Pretty Serious Cosmetics Polish - My Latest Purchase and RAOK - 27 May 2015

I just had to come back and tell you about some more gorgeous polish I received last week, as well as three fantastic nail care products.  Some I bought, some were a Random Act Of Kindness from a dear friend I've made online through her blog and interaction on Facebook.

However, firstly I'd like to tell you that I hope to be able to do my first mani, after 9 weeks of going naked due to the nail glue disaster, this coming weekend.  Finally my nails have all grown past the nail bed, so it's safe to polish them again.  You have no idea how chuffed I am to finally be able to plan a manicure and, because I've done so much retail therapy to help me recover, I think I'm going to have to do full skittle manis for the next few weeks so that I can feature all the amazing polish I've accumulated.  I also think I may have found a place where I can buy storage cabinets for my nail polish, and if I have, I will share the news with you when I get them.  I saw one in my doctor's surgery treatment room, and it is exactly what I've been looking for, but the nurse couldn't remember exactly where she bought them.  She thinks it may have been from one of the hardware stores, so I'll be checking out Mitre 10 and Bunning's ASAP.  Please pray that I can find some, because the situation is becoming desperate.  I'm nearly drowning in nail polish and nail art supplies and tools, with nowhere to store them.

Now, on to the polish, and the nail care, that I received last week from Pretty Serious Cosmetics. Three of these products I purchased myself, and the other three were a RAOK sent by Christine of the Serenity Nails blog, for which I thank her so very, very much. I didn't know people like her existed any more, but I've made some amazing friends since starting my blog, and following other people's nail art blogs, and I've found they are all so helpful and encouraging.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

As you can see from the photos, all Pretty Serious Cosmetics nail products come in beautiful boxes: nail polish in gorgeous purple boxes, and nail care in gorgeous blue boxes. To start with, I'll tell you about the polish, and then I'll go on to the nail care products.

The first polish is "VT100", is described by Kaz, the owner of Pretty Serious Cosmetics and maker of these beautiful polishes, as a "fabulous emerald green filled with golden micro-glitter!".  I found it too hard to really capture the beauty of this polish, but if you click on the name, it will take you to the page on the store's site where you can see more photos.    It will open in a new window and take you there straight away. This is the green I've been looking for to use on St Patrick's Day, and probably at Christmas time, too.  Oh, and it's on special at the moment, and I think is going to be discontinued, so if you want some you'd better get there right away before it all disappears!

The second polish is "Kashmir", described as "a dark red based purple jelly with golden and copper microflakes, colour shifting purple to blue glass fleck and red opal flakes." Designed by Christine from the Serenity Nails blog, but made by Kaz.  The colour and shift is just soooo complex, and amazingly beautiful, and I was blessed with this polish by Christine herself, as part of the RAOK she asked Kaz to add to my order.   Check out Christine's amazing swatches on the Pretty Serious Cosmetics site by clicking on the name once again. It will open a new window and take you there straight away.  You can also see her review of this polish on her Serenity Nails blog here.  Her blog has been such an inspiration to me since I started doing nail art and looking for ways to repair and continue to look after my nails, and I know you won't be disappointed by her reviews, etc there.

The third polish is "CGA", which seems to no longer be available on the site.  I bought it while it was on special, and it has been discontinued, so unfortunately you won't be able to buy any, unless you can pick some up somewhere online in a destash or from a friend.  The only way I can describe "CGA" is as a pink/lavender creme with a blue-green shimmer.  It is just so pretty, and I wish it was still available. 

Now on to the Nail Care items from Pretty Serious Cosmetics.

Pretty Serious "Rock On" is a nail strengthener described as "just what you need to revitalise weak, peeling, break prone nails. This amazing formula strengthens the nail without hardening to allow for flexibility and minimised breakage. No more brittle nails here!"  As you know, my nails are really weak and fragile from my chemotherapy last year, and I have tried so many products that claimed to strengthen my nails AND protect them while doing so, none of which have lived up to the "protection" side of things.  However, with my first application of "Rock On", my nails were immediately stronger, and I haven't had a chip or break on them since last week.  Before that I was getting chips, peeling and breaking constantly throughout the time I've had naked nails while waiting for them to heal.  So, you can imagine how amazed I was to find them feeling so strong and flexible straight away.  Some of my nails are really thin, and were still a little too flexible, so I am using 2 coats of "Rock On" on them.  Of course, I know the permanent strengthening TREATMENT part of this product won't really take effect for at least 2 months or more, but at least I know that they will be protected while I'm waiting for the old nail to grow out.  I just wish I'd discovered this product when I first started doing my nails back in September/October.  So, please check it out if you haven't already done so.  You won't regret it, I'm sure.  Christine of Serenity Nails has done a wonderful review of this product, with instructions on how to best use it, and anything else you need to know about it, here.

"Cuticle Hero" is one of Pretty Serious Cosmetics' newest nail care items, and is described thus:
"If you need something a little more heavy duty than our Cute Cuticles range, then look no further. Our new Cuticle Hero is the hero your dry cuticles have been holding out for! Created from a blend of spa quality massage oils, Cuticle Hero will save the day leaving you with a smile and a delicate orange scent."  This product contains nut oils, so people allergic to nuts should beware.  I have been using this on my nails and cuticles ever since receiving it, and they simply slurp it up as though they are dying of thirst.  It has the most delicate citrus aroma, which hasn't affected me at all, even though I'm normally allergic to perfumed products, which give me asthma.  I've used it at least 3 times a day, and most days even more, and you can see by the level of the oil in the bottle in the photo, which I only took today, you only need a very small amount on each cuticle, so a bottle this size would last you for ages.  Find out more information on the site here.

"Harden Up" is another of their newest products, and Kaz says "We ain't got time for weak, puny, brittle nails! Get this strengthener on your nails right now! Harden Up helps thin, overly flexible nails find their inner strength. It's time to Harden Up, princess!"  I haven't tried this product yet, but if it is anywhere near as good as their other products that I have tried, I'm sure it will do my nails the world of good.

"Cuticle Hero" and "Harden Up" were part of the RAOK Care Package, and are definitely an amazingly thoughtful gift, for which I am very, very grateful.  Thank you so much, Christine.  You'll never know how much your generosity has touched my heart.  You are an angel sent from above, and I'm so glad that we met.

Pretty Serious Cosmetics is an Australian based company creating cruelty free and vegan products, and they ship worldwide, so nobody need miss out on any of their wonderful products.  I, for one, will be buying many more items from them in the future, and am really looking forward to receiving another package from them as soon as I can afford some more.  As I use these products for my manicures and nail art I'll will review them in more detail for you.

I'll be back in a day or two with the details of a stash that I received today, but that's it for now.  Thanks for visiting, and I hope you'll come back often to see what I have to share with you.  You can also follow my blog if you so wish by filling in the boxes at the top right-hand side of the page.

Have a wonderful day, and God bless you!

Hugs

Christine

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

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

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.