Salon Napa Coming Through

Hey everyone!
 
I hope your day (morning, afternoon, night - whenever you're reading this!) is going well!
 
I am the type of person that does not really buy expensive things. I am actually quite frugal. When you grow up with immigrant Filipino parents, you kind of grow up with poor man's mentality where everything is too expensive. LOL. Though I do like to treat myself from time to time, I am mostly on the conservative side financially, typically feeling guilty with purchases I want but could survive without.
 
If you had been following me for a while, you know I love doing my nails. I have several posts on amateur nail art I have done in the past. This is definitely next level up.
 
Getting your nails done can be quite pricey and at-home nails never last as long as gel nails at the salon. I have been wanting to purchase a gel nail kit for a few years now, but could never get myself to cough up the expense. Prices that I have seen range from $80+ and, to reiterate, I just don't make those hefty purchases on non-essential items. Also, I was a little skeptical about at-home DIY gel nails. Is anything ever as good as the salon?
 
With buying on a kit on my mind in the last year, I decided to just go for it. I am 32, work hard, make decent money (I got a higher paying job last year, woot!), and don't usually buy things for myself.
 
I bit the bullet, did my research and found the ASP Soak Off Gel Polish Complete Starter Kit for $71.49 at Sally's. With tax, I paid close to $80 and it was worth every penny!
 

 

$71.49 at Sally's

 

 

LED lamp



 

The kit comes with the following items:

• Mini LED Lamp (with power cord)
• Cleansing Wipe
• Bonder
• Base Coat
• Top Coat
• ASP Gel Polish in Passionate Pink (this is super bright)
• 2-in-1 Dehydrator (to remove the tacky feeling after curing)
• Conditioning Soak-Off Solution
• Easy-to-follow Instructions (with pictures! WIN!) 

According to the sales representative at Sally's, the ASP starter kit is one of the cheaper ones (in cost, not quality) and is a good beginner-friendly kit which is what I was looking for. She was completely right.

 

The whole thing was very amateur friendly and the results look as though you were a pro. Of course with anything new, there is the learning curve of fine tuning your skills.

 

Overall, I give the kit an A-, not an A+, only because 1) there is no timer, 2) the lamp is pretty small and 3) the pink polish it comes with is a bright pink which is not really an every day color I would wear. Perhaps that's a tactic to get you to buy more! 

 

Though I can't hate on it too much for these reasons because 1) I wanted something on the affordable end and 2) I kind of have big hands and really long fingers, but still (lol).

 

 

 

 

 

However, for a beginner, it does the job and I love it despite those three reasons. When this eventually wears out, I will definitely splurge on something a little bigger with a timer. It gets tedious having to pick up my phone to set the timer for every coat. But hey, first world problems. I will survive.

 

So now....time for the exciting part...the RESULTS!

 



My first ever manicure using the kit

 

Gelaze by China Glaze - Kill the Lights

 

 

 

Gelaze by China Glaze - A Waltz in the Park

 

FingerPaints - My Best Angle

 

FingerPaints - My Best Angle

My current nails

 

Gel polish is, understandably so, pricier than the regular drugstore nail polish I would buy. Because of this, I currently have my 3 staple colors: mauve, nude and lilac. I was lucky to get them on a Sally's promo of buy 2 get 1 free. Each polish (I purchased Gelaze by China Glaze and FingerPaints) was about $9-$11 each.

 

As you can tell from my pictures and clips, my shaping and cuticle work needs some improvement, but the product itself works great.

 

I get a good 2.5 - 3 weeks with them. They probably could last 4, but I get bored of them after a while and start to pick at them encouraging lifting >_<

 

Alright, this post is getting way too long. Kudos to you if you made it this far. Let's summarize the pros and cons of the kit.

 

PROS:

• Decently priced and affordable
• Compact kit
• Easy-to-follow directions
• Lamp doesn't get hot like some salons professional lamps
• Great quality machine and products enclosed
• (Side note: Kudos to FingerPaints and Gelaze by China Glaze for having bomb products too) 

CONS:

• A little too compact (I wish a little more than half my hand could fit in so I can get my thumb)
• No timer
• In my opinion, a terrible choice of pink polish included in the kit

As a beginner, I highly highly highly recommend the ASP Soak Off Gel Polish Complete Starter Kit for anyone who loves doing their nails and has been thinking about getting a gel nail lamp or kit. If I could go back in time though, I probably would have splurged higher to get a lamp with a timer, but I am still very very very happy with my ASP kit. I am confident it will last me a long while. Thank you, ASP!

 

 

<3<3<3

Save Your Lifting Or Outgrown Manicure

Happy Wednesday, y'all!!

I hope this hump day is going more than well for you! If not, the week is halfway over (silver lining??) 

If you are anything like me (half frugal, half smart shopper?), you know the guilt I feel paying for these gel manicures - like yo! How are they getting more and more expensive year?! - and then the anger and frustration when they start to either grow out or lift in the following 1 - 2 weeks after the manicure.

If I am paying $30 - $50 for my manicure, it better be on my nails looking fresh for a while!!

It is a blessing and a curse that my nails grow quick. Anyone else?!

So instead of shelling out $30 - $50 every two weeks for touch ups or redos, I follow these hacks to keep my manicure going strong for long! 

OUTGROWN MANICURE:
Like anyone else, my nails start out all fresh and banging once I leave the nail salon, but then that freshness will only last for so long. 

Two weeks later, nails are still intact but the nails are growing and the gap between the cuticle and the polish grows wider and wider. The rest of the polish is still fly though. I can't just get it redone two weeks later. Or filled! A fill is still money!

After staring at the annoying gap, I realized and learned that I can just fill it in with regular nail polish at home. 

See the picture below:

TA-DA!!!

I love it!!! What do you think?

This look is actually a style in the manicure world. It is called reverse French manicure. As you know, the typical French manicure has a tip at the end of the nail that is a different color than the remainder of the nail. The reverse French manicure has a the "tip" at the top of the nail by the cuticle. 

It's actually a thing! "Reverse" French because the small tip of color is reversed in position. Get it, get it? :D

LIFTING MANICURE:

I have hit the two week point of my [first time with] dip powder manicure (I LOOOVE IT). For the most part, it is still going strong. However, it is starting to lift by the cuticle and y'all know what that is like - hair getting stuck in our nails in the shower or just hair getting caught in them out of the shower. WHAT A PAIN.

So when my manicure below started to grow out and lift, my heart began to sank. I've been wanting to try this look for a while and I was nowhere near ready to let it go.

Fresh coat

Yes, they are two different colors on each hand. I was undecided. LOL.

How did I fix the lift? I put a clear top coat on the edges of the manicure where it is lifting and filled the gap (basically a top coat reverse French manicure). The nail polish colors are nude so the gap isn't too noticeable or bothersome. 
As you can see, there is some top coat residue on my skin by the cuticles. To be honest, I rarely clean those mistakes. I like to naturally let them wash away. And they always do. 

And that's all folks!

So ladies and gents, SAVE YOUR MANICURE. 

You did not pay all that money to just get it done in two weeks. Oh no, honey! Not on my money-saving time! I got chuuuu.

<3<3<3

Nails of the Week: Almond + Leopard

Aloha everyone!

I hope this post finds you well! I hope that you're happy, healthy, and doing mighty mighty fine!

I wanted to share my nails of the week with you. 

I haven't done done my nails in a long time. I used to do almost weekly creative designs but I got busy. And then last summer and fall, I had events and celebratory moments that had me getting my nails done in the salon.

Recently, I've been into almond shaped nails. I've always gotten them shaped when I got my nails done for an extra $5 (*insert eye roll*) at the salon. Once the special occasions stopped, my nails went back to normal square.

I decided to grow them out and shape them myself. How hard could it be?? Not that hard until I made one nail too sharp and nail stabbed my chin. No worries though, the raised bump went away in like 2-3 days. LOL.

Since I shaped my nails, I decided to do something more than just a normal single color polish. I wanted a design and decided to go with something sassy - leopard print.

Excuse the little black nail polish smudge there. LOL. I just let it be. I let it wash away in the shower or when I wash my hands.

But check out my nails on day 9. They're clearly outgrown but barely a sign of chip. This top coat by China Glaze is now my holy grail. It's way more expensive than I would normally pay - $10 - for a nail polish. It really does last though. This is will now make my money vanish...HOWEVER, since my polish lasts longer, I won't need to use my top coat on a weekly basis like I was doing before. BOOM. WIN! Money saved?

Oh the way we justify our purchases. Oh my, oh my.

;]

Til next time.

Xoxox

Christmas 2016 Cookies and Nails

The holidays came and went. As always, way too fast!

A few weeks ago, I came across a Facebook video that the Food Network posted on "How to Make Brown Sugar Pecan Bears." The bear cookies are hugging a pecan!! If you knew me well or even not so well, you would know that I absolutely love bears! Bears and puppies are my favorite faces.

Now, please be mindful that I am no baker and I did not have pecans! LOL. It was all in good fun trying to recreate the cute little cookies.We also made some snowmen, Hanukkah dreidels (not pictured), and gingerbread men that I kind of went crazy decorating. Too much fun and too tasty!

It was a spontaneous cookie night. We did not have pecans so the bears are hugging sprinkles. Though the bear on the bottom right was a rebel and unfolded his arms during baking

And to go along with all the holiday festiveness, you know I was going to do my nails.

The Santa Claus belt is my favorite style of holiday nails. 

My snowman looks a little funky. LOL. But that's okay. 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. And may you all have a blessed 2017!! 


Xoxox

Almond Shaped Nails

It finally happened and I am really excited and happy with them :D

I've been itching for almond shaped nails for some time now. I knew for sure I did not want to get acrylics or tips.

I grew out my nails and had my nail lady shape them and apply gel polish.

Color is Melody by DND. 

AHHH. 

I LOVE IT.

I can't stop staring.

There is just something about them that screams feminine and fierce at the same time. 


Xoxox

TBT: Nails of the Week

Aloha everyone!

I wanted to do a quick throwback to a few weeks ago when I did my nails. I have not done a nail design on my nails in a really longtime as I spent the majority of 2016 studying for two board exams. It was so liberating and comforting. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know doing my nails is one of my biggest hobbies, passions and methods of self-care

These were my nails in early October in honor of fall. I only wore them for a few days because I ended up getting my nails done with girlfriends on a mini trip to Ventura.

The nails were inspired by the teal and black design in +cutepolish No Tool Nail Art: 5 Easy & Cute Designs. I shared the video below:

Hope you enjoyed <3


Xoxoxoxoxo

Mini Ventura Road Trip

Why hello there beautiful people!

In early October, a few of my girlfriends and I went to visit a friend of ours in Ventura. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014 and the cancer came back this year after two years of remission. Her spirits have, understandably, been a rollercoaster of ups and downs.

My girlfriends and I had an idea to visit her. Three of us drove up together. The lady of the hour had no idea I was coming. I was the surprise. I waited at cafe table out on the street patio and when they walked by I had said, "Brenda, is that you?" Then were girly screams and shrieks of happiness. 

We ate some Thai food at Rice Thai cafe and got our nails done.  After that we had dessert and coffee at Palermo Cafe.

Done at All Star Nails salon in Ventura, CA

Spicy Thai beef salad :p

I had a pumpkin cobbler bar (far left) and a lavender mocha iced coffee

It was such a beautiful day from start to finish. I was living on the adrenaline for the whole week. My biggest joy was seeing how happy my friend was to see all of us. 

When you're going through a tough time, you can sometimes feel isolated. I am happy we were able to lift up her spirits. The smile on her face is something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

Life is short everyone. Tell your loved ones you love them. And enjoy life. Overnight, life can change in an instant without any warning. 


Xoxoxo

Throwback Thursday: Nail Design Beginnings

In the last few weeks, I did not have time to really do anything fun with my nails as time was precious. I was studying intensely for my board exam and would feel ever so guilty if I did something too time consuming on my nails.

So I did something real quick. Flowers with a dotting tool.

When I did this nail design, I had a flashback to when I started toying around with nail designs. Oh the nostalgia! <3

This flower design was the first, if not one of the firsts, to get me to fall in love with what other designs I can do. 

If you get a chance, check out my old post on some of my beginner designs. 

Oh the memories <3

Xoxoxo

Pop Quiz: Which One Is It?

Why hello there!

Are you ready to put your thinking caps on?! Today, I have a pop quiz in store for you!

But first, here's a little background...

On March 31st, I took part one of my state licensure exam for my clinical social work license. And I passed! Woot woot!

As a reward to myself, I got my nails done after my exam. I even splurged and got a design. And oh my dang, did that design bump up the price hella much!!

Two weeks later, two of my gel nails lifted and I removed them. I wasn't quite ready to give up all my nails, especially since this was my first time getting a design. And I paid good money for that!

I decided to experiment and try to "repair" the missing nails myself by mixing a few of my colors. I made two batches. The first batch was a near exact dupe, but of course, clumsy me dropped it on the floor making a mess. Whomp.

Can you guess which two are the "repaired" nails?!

Here are some up close shots that will help may it more obvious.

Hope you enjoyed this little silly post :)

Xoxox

Throwback Thursday: Holiday 2015 Nails

Happy Thursday everyone!

I have a quickie throwback for you.

Here are my holiday nails from Christmas 2015.

On one hand, I have a snowman chilling in the snow.

And on the other hand, Santa's belt. This is definitely my favorite of the two and something I would repeat in the future.

I know it's way past the holidays, but I hope you had a wonderful time with the people you share your life with.

Much love,

Xoxox

Nails of the Week: Flowers, Leopards and Spots

Another nail post! One of my favorites as I enjoy doing my nails and looking at nail designs myself. 

Doing my nails is one of my biggest stress relievers. Life has been crazy and hectic lately so I've had the opportunity to escape into a world of polish, brushes, and  creativity...definitely my sanctuary :)

Here's what I've done in the last two weeks:

1. Inspired by +MissJenFABULOUS :

Not quite the same but her I replicated her technique to create the floral. 

2. Polka dots and leopards

I wanted something pink and springy. I looked up designs and got inspiration from there. The lighting is off. Whomp. I used to take photos with the great light in my old office. We moved suites recently and the natural light that comes through the windows is blocked by the trees. There goes my "studio" lights. LOL

<3<3<3

Nails of the Week: Spring Nails (Inspiration)

We are 8 days into Spring and it is lovely (though a little too hot)!!

I thought I was going to miss chances to wear boots, scarves, beanies and coats, but with all the sunshine, I've caught Spring fever! 

I am enjoying wearing shorts, tanks, dresses, flip flops, floral and sunnies! :)

I am ready for you, Spring!

To kick off the new season, I wanted my nails to be fun and Spring-y. 

I found nailsbykylie's post on Instagram and I had to recreate it. They were cute, dainty and did not seem too too complicated. Here's her post below.

The inspiration/model

The recreation

What do you think?

I hope your Spring is off to a great start :)

<3<3<3

Nails of the Week: Dice

I came across "Dice nails" on Instagram's popular page one day months and months ago. It was simple yet fun and I've been meaning to try it. I just never had black and white nail polish at the same time. 

And finally, I got hold of the two polishes and ta-da!

The edges are a bit rough, but overall, I am pleased with the outcome.

I did receive compliments on them though people thought they were dominoes. I suppose it can be both? Hehe.


<3<3<3