CND – The Art Vandal Collection.

It’s true what they say; once you’ve had CND shellac, you won’t go back. The brand pride themselves on creating high quality formulas which provide vibrant, long-lasting colour, without damaging nails. 
 

I’ve been a huge fan of the “Vinylux” (weekly polish) range from CND for ages now so when I was invited to attend the launch of their “Art Vandal” collection, I was delighted to oblige. On arrival at the event, we were treated to some bubbly, sweet treats and a manicure using any shade from the new range (either shellac or Vinylux) – absolute bliss! 
 
Opting for the the shellac formula, I picked the shade “Digi-Teal, an electric blue from the new collection. My manicurist, the fabulous Susan from Rinn Neimhe Beauty Salon, Co. Leitrim took wonderful care of me. She explained that my nails were weak and damaged, due to winter weather and stressed the importance of the regular use of hand cream and cuticle oil – something I had never bothered with before. 

    
After one week of wear, I have to say that I am in absolute awe of the CND polish. There’s not a single chip in sight and most surprisingly, my nails appear to be stronger than usual. I’m delighted with the colour of the polish, as well as the cute glittering and foil detailing which can be added to any CND formula. 

  
I can’t wait to try the rest of the shades from the “Art Vandal Collection” – who doesn’t love a splash of colour in spring? 

  

Stay tuned for reviews and pictures from the Vinylux version of the collection. In the meantime, tell me – have you ever tried CND shellac? Or, do you have a favourite brand of your own? 

Rouge X 

Essence ‘The Gel’ Nail Polish Review.

As I’ve told you millions of times at this stage, I recently abandoned my much loved acrylic nails in favour of a healthy, natural look. Therefore, I have taken to painting my nails at home and this has involved trying and testing a multitude of formulas and brands. One of my favourites so far has been Essence’s ‘The Gel’ nail polish. The budget friendly brand have released 46 new shades which promise the salon ‘gel effect’, without the need for UV light.

The colour range is really impressive and the formula is highly pigmented. Two coats and you’ll be laughing! I’ve tried a few of the shades which I will detail below and have gotten 3-4 days ‘chip-free’ wear from each colour without a base or top coat. This is great considering that I work with a computer keyboard all day long! Essence have developed a base and top coat for ‘The Gel’ nail polishes so I would imagine that by applying these, you can extend wear time.

  

‘Black is Back’.

  
‘Serendipity’.

  
‘Wonderfuel’.

  
‘Prince Charming’.

What do you think of the colours? Ooh, and I haven’t even mentioned the best part yet! Each bottle retails at just €1.79. BARGAIN!

Will you be purchasing?

Rouge x

CND Vinylux Weekly Polish – Review.

As many of you will already know, I recently had my acrylic nail extensions removed. Although I loved them dearly, my natural nails were squealing for mercy. Acrylic extensions often weaken nails and cause them to split and become damaged so I’m giving mine a little time to repair. However, this doesn’t mean I am willing to go without nail polish – not even for a single day!

I’ve always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with nail polish. I love the freshly manicured look but I hate chipped polish more than I hate the sound of fingernails on a chalk board. It looks messy and unprofessional but, that’s where CND Vinylux Weekly Polish steps in to save the day. I was introduced to the brand in my local salon and admittedly scoffed at the idea of long lasting nail polish which doesn’t require UV light to dry. Boy, was I wrong.

I’ve had my nail polish on for over 7 days and even in their weakened state, my nails don’t possess a single chip as of yet. I chose the colour ‘Cake Pop’ which is a pretty powdered pink – perfect for summer. The polish doesn’t require a base or top coat according to the manufacturers but my salon did apply a top coat, to be on the safe side. The formula takes approximately 8-10 minutes to dry completely and the best part is, it can be removed using regular nail polish remover – no more pesky acetone soaked foils.

Irish supplier Dolledup.ie stock CND weekly polish at €11.95 per unit. ‘Cake Pop’ can be found here. Let me know if you try it.