Thursday, June 13, 2013

Wet n' Wild Mega Last Nail Polish Review and Comparison

I love summer just like my Shine ans Sparkle Report Readers--A Whole TON!

To me, one of the best things about summer is bright mani-pedi's that feel...well....summery!  In the summer time you also wear more open-toed shoes, so a cute toe color is essential (in my opinion) to making those cute shoes look even cuter.

Trying to have great nails at home is easy once someone explains what goes into it--see my post on Salon Perfect Nails at Home).

In reducing my spending on professional mani/pedi's I have given myself a somewhat generous allowance (though much less than mani/pedi's every 2-3 weeks).  To experiment with drug store and higher end nail polishes.  I typically go for longer wearing polishes, because who honestly wants to do their nails more often than necessary? Not I said the Ms. Sparkles. 

In this post, I'm hoping to give you a report that points you in the right direction for nail polishes to make your nails shine and sparkle this summer.  I estimated prices. (Side Note: After composing this report I realized I have more nail polish than is remotely acceptable...)

Sorry the image is a bit small.  I guess you will have to read the report ;)  Like my last image, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit.

#1--Wet n' Wild Mega Last Nail Polishes* ($1.99USD)
This is by far my #1 Nail Polish.  Featured in the picture above (with your faithful Squiggles model), these polishes are by far the easiest to use and best formula I have ever used.  The thicker brushes work perfectly with the consistency of the polish to give a flawless application.  If applied right, I have gotten the nails to remain completely perfect 4-5 days.  I'm obsessive compulsive so I normally repaint after any noticeable wear, but any normal person should last at least 1-1.5 weeks without being bothered.  2 weeks if you are really chill.

The colors are very pigmented and you can get away with one coat of polish (2-3 coats if you want everyone to think you spent extra on a gel manicure).  Not only that, but they dry relatively quickly and don't seem to dry out fast at all.  At $1.99, a pop before any sales and coupons, you can go nuts and hoard them relatively guilt free.  The only down side to this collection, is the selection of colors is fairly limited  (only 18 colors).  The focus on matte colors and not all stores seem to carry the full collection.  It does make hunting for new colors pretty fun though!  Featured above are:
  • 213C-"On A Trip"
  • 208B-"Through the Grape Vine"
  • 210C-"Tropicalia" --on my nails in the picture
  • 205B-"Sugar Coat"
  • 218A- "I Need a Refresh-Mint"
(I also have "2% Milk" a very nude, vaguely pink shade.  Sorry, It's not in the picture, but you can see the full line of Wet n' Wild Mega Last Nail Polishes here.)

#2--OPI Polishes ($8 USD) + Essie ($8 USD)
OPI is the first nail polish I ever used from a nail salon, closely followed by Essie. Thus, I assumed it was these were the only polishes that would really last. There is also no doubt that if you are wearing OPI or Essie you are in the "cool kid" crowd (this matters to some people more than others).  But as I mention in my Salon Perfect Nails at Home post, I learned it has a bit more to do with technique to get it to look great and last more than a day or two being 100% perfect.  However, once the proper technique is used, the difference if formulas grant you a day or so more wear.  OPI and Essie are good, but seem to fall short of my beloved Wet n' Wild Mega Last.  The application brushes are classic and thin.  Some people prefer this, but I find that I am not able to control these classic brushes half as well as the Mega Last Ones.  That being said, both Essie and OPI have an absolutely insane range of colors and fancy effects to choose from.  They are also good solid polishes overall, I just feel much more guilty about spending $8.  Side Note: OPI has a younger and supposedly cheaper--not always, brand called "Nicole".  While the colors are cute and often celebrity inspired, they have NO lasting power.  I would save my money for something else.

#3--Sinful Colors ($1.99 USD)
 I do LOVE nail polishes that have prices starting with the number "1".  Sinful colors is actually quite good.  Affordable and acceptably effective, Sinful colors has a classic brush and a very wide range of colors and level of sparkle.  I would say Sinful Colors is a good runner up of my favorite polishes.  The polish also doesn't dry out quickly which is a major plus. 

#4--Revlon Color Stay ($6-7 USD)
I actually really like how easily this polish applies.  It has gotten excellent reviews in the beauty community.  I think they have some unique colors and good staying power.  However, I think it takes longer to dry than waiting for the return of the dodo bird and a zombie apocalypse combined.  This is what limited my purchase of this brand.  Also, it's not particularly affordable.

#5--Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear ($3-8 USD)
Ah, back to affordable polishes.  Sally Hansen is probably has the best selection of colors and effects at the drug store.  This is because they were into nails before most of the other drug store brands jumped on board.  That being said, I'm not really a girl who uses magnetized, fuzzy, beaded, sugared, or cracking polishes. I feel like I'm going crazzzzzzzy when I wear something that is neon...or anything not in the pink/purple family. Because of my aversion to nails that look like a kid went crazy with the craft box, I opted to try the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in a daring "Mint" color.  It took a while to dry (like most long wear polishes).  However, the downfall is that after 4-5 uses, it turning into a gummy mess that gave a "globule" effect to my nails. Not cool.

#5--Pixi ($8 USD), Michael Marcus ($15), Butter London ($14 USD), Julep ($14 USD)
Michael Marcus and Pixi both boast that they are free of the "Big Bad 3" (chemicals) in nail polish.  Julep has even fewer bad chemicals.
  • Toulene
  • Formaldehyde
  • DBP
Unfortunately, this tends to drive up the price and to be completely honest...the polishes a crappier.  The colors are good an bright and depending which of these brands you use, they apply very differently.  Pixi is thicker and dies up after just a few uses.  Michael Marcus has absolutely NO staying power (glorified version of the nail polish you give toddlers because it basically just puts a layer of plastic wrap on the nail and washes off when after they wash their hands twice...)  And Butter London--while actually acceptable, is not widely available.  Julep has average wear time, but is polish you should only invest in if you plan to paint while watching a marathon of the extended version of Lord of The Rings...all three back to back.  Needless to say, I think these pricy and "healthy" polishes just aren't worth the money yet.  Bring it on Formaldehyde.  Gotta pick your battles, this isn't one of mine.


So if all of this sounds like a pain the the butt, try some nail strips which I mention in option 1 of the this linked post.


Shine & Sparkle!

* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.
 

Monday, June 3, 2013

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, 3 Days To Glow, +Protect, and +Firming Review


Hello again and welcome to Summer Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

It is summer time!  This means time to look like you are chillin in the sun rather than working all day.  Today I'm going to be comparing "Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer," as well as the "+ Protect" and "+Firming" varieties*.  I shouldn't have to tell you that self tanners are a million times better than baking in a tanning bed or in the sun.  Both of the UV ray options are directly correlated with cancer...and wrinkles.  And I bet nobody wants either of those things!

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer Reviews.  Modeled by Squiggles the Guinea Pig lounging in the sun (yes, guinea pigs often photograph like jelly beans). As usual, like my last image, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit. 
You might be thinking "ugh, I bought these last summer or before.  They smelled awful."  Good news! They reformulated so they no longer have an overpowering tanning lotion scent.  Almost odorless, they are even better than before.  Don't get scared by the new packaging, they still work great.

Jergens Claims That:
"Jergens® Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer delivers fabulous, natural-looking color that lasts twice as long as the leading sunless tanner lotion.
  • Gradually infuses your skin with a blend of effective moisturizers, antioxidants and Vitamin E
  • Designed for Fair to Medium and Medium to Tan skin tones"
The +Protect version has SPF 20, and the +Firming version is supposed to reduce cellulite.

In a Nutshell:
Effectiveness: 9 of 10
Smell/Taste: 8 of 10
Packaging: 10 of 10
Economic: 10 of 10
Good for Sensitive Skin: Probably not (I would not use this on my face.  My body skin is not too sensitive, so this is fine for me.
Overall Rating: 9 of 10


Full Report

Effectiveness of this product is  great.  As I said before the smell used to be a -100,000 points, but now, it is just tolerable and then fades quickly to nothing. Hooray! I found the medium/dark version provides a lovely brown (not oopa loompa orange) tan that develops over several hours.  The result is not streaky or too drastic if applied properly. (See "Quick Tips For This Product" below).  I like that it has no immediate staining properties.  This means that it will not stain your clothes or sheets. Hooray!
Mini-Tip: I have heard rumors that the light/medium version could potentially go a bit orange.  There have been good reports of fair skinned people using the medium/dark version (with fewer applications) with good results.  I have not tried this for myself, but thought I would pass along the information.

How it works is Dihydroxyacetone (DHA).  This is a scary sounding chemical but it is a miracle worker compared to the dyes and stains of the the past.  DHA is easiest to understand if you think about it like somebody isolating the chemical that makes bananas and apples turn brown.  Yup, kinda crazy but essentially it's a chemical that starts developing a very similar chemical to melanin (what makes skin pigmented) in your skin.  Cool huh?  This means that the DHA will turn your actual skin browner and in accordance to your own current skin color, leaving it looking quite natural. It also means that it sluffs off with your normal rate of exfoliation so it can last quite a while. The amount of browing depends of the concentration of DHA.  I really like the concentration in Jergen lotions because you can gradually build it up each day and stop when you are a color you like. 

On to the different products in the line (which I have tried all of):
  • Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer- This is great lotion that can replace your regular moisturizer when you get out of the shower.  If you are just starting using tanning lotion is suggest this one.  The concentration is pretty much fool proof.  Just remember to wear sunscreen because even though you look tan, you will still burn like a piece of wonderbread in a camp fire.
  • 3 Days To Glow- This is a higher DHA concentration.  If you need to look like you have spent all winter on a beach somewhere NOW, I suggest using this product to get a more rapid result.  Doing your tan in 3 days with this product leaves much less room for error if you happen to apply unevenly or do not fully exfoliate before hand (meaning dry patches turn EXTRA brown which looks funny).
  • +Protect- I LOVE this product.  It is the same as the Daily Moisturizer but it has 20SPF.  If you don't think SPF 20 is good enough, please check out this article about High SPF Sunscreens: Are They Better? You don't have to worry about putting on sunscreen after you lotion has fully dried.  Just slap on and go.  When you are sitting out on the patio, it will even seem like you are tanning, but in reality, it's just your Jergens slowly kicking in.
  • +Firming- I originally got this product because I figured, why not try and eliminate some unwanted cellulite and maybe look a bit firmer?  But in reality, it is the same product but it leaves your skin feeling....oddly smooth.  More like a Barbie butt than a baby's butt.  Just...not good. Stick to the moisturizing ones.
I will say that the lotions have a small amount of micro-fine glitter in them.  This washes off easily.  Honestly I didn't even notice until I was sitting in direct sun, and had my chin resting on my arm.  I then looked at my arm with my nose pressed against it and said "Hey, I think my lotion has glitter."

Packaging is a lotion.  I like this better than gels, foams or sprays because you can get a more even and targeted application.  It might take a bit longer but you can ensure that it looks natural.  The bottle sits so that the product is naturally drawn to the opening so you can get at every last drop of product.

Price is about $8.50USD (without sales or coupons).  Buying 2-3 bottles of this is equivalent to one $35 spray tan at a salon.

Quick Tips For This Product:
1) Exfoliate like crazy before application. Yes, any dry or rough patches on your toes, elbows, or knees will be darker than the rest of your tan.  Dead give away that you are faking it until you make it.
2)  Apply a thin layer of normal lotion to knees, elbows, toes, ankle bones (anywhere that is normally dry) to limit the absorption of DHA in those areas.
3) Don't apply to the bottom of your feel (looks really weird) or your face.  There is a face product, however, I find it better to just use a bronzer on my face to get a matching sunkissed look.  If you are a guy, maybe the face lotion is for you don't wear make-up (however I have known men who wear foundation/concealer/tinted moisturizer, who doesn't want seeminly flawless skin?)
4) Wear gloves.  Though you can try and wash your hands immediately after applying to avoid the palms of your hands turning brown (super weird looking), I just don't think it's worth the risk.
5) Apply the lotion in circular motions and feather it out onto hands and feet.  Actually, Jergens has great videos on applying the lotion so it looks natural and great tips as well. I also like gloves because you waste less product (since some absorbs into your hands). 

So all in all, I really recommend Jergens as an affordable solution for your summer tanning needs.  No cancer included!  While I have not experimented with other self tanners (more expensive or not). I haven't bothered to experiment because I am very happy with this product.  This is saying a lot as a beauty blogger who tries new everything just-because-I-can.

Shine & Sparkle!


* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.