 and on. I think this might be due to the base/top coat I am currently using. Usually Essie lasts bests on my nails. But I am hard on my hands.

The Essie Brush is my favorite brush- it's the wide brush that has a cuticle shape to it so it makes painting the nails SO easy. 

Overall, one of my unexpected favorites. 

Tweezerman Nail Buffing Block Review

 Sooo... Bridgerton Season Four. I was undecided on if I was going to watch it but of course I tuned in for this season. And also watched the last season again. I think this season was based on my favorite book of the series...but I do not like show version of  Benedict so it's hard for me to get into their story. Also, all Bridgerton men are written the same. They are all "rakes" that then turn into the perfect husband. And so we have all just tuned in to watch pretty much the same story over and over. It's about the journey though and some of them have been better than others. I think Pen and Colins was the least developed somehow- the only scene I really enjoyed between them was the carriage scene and somehow the book version was still slightly better. 

Anyway. before I drone on and on about Bridgerton- let's get back to a rather boring review. 

Tweezerman claims: 

File, buff, smooth and shine nails to perfection. Comes with 4 peel-off replacement pads for each side to easily replace worn pads.

I think it was made in Korea- lost the packaging now and can't find it anywhere online. 

I've taken more of interest in my nails this year so I keep this a bit more handy than usual. But still rarely use it. I like that you can easily replace the pads- though I have yet to do so. I do love that it comes with replaceable pads. I haven't seen any other blocks that do the same. Yay for some slight sustainability.

It has four sides. Some work better than others. 

The first side I'm not a fan of. It's the "file" side. I find the shape a bit more awkward to use than a regularly shaped file. Works in a pinch though.

The second side is buff. I try not to do that much either because my nails are on the weaker and thinner side and buffing removes layers. I do it as needed and very rarely. 

Next side is smooth. I should probably give it more use. But I just rely on my base coat to do all the smoothing. When I use the buffer I do use the smooth side after. It works OK.

And last up the shine side. I don't think this works as well as other files I have had in the past. I have gotten far shinier nails. This does OK. Gives you the look of polish sans polish. I don't use this side much either because when I am doing my nails I am typically preparing to polish them. I think if you shine them before hand polish doesn't last as long cause it's harder to bind to a shiny surface.

Overall, not a must have item. I only reach for it occasionally. But it's nice to have when I need it. 

Essie Here to Stay Base Coat Review

 I'm in a state of worry. Usually when I get like that I just sit on the couch and let my worries consume me. I'm trying to do something different than my usual. So I thought I would crank out a few posts. Starting with a base coat. The second most important step in DIY manicures. 

 Essie claims: 

base coat formulated with color-adhesive technology to help hold color to your nail while providing a barrier that prevents nail staining.

formulated with color-adhesive technology to help hold color to your nail while providing a barrier that prevents nail staining.

• champion of longwear
• innovative color-adhesive technology applies smoothly to help bond color to the nail. provides a barrier to help prevent nail staining.
• the result: extended wear for your manicure

I fell completely off with painting my nails last year- which I'm working on and doing a lot better job of keeping color on my nails this year. I think the main deterrent was my current nail polish remover sucks and I don't want to use it. But it's nearly all gone and almost time to replace so I am just powering through it.

Anyway...let' talk base coats. I almost never skip base coat these days. It can help prevent staining, smooth out ridges and make your nail polish last so much longer. It went from being a step I always skipped- to a must. 

I've tried many base coats through the years. This one is OK. I like it better as far as lasting power than the previous one I was using from Essie. But it's really nothing to write home about. 

It feels like it creates a really sticky base. My nails still chip lately- but they chip like they really didn't want to. I think the base coat is really trying to hold the color- but the current top coat I am using won't let it be great. I'm using Essie Stay Longer top coat at the moment. Seems like they should go together but I haven't had the best luck with it unless I'm using it for a pedicure- then my polish wears weeks and weeks and the only reason to change the color is because of the grow out.

Overall, I like this base coat. I think it does what it claims but your mileage will vary depending on what top coat you use. If I end up using it with another top coat and it works better, I'll come back and update this post. 

What's your favorite base coat? 

Essie Air Spun Fun Nail Polish Review

 It's still a goal of mine to review all of my nail polishes. I just have been really lazy when it comes to painting my nails. I think most of it comes from not wanting to remove my nail polish- because the remover I currently have takes just about forever to remove color from my nails. It's acetone free. I probably need to put it on a project pan to motivate myself to use it up. 

Essie claims: 

• you’ll be dizzy with delight wearing this muted cotton-candy-pink nail polish.
• essie original nail polish provides a salon quality, vegan formula for flawless coverage.
• our exclusive easy-glide brush allows for quick, even professional application on nails. 
• the essie collection has over 1,000 shades and counting.
• our nuanced colors are all inspired by the latest fashion and cultural trends to make your manicure possibilities endless.
• with a wink and a story always on hand, consider us your partner for playful nail inspiration.
• In the meantime, I ordered this a while ago because I was missing a pastel pink in the collection and I thought this one looked pretty online. 

OPI made the most perfect pastel pink I have ever tried- it had a hint of lavender. I don't remember what that shade is called but when I buy colors like this, that's usually what I am chasing. This isn't quite it but it's still very pretty. 

And even though these types of colors are usually very difficult- streaky, get thick quickly then take forever to dry- I find this one is easy to use and after two coats pretty streak free. It's also very easy to use and goes on quickly. I think that's mostly due to the new wide brush that is shaped to the cuticle. It's my favorite brush of any nail polish brush out there. I love, love, love the brush. 

It wears pretty well with a decent top/base coat. Essie has always worn the best on my nails. All I really ask for is 3-4 days of chip free wear .I have a few chips on my left hand- mostly because I didn't file, shape and smooth my nails correctly before painting.

Overall, a very pretty bubble-gum pastel pink. I think there is probably a better one out there for me, but I will happily wear it until I eventually run out of the bottle and then try out another bubble gum pink.

China Glaze White on White Nail Lacquer Review

I feel like I spent most of my day in the kitchen so it's nice to finally sit down. I found a movie to watch so figured while the movie is playing I may as well knock out a post or two...

China Glaze:

• White Whispers: A cream dream made real! Spark your imagination like a cloud formation with our China Glaze White On White Nail Lacquer. A milky white sensation that's sweet and soft like a marshmallow on your tips and toes. We're talking about a finish so glossy and irresistible! So brilliant and bright, you're sure to steal a few glances here and there.
• Poised for Perfection: Its elegance and poise condensed into a nail-loving formula made just for you. With White on White, you can layer on as much angelic charm as you want with no worries. A blend of the right ingredients and a secret sprinkle of China clay hardeners. Get that unique porcelain-like finish that can take over the world. No harsh stuff here Æ’?? just pure nail love!
• Beyond Basic: White on White is your partner when it comes to crafting your winning nail looks effortlessly. Get 0.5 fl oz of white elegance in a handy bottle you can bring anywhere. Topped off with an expert brush cap with 36% more fiber for velvet smooth strokes that spread the color love all over. Super precise, gets you working with gorgeous detail right away!
• Fast-Track Fabulous: Who's got time to wait? Not you! Oh, China Glaze nail color polish lacquers are made to spoil you. Just a few strokes, a few seconds to ogle your gorgeous work, and it's dry before you know it. It's all you! Get a long-lasting chip-free nail finish you can proudly show off, pronto. It's time to shine with confidence!

China Glaze is one of my favorite nail polish brands. I've only had a few colors from them but most of them I really have loved. Except the neon orange I had. That was trash. 

White is one of the first colors I bought as a kid. I was visiting a beauty supply store for the first time that I remember and they had the Sinful nail polish. It took me a minute to decide on white- I mostly went with it because it was so unusual and I had never seen anyone wear white. I don't know what I did with it because I don't think I actually wore it. But I did have it years and years.

White had a popularity streak for a minute a couple years ago. Before it became popular I did rock a white color I had from Wet N Wild regularly...at that time I really liked it.

Now..not so much. I tried it as a pedi color and I really don't like it. I don't get the hype and I don't think I'll wear it that way ever again. I have it on my nails right now and I also am not liking the way it looks. I don't know if it's just this particular shade of white (maybe I need off white) but I'm not feeling it. I've had it a couple years and very rarely reach for it. 

As for quality- eh. Whites are usually streaky and you have to layer them a lot- then they don't dry so you get smudges. This one isn't horrible. It's not great. But it isn't horrible. I can get away with two coats and it looks opaque enough. The brushes on China Glaze are not my favorite...I haven't bought one in awhile though so maybe they have been updated since? The brush is ok, it's the narrow brush.  I prefer the wide brushes these days.  It dries in a decent amount of time. The only thing is wear time...after 24 hours it started chipping and then just continued to get worse and worse.

Overall, white is a good color to have- especially if you do nail designs. But for a regular polish and go- this could be better. 

OPI You're Such A Budapest Nail Polish Review

 I've been meaning to do this post for a while now- but I took a long break from painting my nails. My actual nails were also doing so well- looking healthy and getting longer- which made me even more hesitant to paint them. But since I wanted to review this color- here we are. 

OPI claims:

If I let you borrow this periwinkle-purple, will you go away?

Catch compliments like they're going out of style. Beautiful blend of periwinkle and lavender. Nail Lacquer is OPI's original nail polish formula. Use your nail polish shade with OPI Natural Base Coat and OPI Top Coat for extended wear. Made in the USA.

I love a pastel nail polish- which is why I bought this. They describe it perfectly- a periwinkle purple. Or lavender. Sometimes I feel it's more purple- other times I feel like it's more periwinkle. I'm sure it's one of those colors where people see it differently. It really didn't photograph true to life though...

Pastel shades can be difficult. I would say this polish lives up to the OPI name though. It's a two coater- can do three if you want it completely opaque but two is enough. It goes on smoothly. It's not really streaky. And it wears long with a base coat/top coat. I'm very happy wit the quality.

As always I also really like the OPI wide brush. Although I could have done better job of applying it though. 

I finally tried it as a pedicure color for my last vacation- love it that way! I'm still wearing it and no chips- the only wear is the grow out. It's even still shiny after weeks and weeks of wear. It's really time to take it off...

I love this shade. I especially appreciate that often times these type of shades aren't very flattering on my skin tone but this one works for some reason...

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Blackout

I have been slacking this year on painting my nails. I don't know what it is. It's not like I don't have the time. But anyway...trying to get back into it. I bought this last year I think...because I love black nail polish. And I'm trying to encourage myself to buy different nail polishes/lines than what I always get. So here I have the Xtreme Wear line. 

Sally claims:

Extreme wear and shine, long-lasting color is chip-resistant, fade-resistant, streak-free, waterproof.

I love a black nail polish. It was a gap in my collection for a few years because I have a dark brown that fulfilled that need. But then I ran out of my stamping polish so I picked this up. 

I've been wearing it as a regular polish and haven't even tried it for stamping. 

I don't like it as a black nail polish. It's very saturated so you can definitely get away with one coat. But I like the colors that go on sheer that you have to build. You have more control and they usually last longer. This just has a "cheap" finish to it. It just looks and feels cheap. I don't know how to explain it. 

It also is not Xtreme Wear. 

Excuse the horrible sloppy polish job...I guess I don't like the brush either because it is so hard to get a nice paint job.

I'm not a fan..I think this polish is going to be demoted strictly to a stamping color. Or maybe a pedicure color but it doesn't last long even that way. 

I would still try another color from the line- because maybe this color is just a fluke. Xtreme has been around a long time, there has to be a reason why.

 

OPI Sprung Nail Polish Review

 So I didn't end up ordering the comforter set yesterday- the decision was made for me. I went to check out and found out they don't ship to my location. Bummer! But maybe I'll find something I like better later at a better price. 

But back to nail polish. Still trying to review my whole collection. It's going ever so slowly. 

Sprung was a part of the Mariah Carey OPI collection from years and years ago. I didn't buy this- I think I got it for Christmas. Or it came from my Mom's collection. IDK anymore.

But I've had it awhile. And rarely wear it. I don't really like the color on my. It makes my hands feel old...and ugly. I think this color would suit a different complexion better. I even tried it as a pedi color for the first time. I don't like it that way either. I am almost tempted to change it...but too lazy. So it's what I'll be rocking the next three weeks. 

Doesn't look as awful in a picture. But it's basically a bronze with multi-color shimmers in it. 

Maybe I will give it away. Or try to use up the rest of the bottle buy stamping a design over it. Wear time is fine. It applies nice and thin- I like to do three coats. It also dries very quickly. 

Overall, I don't like it. Wouldn't buy any similar colors when I use this up (or throw it out,..or give it away). I can imagine it probably looked nice on Mariah though.

Essie Tart Deco Nail Polish Review

Next post, a quick nail color post. Finally posting the review for this color. I have put this color on at least three times but every time I needed to take pictures of it, I didn't. I've been wearing this since Tuesday night and although there are dents and chips, I am not going to redo and rewear it for at least a few months so here we are! 

Essie claims:

sassy, stylish and darling, just so south beach. chic and modern, this dreamy coral nail lacquer is an artistic burst of color that creates a manicure masterpiece.

I bought this color as a "vacation" color a couple years back. I just love a bright, pink/ orange, or coral for vacation and I was drawn to this color.

It's a pretty  and I think it used to be very unique at one point. I think there are dupes of it now. And likely Essie has duped itself. It's a coral pink. Super bright. I love the color but I don't think it's the most flattering on me-not even as a pedicure shade. I think it's easier to pull off in the summer heat though. It feels very out of place on me right now. But that never stops me from wearing any color in whatever season.

The thing I dislike the most is the application. It has a tendency to go on streaky. You definitely want to do thicker coats and also want to make sure you grab enough polish on the brush to actually coat the nail. Too little and it creates more streaks and becomes even more frustrating to work with. So I like to grab a lot. Luckily even though I do thicker coats I don't find it takes any longer to dry.

Wear time is going to depend on your base/top coats. I think it wears a bit better than I was expecting. It looks decent for a few days before I need to take it off.

It's a pretty color...formula is harder to work with. But then again I do have the one with the older brush. It might be easier with the new brush. I like the color but once I use up this bottle I wouldn't repurchase it. Which is probably a good thing because I just looked and it's discontinued...

Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail and Cuticle Oil Review

Back again for another post. Still trying to get through reviewing all the nail stuff in my collection...I've been pretty faithful with buying cuticle oils- not so much in applying them. But I am trying to get better because I want healthy, non splitting nails that hold onto polish better. Who knows if I will get there. I had a lot of luck with the Essie oil, but I thought I would give some other oils a go.

Sally claims:

An intensely moisturizing Vitamin E oil that softens cuticles and cares for dry, brittle nails. Natural Essential Oil Complex with Vitamin E, Wheat Germ, Apricot Kernel, Aloe & Panthenol moisturizes & conditions cuticles while increasing nail flexibility. Salon tested. Dermatologist tested.

I don't have particularly dry cuticles...but everyone that I see that has beautiful, long nails uses a cuticle oil. Most recommend Jojoba oil which I do have. It's probably the most cost effective. But before I go back to basics I want to try what is on the shelf and ready to go. 

The packaging on this is not as nice as the Essie. But the Essie did cost more. I think I got this for under $6.00. Which for the amount is kinda pricey when you consider DIY options. It does come in a glass bottle and has a polish applicator tip you use to apply. The application can be a little wild as it does feel like the tip holds excess oil...but you don't have to constantly re-dip. 

It takes a bit longer to absorb. But nothing too crazy. It does make everything look and feel moisturized and I haven't had any issues with dry looking or splitting cuticles. I don't think it helped my nails with splitting much- but I think that's mainly due to my nail polish remover being too harsh. 

It has no smell whatsoever. Which is a little boring but fine. I did just add some essential oil to it to give it a nice scent. I am enjoying it much more since I did that. Makes it more fun to use. I don't mind it being unscented though because then I could choose exactly how I wanted it to smell.

Ingredients are ok..I would prefer not to see the ingredients that end if -siloxane. I do like that there are small amounts of Apricot Oil and Wheat Germ. And there is Vitamin E which is great for the skin. 

Ingredients: 

CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ISOCETYL ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, PANTHENOL, PROPYLPARABEN, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) GERM OIL, AQUA/WATER/EAU, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL, PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM/MINERAL OIL/HUILE MINERALE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID.

Overall, I think it's nice. I probably wouldn't buy it again...mostly due to price and ingredients. But it was nice to try.

Essie Stay Longer Topcoat Review

I've been painting my nails and watching True Crime. The most recent one being the case  JonBenet Ramsey. I watched the Netflix documentary and I definitely think it was biased. I went digging through the case..which I was surprised I hadn't done because I definitely grew up seeing her face on the tabloids while shopping and was very aware ...I knew a little bit about the case but not really. I definitely think it was an inside job- the facts of the case are just way too bizarre. I also don't think it's a case that will ever be solved though. The police officers and their many blunders in the initial investigation saw to that. But back to the purpose of the post...

Essie claims:

a premium longwear top coat that keeps your essie color mani smooth, bright, and shiny while protecting against chips for an up to 7 day salon quality manicure.

Made in Spain 

I have a lot of Essie top/base coats to get through. I saw them in the store and grabbed a bunch. I figured since I like Essie polishes so much, the top coats would do well on my nails.  

I bought this one expecting my nail polish to stay longer. Not necessarily seven days which I think is  impossible on my nails. But three days. Possibly four days. That's all I really ask for. Unfortunately this doesn't deliver. I get a day before I get a small chip. And that chip always comes off like it didn't want to--- but it chipped anyway. My nail polish does seem to still chip but the majority of it does stay...

It does seem to work best with the newer Essie polishes and just OK with the older ones.

So it's not my HG top coat.

Some top coats can go over your nail polish and smooth out smudges or mistakes...and this doesn't. 

But it does have decent shine. It also dries relatively quickly. As long as I am not doing thick coats or too many coats....or dealing with a polish that already has a hard time drying. 

I did buy mine in the German store so my bottle was made in Spain. But I think Essie is usually made in the US. 

Almost forgot to talk about the brush. Essie used to have the worst brushes but they updated to a wide/curved brush and I have to say they are my favorite. Even over OPI- which was the original wider brush that made me love wide brushes.

Overall, not a repurchase but I will use this one up...

OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover Review

I've been painting my nails a lot more lately...trying to review all the polishes I have had for years and years and never reviewed. I'm getting through them slowly but surely . I even ordered a new color today. I wanted a light tangerine orange shade and I think I found the perfect one. I'm really trying to only add colors I don't have these days...instead of constantly buying duplicates of the same colors I already have.... 

OPI claims:

Sweeps away even the darkest lacquer shades without the drying effects of harsh removers!

I heard great things about this remover and it's from the great OPI brand so I wanted to see if there was a difference between this and off brand or Cutex polish removers. I definitely mostly think nail polish removers are almost all the same. As long as they are acetone based.

And I do like this one. It gets some of the micro glitter polishes I have off with extreme ease. It removes colors that are harder to remove like reds and blues pretty easily too. So it definitely does what it's supposed to.

It's not scented...and it definitely smells like nail polish remover but it's not as strong as some of the ones I have tried in the past. 

The only thing is I think it might be a little too strong for my nails. Every once in awhile I notice when I take it off, my nails are extra split to where I can peel it off pretty easily. So it might be just a bit more drying on my nails than I would want. Especially since I am using remover on my nails more often.

It is kinda pricey for how much you get. You can get through this little bottle quickly if you do your nails often so if you do live in the states and you love it- it would be way more cost effective to buy the refill bottle. 

The packaging is...meh. I kept my old Zoya bottle and I refilled it with the OPI. That's the way to go! 

I think I need something a bit more gentle on the nails. But if you have strong nails that are not prone to splitting you might like it.

Essie Turquoise and Caicos Nail Polish Review

 I've been watching a lot of think pieces on Black Friday shopping. So many people are saying the deals are horrible this year and Black Friday deals are largely a thing of the past. I had no idea what Black Friday was until I was in high school and we moved back to the states. Then I started seeing the commercials and hearing more about it and how people would start camping early in the morning for deals. I've never done that...but I do remember one Black Friday when I was in college I did go out one Black Friday. Of course, I didn't make it to the store until around 6:00 p.m. when all the sales were over....so they didn't have anything.  The only other time I went out was to get some pots I wanted from Le Creuset in the outlet mall and it was absolutely insane. I have never gone out for Black Friday again. But I did manage to pick up some stuff on my wishlist for a discount through online shopping so I can't complain too much. 

But back to the nail polish.

Essie claims:

Frolic in the sublime waters of this flirty nail polish. vibrant, tropical aqua nails refreshes the mind, body and fashion wardrobe.

I bought this color as a replacement for another color I LOVED! In the store I thought this was similar enough..and I was wrong. The color I loved was For Audrey from China Glaze. I guess they still make it so I probably just coulda just repurchased. 

This color is pretty...I wouldn't really call it turquoise. Maybe a muted sea foam green.  It's very pretty. I will definitely use the whole bottle- but I prefer the China Glaze For Audrey polish. I loved that Tiffany Blue shade. I do compliments when I wear this one though..

My bottle is pretty old..so I have the old Essie brush. I definitely prefer the newer brushes. They have majorly upgraded them. The formula is OK. It's very thin and streaky for that first coat but the second coat builds slightly better.

I think the color looks best with three coats but takes significantly longer to dry so I will probably stick with just the two coats and rock it streaky.

As for wear, it does OK. It depends on your top and base coat. But generally Essie wears a little better on my nails than other brands. Maybe I can get three chip free days with the proper prep.

I did a sloppy job painting my nails- I painted them in the dark again and I guess dented them. Oops.

I do currently have it on as a pedi color- it's just OK. I have other colors I favor more as a pedi color in my collection. It looks more blue than green in the pics....so it doesn't photo true to life.

Overall, I'll happily finish up the bottle but won't buy it again. 

Butter London P.D Quick Dy Conditioning Drops Review

 I'm back again for an another quick review....before I go and spend some time in the kitchen. I am just in the mood to make a really nice meal...and dessert. I'll probably put on some Christmas music or a Christmas movie so I can start getting into the holiday mood- it is December 1st after all! 

Butter London claims:

Dry oil serum that accelerates dry time and conditions cuticles

Helps accelerate nail lacquer dry time and help prevent nicks and colour smudges

I find quick dry drops come in handy...I always keep the Essence one's on hand...just in case I need to do a quick polish and dash. I want to try some from other brands- even though I love the Essence branded one. Also it's a bargain at two euro! The only thing is not a lot of brands will ship to me from Amazon. This one does though! 

I think I overpaid the first time I bought this. And then I repurchased again because most of the first container I had spilled and I wanted to test it out more before I reviewed it. I think the second time I paid 12-13 dollars. It's overpriced for sure.

It comes in plastic packaging and you switch out the plastic lid with the dropper lid. The Essence one is glass....

The first thing I noticed was the scent..it smells nice. Kinda reminds me of Lush Honey I Washed the Kids. It's a very light smell though...I do like it.

You drop it on and it is shiny and seems oily. It does dry the top layer...but the bottom layer takes longer to dry and I find if I don't wait long enough I get smudges and nicks...it just doesn't work as well as it should at that price point. The Essence one is better...and way cheaper.

Another thing...ingredeints aren't great. A lot of plastic type and very cheap ingredients.

Ingredients:

Disiloxane, Dimethicone, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Citronellol, Cinnamyl Alcohol

Overall, I have purchased twice but won't be buying it again...it's just extremely overpriced for what it is.

Butter London Signature Glass Cuticle Pusher Review

I really need to paint my nails...I just need to find a good movie or show to watch before I get started. I went through a moment of buying all the things I need to do any at home mani because I don't get my nails done.  I thought about getting a pedicure for a brief moment too but ultimately just bought the stuff to keep doing it myself. The most convenient place to me charges about 60 euro which is insanely high for something that only lasts a few weeks at most.

Butter London claims:

Benefit

Preps nails for a professional-looking at-home manicure.

Made in China

I already have the tools I need but I saw a set on Macy's that had the cuticle remover and thought having a backup set of tools would be a good thing to have. I was especially interested in the glass cuticle pusher. Glass files are a dime a dozen but this was completely new to me. 

And I like it. I'm glad to have it in my arsenal. It's easy to push your cuticle back and also get a little exfoliation because sometimes cuticle tissue is sticky. I can use this on my fingernails and skip a liquid cuticle remover. It makes it easy to get everything back. I think a metal one is still good for pushing the skin but this is great for the actual cuticle. 

It has a little sleeve to keep it safe. I've had it for awhile now and have managed to not break it. 

The other end can be used to scrape any dirt from under the nails...I don't normally use that side since I tend to pick under my nails but usually my nails don't attract a lot of dirt since I keep my nails short. 

Overall, I'm glad to have it in my collection. I love my metal pusher....but every now and again this is handy to reach for! I recommend the gift set if you can find it because it made the price so much better than purchasing alone.

I like it, glad to have it in my nail tools...

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me

 I'm just sitting around waiting for my buttermilk to come to room temp so I can make some waffles....figured I would do a post while I wait. Continuing on with reviewing all the nail polishes I have in my small collection. 

I'm not the biggest red nail polish fan- but I do think it's necessary to have a least one in the collection. This is my "one." I got this for Christmas years and years ago and was really excited to see it because my all time favorite red nail polish- Ruby Pumps by China Glaze- was running a bit low. I thought this would be a good replacement.

This is a subtle sparkly bright red shade. Seems like the perfect color to wear to a holiday party. And it kinda reminds me of the Rihanna Viva Glam lipstick that came out years and years ago. It's like the same type of red. It does have some gold sparkly in the bottle but not detectable on my nails.

It is a very pretty red- but it's not my favorite. I have been wearing it a lot lately- and it's grown on me. I can happily finish the bottle but it's not something I would seek out again. For sparkly reds I prefer Ruby Pumps. But it was part of a limited edition collection for the James Bond movie so not like I could purchase it again anyway. It was the Skyfall collection and I actually had three polishes from that collection. 

It wears ok. I don't find OPI to wear the very best for me- but nail polish also never lasts on me anyway. I think brands like Essie work better on my nails but for some reason I have mostly OPI. I think because I heard they were the best back in the day and then that's all I bought for a minute. I do love the look of the OPI bottles though- so classic. I also really like their brushes. Makes polishing so easy!

This is a highly pigmented and thin formula so it dries reasonably quick and is very easy and smooth to work with. It can stain so use a base coat. Two coats if you can! 

I do have it on as a pedi color and at first I wasn't sure about it- but I don't mind it actually. It's not my favorite and I prefer wearing other colors but I won't be mad to rotate this one in every couple of months. 

Overall, it's OK. 

Random: I bought this tea a few months ago and it is AMAZING. It has very prominent fruity notes to it and is supposed to be from trees that are over 400 years old. It's Ancient Yunnan from Harney and Sons.