review

LacQit One-Step Gel Polish Review and Swatches 6

I have an exciting new product to share with my fellow SOG (soak off gel) polish fans… LacQit one-step gel polish.  This polish is different from any other SOG product I have tried to-date in that it only requires two coats of color (NO base coat or top coat) and after curing in an LED light for 30 seconds it’s completely dry to the touch.  You can pull your hand out of the light and run it through your hair without getting a single strand stuck… it doesn’t have any tackiness or require wiping.  This product is great for people that don’t have a lot of time to spend on their nails, but still want the long-lasting effects of gel polish.

LacQit starer kit contents

Guess what… The Nail Scene provided me with two LacQit starter kits!  One for me… and one for you!  This kit is a $59.95 CAD value and contains a pro LED lamp, a full-size bottle of LacQit polish, a bottle of cuticle oil, a timer, two nail buffers and a nail file.  Click here for the GIVEAWAY details!

Now… onto the review!  My first observation about this kit is that it would be really great for traveling and I can guarantee that I will be taking this with me on my two scheduled vacations this year.  The LED light is small enough to fit in your luggage or carry-on and is very lightweight.  Since LacQit doesn’t require a base coat or top coat, there are less items to pack and worry about.  And the application time is lightning fast because you only have to apply two coats of color and cure for 30 seconds for the first coat, and 60 seconds for the second.

The nail buffers had just the right amount of grit… they weren’t too rough and didn’t damage my nails.  I actually like these buffers better than any others that I currently own.  And the cuticle oil is also very soothing and I like the brush application.

The LacQit polish was very easy to apply, and it really is completely dry after just 30 seconds of curing and there isn’t any tackiness to wipe off.  The polish is shiny, although not quite the high gloss shine that you would normally get with a gel top coat.  The polish also doesn’t look or feel as thick as other SOGs.  A lot of times when I wear gel polish people ask me if my nails are fake because they look a bit thick and bulky.  My nails look much more natural with LacQit.  The polish provides a decent amount of strength, but not as much as it would with a top coat.  You could add additional layers for more strength.

LacQit requires less time to soak off than other SOGs and you can also use regular nail polish remover rather than pure acetone if you prefer!  LacQit recommends soaking for 10 minutes, but it was soaking off in less time than that for me using the foil removal technique – on average about 7-10 minutes.  Another time saver!  One other quick thing to note is that LacQit will also cure with a UV light if you already have one, but it takes 3 minutes to cure this way.

As for durability, LacQit is supposed to last for two weeks without chipping or peeling.  I polished my right hand with Poof! You’re Purple and have had it on for 8 days now.  The tips are just barely showing some wear and the finish is a little duller, however to be fair I did play with acetone while swatching my left hand several times this past weekend so that could play a part.  Here are quick pics of my right hand (the ugly hand!)… and these were very hard to take since I’m right-handed!

LacQit Durability Test

The Nail Scene also provided me with a nice selection colors to try and I swatched all of their new spring colors to share with you!

Run for the Pink is a rich shade of pink with a creamy finish.

LacQit Run for the Pink

LacQit Run for the Pink

Mauve Over is a lovely shade of lilac purple.  A great spring color.

LacQit Mauve Over Swatch

LacQit Mauve Over Swatch

Mint in a Minute is a gorgeous minty green.  Mint is very popular right now… loving it.

LacQit Mint in a Minute Swatch

LacQit Mint in a Minute Swatch

Road Trip with Rosie is a shimmery, dark pink.  I really like the finish of this one.

LacQit Road Trip with Rosie Swatch

LacQit Road Trip with Rosie Swatch

Ragtop Red is a very classic, bright red!  This one will get their attention!

LacQit Ragtop Red Swatch

LacQit Ragtop Red Swatch

And speaking of attention getters… how about this NEON pink!  This is Hit the Beach… a very suiting name (pun intended).

LacQit Hit the Beach swatch

LacQit Hit the Beach swatch

Cosmo to Go is the color that came with my kit, and also the color that is included in the giveaway kit.  This is a soft, creamy pink and it a little lighter than Run for the Pink.

LacQit Cosmo To Go Swatch

LacQit Cosmo To Go Swatch

I still have a few other colors to try, but my nails needed a bit of a break.  :)   Just to show you, I swatched these ones on a color wheel.  From left to right, these are Quick Latte, Pop the Cork, Poof! You’re Purple, and Wine N Dine.

And if you’re still reading and want to learn more about LacQit and see how easy it is to use, check out this video.

* Products were provided for review. Opinions are my own.

Review of Jilbere Heated Spa Mitts 5

Jilbere Professional Heated Spa Mitt Review

My daughter bought me some heated spa mitts from the local Sally store for Christmas.  I never thought of purchasing these, so this gift was a total surprise and also very thoughtful.  Since I started blogging about nail polish and nail art I have been changing my polish far more frequently than I used to and my hands and fingers are getting a bit dried out, especially with the colder weather now.

The mitts are little heating pads for your hands.  You apply moisturizer to your hands and wrap them with plastic wrap, and then insert them into the mitts.  The mitts have three heat settings, low, medium and high.  I have a fairly high tolerance for heat, but these get really hot, almost burning hot on the highest setting.  I normally use them on the medium setting for about 10-15 minutes and they get nice and toasty.  I have been using a french lavender scented lotion this week, so it’s also a bit of aromatherapy since the heat enhances the scent.  When I take them off my hands feel very soft and smooth and I can visibly see a difference in my skin, especially around my cuticle area.

Today I took before and after pictures to share.  These pictures are completely unedited. You can see that the wrinkles around my cuticles are much less visible after using the mitts and in general my fingers just look much healthier.  (Click here to read more about the nail art seen in the photos.)

Chickettes.com Jilbere Professional Heated Spa Mitt Review - Before & After

I have really enjoyed using these mitts over the past several days and plan to include them as part of my normal bedtime routine. They definitely help with keeping my hands moisturized and they visibly reduce the wrinkles around my cuticles (although temporarily), which is a huge plus for a nail blogger!  They are said to also help reduce pain from arthritis and overworked hands.  I can’t speak for that since I don’t have any pain, but I can see how the heat would be beneficial for that purpose as well.

In my opinion, these are a great buy for the price.  I have used similar mitts at the spa that had a nice terry cover which added to the experience, so I wonder if you couldn’t add a terry liner to these.  I also think these would be great to use with a paraffin hand treatment.  Maybe a paraffin bath will be one of my next purchases!

This review was completely unsolicited and contains my honest opinions about this product.

Nail Foils from OMGNailStrips.com 0

OMGNailStrips.com sent me two products to review, and the first product that I tried were these nail foils.  This was my first ever experience with nail foils, so I went into this with absolutely no knowledge of how they were supposed to work.  I wanted to see if I could figure it out with just the instructions that were included on the package, and I think I managed fairly well for my first time.

The instructions seemed simple enough, but the English could use a little improvement:

1. File, clean the nail and keep them dry.
2. Select appropriate size for the nails.
3. Peel off the sticker and apply it on the nail.  Note:  Apply the sticker starting on one side and leaving the trim-off side.
4. Smooth the sticker on nails. Note: When smoothing the sticker, heat will be needed, it will ensure the sticker is firmly applied on even or curved nails.
5. Trim the excess with a scissors.  Note:  When trim the excess, it will lift at the free edge if the top layer is filed off.

It wasn’t specified how the heat should be applied, so I used my hair dryer to heat the sticker and then firmly pressed it onto the nail trying to smooth out any wrinkles.  I found the trimming to be a bit challenging as it was hard to get the shape exactly right.  I’m also not sure what the note about trimming the excess means, but when I only trimmed with scissors I wasn’t able to get close enough to the tip for a perfectly clean edge.  I did use a nail file to finish off the tips, which I don’t think you are supposed to do.

The foils actually looked much better in person than they do in the photos.  Because they are shiny they were hard to photograph and all of the flaws really stand out when magnified.

Chickettes.com Nail FoilsChickettes.com Nail Foils
Nail Foils

While I received this product for free, I was not paid to provide a positive review. This review contains my honest opinions.