Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Strengthener in Clear

This is my first time using Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Strengthener. Before, it was Color Club Nail Base Strengthener. After a while of using that, my nails became brittle and weak. It also has a tendency to peel after my hot showers and manis don't last very long if I use it as a base so I swtiched to the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Strengthener. My nails are so incredibly shiny and are much stronger now. I love it! I regret not switching sooner. This is my third layer of it (I apply it every other day) and there has been no peeling after my hot showers. I also notice that it is much harder to cut my nails because they are so much harder and thicker now. I am still trying this strengthener out; at the end of the week, I will take the layers off and take a picture of my nail to see how healthy or unhealthy it is. I can't wait to see the results! :)

I have always been satisfied with Sally Hansen and this product lives up to (well, more than) my expectations. I bought this at the Ulta store for $2.89. (Great price, huh?)

P.S. This picture is from my newly-made light box. I'm sooo excited to use it for my swatches/NOTDs!

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Finally!

Ta-dah! Finally finished my light box! I got tired of waiting and trying to find someone who had tracing paper I could use so I bought a booklet of them (I originally didn't want to because it was a waste of tracing paper since I only needed 3 pages). I guess it's good though since I can use it as a replacement for tissue paper for gifts! :D I mean, a college student must be resourceful!


Unfortunately... I will not be able to swatch or do NOTD's because I have THREE midterms and one lab exam next week. Ooh. :( Not fun. All in one week, right before spring break. Very awful. I want to cry... Another thing is that I won't be bringing my light box back with me; it's too bulky and I don't want to make trouble for the people with whom I will carpool. Rest assured, I will think of some way to make it up to you guys! :)


See you guys on the other side of the day!


- M

Apology + Haul

Hi guys! I'm really sorry that I did not post the surprises yet! A lot of midterms are coming up soon and I'm been studying even harder this semester. I'll say it straight: my priority is my education and grades. Not this blog, though I do love it. My nails are also really brittle and weak right now; the other day I was sliding off my bed and my pinky nail slid across my jeans. My poor nail ended up chipping (yes, chipping) at the corner. I've no idea why that happened; my nails have always been strong and I don't remove and apply nail polish every day. I bought a new strengthener today (Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Strengthener in clear) and I'm going to see how my nails are in the next 1-2 weeks. I really hope they're strong again!

So now onto my haul from today...

Claire's Galaxy

Galaxy is a black polish with silver glitter throughout. I tried to capture the glittering sparkle, but I couldn't. I blame my webcam and myself for not having a camera and finishing up my light box.

Claire's Candy Shop

You guessed it! Claire's Candy Shop is a MUCH cheaper dupe of Deborah Lippmann's Candy Shop. And yes, they also have the same name! Candy Shop has multicolored glitters in a pink base. I found out about this dupe from one of the many blogs that I follow, nouveaucheap.blogspot.com. Now I can cross off a polish from my insanely long wish list! :D 

L'Oreal Walk on the Beach

Walk on the Beach is a beige-ish/very whited-out taupe color. It is very pretty and elegant in person. I love it! It is also my first L'Oreal nail polish! I was so lucky when I got this because my friend YJ scanned her card on the CVS kiosk and a $3 off L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail coupon came out! This polish wouldn't have came back with me otherwise (I actually wanted it, but then put it down because of the price. Thank goodness for the coupon!)

Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle in Creamy Olive

Creamy Olive is a light olive creme. I have always wanted this polish ever since the first swatches came out for it, but then I got Sinful Colors Seaweed and didn't think I needed it. Flash forward to the present and I found it on sale at Ulta for only $2.99 (from $5.99)! Seaweed was also thickening up after only less than 1 year (but this reason was really only an afterthought...). I can't wait to wear it after Walk on the Beach!

Essence A Lovely Secret

A Lovely Secret is a pretty periwinkle with what appears to be purple and red shimmer running throughout. Can't you see the pretty shimmer in the picture?! :3 I almost didn't get this polish because it seemed so ordinary and I was going to get so many other polishes already, but then I picked it up since the color was so pretty and then I saw the shimmer! I quickly held onto this last one.

Revlon Naughty

Familiar, is this polish not? Naughty is actually a re-release of the immensely popular and quickly-sold-out-polish Perplex, just now with a different name. Ring another bell? Perplex is a spot-on dupe of Chanel Paradoxal. I'm so glad that Revlon is re-releasing (and making it part of the core collection, as I've read from nouveaucheap) Perplex. When I found out about it and Paradoxal, it was pretty late in the game so I never had the chance to attempt to find it. But now this baby is MINE!

Naughty is a greyed-out purple with purple shimmer in it.

Manicures will follow as soon as my nails become healthy and strong again and my midterms are over! Manicures of my surprises will also come!

Pictures are not high quality because, as I've mentioned, I am using a webcam and do not have a camera or lightbox. Boohoo! :( I took pictures because I felt so bad for leaving you guys hanging.

By the way, I got a haul from last week too! It consisted of:

China Glaze Trendsetter

Nicole by OPI Kim-pletely in Love and It's All About the Glam

Essie Shine of the Times (Yay! My first flakie!)

Ulta Army of 1, Envy, Oh!, and Pinata-Yada-Yada

Also watch out for these manicures! :)

See you guys on the other side of the day!

-M