Nailcare

SLIXIR - Hand & Polish Cream

We love treating ourselves to an hour of timeout at the nail bar or just putting on the radio and doing a quick home mani pedi. At The Amazing Blog our biggest gripe with regular nail polish is that it always seems to chip after only a few days of wear. That’s why we were thrilled to try the Hand & Polish Cream from SLIXIR that we heard makes nail polish last longer, nourishes cuticles, and acts as an anti-ageing hand cream.

Helen Gilmore founded the British brand after having worked in the nail industry since 2002. She was previously the UK and ROI Head of Marketing for CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc), the company that made the popular gel manicure CND Shellac. Having had experience with consumers all over the world in nails and nail care, Gilmore found that the general feedback and biggest moan was about wanting a long-lasting nail polish. Having seen a niche in the market, she began her journey in creating a unique hand and nail product, Helen commented:  “Each day I focus on creating effective and luxurious ways to make this happen; solutions that fit easily into women’s lives and make great hands and nails a readily understood science.”

What stood out to us about SLIXIR is that it eliminates the need for both a hand cream and a cuticle oil with its unique blend of natural plant oils while improving the appearance of your nails and nail polish. We love multi-taskers! It doesn’t make your hands feel greasy and leaves them feeling heavenly soft. Honestly? Our hands felt smooth and hydrated, almost as though we ‘d put a primer on. For this kind of hydration, the formula includes avocado oil and jojoba oil as well as copper active, which specifically soothes and targets the nail beds. Colloidal oats further protects your hands from dryness and environmental stresses.

We cannot emphasise enough about the importance of giving your hands extra care. This is because the dermal layers are thinner, more exposed to the elements, which in turn reveals ageing faster than the face. SLIXIR is one step ahead and equipped with anti-ageing ingredients. This cream is packed full of  antioxidants and multivitamins which neutralise free radicals, helping to hold back visible age-related changes on your hands such as wrinkles and lack of elasticity. We also like that this cream doesn’t have any parabens, mineral oils, or animal cruelty. You can use it on all skin types and nail polishes and they recommend applying it twice a day, paying careful attention to nails. SLIXIR Hand & Polish Cream (75ml) is available here for £21.95 and offers free shipping within the UK. This all-in-one cream now has pride of place by our desks!

LOLA - Ultra Shine Nail Varnish

Nail polish is the quickest (and chicest) way to change up your look from day to night, and from season to season. As we at The Amazing Blog make our way through these colourful autumnal days, we have handpicked a select few nail polish shades from LOLA Make Up by Perse to share with you. This isn’t the first time we have come across this Luxembourg cosmetics brand, we previously tried a range of their face and lip products (see here). We were therefore excited to try their nail polishes, which like their other products, are both professional and cruelty free. With numerous shades and an incredible formula, their nail polishes are affordable, and we found that they delivered a great manicured look.

The go-to classic shades we chose were: Plum Pudding and Nude. Both are from the #10 Free Formula range (a range free from chemicals like Formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, toulene, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene and TPHP). The Plum Pudding is a stunning medium berry shade that is perfect for a classic pop of colour, especially complementing our autumnal wardrobe. Nude is a light and delicate ballet-slipper pink shade. It leaves a subtle colour on the nails that is incredibly chic and with a couple of coats make a opaque base for the ever-so classic French tip.

We also received the Infinite Nail Gloss; a multipurpose base and top coat that helps to nourish and add a high gloss, ensuring that your LOLA colour will last. We used it on its own for a simple clear glossy look. However, it is specifically formulated to be applied with the LOLA nail polishes to help give a perfect home manicure.

These nail polishes apply with ease and the colours apply as a block and not streaky. We particularly liked that you only need apply one coat of polish (the Nude is an exception) as it gives a higher luminosity and intensity. Due to their special formula, with Gloss Seal’R, a patented technology - LOLA nail polish is an economical choice. The formula gives instant gloss from the moment of application, concealing it and preserving it up to 11 days as a glossy manicure. It also has a permeable film - a formula with a porous film that allows water and air permeability for your nails, engineered for a fluid and high gloss look that lasts. We mustn’t forget to mention that their entire nail polish range is 100% vegan. The LOLA Make Up by Perse #10 Free Formula Polishes in Plum Pudding is available here and the Nude is available here, both for £6.95, while the Infinite Nail Gloss is available here for £7.95.