So if I failed to win why am I blogging about it?
Apparently my tweet (I wish I could find it but it is buried under the masses of tweets I have tweeted since, sorry!) was witty enough to win me a prize! Thank you ORLY Australia for being so generous to send me something.
I received their Mani Mini Treatment Trio which includes a Primetime Primer, Bonder Basecoat and Polishield Topcoat - the primer and topcoat treatments are two of ORLY's newest treatments which is a real treat.
It has taken me forever to get around reviewing this but away we go finally!
According to the product information, the Primetime Primer ensures "nail lacquer adhesion by prepping and priming your nails with an advanced formula to balance pH Levels and eliminate any oils or residue for a longer lasting manicure and pedicure". It contains citric acid to balance the pH levels and remove oil residues.
The Primetime Primer brush was useless, stuck together making it impossible to apply on the nail. Also not sure how much of a benefit using a primer on your nails proves to be but it definitely makes the process of applying nail polish a whole lot more fun...tedious, but fun. The primer dries up quickly (in about a second) and leaves your nail looking almost as though it has a bit of a matte finish which I suppose is its removing oil residue claim result.
The Bonder Basecoat is a process I have never understood and yes I should be sacrificed to the nail gods in order to appease them for failing to use a basecoat whenever I paint my nails but in all honesty I find basecoats hinder the actual color application. The ORLY Bonder is a rubberized basecoat which will supposedly lengthen your manicure life (along with the other two products).
Luckily the bristles of the basecoat brush were not stuck together. It is a regular brush, nothing special about it to aid better application but it did the job, clean and simple.
The basecoat dries to a semi-shiny finish. Usual basecoat splendor and nothing too out of the ordinary. I suppose the only exciting thing about this basecoat is that in the bottle it's a clear orange and when applied there is no obvious color! I know this piece of information excites you, it certainly excites me...
To test out the Mani Mini Treatment Trio I am using a nail lacquer by Glossyblossom. Shock, horror, not ORLY or O.P.I or even China Glaze or Essie but a nobody of a brand. Unlike many a snob who might be sniffing disdainfully at me right now, I find pleasure in picking up $1 polishes that offer fantastic color and last the same amount of time any "big brand" polish would (cue: flop of a photo that shows neither the color of the polish or anything at all for that matter except the window sill).
Applying the color on top of the basecoat proved slightly challenging and it could just be because I am unused to basecoats I feel and lack the skill to adeptly flick on color without "snagging" on the basecoat. It could also be because of the "rubberized" feature of the Bonder Basecoat...never know.
After application, it really does not feel as though there is anything special going on under the color nor do my nails feel like they can do a record amount of dish washing with no threat of chipping. I am yet to be amazing by ORLY's trio of clearness.
And finally, the time to apply the Polishield Topcoat, the second new treatment ORLY has to offer. It claims to "bullet proof your nail lacquer with advanced polymer technology that fuses the clear top coat with lacquer to create one powerful single layer of high-shine shatterproof color".
Bullet proof? Well, if only I could get a gun and shoot a nail to test this claim out.
Advanced what a what? Technology? For nails? You have lost me.
Fusing of top coat and color? To create one powerful single layer when in fact I have about four layers worth of product on my nail?
The thing is, you can never scoff at product information. You cannot blame companies for trying but it is still hilarious when you see them using words like "bullet proof" or trying to convince you that your nail polish and top coat have miraculously fused together to be one...it sounds like a mini porno on my nails.
Scoffing aside, I love the Polishield Topcoat, it is a beautiful topcoat and makes my nails all shiny and beautiful despite a somewhat streaky application. It produced such a great result that I know I will reserve it only for when I use "big brand" nail polishes on my nails because it truly does deserve to be spoiled. It dried quickly and looks beautiful. Enough said.
So does the trio work well in preserving your nails for longer than a few days (as in my case seeing as I have my colossal mane to scrub daily - yes, daily, I refuse to not wash my hair daily!)? After much scrubbing, general chaos and itching like a cave woman...
Well unfortunately, there you have it: chipping. I blame it on my thick hair, washing it will wreck any bullet-proof nails in my opinion. Still, I expected something more sturdy from ORLY. Perhaps a different nail polish and more care in application next time?
Just after three days and this is the result...so my conclusion overall?
The primer and basecoat are hardly a part of my usual routine and even the topcoat is pushing it but the fun of a manicure entails the entire process must be done. I truly love the Polishield Topcoat and believe it was the best product out of the three as it made even my cheap nail polish brand look pretty spiffy.
All in all, thank you to ORLY Australia for sending me a prize and giving me something to use for when I feel particularly girly! I appreciate it and will definitely look into buying the full version of your Polishield Topcoat.
