I didn't really do any Vday mani this year, as I really didn't get the inspo. I did wear this gorgeous pink holo, which I think pink is sort of Valentinesy. BTW I have swatched and posted this before
here. This is one of the indies that I wish came back. The polishes went beyond my expectations, and none of the ones I have are faded. I did a destash sale (my store
here), and when I was organizing my polishes, I was shocked to see all the fading indies. Glitter curls too *shrugs*
I didn't want to do a post about all of the faders and shine a light on the negative side of indies. Instead, I wanted to show one of the pretties that is still going strong, and that I still love. Perfect application, finish, and drying time after a few years. That being said, if you have any faders that you would like to talk about, I encourage you to use the comment section here.
Another thing that I wanted to talk about is the Kokoist Builder Gel. For this, you will need a Led or UV lamp to cure, as well as a brush. I have posted one of their soak-off Kokoist gels on my IG
here. They have a wide range of colors and they are very durable. I stumbled onto the builder gel on night, because I was looking for something that would allow my nails to repair, when broken, while not necessarily wearing gel polish and not making them look so thick. I know that the quality of Japanese products is exceptional, and I have tried a couple of their gels before, so I took a chance on this expensive tub of plastic.
The result was a thin layer of smooth gel that is very sturdy. The best part is that it can be worn under regular nail polish, as you can see it in these pictures. I apply it over a gel basecoat, cure it, wipe off the sticky layer, and then I can apply whatever I want over it for two weeks. My nails grow strong, and they don't break or bend. I have waited to review this until I was sure that it worked. It is consistently good, and their customer service is superb. I still change my mani every 2-3 days and I remove it with OPI expert touch which does not disturb the builder gel. Can you tell I am wearing anything over my natural nails other than my holo polish?
Layering Order:
Gelish Basecoat
Led 5-45 Lamp
Kokoist Excel Builder
Led 5-45 Lamp
Essie Strengthener Basecoat
2 coats Ethereal Lacquer Lilac Haze
OPI DS Topcoat
Where to buy in the US:
http://www.kokoistusa.com/product-page/excel-builder-20g
Unfortunately, Ethereal is nowhere to be found except destash sales
If you find something wrong with this post, please let me know, broken links, type-os, different opinions, etc.
These items were purchased by me or sent to me by a friend. The above are not affiliated links.