OPI Nail Envy | Nail Strengthener

OPI Nail Envy: £18.65

So unfortunately, I've never been blessed with beautiful strong nails. I've read about Nail Envy so many times online, and about the miracles it works, so I just knew I had to at least give it a go.
For just under £20 you get a 15ml bottle, which for me, is the most I have ever spent on a nail polish or nail treatment, hence why I was so reluctant to try this product. However my nails weren't getting any stronger, and although my bank account definitely wasn't getting any richer I knew I had to bite the bullet and make the purchase.

The instructions that come with the product say; "To strengthen natural nails, apply two coats of OPI Nail Envy, followed by one coat every other day". I followed these tips for about a week, before becoming too conscious of how my unpainted nails looked, and needed to splash them with a bit of colour!

The results? Nail Envy definitely did make my nails stronger, and they did look healthier after just one week. Although my nails are still far from being in 'good condition', Nail Envy did what it said on the bottle (which it should for that price!) and if I had persevered a bit more, I would have seen the miracles it can perform. Is it worth the money? I guess that depends on how much you want good, strong nails. It works, so in that instance, yes! However it is a lot of money and I know there are alternatives out there, albeit, you won't get the same results.

Let me know if you try this product, would love to know your opinions!

Rozzi xxx

Manicure Must Haves...

I've got to admit, I am really bad at painting my nails, and I would find that however much I spent on a nail polish they would always chip after just a couple days! Enter my new manicure routine that so far, has not let me down.

Who enjoys removing old nail polish? I highly doubt anyone does! Then in walks the Bourjois Magic Polish Remover, and all my prior hatred towards nail polish remover flies out of the window. The fuss of multiple cotton buds and spilling the product everywhere (please say that's not just me!) is gone, and what's more, this fuss free product also leaves my nails feeling nourished and clean as opposed to weak and brittle. This is one step in my nail routine I can't see changing any time soon, and considering this beauty is a mere £5, there are no reasons for it to change!

After cutting, filing & shaping, in comes the base coat. Until a few months ago I had never been loyal to a base coat. My nails have always been pretty weak, and so I had problems growing them without them splitting. Until I found the CND Sticky Base Coat that is. This product has been a miracle for not making my nails feel worse, which I found a lot of base coats did. And the name is pretty fitting, nail varnish will quite literally stick to this coat, making it a whole lot easier to get an even finish of colour. Although this product is pretty blue in the bottle, the colour doesn't transfer to the nails, so even if you're using a white polish, this will still work for you.

Finally, if you've been living under a rock recently, you may not have heard of the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. This product is famous for making nail colour last incredibly well, and I honestly wouldn't even consider painting my nails without it now. For nail polish that would only last 3 days, it now lasts at least a week. Amazing. But the goodness doesn't stop there - 'Dry Fast' is a complete under-exaggeration. You can quite happily forget about your wet nails within a minute whilst using this, and I would usually have to sit quite still for a good half an hour, no matter how fast my top coat claimed to be!

So that's it, three products in my nail routine that will always be a must have!

Sorry about the lack of posts recently, let me know if there is anything you want to see from me!

Lots of Love, Rozzi xxx

Nailed It | Monday Manicure

I'm completely honest, nails is one thing I am really bad at. I simply do not have the patience to sit still and wait for my nails to dry! However, if I do know that I'm going to be sitting still for at least an hour, then I love to make my brittle nails look a tad prettier. In this post, I am going to be taking you through my top six favs for painting my nails.

The Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polishes are great for a simple manicure. The thick brush aids neat application with one stroke! I find two coats make the colour nice and bold, but you could definitely get away with the one coat. The shade pictured is Soul Session, which is a great nude that makes your hands look really tanned!
To start with, I wasn't a huge fan of Essie Nail Polishes. However, since they changed up their brush, I really love how these polishes go on the nails. The finish is great, but you definitely need two coats, and a decent top coat because I've found these polishes will chip after two or three days. The colour pictured is Bikini So Teeny, which is a perfect pastel blue shade.
I cannot sing Barry M Gelly Nail Paints praises enough. In fact, I adore all of Barry M's nail polishes, and if I could only wear one brand of nail polish for the rest of my life, it would be Barry M. The Gelly polishes go on beautifully, and you only need one coat to create a flawless finish, and these polishes last ages - honestly at least a week. This shade pictured is Pomegranate which is a gorgeous hot pink colour.
Next up is the Sinful Colour Nail Polishes which I picked up in Boots for about £1.99. For the price, these polishes are pretty great, although you do need a couple coats to keep the colour intensity up. The colour range is great, and paired with a good top coat, these polishes aren't bad at all! The shade pictured is Mint Apple, which satisfies pastel green obsession for my nails. It also has a subtle glitter running through it, which is lovely - although it does make it hard to come off!
As if the Ciate Nail Polishes haven't been raved about enough, but I am totally going to jump on this bandwagon. I wouldn't usually spend over £5 on a nail polish, but after receiving this polish in my Glossy Box, it's hardly been off my nails! Definitely worth the money and the hype.
Finally, I've been loving this Angelica Nail Polish that you can buy from Primark. They're roughly £2.50 and I would definitely repurchase because for something from Primark, they're pretty impressive. You only need one coat to create a pigmented finish, and it lasts longer than my Essie Polishes! The colour pictured is Calypso which is a great greeny turquoise colour that is perfect for summer!

My Top Tips For An At Home Manicure

1. Paint your right hand first (or left hand if you're left handed!) This means you're not worried about smudging your left hand as you attempt to paint your right - which I find the hardest to paint! 

2. Wait until you know you have time to paint your nails, leaving time for them to dry as well. Rushing your nails is a recipe for disaster!

3. Make sure you file and buff your nails before applying colour. This means you have a good base on which to apply any paint.

4. Make sure you have a decent base and top coat! If you're not sure which one to use, tune in on Thursday, where I'm posting all about it!

Hope you enjoyed this post! What colour do you have on your nails today?

Love, Rozzi xxxx