KBShimmer New Nail Care Products Review

KBShimmer has come out with a few new nail care products alongside their Spring collection, and I've got them to review for you today! I will have the Spring polishes up next week, I didn't get enough sun to swatch them this past weekend unfortunately. Plus then my nails will be grown out a little more, so that'll be good. They're super nubs right now, you'll see them in some posts later this week haha. Now, nail care ahoy!

Press Sample

KBShimmer Fillin’ Groovy Ridge Filling Base Coat (left) is a sticky base coat that gives a slightly plumped finish for smooth polish application. The stickiness helps to keep polish on your nails longer and also resists staining. It has a milky color and a medium consistency, a little thicker than clear bases so it takes a little longer to dry. This seems to fill ridges nicely and seems to help my polish adhere easily. I'm not the best judge of longevity with nail products as I change my manicure very often, usually before I ever get chips, so I can't speak to how well this keeps polish on. However, it did seem to prevent staining as I tried it with a shade I know tends to stain and didn't notice any.

KBShimmer Love You Strong Time Nail Strengthener (middle) "contains calcium pantothenate and Vitamin A to help strengthen natural nails without the use of Formaldehyde". The website says it helps weak, thin, splitting or peeling nails because it is a rehydrating formula. I find this very thin, almost watery, but it's not as runny on the nail as I imagined. Dries very quickly and leaves a nice finish. Some nail strengtheners/treatments can leave a less than desirable finish on the nail so I don't like wearing them on their own but this one is fine. You can also use it under nail polish, but I don't know how it would be at preventing staining, but it doesn't claim to be stain blocking. Most strengtheners aren't. I can't speak to how effective it is yet because I haven't had it long enough to form an opinion on that yet.

KBShimmer Oh Matte! Matte Top Coat (right) is a cloudy top coat meant to leave behind a matte finish. They advise to use this over dry polish only, or over quick-dry topcoat-ed polish, in thin coats with as few brushstrokes as possible. I've tried lots of matte top coats and this is probably among the top three. It's easy to apply, leaves a super matte finish, and doesn't get chalky on the neck of the bottle. They do tend to thicken up a lot over time so I'm interested to see if this guy does as well.

image via KBShimmer.com

The last product I have to show you is a new addition to their lotion family, the new KBShimmer Picture Perfect Matte Cuticle Cream. I was among a select few to actually be a tester for this product before its release and I'm really happy with it. (My bottle is a tester so I'm featuring a stock photo from their website.) You know how I prefer a moisturized but matte look to my skin and cuticles when I take photos so this is a perfect solution to that. I've tried a similar product from another brand and still love it, but it's a balm and this is a lotion so there's some variety in this product category now. This comes in a variety of scents as well as unscented. Pink Sugar still has my heart though!

These three polishes and the lotion are all available now on the KBShimmer website. The treatments sell for $6 each and the lotion is $4.50 for a 15ml bottle. Do you use any of these kind of nail care products? Have you tried any of KBShimmer's nail care yet? Let me know in the comments! Talk to you again soon!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

SuperChic Lacquer Dreamology Collection Swatches & Review

Heeeeeyyy good lookin! Happy weekend :) Today I have the new SuperChic Lacquer Dreamology collection to show you! These are described as "power shades having fierce color depth with intense linear holographic effects" that are totally opaque in one coat!

Press Sample

They are highly saturated so there was a warning that they may cause staining, especially on porous nails. I used two coats of SuperChic Lacquer base coat Bring It On, formulated especially to prevent staining, and I didn't have any problems with these staining my nails. They still can stain your skin though, so be careful to pull straight down your nail with your remover soaked cotton ball when removing the polish to prevent this. These all had similar to basically identical formulas, and all truly were completely opaque in one coat!

Wake Me Up is a deep berry linear holographic.

Lucid Lala Land is an intense dreamy blue linear holographic.

R.E.M. is a black linear holographic. This was the only one that was a little different, it had a slightly thicker consistency.

Realm of Erotica is a racy red linear holographic.

40 Winks is an intense violet purple linear holographic.

No Rest For the Wicked is a brilliant emerald green linear holographic.

Also new to the SCL line up is Marvel-Star top coat. It's a "neon luminescent" UV reactive quick dry top coat. I already love their Marvel Liquid Macro quick dry top coat and this is a fun twist on that great product. It's smooth and thin and flows on to the nail nicely without flooding your cuticles. I wish I had a black light to test this out! I used this on all my swatches of these and it really made them pop, however I didn't realize until I finished my swatches that it gave a slight blue tint to a few of these colors, because I swatch in direct sunlight and there are UV rays in sunlight of course. The black, red and green all look slightly more blue toned than they do indoors with this top coat on.

You will be able to purchase these from the SuperChic Lacquer website and Etsy store on September 30th at 4pm PST for $10 each. What do you think of these sexy one coat wonders?? I am quite impressed with them! My favorite has to be Wake Me Up, I don't think I have an equal color in my collection. We'll talk to you again soon! I have some exciting things coming up :D

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

My Updated Nail & Hand Care Essentials

Hi friends! I wrote a post about my favorite nail & hand care items last year, which you can see here, but I wanted to update it for you with some of the different products I've been using lately and supplementing my routine with. Since I've been under the weather, and dealing with some family health issues, (not to mention the actual weather has been rather crappy lately) I haven't had a chance to swatch very much but I will be back with some soon!

Press Sample | Purchased by Me

Nail Primers - I use these to prep my nails for polish, they remove all remnants of oil before a base coat.

KBShimmer pH Balancing Pre-Polish Nail Treatment is the one I've been using pretty much exclusively since I first tried it. Works really well and is affordable. $5, www.kbshimmer.com

Orly Primetime is an old favorite. I still reach for it when I run out of the KBShimmer, but I prefer the former because of the brush width. $10, www.orlybeauty.com


Base Coats/Treatments - I'm looking for stain prevention and a moderate amount of staying power from my base coat. I change my polish often so I don't need a base coat that guarantees a month of chip free nails (as if, haha).

Nail Tek Citra I Formaldehyde Free for Strong, Healthy Nails is my current favorite. I bought it on my trip to California this March while shopping with Jen The PolishAholic. I don't need strengtheners but I wanted some extra protection. This protects my nails and wears well by itself or under polish. $15, www.ulta.com

SuperChic Lacquer Bring It On! base coat is a new product I got for review not too long ago. This base coat is supposed to totally prevent staining and so far, I can say it lives up to the claims! I love that it dries matte and very fast. $6.50, www.superchiclacquer.com

Pretty Serious Force Field Protective Base Coat is a new-ish product from Pretty Serious that I bought recently. This is a good everyday type of clear base coat with great protection against staining. $8.95, www.pretty-serious.com

Butter London Nail Foundation is more of a splurge. It's a nude colored ridge-filling base coat. This is pricey so I don't use it all that often, but I do really like it for sheer colors to camouflage my nail beds a little. $19, www.butterlondon.com


Top Coats - I'm always on the hunt for the next best top coat of life. I like them to dry very fast, be shiny, and not shrink or pull at my polish. These are all great and I use them all depending on what mood I'm in.

KBShimmer Clearly On Top Quick Dry Top Coat - $5, www.kbshimmer.com

Glisten & Glow HK Girl Top Coat - $6.95, http://glistenandglow.bigcartel.com/

SuperChic Lacquer Marvel Liquid Macro - $6.50, www.superchiclacquer.com (image via laceandlacquers.com)


Cuticle Oils - This is an essential part of my life now, since I started using them religiously last year. I cannot be without it, I use it multiple times a day! These are all really good options.

Bliss Kiss Pure Nail Oil - The one that started it all. The 'crisp' scent is my favorite! $5.99-$19.99, www.nailcarehq.com

Sweet Baby by Donna - The recent contender for the top spot. The 'pink sugar' scent is basically crack to me! $6-$10.75, www.etsy.com/shop/SweetBabybyDonna

KBShimmer Cuticle Oil is another awesome one I've been using on and off for a long time, again in 'pink sugar'. $6, www.kbshimmer.com

Sunny's Body Products Cuticle Oil - This lady has some excellent products, the two types of oils she makes are seriously amazing. She has a monumental amount of scents to choose from, but again my pick has to be 'pink sugar'! $6-$8, www.365daysofcolorpolishes.com


Cuticle/Stain Remover - I've been laying off the cuticle removers almost completely and my cuticles seem even better than they have been so it looks like something I can go easy on or avoid completely.

Orly Cutique is a gentle cuticle remover but I mostly use it if I get some errant staining on my nails or cuticles and it does the trick, like magic! $10, www.orlybeauty.com

Hand Sanitizer - I work in a busy office with lots of people coming and going so I use sanitizer like crazy!

Fortune Cookie Soap OCD hand sanitizer is excellent, non-drying and comes in a ton of amazing scents! I can't get enough of this stuff! My favorite scent right now is Kiss, it smells like sweet tarts! $2.89-$6.49, www.fortunecookiesoap.com


Moisturizer - I cannot stand to have my hands feel dry so I'm always using some product or other on them to keep the moisture in.

Fortune Cookie Soap Whipped Cream is holy grail status for me. So creamy, really moisturizing but not greasy, sinks in quickly and a lot of fabulous scents to choose from. One of my favorites is fruity Polyjuice Potion. $10.99-$16.49, www.fortunecookiesoap.com

KBShimmer lotion, I've spoken about my love for this product in the past, great all over lotion. The 'pink sugar' scent rules again! $10, www.kbshimmer.com


Exfoliating Scrub - I'm a recent convert to scrubs, they're such a nice addition to my routine. I use them all over, elbows, hands, feet, yay!

KBShimmer Sugar Scrub is so good! I love that it's gentle but still coarse enough to actually get the job done! I also really appreciate that all the little bits dissolve and don't stick around my tub and ruin my baths ;) $10, www.kbshimmer.com


Fingernail Polish Remover - I need something to work well, fast, and not turn my hands into the sahara desert!

Onyx Professional Nail Polish Remover Moisturizing Formula Lavender, I found this in Walmart a few months ago and I just adore it. Reminds me of the one available in Sally Beauty Supply stores, but I don't have one of them close to me so this is a great option for me, plus it's really affordable. $2.48, www.walmart.com

Zoya Remove is an old favorite, I still buy this whenever I place a Zoya order or am by an Ulta, because it's a nice strong remover but is still gentle. $9.99, www.zoya.com

Oh and a side note, I do still use plain 100% acetone to clean up with and to help with stubborn glitter polish.

There you have it folks! *phew* I sure do use a lot of junk on my hands huh haha. I am still looking for a good SPF to protect my hands without making them greasy. Ugh, I despise sunscreen in all forms, but I know I need to use it. Let me know your favorite products for hand/nail care! Have you tried any of my picks?

❤ Kellie

Some of the products mentioned were provided for an honest review; others were purchased by me. Photos are from the respective companies' websites.

Cirque Colors Ultimate Holographic Gift Set Review & Swatches

Hello and how are you my dear? I hope you are well on this fine November day! I am a little under the weather but not too terribly so, thank goodness. Today I would like to show you a really terrific limited edition gift set for the holidays from Cirque Colors. They are an independent brand based in New York. Their Ultimate Holographic gift set comes with eight linear holographic nail polishes in a windowed black gift box.

Press Sample

First up is Alter Ego, a black holographic. This is pretty dark, the black holos I've tried in the past always seem more charcoal colored, but this is nice and inky. Two smooth and easy coats. I used Cirque Colors' base and top coat for all the swatches in this post.

Bejeweled is a bright royal blue holographic. I find blue holos swoon-worthy and this is no exception. So perfect for the winter! Two coats.

Next is Chrysopoeia, which I wasn't expecting to love as much as I do. These really yellow golds can be hard for me to pull off, but this one looked nice with my skin tone. Two coats here also.

Then we have Cypress, which is a little more sheer and thinner than the rest. It's a rose gold coppery holographic with some copper shimmer bits. This was one I anticipated loving, but it doesn't look the greatest with my coloring. Three coats here.

Fascination Street is perfection though, a blueish violet holographic. Really just fabulous, almost a one coater. I used two in my swatch.

I'm also loving Lonesome George, a grassy green holographic. I have seen very few true green holographics so I was happy to see this shade in the box. It's quite lovely. Two coats.

Sani is the only polish in this set that is simultaneously metallic and holographic. I don't know if I have anything similar. It's a chromey silver metallic with true linear holographic pigment, making it incredibly bright, especially in the sunlight. This was kinda hard to photograph, I hope you can see it's uniqueness from my pic. Two coats, a little on the draggy side.

And last is Vesuvius, a medium rose pink holographic. I really love this tone of pink and when you add holo to it, I'm over the moon! Two coats.

The Ultimate Holographic gift set sells for $80. Their polishes normally retail for $13 each so this set gives you a nice discount when buying all 8. It is limited edition so be sure to snap it up while you can! I wanted to mention the great packaging of these polishes, the square bottle looks luxe and is sturdy and I love the caps, they feel like glass!

I mentioned their top and base coats above so I wanted to review them as well. The blue-tinted Holdfast base coat dries quickly and has infused garlic to strengthen nails. I like it very much. The Liquid Laminate top coat is also lovely, it dries really fast and is incredibly shiny. I did notice shrinking at the edges on one manicure I used it with. However that tends to happen with improper application with a lot of quick dry top coats, and my technique could've been off that day. Overall they perform very well and I will continue to use them. They retail for $10 each. They are also included in Cirque's Back to Basics gift set, which also includes their white and black crèmes, for $36.

photo via www.cirquecolors.com

I was also able to try their crystal nail file and tea tree cuticle oil pen. If you know me, you know that I prefer crystal files, they are the BEST for shaping your nails and not damaging. I am also a fan of cuticle oils in general, and this pen is perfect to use on the go. They both sell for $10 each.

photo via www.cirquecolors.com

You can purchase Cirque Colors from their website www.cirquecolors.com or from their assorted stockists. What do you think of the holographic set? Are you buying any polish gifts for friends or family for the holidays? Or maybe treating yourself?

Stay warm and see ya next time!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Neons by OPI Collection Swatches & Review

Today I have the new Neons by OPI Collection to show you. This is the first time OPI has released a full-size neon collection, they have previously released neons in mini bottles pretty much exclusively. I personally love mini bottles, from most every brand except OPI, their little brush and bottle is a pain in the butt to use. So I was excited to see these six shades were all full sized!

Press Sample

They were released with a white base coat called Put A Coat On! meant to be worn underneath so the colors will "pop" more. I don't really like using white base coats, but I wanted to see if it really made a difference with these colors, so I did these swatches with two coats of white base underneath the ring fingernail. They dry to a satin matte finish so I used top coat for all of these swatches.

First is Life Gave Me Lemons, a neon yellow with green undertones. It's quite bright and was hard to capture on film, as most neons can be, and it makes my skin look so tan. The formula was nice, I used three coats for full opacity. I see basically no difference when used over the white base. I even posted a shot of this on my instagram and asked if people could tell which finger I used the white base on and there wasn't a clear consensus, meaning to me that they couldn't really tell.

I also wanted to show what one coat looks like so here is a shot after one coat, pre-clean up of course. You can definitely tell a difference when it's layered over the white base, but to get fully opaque I needed three coats so I don't feel like it makes a big difference in the end.

one coat, over white on ring finger

Juice Bar Hopping is a beautiful bright vivid orange, not sure if it's a real neon. This one was a little thick but manageable. I love oranges and this one looks very juicy and yummy. Three coats. I don't see a difference when used over the white, although it looks like a little lighter, the pinky looks the same to me so it might just be how the lighting is hitting the different fingers. Trust me, in real life there is no difference.

Push & Pur-pull is a lovely deep bold purple. I wouldn't classify this as neon. It dries darker than I expected. This formula wasn't good, I found it to be very streaky and quite thick. It took effort to get a nice result. This is three coats. I see no difference with the white base.

Hotter Than You Pink is a bright blue toned pink with a bit of shimmer and a purpley blue flash. This is pretty gorgeous and the formula was fine. I used three coats. There is a small difference when used over white, it's a tiny bit more opaque and there's less of a flash.

You Are So Outta Lime! is a bright medium eastery green neon. This is unique to my collection which is cool, I like this. Ok formula, no complaints. Three coats. No difference over the white base in my opinion.

Down to the Core-al is a fiery neon coral with slight shimmer. I love corals and this is no exception. It dries a bit more pink toned than it looks in the bottle. Patchy formula unfortunately. I used three coats. With the white base, the color appears a bit more opaque and not as "juicy", also a tad more orange toned.

Put A Coat On! is a fine white base coat, I needed two coats to get it fully opaque without any streaks. Personally I don't like to have the extra step of trying to cover all of the white base with my polish. I don't really think it makes that big of a difference under any of these polishes. If you did want to use a white underneath, I still wouldn't really say you needed to purchase this one if you already have a good white in your collection. If you do thicker coats than I do you could get away with only two coats of color if you use the white base, but I think three coats of color on their own looks the same. I will say that the white base dries really quickly so that was nice.

You can purchase these now for $9 ($10.95 CAN) each. I believe these are being added to the OPI permanent collection so they won't be disappearing anytime soon. What do you think of this collection? Do you think you would prefer using the white base or not? See ya next time and thanks for stopping by :)

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Product samples were provided for consideration.

KBShimmer Nail Care Trio

Hi there! Today I wanted to review some nail care products for you from KBShimmer. They make bath and body products as well as nail polish, some of which I have recently reviewed for you. I wanted to give an in-depth review of the three nail treatments they produce also so here it is.

Press Sample | Purchased

Nail Prep pH balancing pre-polish nail treatment is a liquid nail prep to be used before polishing your nails. It helps balance the pH of your nail to allow your polish to adhere better. I like it because I usually have some type of cuticle oil or balm on so it remove that moisture before I put on my base coat. I am a big fan of this, I prefer it to my Orly Primetime because it seems to dry a little faster and does a better job at dehydrating the nail plate which prevents chips.

The Basic Training nail polish base coat works "like double sided sticky tape" by adhering to the nail plate and to the polish you put on top of it. It works to keep your nail polish on while also helps prevent staining. I found this to be a fine base coat, working in a similar manner to my go-to Orly Bonder.

And last is the Clearly On Top quick dry top coat. I have talked about many top coats before and how I feel like they are incredibly personal to each individual, with different body chemistry comes different results in my opinion. I found it to dry quickly, cover nicely with shiny results. However, this tends to bubble for me quite often which isn't ideal. I've heard from many others that it works perfectly for them without bubbling but like I said, everyone's chemistry is a little different. This is the only treatment from them I probably wouldn't repurchase. This is 2-free which means it does contain DBP but does not have any formaldehyde/formaldehyde resin or toluene, similar to my current favorite HK Girl.

I love that all of these are priced at $5 for a full size bottle which you can get on the KBShimmer website or Etsy store. They are cheaper than a lot of nail treatments on the market and they work! Have you ever tried any of these products before? What did you think of them? See ya next time!

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Product samples were provided for consideration. I purchased a top coat at an earlier date.

My Nail & Hand Care Essentials

Hey guys and gals! Today I wanted to put together a post with all my essentials that I use to keep my nails and hands in tip top shape. These are my favorites right now but I seem to add or take something out every few months as I find new things that work better. This is just what is working for me at the moment.

Duri Rejuvacote - This has been my favorite nail treatment for a little over a year. I use it on bare nails for every manicure. I like this better than any other treatment I've tried. I still get peels on a few of my nails occasionally but no where near what I used to. And my nails grow faster and longer using this than ever before!

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Orly Primetime - I use this as a primer for my nails before I put on my base coat, it removes all traces of oil and residue so my products can adhere to my nail cleanly and completely.

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Orly Bonder - I have used this base coat for years and no matter what others I try, I always come back to this one. It is rubberized which helps the polish adhere to it better. It helps my polish go on well and resists chips. I believe everyone's body chemistry is different and what works for me might not work for you, you just have to experiment with different base and top coats to figure out the best combo.

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Glisten & Glow HK Topcoat - I wrote a review for this top coat not too long ago, you can see this post if you haven't read it. This is my favorite because it dries super fast and shiny. It also doesn't have any of the unfortunate side effects of other quick dry top coats, it doesn't get thick and goopey, it doesn't shrink the polish when it dries, and the surface doesn't get scratchy looking over time.

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Bliss Kiss Pure Nail Oil - This stuff is so amazing, it is practically liquid gold to me! I mentioned above how I occasionally have peeling nails and I have always had issues with dry and overgrown cuticles. I have been searching for something to supplement my nail care routine to hopefully help these concerns outside of my usual products. I found rave reviews of this nail oil, how it hydrates your nails and makes them more flexible, so I decided to try some and have fallen in love. I use this multiple times daily and it's made my cuticles nicer than ever! I'll do a more in depth review on this soon, it deserves it!

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Acetone and  Acetone/Glycerin/Water Mix - I have a hard time tolerating most scents and a lot of the nail polish removers out there have some kind of scent I can't handle. So I use pure acetone, it works the best and has no added scent. It can be drying though, so I add glycerin and water to make it more moisturizing. You can learn about this from Loodie Loodie Loodie, she explains it better than I could. I do use straight acetone to do clean up around the edges of my nail after painting. You can read about that process here from Lacquerized.

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Dappen Dish - I use this small glass dish to pour the acetone in that I use to clean up around my nails. It's super cheap and really helps my manicure routine.

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Small brush - This is my preferred brush to use for clean up with acetone around the edges of my nail. It's the e.l.f. concealer brush that I got for $1 at Kmart. It works well and is easy to replace when needed.

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Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover - This is my most used cuticle remover, though I have a few kinds. It's a gel formula that is easy to apply with the squeeze bottle. I used it at least weekly.

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Julep Hand & Cuticle Stick - This product is newer to my routine. I tried it on recommendation from Young, Wild & Polished (she's hilarious in her videos!). It is a balm that melts with the warmth of your skin. It smells amazing, like clean laundry, and it is easy to carry in my purse for quick applications on the go. It doesn't make my skin shiny either, which is helpful for taking photos of my nails.

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Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer - This has to be my favorite lotion ever, hands down (hehe). I used to use it in high school after I went tanning, which I don't do anymore, but I always loved the clean scent and moisturizing effects. I recently got another bottle for a gift and it's quickly become my favorite and most used lotion. It is a little on the pricey side but I just love it.

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I'd love to hear about your nail care essentials! Tell me about your favorites in the comments :) Also let me know if you have any questions about my nail routine, I'd be happy to answer!

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Glisten & Glow Review

I'm always on the look out for the next great item to add to my nail care arsenal. Recently I had noticed a lot of people on Instagram taking nail pictures using a new top coat, Glisten & Glow HK Girl. I heard from a lot of people that it was amazing in terms of drying time without tip pull or shrinkage, and Leslie from work/play/polish was recently interviewed in Nail It! magazine saying that it was her "can't live without" top coat. I just had to try some for myself. The owner of Glisten & Glow, Jill, sent me a package of her goodies to try and I was not disappointed.

I got to test out their topcoat, HK Girl, and base coat, Stuck on Blu! I have been absolutely loving the topcoat, it dries super fast on me. It self-levels like a great top coat should, is very shiny and I haven't had one instance of shrinkage. It also wears very well on me, lasting a week or longer with no chips, which is amazing. I don't change my nail color as often as I used to so that's been nice. I would say it's my new favorite top coat!

The base coat might be also to credit for the excellent wear time I've been experiencing as I've been using Stuck on Blu! for all my recent manis as well. I've never really had a problem with my nails being stained with regular polish wear but if you're concerned about that you should try this as it claims to help prevent it. It's also sticky to help the polish adhere better, how I prefer my bases to be.

Press Sample

Jill also slipped in some cuticle balm and a roller ball stick of cuticle oil, both in the scent Summer Sorbet. They are awesome, if you know me you know that I need all the help with my problem cuticles as I can get. The roller ball is super convenient and I love the smell. I feel like the balm absorbs in my skin quickly so I don't have to deal with any type of greasiness.

The top coat and base coat is $6.95 per bottle or you can buy them as a duo for $13.50. The cuticle oil roller ball is $10.50 and the balm is $8.50 each. You should definitely check out these products and all the other awesome stuff in the Glisten & Glow store. They also do customizable bath products, everything from soap to scrub to shampoo. Are you interested in trying a new top coat? Try HK Girl! I bet you'll be impressed.

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Product samples were provided for consideration.