Purple Manicure For My Hubby's 75th Birthday Party - 19 July 2015

Hi, and welcome to my blog.  So glad to have you visit!

I wanted my nails to look extra special for my hubby, Trevor's, 75th birthday on Sunday night, so I decided to wear purple.  When my eyes lighted upon these two amazing polishes in my collection, I just knew they were the ones, and that they were crying out to be worn together for this very special occasion.

 

Outside In Sunlight

These two amazing polishes are Shades of Phoenix "Dementor's Kiss" and Grace-full Nail Polish "Twinkling Violets".  "Twinkling Violets" is a Grace-full Nail Polish Fan Facebook Group exclusive polish that I was lucky enough to have the name I suggested chosen for.  If you don't already belong to this fan group, or the Phoenix Flames - Shades of Phoenix Indie Polish Facebook group, I'd really like to suggest that you join.  They are closed groups, but are easy enough to join, and we get the chance to buy exclusive Facebook Group Limited Edition polishes, the chance to choose the names of some of the polishes, chances to win prizes, and sneak previews of all the beautiful polishes these two amazing Aussie Indie Polish makers come up with for all their lucky fanatics. We have heaps of fun, especially when trying to come up with polish names, and oooohing and aaaahing over the previews of the new collections or Limited Edition polishes when they show up on the Facebook pages.  Come on over and check them out - they're awesome.

Now to my manicure.  As usual, I started with one coat of Pretty Serious "Rock On! Nail Strengthener" to all my nails.  Since using this on my nails I've only had one break, and that was my fault because I didn't remove my polish quickly enough when some of it came off, taking the strengthener with it, of course. I banged my nail whilst cooking dinner, and the only bit of the nail that didn't have polish on it broke off - Murphy's Law loves my home!!!!!  That is why you are viewing photos of my non-dominant hand, and also why the clean-up is not as good as usual.  Once again it looked great until I saw the photos -  YAAAGH!!!!  Sorry about that, but you can take it from me, next time my nail polish starts to come off, I'll be removing it and at least applying a coat of "Rock On!" straight away - once bitten, twice shy!!!!

My base coat for this manicure is Shades of Phoenix Base Coat, and I applied one coat of this to all my nails, making sure to wrap it over the ends of my nails for extra protection, as I also did with the "Rock On!".

Then I added one coat of Shades of Phoenix "Dementor's Kiss" to all my nails, and then a second coat to all but my ring fingers.  This polish was a bit patchy with the first coat, but the second coat soon fixed that.  It went on smoothly, and it is absolutely beautiful.  It is a mid-shade purple polish, with lots of holographic ultra-micro glitter throughout, and I was just able to pick that up in my photos, which I was really pleased about.  The photos really don't do it justice, though, which is a real shame.  Teneil, the owner of Shades of Phoenix, has taken maternity leave for the birth of her new baby (born 21 July), so the store is closed at present for a short while, but the Facebook group is still very active, with people sharing their manicures, etc, and now checking out the pictures of our lastest "mini" Phoenix Flames member - she's just beautiful.  It won't be too long, we hope, before Teneil will be back making more of her wonderful Aussie Indie nail polishes.

Next, I added two coats of Grace-full Nail Polish "Twinkling Violets" to my ring fingers, which gave me an amazing jelly effect.  This is a dark purple jelly polish, with blue tones, and so much tiny purple, blue and holographic glitter it really blew me away.  I haven't been able to stop looking at it since I put it on.  I just wish everyone could have bought some of this beautiful polish, but I'm afraid that's not possible.  This polish was a Facebook group only Limited Edition polish, as I said earlier, so there is no more available at all, unless you could possibly pick some up in a destash sale online somewhere.  However, I doubt that would happen, because I can't imagine anyone wanting to remove this polish from their collection.  So, don't forget to check out the Grace-full Nail Polish Fan Facebook Group so you don't miss out on any more amazing Limited Edition polishes, and also to see the photos of all the amazing polishes swatches that members have put up on the site.  I fear if you do you may well become as addicted as I am, and your bank balance will suffer the same as mine.

To finish my manicure I used Shades of Phoenix Top Coat, which went on really well over both polishes.  The Grace-full Nail Polish "Twinkling Violets" had a slightly rough finish, so I added a second coat to my ring fingers, and that smoothed it out beautifully.  I also made sure to wrap my top coat over the tips of my nails to give me even more protection for my polish.  

Here are some more photos of my manicure, including a macro image of Grace-full Nail Polish "Twinkling Violets" which will give you some idea of just how much glitter there is in the polish.

 

Inside Under Artificial Light

 

Outside In The Shade

 

Macro of "Twinkling Violets"

So, that's my manicure for this week.  I hope you like it as much as I do.  If you do, please check out the two amazing Aussie Indie Polish makers at the links given above.  You certainly won't regret it if you are an Indie Polish fan - these are definitely two of the best brands available online.

Thank you so much for visiting, and if you'd like to leave any comments, I would love to know what you think, whether good or bad.  I will be back in a couple of day's time, God willing (and providing Australia Post get their act into gear for a change), with a new collection from a very new Aussie Indie Nail Polish maker, and some really exciting news, but I'll have to make you wait for the information about that until then, and leave you wondering - oh, I'm so mean!! I hope you'll come back often to see what I have to share with you about my nail art journey since my dance with Breast Cancer, chemotherapy and radiotherapy last year (2014).  It's been a rough ride at times, and the last couple of months have been particularly bad health-wise (more about that later, perhaps), but I'm getting there!

God bless you, and have a wonderful week.

Hugs

Christine

(Please check out my other blog below, too.)

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

Update On My Nails and Latest Arcane Lacquer Purchase 9 May 2015

Today I have an update on how my nails are recovering from the disaster I had with some nail glue and acetone nearly 2 months ago (see earlier post for more information), and also some photos of my latest purchase from Arcane Lacquer.

Firstly, here is a photo of my nails as they are today. Please excuse my ugly hands, which are partly the result of age, but also from losing a lot of weight over the last couple of years, and of course there is no way to get rid of the excess skin.  If anyone knows of a way of improving them I'd be very grateful for your advice, because I hate looking at them as they are now.  I slather them in hand cream throughout the day but, although they feel nice and soft, they look horribly wrinkly and OLD!

 

As you can see, my nails are coming along pretty well.  The nails on my right thumb and left pinky are only just growing past the nail base, as are the nails on both of my middle fingers.  Also, many of them are still lifted off the nail bed, the most obvious of which are my two index fingers, but I'm hoping that they will recover as they get stronger and healthier.  Most of the horrible brown, flaking tips caused by my chemotherapy last year are finally growing out, and the nails behind them are a lovely, healthy pink. My cuticles are looking so much better, and so are my nails, so I'm starting to feel a lot better about the way things are going. 

So, if I can keep them safe for another week or two, it looks like I might be able to start painting them again very soon.  I'm waiting for a new strengthener I ordered to arrive (Australia Post up to its usual standard), and this one is supposed to actually strengthen them immediately as well as treating them, so it should be amazing.  More on that when it arrives and I've given it a try.  In the meantime, I'm using Sally Hansen Miracle Cure on them every other day, and continuing to use my Jojoba Oil, Revitanail Keratin Strengthening Serum and Nourishing Oil, and Revitanail Hand & Nail Cream throughout the day, especially after washing my hands.

I have so many new nail polishes in my stash that I am dying to try out, including the two beautiful Arcane Lacquer polishes below.  This are another Indie Polish brand that I am very quickly becoming addicted to.

 

The one on the left is "Glorious Nightmare" and the one on the right is "State of Grace".  It was soooooo hard to get the true effect of these polishes, although the "Glorious Nightmare" photo is pretty close to the mark.  I have two close-ups of them below, and the one of "State Of Grace" shows some of the shimmer and micro-glitter which you can't see in the photo above, but the actual colour is a bit darker. 

  

"State of Grace" is described as a mushroom/taupe creme with a strong gold shimmer and flecks of orange and green, along with gold flakies, although I would describe it as grey. You really have to see this in real life to appreciate its true beauty. "Glorious Nightmare" is described as a deep purple jelly with berry pink, lemon and purple micro glitters. They both are absolutely beautiful, and I can't wait to try them out, which I'll be able to do very soon, God willing.

That's all I have for you today, but I hope to have more very soon when some of my purchases that I'm waiting on arrive.  I hope you will come back often to see what I have to show you, and you can follow me if you wish to by going to the top right-hand side of my page.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day tomorrow, and may God bless you.  For anyone going through treatment for breast cancer, my prayers are with you, and I hope that you come out the other end OK.  My mantra now is "I'M A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, AND STAYING ONE".  I actually found a badge with that written on it online, and I'm going to start wearing it everywhere.

Hugs

Christine

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

I was not paid in any way, shape or form for showing you these polishes.
 I bought them with my own money, and my opinions are given freely and without bias.

Caring For Your Nails Before, During and After Chemotherapy

I have just realised that, despite the main aim of my blog being to help others who are going through chemotherapy, I haven't put my nail care advice guide, that I wrote just before I started my blog, on the site.  Silly me!!!!!  So, here it is, and I hope it can help keep someone going through chemotherapy from experiencing what I went through with my nails.  Firstly, I'd like to show you the damage done to my nails by the chemotherapy.

Caring For Your Nails Before, During and After Chemotherapy

Before I started chemotherapy for breast cancer, I was told by my oncologist, and the breast-care nurse, to paint my nails with dark nail polish to protect my nails from the sun's UV rays, and to hide any damage that might occur.  Despite using nail polish, my nails were still horribly damaged - they went a horrible brown colour, started to flake and peel, and even started to come away from the nail bed.  I went searching for information to help me repair my nails, and also ways to care for them once they were looking good again.  No one told me any of this information before I started chemotherapy, but if they had, I possibly may not have had any of the problems with my nails that I did.

So, I decided I wanted to try to help prevent all the beautiful women (and men) going through chemotherapy from going through the same experience I did.  Here are some things I WAS NOT TOLD that you really need to know BEFORE you start chemotherapy.

1.  Prevention is better than a cure, of course, so be prepared and start early. As soon as you know that you are going to have chemotherapy, start using the nail and hand routine below, and do it every day without fail.  Hopefully, this may stop you from getting the severe damage I did.  I can't promise it will prevent all the damage, but it should help a lot, and should definitely help to keep your nails from drying out.

2.  Buy yourself the best CUTICLE OIL/NOURISHING SERUM you can afford.  Revitanail and Sally Hansen make some really great ones that nourish, strengthen and protect your nails, but there are other brands out there too.  They are readily available from pharmacies, department stores, beauty shops, Priceline stores and, of course, online.

     

     I have recently discovered that PURE JOJOBA OIL is the best thing you can use on your hands and nails, so I am using that now, too.  It is available at health food shops, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse, but it is a lot less expensive online, and there are many companies that sell it.  Check out eBay, or just Google it and you will be amazed by the other uses it has, too.  It's also odourless.  AMAZING STUFF!!!  

    I would suggest you use both the cuticle oil and Jojoba Oil to give you even more protection from damage.  Massage one of them into you nails and cuticles every time you wash your hands if you can, but at least twice a day, morning and night.

3.  ALWAYS use a GOOD QUALITY BASE COAT on your nails before applying your nail polish, because today's nail polishes are made to adhere to the base coat, not your nails.  It will help stop your nails from being stained by the nail polishes you use, too.  You can also get strengthening and nourishing base coats - even more protection and nourishment for your nails.  Availability is the same as for the cuticle oils. 

4.  Apply as many coats of nail polish as you need to get the coverage on your nail you want, waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next coat.  Usually two coats are enough, but some polishes require three.  Apply thin coats, because the thicker the coat the longer it will take to dry.  They are available from the same places as mentioned above.

5.  If you want your nail polish to last more than just a few days, you should use a good quality TOP COAT to stop it from chipping and getting damaged.  There are some great top coats available, from the companies I have already mentioned, and of course from the same places.  Reapply your top coat every other day to make your polish last longer.

6.  Finish off by applying a good quality HAND AND NAIL CREAM.  Massage a generous amount into your hands and nails at least twice a day, but more often if you are washing your hands a lot, because washing dries out both your hands and nails.

7.  Always try to use gloves when you are washing the dishes, gardening or cleaning around the house, because they, too, will help to prevent your nails from getting damaged.

8.  Always use an ACETONE-FREE POLISH REMOVER, because acetone dries your nails out, and is very harsh on your cuticles.  There are some great conditioning ones for different skin types. They are available from the same places as the other nail care products.

9.  Every time you remove your nail polish, massage your cuticle oil/nourishing serum into your nails and cuticles several times, over a couple of hours, before applying your next nail polish.  This gives the oil/serum a better chance of getting right into your nails and cuticles, and will really make a difference to how strong and healthy they are.

10. Don't use a metal nail file or emery board on your nails, because they will only cause even more damage.  Buy a good quality Czech crystal/glass nail file , which is a lot finer and so much kinder to your nails.  Manicare sell a great one which I use.  Don't be tempted to buy a cheap Chinese one, because the quality is inferior and could cause damage.

11. There are ECO-FRIENDLY VERSIONS available for all the products mentioned above if you are concerned about the environment or have allergies.  These are usually advertised as being 3-free or 5-free, which means they don't contain the nasty chemicals most of the other polishes do.  Just Google for more information and where to purchase them.

12. Lastly, one of the most important reasons for putting nail polish on your nails is that it not only helps to protect your nails, but THEY WILL LOOK GREAT, too, and that will make you feel better about yourself, and that has to be a good thing.  When you see the range of nail polish and nail art products available, even scented ones, you will be amazed at how attractive you can make them, it will really lift your spirits, and may even help to take your mind off what you are going through, which is what happened with me.

If this information helps to keep just one person from getting the damage chemotherapy did to my nails I will be happy.  Seeing my nails the way they were was so depressing, and that was the last thing I needed, and the last thing YOU will need while you are going through your chemotherapy treatment, and afterwards, during your recovery period.  If you already have damage, it's never too late to start looking after them.  It really is worth the effort.

Here's a photo taken on 25th February 2015, less than five months after the last photo was taken, showing the improvement which following the above regime has made to my nails and cuticles.  There is still some damage, for example the lifting from the nail bed, but I'm hoping that will improve with time, God willing.  Most of this improvement has come since starting to use the pure Jojoba Oil mentioned earlier.  Please do give this amazing essential oil a try.  It's an absolute miracle worker, and makes your hands and nails feel great, too.

I would like to wish you all the best for your journey through your cancer treatment, and hope that you reach the other end with a good outcome.  Look good and you'll feel better!

© Christine Chipman 2014

 My Nail Art Journey - http://chips48nailartjourney.blogspot.com.au/

My Manicure For 9 January 2015

Firstly, my manicure from last week lasted 7 days with very little damage at all.  I really am amazed at the way my OPI Base Coat and Top Coat perform for me.  They keep my mani so crisp and bright, and unless I actually hit my nail on something, I get very little wear at all.  I'll be looking out for larger sizes of these two products for sure, especially the top coat, as I use it every second day.

Nothing very exciting this week, but I thought I should still show you what I did.  The products I used were:  Sally Hansen Nail Rehab Strengthener, Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Base Coat, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Fruitti Petutie, Savvy by DB Confetti, Calvin Klein Hallucinate, and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Shine Base and Top Coat.  I used the Sally Hansen base and top coats because I was using Sally Hansen nail polish, and they should work well together.  We will have to wait and see. Also, I still am struggling with cleaning up after I apply my nail polish.  I've got a new clean-up pen, and am still working out the best way to use it.  So please forgive the rough finish around the base of my nails.

I started with one coat of Sally Hansen Nail Rehab Strengthener because my nails haven't been doing very well just lately.  The damaged section is getting very dry, brittle and fragile, and my middle nail on my right hand is still being held together with a "tea bag" patch.  Just after taking this photo today (3rd day of my mani) I knocked my thumb nail on my left hand on the bench and took a chunk out of the tip of it.  I wanted to cry, becauses that nail was just starting to recover from a previous break and was looking pretty good.  I've filed it back a bit with my nail polish still on, and added another coat of top coat to it so that, hopefully, it will last until my next manicure in a few days.

Next, I applied one coat of Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Base Coat. I haven't tried this base coat before, so it will be interesting to see how it performs. Then I applied three coats of Sally Hansen Fruitti Patutie to each nail, followed by one coat of Savvy Confetti glitter to my ring fingers.  I did dab a few more bits of glitter in a couple of places to give it better coverage, but I didn't really need to.  There is so much glitter in this bottle of polish it is unbelievable.  It has heaps of small white, mid pink and dark hot-pink hexagonal glitter, with teeny, tiny little bits of the same colours filling just about every gap in between.  The base is clear, but you wouldn't think so when you look into the bottle.  It is just gorgeous, and could be worn with all sorts of colours, or perhaps on its own if you used two or three coats.

I wanted to add a little more interest to the look, so I finished off my manicure with one coat of Calvin Klein Hallucinate, which is a beautiful holographic glitter in a milky, clear base. I love this polish, and have used it a couple of times in the past because it gives me just the right amount of shimmer on my nails over any colour I've tried it with.  This is another polish I'm going to be keeping an eye out for while I'm looking around online. I'm not sure where, or even if, I can get it anywhere in stores in Australia, so I'll probably have to go to ebay for it, like I did last time.

I know it isn't a very exciting design, but I had a very busy week, so I needed something easy and quick to do, and I wanted it to be pink because of the pink cricket test match that was played in Sydney last week, and Jane McGrath Day in particular, when people are asked to donate funds to the McGrath Foundation.  This foundation, for those who don't know, was the brainchild of Jane McGrath, the wife of one of Australia's best ever cricketers, Glenn McGrath, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, and then with secondary breast cancer, which turned out to be terminal.  Jane realised that there were too many women living in regional and country areas of Australia who have to travel many, many hours to get to a hospital where they can access treatment for breast cancer, and possibly have to stay for days at a time, far away from their families when they really need them close.  She thought that, if there were enough breast care nurses in Australia, they could travel to the patients instead, and take the treatment to them, and also be there to support them, and their families, through their breast cancer journeys, whether the outcomes are good or bad.  After she passed away, the running of the Foundation was taken over by her best friend, Tracey Bevan, and Glenn, and it is so wonderful to see her dream coming to fruition.

It was the 10th anniversary of the Foundation this year, and 7 years since Jane passed away, but every year the test match played in Sydney is taken over by the colour pink - and the number of people who turned out in pink on Jane McGrath Day this year was astounding.  In fact, if you didn't have something pink on you stood out like a sore thumb, and you would really would have felt out of place.  Sponsor's logos turned pink, the stumps on the pitch were bright pink, the players wore pink caps, and had pink emblems on their clothing, and even the commentators for the match wore pink - one even had a complete suit, shirt and tie on. (They were all men but one, but the way.) Talk about commitment to the cause!!!!

This is an amazing charity and, after just 10 years, the Foundation now funds 101 breast cancer nurses throughout Australia, (and there should be more after the fundraising during this match), and their aim is to make it possible for every woman diagnosed with breast cancer, no matter where she lives in Australia, to have access to a nurse, and they believe that 200 nurses should be able to achieve that.  So, God willing, that won't be too far down the track.  It takes over $AU300,000 to fund one nurse for 3 years, and they won't take on a new nurse unless they have the funds to commit to that, so you can see what a big achievement this has been, and what a long road they have ahead of them. If you get the chance to donate to the Foundation, please do so.  I know how important the breast care nurses at the hospital were to me last year when I was going through my treatment, and they do an amazing job looking after us, but don't often get the recognition they should.  So, thank you from the bottom of my heart to the nurses who looked after me last year when things were so tough.  You wonderful nurses all deserve medals, and are worth more than words can express!

So, that's me for this week.  Please let me know if you like my nail art designs, or not, and I'd love you all to leave comments to encourage me if you could.  I've finally found the widget that allows people to subscribe to my feed and follow my posts, so I hope you will join and come back often to see what I've been doing with my nails, or what new goodies I've found to share with you.  I scored some amazing new polishes this week, at bargain prices, so I might get my hubby to take some photos of them and share them with you in a day or two.

God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Hugs

Christine

(Please check out my other blog below, too.)

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

Headwear and Gifts for Cancer Patients

I have just received an email from the most wonderful site for cancer patients online.  They have just upgraded their site, and they have every type of headwear you could wish for if you have experienced hair loss during and after chemotherapy, or you may know someone who has. Beautiful hats, scarves, turbans, wigs and accessories, and also beauty products and fabulous gift items to help you or your loved one look good and feel better. Or you can show your support for someone you know who has cancer, and is experiencing hair loss from their cancer treatment, by purchasing one of these wonderful items for them, or even for yourself.

The name of the site is Headcovers Unlimited, and you can find them at http://www.headcovers.com/.

If you are about to go through chemotherapy, or have been through it and have lost your hair, and you want something to make you feel better about yourself whilst going through this horrible trial, please check them out.  I purchased several items from them while I was going through chemo, and five months later I'm still wearing them because my hair still hasn't grown very much.  It's coming, but I've been advised to keep it really short for a while, to strengthen it and hopefully thicken it, too.

Or, maybe you're looking for a gift for someone you know who is going through chemotherapy, or is about to.  There are some wonderful gift items and beauty products on the site, and you could even buy them a scarf, hat, turban or even a wig.  All these things would make your loved ones feel a whole lot better.  Take it from someone who has been there, done that.  I was particularly taken with the beautiful Cancer Awareness jewellery, keyrings and magnets they have in their gift section.  There are some absolutely wonderful items here, and they would make fantastic Christmas presents for the people you care about who are suffering from one of these dreadful diseases.  Cancer is horrible, and so are the treatments for it, but you can help to make it a little easier for them, and brighten their lives, by purchasing one of these beautiful items for them.

Of course, there are others who would love these items as well.  People suffering from alopecia, trichotillomania and other medical hair loss conditions would also appreciate any of these products.  Or perhaps you want to wear one of the gift items to show your support for the people sufffering from all the different types of cancer.  Everyone is catered for here, so I know you will be able to find something you like.

Please, check the site out now.  You will be amazed at the quality of their products, and the range of items available.  Here's the link again.  http://www.headcovers.com/

God bless you, and have a wonderful day!

Hugs

Christine

(Please check out my other blog below, too.)

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

P.S.  I have received no incentive in any way, shape or form to promote this site.
I am just speaking from my own experience, not for any gain.

Follow-up To Last Post

Here are the pictures of my nails done on 26 October 2014 using the Essie Breast Cancer Awareness Collection I talked about in my last post.  The picture on the right is the one that is closest to the true colour of the dark pink polish.  It's even brighter and a bit deeper than it looks here.  Absolutely gorgeous!!!!!

I started with the essie "Grow Stronger" base coat, which came as part of the collection, but as you can see, I did not use the pale pink polish, essie "I Pink I Can".  When I put it on, even after 3 coats, I could not get an opaque coverage, so I scrapped it and went all dark pink instead.  The colour was gorgeous, and the polish was quite free-flowing, but I just couldn't get an opaque finish.  Then, as always happens, that very night I discovered what could be a solution to the problem, when I found a tip that said to try putting a white polish on your nail first to make your colours "pop".  I might try this polish again doing that, and if I do, I'll definitely mention it.

The dark pink polish, essie "Pink Happy" was amazing to use.  Even with just one coat it was completely opaque, but I added another coat just to help the manicure last longer. The colour is absolutely gorgeous, and is actually a lot darker and brighter than it seems in the bottle, and it went on so beautifully I would definitely recommend it.

The pale pink glitter, essie "Pinking About You", is gorgeous, but not easy to apply.  I found it tended to clog on the brush, and I worked out that the best way to apply this was by letting most of the polish run off the brush, and then dab the glitter on until I got the coverage I wanted.  The glitter is in lots of different sizes, from tiny little white specks to quite large hexagon shapes, and on the "Pink Happy" polish it actually looks almost white.  It is very effective, though, and I will definitely be using it again.

I finished with 2 coats of Manicare Glam Nails "Nail Art Top Coat" over the two ring fingers with the glitter, and 1 coat of Revlon "Quick Dry Top Coat" on all the other nails.  I will be topping them up every other day with 1 coat of the Revlon top coat, and I will let you know in my next post how long the mani lasts before I have to remove it.

Overall, I was very pleased with the collection, except for the coverage of "I Pink I Can".  I'm fairly pleased with the look of my mani, although my hands still look awful :(, and I will definitely be using all these colours again.  I hope they stay as part of their permanent collection and don't disappear too soon. I'll have to see if I can get some full-size bottles of them all as soon as possible in case they are discontinued.  I will probably use the pale pink for dotting, marbelling, and other forms of nail art instead of as a full nail cover, unless I get good results from using the white beneath it.

So, that's my mani for October 27th 2014.  I hope my next one will be a bit more interesting, because Breast Cancer Awareness Month will be over, and I can start using different colours instead of just pinks.

God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Hugs

Christine

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

Essie Breast Cancer Awareness Collection 2014

I almost went into raptures when I received my Essie Breast Cancer Awareness Collection 2014 in the mail today.

The colours are just awesome, and I'm going to use them this weekend when I do my nails for the last week of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I've seen swatches of the gorgeous pink glitter on both of the pink polishes in the set, and it looks wonderful on each one.  I've really fallen in love with these colours, and that's why I just had to share them with you.

The collection consists of 5ml bottles of Essie "Grow Stronger Base Coat", Essie "I Pink I Can" (which is a scrumptious pale pink), Essie "Pink Happy"  (which is a bright dark fuschia pink), and Essie "Pinking About You" (the most amazing pale pink glitter I've ever seen).  Here are photos of each item in the pack in the order I have listed them.

When I have done my nails this weekend I'll post a photo of them so that you can see how beautiful (hopefully) the colours look together.  (Please don't expect wonders, because I am still a beginner :D and have only been doing my nails for about 2 months now.)

Have a great weekend, and God bless you all.

Hugs

Christine

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

The Start Of My Nail Art Journey

It is now 6 weeks since I finished my chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for Breast Cancer (after having a huge lump of my breast removed), but I will be on hormone therapy (or I really should say anti-hormone therapy) for at least another 5 years, and according to the latest research, it could even be for 10 years, to try to stop it coming back again. So I'm on the road to recovery, but I'd like to encourage all you ladies out there, young and old, to make sure you check yourselves regularly for breast lumps, because too many women, especially young ones now, are being diagnosed every day with Breast Cancer of one type or another. Don't just leave it up to your regular check-ups, either, because I was 2 months from having my scheduled breast screen when I found the lump myself.  If I'd waited another 2 months it could well have spread further into my body, and I would have a lot harder, longer course of treatments ahead.  So, ladies, PLEASE DO IT RIGHT NOW!

I'd like to show you what my hands look like at this stage of my journey, as of 19 Oct 2014.  

Here is a photo of both of my hands, and you can see how bad my nails and hands are after all the treatment, and this is six weeks after finishing my treatment.

 As you can see, they look absolutely ghastly.  Unfortunately, today I had to file some of them back because the nail on the middle finger on my right hand, which I have been nursing along trying to save by using patches, finally gave way, as you can see in the photo.
Oh, well, these things come to try us!

Now I'd like to show you close-ups of each hand separately, showing the details of the damage.

So, now I have to repair all this damage.  I wish someone had told me before I had chemotherapy that I should use cuticle oil and/or strenthening serum, a base coat and a top coat on my fingers, instead of just telling me wear nail polish to help to stop them getting damaged. 

Please, ladies, if you know anyone who is going through chemotherapy, or someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer that is going to require her having chemotherapy, tell them the proper way to look after their nails. I would hate for anyone else to go through what I've been through with my nails.  And, my nails are in the process of growing out now that I have learned what to do about them (notice the pinker, softer looking areas at the bottom of each nail).  I wish I'd taken photos when they were first damaged because they were horrible to look at, and watching them start to flake away and pull away from the nail bed was scary, to say the least.

I will keep you updated with how my nails are progressing as time goes by, and hopefully there will be great improvements, especially as I'm going to be starting to use a new cuticle oil treatment containing Jojoba Oil, which I have heard, and read, is simply amazing for damage to nails, and almost anywhere on your body.  Especially on your face and hair, too.  I can't wait for it arrive so I can get started.

I will be posting shots of my nail art results, hopefully at least once a week, and I will also let you know about any great sites I come across during my travels out their in Naill Art World, so please come back often to see what I've found.

Thanks for checking out my blog.

Hugs

Christine
Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/

How My Nail Art Journey Began

I discovered the world of nail art when my nails were destroyed by the chemotherapy and radiotherapy that I went through in the middle of 2014. I was told that I should wear nail polish, but not that I should use a nourishing treatment, or a base coat under my nail polish, or a top coat on top of my nails.  Consequently, my nails ended up brown, flaking, chipped, and peeling away from the nail bed.  I needed help, so I went searching the web.

Thus started my nail art journey, as I quickly discovered the wide world of

NAIL ART!

I now use nail art every week, nourish my nails like there is no tomorrow, and search the web every day for new ideas, hints and tips. What I hope to do on my blog is tell you what I have discovered about caring for my hands and nails, show you my weekly manicure, with details on brands and colours used, and also have lots of links to great nail art sites I have found and fallen in love with.

So, please join me as I start my nail art journey, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I hope to! Who knows where this journey will lead me?  Only time will tell!

Hugs

Christine

(Please check out my other blog below, too.)

Words of Life and Hope
http://wordsoflifeandhope.blogspot.com.au/