DIY Gel Polish with Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

Today I have guest blog from a dear friend of mine - Stef. She is as much of a beauty lover as I am and we have enabled each other to a countless number of beauty purchases! One of Stef's great love is getting her hands manicured and today, she shares with us a review and tutorial of her latest nail haulage.

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I’ve always loved finishing up my gym workout session with a manicure session at a local salon. And ever since I found out about gel nail polishes, I was hooked! I love that it dries instantly and doesn't chip; is still glossy and shiny even after 2 weeks. For me, gel polishes are the best things since sliced bread because I can still wash dirty dishes (I don't use gloves) and not have to worry about my nail colours fading or chipping!

But each gel polish manicure costs $35-$40 - do I really want to spend that amount every 2 weeks - especially when I realise that I could probably do it myself (though probably not as well as the salon manicurists, but practice makes perfect right?).

So when I found the Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit, it was Hallelujah! I ordered my kit from eBay, which was the best way to source the product from the US to Australia.

Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

The kit contains:

• 1 base coat 1 colour coat in “Wine Not” 
• 1 top coat (I love the glossiness of this coat) 
• 10 cleanser pads 
• 1 nail buffer 
• 1 gel polish remover 
• the LED lamp

The application is really simple:

1. You apply a very thin coat of  the base coat. This is important! If you apply a layer of slob, it won't set properly. Trust me - I've been there before :( 
2. Then you cure it for 30 seconds under the LED lamp.
   
   
3. Apply the colour coat thinly. Depending on the colour intensity that you want, you can either apply one or two coats of colour. 
4. In a single coat, “Wine Not” looks like a bright red with shimmer. In two coats, the red looks a bit deeper, sexier, and richer. Cure it under the LED lamp for 30 seconds with each coat.
   
   
5. After curing the colour coat, apply the top coat thinly; cure it under the LED lamp for another 30 seconds. This is my favourite part. As soon as you layer that top coat, it lifted up the whole polish to show this glamorous glossy colour. 
6. Use the cleanser pad provided to rub over the nail colours to remove the tacky residue from your nail polish. 
7. The last step is to apply the CND Solar Oil - a sweet almond oil base cuticle oil. Brush a good amount on your cuticles and gently brush it in with your finger. Not only is it nourishing to cuticles, it also helps the nail polish to stay on longer. 
   
8.  I purchased another gel polish last week: CND Shellac in “Hollywood”. Below is the comparison of the two colours. My nails are polished in “Wine Not” - 2 coats and my toe nails in “Hollywood” - 1 coat.
   

   

   On hands: Sally Hansen "Wine Not", on feet: CND "Hollywood"

The Verdict:

I think this at-home Gel Polish kits make a good investment and Sally Hansen has come up with a value-for-money kit. However, I find that their gel polish are not as long-lasting as those from the CND Shellac range. So, once my current Sally Hansen gel polish runs out, I'll be getting CND Shellac or Harmony Gelish gel polish replacements. 

RRP US$64.15 at major US drugstores or you can source this online at Amazon.

Do you like doing your own nails or prefer to visit the salons?

Thanks Stef for writing for the blog - hopefully she will be making more regular appearances!

Guest Review: I am King EDT

When it comes to men's products, it's always good to get a review from a male perspective since they are likely to tell it as it is - and in a language men would understand, which always helps.

So today, I have a guest post from a good friend of mine, A. King (or AK as we like to call him). He considers himself somewhat of a decent writer and connoisseur of fine food and spirits. His inaugural review is on a fragrance as it aptly has his namesake and was gifted to him by a beautiful lady.

Now without further ado, here is AK's take on the fragrance. 

I am King EDT by Sean John

A novice at all things creamy, oily and cosmetic, I nonetheless found myself drawn to try this offering. In my humblest opinion, I am King so an eau de toilette called ‘I am King’ seemed a natural addition to my life (yes, this is a joke).

Launched by Sean John (aka Puff Daddy/P. Diddy) back in 2008, the lifestyle and attitudes of the fragrance owner fortuitously also seem to match my own (at least in my dreams).

Sceptical from the videos and grand fluff on the fragrance’s official website, I pushed down the pump for the first time to find myself enjoying a soft fruity smell.

It's not quite the smell of fast cars and beautiful women as expected but pleasant nonetheless. Could I smell the aroma where I applied it several hours later? Indeed.

Was I enjoying a fruity aroma around my body the rest of the day? Not really - it sort of became a green woody scent in the final hours of wear.

Did it make me as attractive to women as P. Diddy? Sadly, it didn’t seem to but I guess that was one thing it never promised.

I do not see any benefit in this product for everyday use (who do I want to impress at work anyway?) but I do put it on for special occasions – weddings in particular and if there was a special someone I wanted to please, I'd be squirting more of this on me.

To be the King, you have to smell like the King right? This is worth a try for the man who has visions of grandeur - even better as a gift for the man from a beautiful lady.

I am King 50ml - RRP A$140 but available cheaper at Myer and online. Yes, I am King.

What do you think of having a guy give their opnion on men's beauty product? should AK's reviews become a regular feature on TIL?

If you are interested in being featured on TIL in a guest review - drop me a line on Facebook, email or twitter.

Wedding Skincare - Babor Express Relief Fluid

Today's I'm really excited to share with you a post from reader Ling who has decided to impart with us her wisdom on how to achieve glowing clear skin that all brides (and the rest of us) covet for their big day.

"I recently got married and every girl knows how important and hard it is to look flawless with radiant skin on the big day. The task is made more difficult with all the pre-wedding last minute stress and lack of sleep on the night before the big day. I have seen a few brides who have a sudden breakout of spots and walk down the aisle caked in concealer…but thank God for them, there is always Photoshop!

I was, however, determined to avoid the caked-in-concealer look and avoid the obviously Photoshopped-skin wedding photos. I asked my friend who is a professional beautician for advice and she recommended using Babor Express Relief Fluid

About the Brand
Originating from Germany over 50 years ago, Babor has established itself as one of the most trusted professional skincare brands in the world today with cosmetic institutes and exclusive day spas in over 60 countries worldwide including Norway, Dubai, New York and all the Golden Door day spas throughout Australia. Babor defines exclusive cosmetics and wellness products, and epitomises outstanding product quality, highly effective ingredients and professional treatments.


Babor Express Relief Fluid

“Express Relief Fluid provides immediate relief in the event of skin irritations. Extracts of cardiospermum boost the skin’s resistant and instantly soothe irritations. In a complex biotechnological procedure, processed extracts of echium, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, strengthen the “cement” that holds the skin cells together and protect against moisture loss, leaving the skin looking calmer, more relaxed and less reddened.”

A box of this contains 7 glass ampoules with 2ml of single use beauty fluid.

7 days before the wedding, I started applying this every evening after my normal cleansing routine. To break the glass ampoule, just wrap tissue around the neck and gently snap it open at the lower coloured ring. I used my hands to apply the fluid all over my face, neck and decolletage. 

The lightly-scented fluid has a slightly oily texture and my skin was like a sponge and soaked up the beauty fluid effortlessly, but best of all, it did not leave an oily film. The instructions say that cream can be applied afterwards, but I didn’t feel like my skin needed it so I didn’t bother.

When I woke up in the morning, my skin felt soft and supple and any red blemishes I had miraculously disappeared. I truly believe that because I applied the Express Relief fluid every day for 7 days, I had flawless and radiant skin for my wedding day, considering I was super-stressed and suffered from sleep deprivation. 

Because of the smooth texture of my skin, it made it so much easier for my wedding make-up artist because make-up would just glide on and stay put. My make-up looked fresh and natural and I did not touch up my make-up at all for the whole day!

Here is some photographic evidence (no Photoshop retouching performed, honest!):

Glowing Ling

And my husband, who usually has glowing skin and no spots whatsoever, unfortunately suffered from a zit breakout on the wedding day. He should have used Babor Express Relief Fluid - lol!

Spotty forehead hubby on the day

Verdict: Babor Express Fluid - I don’t just like it, I LOVE it!"
Thanks for sharing Ling. 

RRP A$75.  This was purchased directly from Ling's beautician, but it is available online or at your nearest Babor institute salons.


In her late 20s, Ling is a Scottish-born Chinese dentist who recently relocated to Melbourne after meeting and marrying “The One” while she was travelling in Australia last year. She has always spent way too much money on skincare and beauty products (in fact, her first salary was spent on - not one, not two, but - three La Mer products!)

Ling also pens her thoughts at her own personal blog and newly hatched beauty blog (this is one super-busy woman here). She is currently providing free smile analysis so go check her sites out and find out how you can get your own pearly whites diagnosed :)