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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Julep Summer Collection: Swatches & Review

Hello everyone! I am sorry for the lack of writing, but I'm back home in Utah and hopefully back in the swing of blogging. I mean, I don't have a job right now, what else am I going to do (h'yuk yuk yuk).

I was introduced to Julep nail polish from reading NailPro magazine. They interviewed the owner/creator Jane Park about her salon, which started five years ago. Her salon atmosphere is all about comfort and cleanliness. She wanted to create a salon where women can go and get a quality service and have an enjoyable time. I was wishing I had somewhere like that to go in my area! Too many salons have sanitation issues, rush folks in and out, there are language barriers a lot of the time, and there isn't enough room to make it a conversation friendly atmosphere. After reading about her passion, I knew that I needed to check out the nail polish brand she created. Especially after I heard that $1 from every polish sold goes to organizations that support women.

I have the new Julep nail colors for Summer 2011 to show you today, they are so bright and fun. Niecy, named for television's Niecy Nash, is a gorgeous bold pink that wears perfectly on the toes or nails. The formula is like butter and it was very nicely opaque in two coats. Three of Niecy Nash's favorite charities, Define Your Pretty, Dress for Success, and Girls Inc. are being supported right now by the Julep brand.

Blake is a pretty and happy yellow crème. I am not sure why yellow is coming into such "vogue" lately but it is and Blake is right on trend. Yellows are notoriously streaky, but this one was only a tad bit so. This is three coats.

Jamie is a dark turquoise crème that is super chic and ultra-saturated. I couldn't believe how opaque this was. It's almost a one-coater, but I used two for consistency.

You can visit their Facebook profile to vote on which organizations they should support through their "Powered by Girlfriends" program. And you can get Julep polishes from their website www.julep.com for $14 each.

AND extra special for my readers, Jane is going to let the first 100 followers that enter "KELLIE" at checkout on julep.com receive $15 off any first online order of $30 or more. Isn't that totally amazing?! So hurry quick to take advantage of this generous offer. I have about four more colors from Julep to review soon, so stay tuned!

Products provided for review.