Make My Mani Last!

How many times has it happened? You just paint your nails or worse, pay for a manicure, and a day later your color is already chipped. I feel your pain.

 

 

 

Although ECV took a summer hiatus from posting it doesn't mean we weren't working hard to solve the beauty problems that bug us and you to no end. We did the following nail polish experiment after researching a lot of different base and top coats to try to find the best.

 

And now for the how-to...

 

1. Before we even get to the polish we soaked our nails for a few minutes. How often does this happen at your average strip mall nail shop nowadays? Please let us know in the comments if your manicurist does this. But here's the reason: soaking your nails gets them soft enough to cut evenly and the nails swell slightly.  Having them swollen when painting is important if you wash your hands as much (or as long) as I do.
2. Next we applied a thin base coat of Seche Clear^TM crystal clear base coat. It had the best reviews from the various national beauty editors and mags we researched.
3. Two thin coats of color were applied to the nail and the edges of nails. If you don't have nail tips that extend past your finger, don't try to get the polish on that extremely thin edge or you'll just end up with a lot of color on your fingers. We used Avon Nailwear Pro+ nail enamel in Tangtastic mainly because it's a color we retail so we wanted to see how long we could get our product to last. Unfortunately, as you'll see in the photos below, it didn't live up to the "12 days of lasting color" as advertised.
4. Finally we finished up with Avon's Speed Dry top coat. We applied a thin top coat to the top and edges of the nail and under the nail edge.

 

Photos are not retouched in any way (only cropped so you won't see so much sheet or desk) and no additional top coats were added. Sorry for the brightness variations! Please send comments of what you think.
 

Day 1



Day 2

Day 3

Oops, looks like someone forgot to snap a pic.



Day 4

 

Day 5A

Day 5B



Day 6







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Avon Nail Studio: Leopard Print Nails

While I'm not in love with the results in the video, the concept of leopard print nails is a good one. Since the video was made, a wonderful tool called the Dual Nail Dotting Tool has come into the market. With this tool and at least two Nailwear Pro+ nail enamels, currently only $6.99 for a pair, you can have better results than the video. 

Another option is to volunteer to be a manicure model for ECV.  We are currently seeking a model for a look inspired by one of the photos in our "Artistic Inspiration" album. Click or call to schedule your free manicure now and receive a free nail art enamel as an additional token of our thanks.

 

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Deal of the Day

NAILWEAR PRO Nail Enamel in Vivid Violet 
High-gloss shine. Salon-quality precision brush. No formaldehyde, toluene or phthalates. .4 fl. oz

Regular Price: $5.00 
Current Price: $2.99 

Order Now

While Supplies Last. 

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Clean Your Stinky Head Scarf...and other things - Part 4

And now the conclusion of the series...

We've addressed the head scarves, the combs and brushes, and makeup tools.  Now let's cover the last items on the original list.

• Nail clippers, tweezers and other metal tools

Begin by cleaning the item with soap & water or any cleaner you prefer but make sure you dry it thoroughly.  Drying thoroughly is essential to avoid rusting and the dulling of any sharp edges.

For that extra level of clean called disinfected, you can soak the items in rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol for about 10 minutes.  This is fine if you're cleaning your personal items (no sharing allowed) at home but by salon standards only 99% isopropyl alcohol is definitively effective.  The alcohol in my medicine cabinet is only 91%.  Once the items come out of their alcohol bath, again it's highly important to completely dry them with a clean paper towel.

• Glasses

If you worn prescription glasses for any length of time, I'm sure you're aware of the special "glasses cleaners" and "cleaning cloths" out there.  These are typically designed for your lenses but leave much to be desired in cleaning the frames (you know the part that touches your face and the part your hands, which touch everything, grab to put on or take off your glasses).

We last year while getting my daughter her first pair of glasses, the optometrist gave us this wonderful tip for keeping them clean.  Forget all of the cleaners and special cloths.  If you want to keep any type of glasses (prescription or sun) clean, wash and dry them like you would your hands.  Liquid antibacterial hand soap and warm water on every part of your glasses (lenses and frames) and then dry with a clean low-lint paper towel.  So no more getting talked into buying all those extras for cleaning by the vendor in the mall, flea market, or a shady optometrist.

• Pillowcases

These should be laundered weekly at least just like the head scarf.  Do it more often than that if you're able because who wants the different items you may be putting in your hair clogging the pores on your face.

• Cell Phones

My favorite thing to clean a cell phone with:  baby wipes.  For that extra level of clean, I occasionally use any disinfectant wipe that I have handy.  However, the nice thing about using baby wipes is that you can use one for your phone and another for your hands.  

In closing, remember that keeping it clean often equates to staying physically well.

ECV - Promoting Total Wellness

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