Reviews and Other Stuff

best essie gel couture shades

Chanel Spring-Summer 2020 Nail Color Favorites

chanel mirage nail polish

 

Hello darlings! I am back after my two-week hiatus. Well, I am still not completely back on track, but I will be, soon. As you all know, I recently moved and the whole process felt really stressful, but I’m happy to report that I survived this difficult move amidst all this pandemic scare. Now, I am surrounded by what seems like endless numbers of unopened boxes and a ton of stuff to arrange. The whole idea of self-care to me nowadays has been thrown out of the window, lol. Oh, how I miss my sheet mask, hair mask, lip mask, hand mask, foot mask, eye mask, and all kinds of masks, hahaha! Yes, nowadays, there’s a mask for everything! I even miss you all my Masking Monday, Pink Wednesday, and Tower Thursday friends! On top of that, I really miss my old home. I feel like I’ve left a part of me in every home I’ve lived in, and moving feels like having a void I can never fill. Only time can mollify the whole thing. On the bright side, I am really enjoying where I am. Even though we’re in the middle of this pandemic, I’ve managed to visit a couple of furniture stores and I’ve hit two antique shops! So, expect to see some exciting photos here in the blog soon, or as soon as I get my stuff in order, hmmp!

 

Anyway, I will try not to make this post too long. Before my move, I’ve collected a few Chanel nail colors released last Spring and this Summer and I’m showing you their swatches in this post. I’ve also included a beautiful red shade, also from Chanel, but it’s an old release, because as you all know, I love a good red nail polish, but this season’s red has not appealed to me much, so I’m sharing with you my favorite red this season.

 

See the swatches below. All nail colors applied twice on each of my nails while using an OPI base coat and a Chanel Le Gel Top Coat.

 

 

Spring 2020

Mirage – pastel purple

Daydream – rosy flesh neutral

 

chanel fleur de pecher nail polishchanel emblematique nail color

 

chanel melody nail polish

 

Summer 2020

Pรฉtale – petal pink

Fleur de Pรชcher – shimmery light coral

Vibration – rich and vibrant magenta-pink

Melody – gorgeous tropical turquoise

 

Chanel Emblรฉmatique – released last Spring 2017, this is my favorite red shade of the moment. I love the richness of the red tone in this nail color. Though easily dupable, there is something gorgeous and elegant about this kind of red in a Chanel nail color bottle.

 

For a tutorial on how to do your manicure at home and what products I like to use for nail care, please click HERE. To sum it up, all these gorgeous new nail color releases from Chanel are totally stunning. I’m a big fan of Daydream which at first I thought would not fit for my skintone, but it blew me away. I also love the uniqueness of the Mirage shade and who doesn’t love the rich turquoise tone of Melody?

 

chanel spring summer 2020 nail polish

 

That’s it for now darlings, I will be back soon for more reviews and photos. What are the nail polishes you’ve been loving lately?

 

Ciao!

 

SHOP THIS POST

 

 

 

Home Nail Care Routine

 

chanel le vernis daydream

 

The world might be reopening right now, yet a lot of us are still in quarantine mode and are practicing social distancing because we aren’t totally out of the woods yet. You know what they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, right? From where I’m at, a lot of stores and services are still close. Getting a haircut or a mani-pedi is still quite a challenge. Speaking of nail care, I haven’t been worried about it because I have been doing my nails for a very long time. I find the joy of applying nail colors to be somewhat of a time to disconnect and reflect, even though I’m not much of a fan of the scent of these products.

 

In this post, I will be sharing with you how I do my manicure at home, and if you have tips on how to do home nail care, please do so in the comment section below.

 

Nail Cleaning/Prep

 

nail care at home

 

nail care

 

First things first, I wipe off old nail polish using a textured cotton square. I like the ones from CVS. For the nail polish remover, I’m a big fan of the Zoya Remove Plus because I can pretty much tolerate its scent. It also removes nail polish very easily, it doesn’t dry the nails, and I really like its easy to dispense pump packaging.

nail care at home

home nail care how to

ย I tend to cut my nails in a squoval shape. That is, a hybrid between square and oval. To do this, I cut my nails using a toenail clipper/cutter. I like this particular cutter because it is wide and makes for a square cut on the nails. Then, I apply a cuticle remover using the one from Sally Hansen. I love this product a lot because it softens the cuticles within seconds, which makes it easy for the cuticle pusher and nipper to do their job. After that, I file my nails, especially the edges, to achieve that sort of oval trim.

 

home nail care process

 

For the next part, I brush my nails lightly with a wooden nail brush to dust off any loose cuticles and to have a smoother nail surface. I then apply the OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener in Original Formula and let it set for 3 minutes. Without this amazing base coat, my nails would go brittle and would chip easily after a few days of manicure. There are other types of Nail Envy Strengthener that OPI released nowadays, but the one in the Original Formula is my most fave.

 

Nail Coloring

 

how to apply nail polish

 

After letting the base coat set for a few minutes, I then proceed to apply the nail color. Tip: In order to achieve a smooth nail color application, make sure that the nail color brush is parallel to the nail bed. In this post, and lately, I have been obsessed with the new Spring-released Chanel Le Vernis in Daydream. This color is a surprise love for me, and a great neutral nude nail color option for those can’t pull off the shade “Particuliรจre”.

 

home manicure

 

I let the nail color set for about 5 minutes, and then I apply a top coat. Depending on the type of nail color I use (gel vs regular), it’s always a good practice to use an appropriate top coat that matches each type. Since the new Chanel Le Vernis in Daydream is a gel formula, I use a matching gel top coat from Seche Vite (the one in blue bottle). I also usually use the Chanel Le Gel Coat, but I ran out of it. The Seche Vite one isn’t the most perfect, because it tends to peel after a week or so, but it really dries fast and it sets your nail polish in seconds, which is amazing.

 

To clean up mistakes or excess nail colors that had spread and stained the skin, I just use a cotton tip dipped in nail polish remover. After that, I let my nails set for another 5 minutes and I try not to touch or do anything.

 

And there you go! My nails are set for two weeks. The whole process can take about 20 minutes, more or less, depending on how elaborate you want your nails to be prepped, or how fast you can apply your nail polish.

 

To maintain the health of my nails and cuticles, I’ve been using the OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil, which is now called OPI Pro Spa Nail & Cuticle Oil To Go.

 

Lastly, don’t forget to take a #Nailfie ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Take care my darlings! What’s on your nails today?

 

SHOP THIS POST

 

 

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case Review

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case review

 

As someone that travels quite often, I’m always juggling from one makeup case to another. For me, functionality is very important and I prefer the type that doesn’t take up much space in my bag, provided that it can also hold a substantial amount of beauty products. Lately, I got a hold of the Voyage makeup travel case from Case-Up Miami ($27-$33) which was sent to me, and I’m really amazed by the case’s usability.

 

Voyage Makeup Travel Case

 

First of all, the case looks sleek and has a neat and elegant design. It feels durable and it’s made of vegan leather. The case itself unfolds into three foldable mesh pockets with different compartments for compacts, palettes, lipsticks, etc. The mesh pockets are meant to keep the makeup dry and they are easy to clean with just one swipe of a tissue or a wet cloth. Also, this makeup case has a built-in hook/hanger which makes it easy to store and access the makeup from the inside. I like this idea a lot especially for traveling because sometimes there are some hotels that don’t have a lot of space for toiletries or for a few makeup cases, and I, for one, is guilty of bringing too many unnecessary makeup items, LOL. Because of that, I’ve been thinking of trying out some makeup cases like this Voyage which basically can be hanged behind the door with a towel rack, hook, or a doorknob. This concept saves space and prevents overcrowding the bathroom counter.

 

case-up miami makeup travel case review

 

The Voyage makeup case feels strong and the rose gold zippers feel robust. Its 10โ€ x 7.25โ€ x 2.5โ€ in size and is large enough to fit a lot of different kinds of makeup; from a few liquid foundations down to a few large eyeshadow palettes, plus some compacts, and even a beautyblender. There’s definitely a compartment for any of them. There’s even a place to organize a couple of makeup brushes and secure them in place with a protective flap which keeps them clean.

 

case-up review

 

Unlike some makeup cases where you have to dig deep to find a particular beauty item, this Voyage case makes it easy to find the makeup product you want fast and easy. Also, this can fit anywhere, either in your gym bag or even in your carryon. It’s even hard to tell if it’s a makeup case or not because it looks pretty and versatile enough to be stored anywhere.

 

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case

 

Overall, the Voyage makeup case is a functional makeup case that not only protects and organize each makeup item well, it’s also designed to maximize storage capacity while aiming at saving space either in your home or during your travels. Therefore, I recommend that you guys take a serious look at it.

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case by case-up miami

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case comes in two different colors: Midnight Blue/Pink Blush: $27 and Prime Black/Copper Rose: $33. It is currently available at Amazon. For more information, visit its website at http://www.case-up.com

 

*nail color: Essie Paint The Gown Red, see the swatch HERE.

 

(Disclosure: Product sample provided by Case-Up Miami. The reviews, photos, and opinions herein are solely mine)