Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat Review

A couple months ago I made an unfortunate discovery: I was all out of my favourite fast-drying top coat, Avon's Quick Dry Nail Enamel Spray. And since it's an Avon product, it's not exactly something I can run out to Shoppers' for. Thankfully I remembered that several Topboxes ago, I received a sample of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. It was time to test this product out.

Since then I've used Seche Vite a few times and I can understand why it's such a hyped product. Seche, the company behind this item describes it as a, "Specially formulated fast drying top coat delivers the plumping effect of a gel in a glossy, high shine nish without the use of a UV/LED light!" I have no idea what a "nish" (no, that's not a typo on my end) but it sounds like Seche Vite is suppose to make regular nail polish look like a gel polish while speeding up drying time.

Ceramic Glaze Nail Lacquer

This shade is called Mermaid's Tale

I received this nail polish, sorry, nail lacquer, in a recent Topbox and when I first saw it, I was really taken by the colour. It's a bright blue with a subtle blue highlight and just the right amount of gloss. Its name, Mermaid's Tale, is perfect for it and I knew that that it would be an ideal colour to wear on my toes to my late August beach vacation.

So I applied it but what looked great in a bottle looked only OK on my nails. For some reason that subtle blue highlight, which in my opinion is was makes this colour, doesn't show up very well. So what should be an amazing colour is left looking like just another bright blue shade.

Julep Diamond Theory Nail Polish

No, no, no, you didn’t stumble across a review from 2013 (or earlier). I really have never tried one of Julep’s nail polishes until July 2015. The brand, perhaps best known for its monthly nail polish subscription service, is one that I always figured I’d cross paths with at some point. And I did, it just took me awhile.

I received my bottle of Diamond Theory as a gift from a family friend. Julep describes this colour as, “Full-coverage multidimensional copper glitter” and I think that sums it up nicely. This is a pretty, glittery polish that unlike some glitter polishes, doesn’t require multiple coats to get full coverage.

Deborah Lippman Nail Polish

Prior to joining the world of subscription beauty boxes, I had never heard of Deborah Lippman nail polishes (or if I had, I didn't take any interest in them). But within the first few months of signing up into that world, I quickly learned that a Deborah Lippman nail polish was one of the best things that could arrive in your box. This pricey polish, it retails for $20 a bottle, was prized for its vivid colours and long-lasting, high-quality results.

I was intrigued but not enough to go out and buy this polish myself. I figured that eventually, my time would come and I would receive my own bottle of Deborah Lippman. That finally happened this month, when my June 2015 Topbox arrived with a bottle of Video Killed the Radio Star inside of it.

Love this colour! It's called Video Killed the Radio Star

Barielle Nail Polish Color Collection

I love Marshalls. I know it’s not for everyone as it’s often a messy, crowded, chaotic place. But damn, does it ever sometimes offer some great details. Case in point: Barielle’s Nude & Naughty Colour Collection, which I picked from the John Street Marshalls last month. Featuring five nude shades, this kit normally retails for $25 but I grabbed it at Winners for only $9.99.

Prior to discovering this kit, I’d never heard of Barielle. It turns out that it’s an American brand that has its roots in hoof care for horses. Since 2005, it’s been offering nail polish colours that are pregnancy safe, five-free (meaning they don’t contain toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin or camphor) and aren’t tested on animals.

Belvada Nail Polish Remover Pads

My August Topbox wasn’t one of the best ones I’ve received but it did contain on product that I really wanted to try out:  Belvada’s Nail Polish Remover Pads.

I’d first heard of this product a few months ago when it first started popping up in Topboxes, While reviews of it were mixed, this product intrigued me because it sounds so convenient: pads pre-moistened with nail polish remover. It's removing a whole step from the nail polish removal process!

There seems to be two major complaints about this product. The first that it’s “oily,” for lack of a better word.  I agree with this though for me, this quality was both good and bad.

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure Take 2

Wink Wink

If you’ve ever wondered if brands read beauty blogger posts, I have definite proof for you. A few weeks ago I wrote about how I wasn’t a fan of Broadway Nails’ imPRESS Press-on nails. Someone from the company saw my post, contacted me and offered to send me some samples, so that I could the product another shot.

And that’s exactly what I did, after I watched this useful video that explained exactly how to apply the nails. One tip it offered, that you should lay out all of your nail press-ons before putting them on, in order of the corresponding fingers, was quite useful.

My main issue with this product was, and still is, that the nails suggest don’t fit my nails properly. Applying them properly did help matters and on my smaller fingers, the stickers fully cover my real nails, just like they should. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for all of my fingers and some of them ended up with a gap on either side of the sticker.

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Wait N' Sea

Focus on the colour, not my bad polish job
or chewed up cuticles

I received my bottle of China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Wait N' Sea in my June 2014 Topbox. While this brand of polish isn't exactly my favourite—it could go on smoother and easier—China Glaze does produce some great colours and Wait N' Sea is no exception. It's a bright blue with just a hint of green, making it a perfect summer colour. It's also super-glossy though the downside to that is that all that gloss highlights the fact that I paired this polish with a base/top coat that was past its prime.

I applied this polish on Thursday night and, as of Sunday night, it's already started chipping. But in this case that's not a bad thing as I was only planning on wearing product until Monday, due to how poorly my application job was. This is also a very loud colour and while I do like it, it's not that versatile. Because of that, it's the kind of polish that you likely only want to wear for three or so days, making its short lifespan a bit of an advantage.

Sekai Nail & Beauty Bar: A Review

From Sekai's Facebook page

It’s sandal season, which means it’s pedicure season. While I’m a big fan of The 10 Spot, I no longer live just up the street from one. Thankfully, there are quite a few other nail salons in my current neighbourhood and on Saturday, I decided to try out one of them: Sekai Nail & Beauty Bar. I decided to give this place a shot as its Givins and Queen location is a quick walk from my house and it has four-and-a-half stars on Yelp. The prices are also quite reasonable, only $40 for a mani-pedi. Normally I don’t get manicures, as I tend to destroy them within 48 hours, but at that price, how could I not?

While I initially planned on just getting my nails done, by the time Saturday rolled around, it was clear that my eyebrows need some worked so that morning, I asked if that procedure could also be worked. The woman who answered the phone said that yep, we’d work something out.

I ended up starting my Sekai experience with that wax job as my nail technician was running a little behind schedule. Waxing, along with facials, are done in the basement, which actually doesn’t seem that basement-y at all thanks to lots of white paint and a high ceiling.

Kinetics Nail Colour in Splatter It!

Please ignore my chewed up cuticles

I have mixed feelings about my Kinetics Nail Colour in Splatter It! When I first saw it in my May 2014 Topbox, I loved it. It's unlike any nail polish that I already own and while its "splatter" patten is eye-catching, the black-white colour combo means that it'll work with a range of outfits.

Then I applied the first coat and I hated how it looked. This product is made up of black and white bits of colour that float around in a clear polish. In the bottle, it looks like there are lots of bits of colour but when I applied the polish, the splatter part was quite sparse. It looked like crap.

So I applied another coat and another coat and another one and finally got the results that you see in the picture. But it wasn't as straight-forward as just applying layer after layer. In order to get the splatter part to look, well, splattered, I had to dump on a bunch of polish and then carefully nudge the bit of colour around, to fix in the empty spots.

Trind Caring Color Nail Polish

A few weeks ago I was contacted by ObsessedCanada.com, an online seller of all things beauty-related, and asked if I would like to free out two complementary bottles of Trind Caring Color nail polish, a European brand that the e-retailer recently started carrying. Being a sucker for free stuff, I of course said yes (but don't worry, free stuff never clouds my judgement).

I picked these two shades: Dark Sangria and Taupe. I went with them because they aren’t like anything I currently own and I’m getting something for free, I figure that I might as while go with something a bit crazy (taupe is crazy for me, I never buy neutral nail colours).

When the polishes arrived, the taupe looked pretty much like I thought it would but the Dark Sangria was much darker than I was expecting. So I decided to try it out on my toes.

Essence Cherry Blossom Girl Nail Polish

Essence released its Cherry Blossom Girl line over a year ago but it’s still kicking around as I received a bottle of one of the nail polishes for Christmas (though I suspect it might have been picked up from a Shoppers' sales rack; not that there’s anything wrong with that). Because of that, and because I suspect that Essence doesn’t change its nail polish formulas that much, I’m writing up a review on this product even though it is old.

My Cherry Blossom Girl polish is called Cheery, Cheery Girl and is a bright, and yes, cheery, coral colour that’s a bit intense for my nails (especially because I’ve been busy with job interviews). So instead I wore it on my toes.

Essence is well known for its fun colours as well as its low prices; this polish would have originally retailed for under $2. But while this polish is cheap in price, that quality of it is surprising good.

Cuccio Colour Professional Nail Lacquer

I received my full-sized bottle of Cuccio Colour Professional Nail Lacquer in my December 2013 Topbox. Until then, I’d never heard of this brand, which I now know is from California and doesn’t test on animals.

Cuccio sells a variety of spa and nail-related products, including some cool-sounding collections (“Alternative Energy LED Neon Collection”). But the colour I received, Red Eye to Shanghai, is from the company’s Colour collection, which is more on the traditional side of nail colours.

As the name suggests, this colour is red. Cuccio describes it as a “dark red with a blue base, opaque.” It’s a rich colour and one that I think some people would love. However, I am not one of them. For reasons I can’t explain, I just don’t like red on my fingernails. So I used this lacquer, which contains no DBP or toluene, on my toes.

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel

A few weeks ago I received a nice surprise in the mail: A free bottle of Revlon’s Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel; an item I received because I’m a member of the company’s Revlon Selects team.

The bottle I received was a bright blue shade called Surf Spray. According to the card that accompanied it, this product is “a sensorial experience for your nails, exciting you from the moment you apply your colour.”

And what makes it a “a sensorial experience?” The fact that this polish line features “vibrant, shiny shades that go on smoothly” and a “light fragrance revealed when dry.” Yes, according to Revlon, this item basically blends nail polish together with perfume.

Lise Watier Light Cap Nail Lacquer

I received my bottle of Lise Watier’s Light Cap Nail Lacquer in Stiletto as a thank-you for providing some feedback on a couple of the company’s new skincare products. It arrived along with a tube of Power Kiss Gloss and no note or other packaging, which is why I only just learned this product’s “secret.” But before I get to that, let’s talk about the polish’s actual performance.

The polish arrived a couple days before Halloween weekend and right away I wanted to try it. However the colour, a coral-tinged red, wasn’t quite right for my fingernails since I was going to be spending that Saturday night dressed up as the “Silver Glitter Fairy,” (yes, that’s something I made up). So instead I applied it to my toes.

At first, I was really impressed with this polish. Its formula wasn’t too thin or too thick and went on smoothly and easily. On some toes, one coat did the trick but out of habit, and because some other toes needed it, I applied a second, and times a third coat. As always, I used a base coat and wait until each coat was almost dry before I applied the next. Then I covered all of my toes with a fast-drying top coat, waited 20 minutes, and put on my socks, after first checking that my polish was dry.

butter London Holiday 2013 Collection

Unless I'm reviewing a specific item, I don't usually post about new collections because there are plenty of other beauty blogs out there that are much more on the ball than I am when it comes to new releases. For example, other, more in-the-know blogs posted about butter London's Holiday 2013 collection weeks ago.

Despite that, I'm still posting about it because it's so pretty! Just check out the six colours below and you'll see what I mean. Three of the polishes are actually overcoats, which I think is a smart move on butter London's part. New colours are great of course but sometimes it's nice to get a product that's a little bit different.

The overcoats, which can be worn on their own or over another colour to put a different spin on it, are all beautiful but if I had to pick a favourite, I'd have to go with Petrol. It's described as "Sheer, tornate overcoat with the opalescent sheen of oil reflected in rain" and I have no doubt that it would look stunning on my nails. Hmmm... Maybe Santa will bring me a bottle of this product in my stocking.

Another China Glaze Nail Lacquer

Thanks to my Luxe Box and Topbox subscriptions, I’m well on my way to quite the collection of Chine Glaze nail lacquers.

Last Thursday, I painted my nails with a dark purple colour called Jungle Queen. Yeah, I don’t get the name either. But I do get, and love the shade. It’s a sophisticated and classy shade that’s not nearly as shiny or shimmery as the polish in the bottle suggestions (the photo actually makes it look shinier than it is in person).

But while I love the colour, I’m still not loving the China Glaze formula. As I wrote over here, it just requires too many coats to get a consistent, vivid colour. All of those coats mean that this polish doesn’t dry properly, which results in bubbles, nicks and impressions from almost any surface my nails touch (like towels or sheets).

Just like last time, this polish last about 72 before the chipping started. The photo that’s accompanying this post was taken almost exactly one week after I first applied and as you see, things are looking rough (I’ll likely pick it all off tomorrow).

I will definitely wear this polish again because I really do like the colour; it coordinates nicely with my closet and it’s not too flashy. But yeah,  I wouldn't be adding China Glaze the brand to my shopping list any time soon; the quality just isn't there, even if the colours are.

Cover Girl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss

There are a lot of good reasons to live in Toronto and one of them is that it’s not uncommon to get free stuff while walking down some of the city’s busier streets. Last week, while I was walking down Queen, just past John, I was handed a bag that contained several goodies from Protector & Gamble, including a small bottle of Cover Girl’s Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss.

Cover Girl is one of those brands that I used to regularly buy when I was in high school but since turning 18, I rarely pick it up. I have no idea why; I guess there are just so many other, shinier brands out there that I don’t really think about Cover Girl. But after trying this polish, it might be my go-to brand for cheap, glossy nail enamel.

Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics Nail Polish

I received my free sample of Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics nail polish in my Beauty Board gift bag. Like everyone at the Beauty Board, I was drawn to Cheeky Monkey’s colourful display and its owner, Andrea Pahn’s friendly, outgoing personality.

Based in Toronto, the company aims to be, “…edgy and fun, but above all, high quality. Just like the women who wear them.” Currently, Cheeky Monkey, which claims to be a, “Environmentally responsible company in our operations and our products,” offers several dozen nail products and polish colours, all in a three-free formula (no toluene, formaldehyde, or dibutyl phthalate).

Each shade has a cheeky name though some are cleverer than others. The colour I (and I think everyone else at the Beauty Board) received was a rich red shade called Cheap Whore. Now, I have nothing against fun, and even dirty, colour names but “cheap whore” just seems tacky. Personally, I would have preferred it if this colour had just been called “whore.”

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

I was sent a free bottle of this product by Revlon as part of a Revlon Selects package. That same package included a bottle of Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel, a product that I absolutely love. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Revlon’s Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel. It’s actually hard to believe that the same company released both this line and the Chrome Chameleon line because the former is such a dud. I've tried a lot of nail polishes in my life and this one is easily one of the worst I've ever encountered.

The problem is the texture; it’s just too thin and watery. Attractive, consistent colour is only possible if you layer this polish on, which leads to half-a-centimetre of enamel on your nails that never completely hardens. And of course, every layer you apply is another chance to screw up that nail’s polish job.