One of my favourite nail varnishes is Chanel and I love this shade of blood red called Dragon.
Very fitting this being the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.
Lately I've been considering trialling shellac nails but I'm sure I would be absolute rubbish when it comes to maintaining appointments every couple of weeks for regular maintenance. Maybe I could do a course and learn how to apply this wonder product myself?
Then again I get tired of things so quickly I would be wishing to change the colour after a week!
Recently I was perusing the manicure section at the pharmacy and happened upon this product. I have used different potions from this brand before and been satisfied so thought I would give it a try.
Supposedly a layer of this top coat will extend one's mani up to 10 days. I must admit my nails do feel super strong and the sheen is quite glossy. Even the packaging is super glossy.
Plus it contains an exclusive micro-diamond formula so what's not to love about that!
I am aware some of you girls are converts to gel/acrylic/shellac nails and I would love to hear your opinions on the pros and cons.
Here are my nails rifling through Nigella's Kitchen cookbook looking for dinner inspiration and hello..a nice photo of red velvet cake to match my nails.
Oh dear don't my fingers look chubby. Actually they are more on the slender side so I figure the phone camera adds weight like a TV camera does. Please say yes, it's the cameras fault!
My mother adhered to the nightly ritual of slathering hand cream on at bedtime and I have tried valiantly to follow her advice.
My hands have suffered because I let this regime slide last year while renovating the house and my mother's words are ringing in my ears..'You can always tell a woman's age by her hands'.
Do you agree?
So..getting back to the Year of the Dragon. A quick scout around my house and we have a few dragon-ish items in this abode.
I was born in the year of the Rat. A quick research on the net informs me of certain characteristics I definitely was aware of but a wow moment occurred upon reading the following gem,
'Routine halts their creativity so Rats need flexibility'.
So so true, I have never been a lover of routine, most of my life I've railed against it and flexibility is my middle name.
So maybe I can blame this trait on the fact I would be hopeless at maintaining nail appointments?
xx
Hi Annie,
ReplyDeleteYou have some very nice dragon pieces there - I love the hair dryer!
Yes, it is a known scientific fact that phone cameras add weight to your image, and can also wreck your hair and drain the colour from your complexion! lol
Actually, your fingers look absolutely lovely - and your commitment to the manicure impressive. I must try some of the Mega shine product - I am quite the slacker in the mani department...
Thanks Patricia I knew there was a sound reason my fingers resemble fat little sausages. I'm hard on a mani so this product will have to work overtime.
DeleteYour fingers look lovely! And anything with micro-diamond formula has got to be a winner, surely?
ReplyDeleteI seriously can't keep coloured nail polish on my hands for more than a day, it always chips. So I basically leave it only for special occasions or just wear clear polish for the sheen. xx
My fingers say thank you.
DeleteIsn't it a pity this miracle formula doesn't contain Real diamonds!
Your hands are fab! Mine always look fat in camera photos. Maybe it's the way you have to hold the camera in one hand to get the shot? Yes, yes. That's it. Plus mine are freckly, which is never a good look.
ReplyDeleteTDM xx
I have no end of trouble taking shots with one hand, there surely is a knack to it and I don't possess the knack.
DeleteThe dragon red is a delicious colour.
ReplyDeleteThe shellac worries me when I see is being removed at the nail salon.
All that scraping does not look right to me.
I will continue with a basic manicure, Opi "sweet heart"
Your nail look terrific in red
Helen xx
This a concern I agree Helen. My niece has acrylic nails and maintains finding the best technician one can and stick with her/him. Will check out opi sweetheart.
DeleteLove the colour, I am hopeless at applying darker nail polishes on my nails, it looks so amateur! I used to have gel nails for almost 5 years but I don't anymore...my nails did look lovely (I always would get the clear coating so they didn't look fake) but the maintenance and cost was getting up there!!
ReplyDeleteWell yes, the ongoing cost is also an issue to consider LR. I'm not as good with applying the darker shades these days plus my glasses prescription needs updating which doesn't help!
DeleteOh your dragon polish is lovely.
ReplyDeleteFaux Fuchsia will be impressed:)
I like to keep OPI clear polish on my mitts as they get immersed in water and garden soil so often that any colour chips.
Hope that your week is off to a great start.
Clear polish really is the most sensible and practical Hostess. Two days on and this red varnish is chipped on two nails even with this miracle top coat applied.
DeleteOur week consists of very humid days...most uncomfortable!
Your hands look very elegant to me! My daughter swears by that Sally Hansen stuff, and her nails always look beautiful. We (all our nail varnish lives in the 'fridge and is shared, which means I buy and she wears LOL!) have some Dior grey which is really lovely but chips like mad, and the Diamond stuff is the only way your can get it to last a few days! I am a Dragon apparently - my husband says he is not surprised LOL! xxx
ReplyDeleteOh I know about this sharing caper Mrs E, ie. what's mine is ours and what's hers is hers. Our daughters can't lose.
DeleteDior grey sounds rather swish, does keeping in the fridge make it last longer? I think Dragon sounds far more exotic than a blessed Rat!
Too much paint stripper over the years have wrecked my nails Annie, I sit on my hands to hide them! MOTH & the kids know that if they let me go to my Maker sans toe nail polish I'll haunt them forever!
ReplyDeleteMillie x
Sorry to hear that about your nails Millie. Food for thought right there.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you re toenails, I feel naked without my tootsies painted. I give my 83yr old mother a weekly manicure and she will go to heaven wearing her fave pink.
I'm not the person to give anyone any advice about nail polish. I always, always wear polish on my toes and swear by Estee Lauder (Haute Red) is a good one. However, the nails on my hands are shocking! Just clear polish and on the odd occasion a light pink. I've never had any acrylics or anything fancy and only had one manicure for my wedding day!
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of cameras - evil, all evil! They age you, make you look twice the size, give you frizzy hair and wrinkles! Don't believe anything that you see!
By the way, you must have a special camera as your hands look great.
x
Haha oh I totally agree Beth, cameras are evil alright because all cameras take shocking photos of moi.
ReplyDeleteI will check out Haute Red as I like Estee Lauder products..thanks for the tip.
Your fingers look young and youthful. I love the colour, and would wear it to a special occassion.
ReplyDeleteI love to see nails simply manicured..with the tones of reds.
I dont like the add on acrylic nails or tips or square nails with white tops.. !!!!!
Simple is elegant.
I am on the go, and here, i laughed out loud at myself.. I am the year of the "pig".. the image of "Miss piggy" came flashing before my eyes. ha ha.. Hence, i have to rest now and again.!!!
super blog Annie..
love it.
val
http://www.valerietilston59.blogspot.com
No dragons in this house apart from me, hubs is a rat.
ReplyDeleteI used to spend hours doing my nails twice a week, and they were so long, I can grow FU Manchu nails in days but cutting them short and binning my polish was the most freeing thing I have ever done. My equivalent of bra burning!