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chanel le vernis

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

 

 

Favorite Essie Gel Couture Nail Colors

favorite essie gel couture nail polish

 

Hello! Happy Holidays to each and everyone! I hope you guys are having a great time this holiday season. Me? I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family and friends. In fact, I’ve reunited with some friends I haven’t seen in years! I miss them a lot and there hasn’t been a day where I stopped thinking about them, yet for some reason, life has its uncanny ways of drawing distance and when you finally see each other, it’s like you’ve never really been apart for so long. OMG! I just love reunions and I wish it won’t take me a very long time to see these friends again.

 

Anyhow, even though I’ve been busy with all the events for the holidays, I managed to finally sort out my top favorite shades of the Essie Gel Couture nail polish. In my previous Essie nail color roundup review (seen HERE), I posted my favorite Essie colors in Enamel and Gel formulation. However, in that post, I was just starting to try out some of the Essie Gel colors, but I haven’t really made up my mind when it comes to my top fave shades until recently. So, finally, in this post, I’ll be talking about my personal favorite colors in the Essie Gel Couture line. Now, keep in mind that this particular Essie Nail Color line still doesn’t have a lot of color varieties. As much as I love the lasting power and overall formula of this gel lacquer, I find that the shade range is still quite basic – reds, pinks, some blues, greens, and purples.

 

I’m a big red nail polish lover because that’s what looks good on me, so you’re still gonna be seeing a lot of reds here, but I also have a few nudes, a dark violet/purple hue, as well as a few bright pinks, along with my opinion of the Essie Top Coat and how it compares to some other top coats in the market.

 

 

Reds

 

essie gala-vanting

 

Paint The Gown Red – ruby red

Spiked With Style – wine red

Bubbles Only – cream burgundy

Gala-Vanting – deep maroon red

 

Nudes

 

Take Me To Thread – plush taupe, looks greige with a nude mauve undertone, reminds me a lot of Chanel Particuliere (HERE)

Pinned Up – nude pink rose

Sew Me – cream caramel

All Dressed Up – swatched HERE, medium rose pink

 

essie signature smile

 

Pinks

 

Signature Smile – bright coral pink

Stitch By Stitch – light nude pink

 

Purple

 

essie turn 'n' pose, essie model clicks

 

Turn ‘N’ Pose – deep plum/purple

Model Clicks – wine purplish red

 

essie top coat

 

Top Coat – I’m really amazed at how good this top coat is. It sets not only the gel nail polishes but also the enamel ones, at least in my experience, and it does set fast. It keeps the nails hard as a rock, chip-free, and without any tip wear for at least two weeks and a bit more. It also has a flat wide brush just like the Essie Gel Couture nail colors. When compared to the other Top Coats out there, I find this particular Top Coat to be way better than Seche Vite, and it’s neck and neck with Chanel Le Gel Top Coat as well as the Smith & Cult Above It All Top Coat. Speaking of brushes, I am definitely in love with the Essie Gel Couture line because the brush itself is just so easy and quick to use. See the comparison of the original Essie Enamel brush versus the new Gel Couture brush HERE.

 

essie gel couture nail polish review

 

Bottom line, these Essie Gel Couture nail colors are as good as the high-end brands. I noticed that there’s barely any chipping on my nails after almost two weeks of wear, and the colors remained vivid. I hope that Essie will play with some trendy shades to add on this Gel Couture line soon.

 

Are you an Essie fan? What’s your fave nail polish brand? Do you also prefer the Gel formulas over the Enamel ones?

 

The Essie Gel Couture Nail Colors are currently available at most drugstores and grocery stores nationwide and atย Amazon, Ulta, Target, Walgreens, andย Macy’s

 

Merry Christmas Again and Have a Prosperous New Year!

 

 

Favorite Essie Nail Colors

essie nail polish favorites

Essie is one of my favorite go-to nail polish brands of all time. Apart from loving their range of gorgeous eye-popping nail colors, I also like the fact that their products are pretty much easy to find. Whenever I’m at my local drugstore or grocery store, I always make it a point to drop by at the nail polish aisle and look for what’s new in Essie nail colors. I must have collected a ton of Essie nail polishes already, but I do have some colors that I tend to reach more often and I’ll be showing their swatches in this review.

 

best essie nail colors

 

As you can see, I’m a fan of reds and pinks when it comes to nail colors, that’s because these shades tend to always look great on me, and I guess it also applies to most of us, but I still have some favorites in blues, nudes, and even a green. Lately, with the introduction of the newest Essie Gel-Couture nail polishes, I kinda stopped collecting the original Enamel shades as I find the Gel ones to be a lot more long lasting and less prone to chipping, although the Enamel ones have really good longevity as well. I’m still at my early stage of collecting the Gel-Couture shades, as of now, I only have some reds and mostly nudes, but I plan to expand my collection to some shades of blues, violets, and some other colors hopefully soon, and I’ll do a separate post for my favorite shades of the Essie Gel-Coutures only.

 

Here are my favorite Essie Nail Colors

essie nail polish review

Enamel ($9) – Original, lots of beautiful shades to choose from. Lasts about two weeks on me with some chipping. The brush applicator is a miss for me because it’s so thin and it takes a careful maneuvering to apply the shades.

essie wicked, aruba blue, big spender, splash of grenadine, a list, angora cardi, stylenomics, mrs. always right, dress to kilt, hide & go chic, scarlett o'hara swatches

 

Hide & Go Chic – teal

Big Spender – plum

Wicked – vamp

Mrs. Always-Right – terracotta rose

A List – classic red

Aruba Blue – metallic sapphire

Dress To Kilt – deep red

Splash of Grenadine – pink magenta

Angora Cardi – deep dusty rose

Scarlett O’Hara – shimmery ruby red

Stylenomics – rich dark green

 

essie nail polish brush

essie gel couture nail polish

 

Gel-Couture ($11.50) – Very long wearing, lasts about three weeks on me with very minimal chipping and I love the brush applicator since it’s wider than the enamel and kinda tapered/rounded towards the tip. However, the color range has not been completely expanded yet and there are some inconsistencies with the shades, like the Pinned Up color having two different intensities; one being lighter and the other being darker. On the other hand, these nail colors are great to use with the Essie Gel Top Coat to set immediately and for a brilliant shine.

essie gel couture nail polish in sew me, all dressed up, spiked with style, bubbles only, pinned up swatches

 

Sew Me – cream caramel

Bubbles Only – creamy burgundy

Pinned Up – nude pink rose, there’s an inconsistency with this color. One bottle may be lighter than the other. Lighter shade looks very close to Sew Me, while the darker one is closer to All Dressed Up. Love both tones though.

Spiked With Style – wine red

All Dressed Up – medium rose pink

 

essie nails review

Bottom line, it’s hard to tell the Enamel nail colors when compared to the Gel ones, especially at eye value. They both pretty much smell the same, feel the same, and look the same. The only difference between them is the lasting power, which the Gels obviously are ahead at with barely any chipping. The nice thing about Essie is that they tend to have beautiful bold colors that are easy to find, not that crazy expensive, and reliable. Perfect for all your nail polish needs.

 

Are you an Essie fan? What are your favorite Essie Nail Polish shades?

 

The Essie Nail Colors can be found at most local grocery stores and drugstores everywhere, as well as at Ulta, Target, Dermstore, Kohl’s, Walgreens, and Macy’s