Happy Skin X KC Concepcion Express Gel Polish in Beauty and Power Review

Happy Skin Express Gel Polish in Beauty and Power

SRP: P299/each

Available in: Happy Skin kiosks and online

I used to blog way back 2015 and the very first beauty products that I took interest in were nail polishes. I even used to post nail arts and designs which I hastily deleted because I don't think I'm ever good at that. I developed an obsession with collecting tiny bottles that there was a moment when I had more or less a hundred unused pieces in my stash. Eventually though, I got tired of removing chipped nail arts and colors and making sure there are no traces of yellowed stains left. I sold some of them, others were made for household use or thrown because they just expired.

The love did not die down completely though. Every time I see them in shelves, I still find them so inviting. Gel polish became a trend soon after and I wanted to try one but always hesitates because it still requires me purchasing a UV lamp. Last December, Sample Room stocked up for some holiday picks and these nail polishes was one of those. I eventually spent my points for these two because why not? Look at their shades...they are exactly what I'd pick up if I'm gonna buy a lipstick.

CLAIMS

For the first time ever, homegrown skin-caring brand Happy Skin collaborates with actress, TV host, and jewelry designer KC Concepcion on a limited edition HappySkin X KC gel polish collection. Known for her love for polish and all things feminine, the 2-piece collection was inspired by her favorite flower, the rose. 

A celebration of self-love, inner strength, and women empowerment, the first polish is fittingly named Power, which features a deep cherry hue. The second shade, Beauty, features a luxurious apricot color, a striking modern nude.

Chip-resistant & long-wearing, this dries quickly and cures in natural light-no UV lamp needed! Hydrolyzed Keratin helps make nails stronger and Almond Oil helps nourish.

PACKAGING

I love the overall packaging. It looks fancy and feminine especially with the rose design. Twist the cap open and you'll see the wide, slightly dense applicator that makes the job done easy as it covers a huge area of the nails in just a swipe.

TEXTURE AND PIGMENTATION

On first coat, you will already get a strong pop of color. You can enhance it by adding a second layer for an extra shine and better color buildup. I like that the formula is thick and creamy so it's feels good to apply. It just dries quick so you have to really blend it as fast as you could to avoid a clumpy finish.

LONGEVITY

Product stays put for about two (2) days. I noticed that mild chipping happened on day 3 on the bottom and upper part of my nail beds. This is pretty much usual as I tend to unconsciously rub and use my fingers to scratch skin whenever it itches. I do the dishes too, clean and mop the house and I like washing my hands every now and then. The picture below shows the manicure after 7 days. There were chipped parts but only on the outer areas of my nail bed, inner part is still intact. This is quite an achievement because regular nail polishes don't make it for a week.

NOTE: I applied the product as is. No base or top coats used in the demo. Base coat is necessary to avoid heavily-stained nail beds.

PERFORMANCE

Overall, I'm quite happy with how they turned out. Both shades are beautiful and suitable for any skin complexion. I like the fact that it's very convenient to use--no UV lamp needed and you get to have well-manicured nails with a shiny finish just like a regular gel polish (even sans top coat). I've tried a gel polish once before and I would say that wears longer but still Happy Skin Express Gel Polishes are quite an investment for women on-the-go. If you are someone who's very busy but still wants chic and stylish nails, go for these. It saves you time in every way.

💕💕💕

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REVIEW: Caronia Nail Care Top Coat, Base Coat, and Cuticle Conditioner

Got a problem with easy-chipping nail polishes? All it takes is just a day and there would be slight cracks and peel on your nail bed already? Say goodbye to them now! Because you can now have professional-like manis and pedis in the comfort of your own home! What I'm going to review is the Caronia Nail Hardener And Base Coat, Caronia Fast-Dry Top Coat and Caronia Kwik-dry And Cuticle Conditioner.

In 1968, founders of Vibelle Manufacturing Corporation, Don Vicente Ang and his wife Belen introduced the first locally produced nail polish brand in the Philippine market, Caronia.

Caronia, named after the luxury ship, RMS Caronia easily became a popular brand among Filipinas because it provided them an alternative to limitedly available imported nail care brands.

Caronia Nail Hardener And Base Coat (PHP49)
Caronia Fast-Dry Top Coat (PHP49)
and Caronia Kwik-dry And Cuticle Conditioner (PHP39) 

CARONIA NAIL HARDENER & BASE COAT

If you want your nail polishes to stay longer on your nails without chipping or anything, I suggest that you use a base coat. To tell you honestly, I don't use any base coat before applying nail polish back when I was elementary nor when I was in high school. But when I became so addicted to nail polishes, that's when I became more aware to things essential for healthier nails such as base coats, top coats, nail polish remover.

Tell you what, this is my first ever brand of base coat that I was able to try. The next one is the San San (I'll be posting a different review for that one). Anyhow, Caronia changed my views whe it comes to nail care. Number rule which I have known: Invest in an efficient base coat prior to using colored polishes. It will prevent stains and will help in making your nails fuller and stronger with every coloring.

What it claims: Protect your nails from breaking and chipping with a base coat that locks on to nail polish color!

What I like:

• doesn't look cheap.
• prevents my nails from yellowing
• retails for only PHP39 for a 15ml bottle
• does what it claims
• makes my nails harder which always weaken when cleaned using cuticle pusher
• dries quickly
• widely available

What I don't like:

• smells like rugby.
• brush is so thin that it takes too much strokes to cover my nails with base coat
• has 30% Toulene, Formaldehyde, and DBP! For short, it has the Big 3 Toxins we always dreaded and wanted to avoid on products (Anyhow, it doesn't matter if you're not a health conscious. But I am! And as I said, I never care to nail products before as long as there's nail polish. I have already bought it before I discovered that nail polishes also has toxins which might be harmful for the health)

CARONIA FAST-DRY TOP COAT

If you're really into nail polish, without a top coat will definitely make you feel that your manicure isn't done well. Like a house without furniture. While you can top off your polishes with colorless, Caronia Fast-Dry Top Coat assures you to dry your nails even faster.

What it claims: Get durable, glossy finish in express time!

What I like:

• very effective in drying my nail polish faster
• very good in providing your nails that glossy look even after days of handy works
• protects your nails from chipping. (Well, with base coat and top coat, I noticed that even after a week, there is still very minimal to no chipping which is a lot better than having applied nail polish only)
• 15 ml bottle costs 49php only
• doesn't contain the Big 3 Toxins except I'm using it together with the base coat
• widely available

What I don't like:

• smells like those rubber balloons that children always wanted to play
• makes me feel dizzy everytime I caught a whiff
• the brush is too thin for my nails (I'm having thin nails as well)

CARONIA KWIK-DRY & CUTICLE CONDITIONER

While I already topped my nail polish with my preferred top coat, I still apply Kwik-Dry & Cuticle Conditioner. Although it's not that necessary (in my own opinion) since my top coat is already fast-drying, I still apply it for conditioning purposes. It also prevents my nails from getting smudges, dirt and even light touches--which I always get from certain activities--which ruin my manis and pedis. Anyways, who would want ugly nail polish? Of course, you would want it to be as perfect as the first time you apply your nail polish. So if you would want a well-moisturized, added fast-drying components and smudge-free nails, you definitely would want to give this a go!

What it claims: Dry your nail polish faster and keep it smudge-free while you condition your cuticles at the same time!

What I like:

• totally Big 3 Toxins-free (though, as I was saying, using it together with the Caronia Top Coat does not make any difference at all)
• has mineral oil for further moisturizing effect (Best use it at night before you sleep to find you nails the next morning totally smooth-looking!)
• very cheap as well for only 49php for a 15ml bottle
• doesn't smell strong like the top coat and base coat, probably because of its ingredients
• Widely available

What I don't like:

• None

WOULD I BUY THIS PRODUCT AGAIN?

As of now, I'm still in the process of trying out new things to find what suits me best. But in any instance I'm not satisfied with any product which offers the same service, well, yes, I am most certain to buy these again!

Have you tried any Caronia product? Feel free ro share it here with me! Happy blogging! xx

SWATCH AND REVIEW: Wonder Woman Nail Polish Duo by Bench

Hi, guys! Wanna tell you that I so love this nail polish duo I bought from Bench! But first, et me show you the things that I used for my today's manicure before we proceed to further details!

(From left to right: Caronia Nail Hardener & Base Coat (for holding nail polish) 49php, Wonder Woman Nail Polish Duo in Gold, Wonder Woman Nail Polish Duo in shimmering pink 129php (available in all Bench stores nationwide), Caronia Fast-Dry Top Coat to fully seal the color 49php and Caronia Kwik-Dry & Cuticle Conditioner for smudge free nails 49php, and the San San Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover Pads 49php)

So here's another nail polish blog post. Today, I'm going to show you my most honest thoughts about this Nail Polish Duo by Bench. How I got this? Well, As my mom and I went shopping and everything, this suddenly caught my attention. Obviously, it's the packaging. It just looks great! Although I don't like the blue handle. It looks like a typical polish handle though it doesn't look cheap. Plus the nail polish is heavy, probably because of the heavily-lidded glass packaging. As I paid in the cashier area, I happen to notice the different shades of nail polish display just right behind the wax and other hair styling products of Bench. I actually didn't know that Bench also sells nail polish. I guess I am not that so keen as when I go there, I just look for tees or pants only.

So yeah, as the cashier punch all the stuff we've bought, I took the chance to look at their polish, and I saw these!

I'm really glad that when my mom saw me looking at them, she insisted that I include those on the things that we're buying. And that's how I got these! Maybe mom just saw this on me that I'm internally drooling over the polishes lol haha!

There are actually three of these, one has this red and blue duo, while the other one is gold and red. But since I fell in love with these gold and pink first, I chose them instead! I am actually planning to buy the other two next time I drop by Bench.

After applying base coat, I applied my first coat of this pink one on four nails only. Since this is a duo, I believe that I can't use just one of them, so I prefer to apply the gold one on my accent/ring finger instead. I don't know if they go well but hey, since they came from the same packaging, I think they are like a combo.

You can almost see little specks of green, gold, red, orange, violet, etc in the pink nail polish. Gold is the most prominent. So anyway, I love glittery shades, and I think that was what persuaded me to get this duo. Haha. What I didn't like is that the polish is not really opaque. It wasn't very pigmented at all that I had to apply several coats to get the finish that I wanted.

 (first coat)

Another thing I didn't like about the pink one is that it's quick-drying (in a bad way). I am just spreading the polish on my nail plate when the consistency of the fluid gets thick already. Well, for some other people, maybe that's a good thing since drying will be faster, but for me, it just makes the whole thing messy. But this isn't a problem if you have solvent for thinning out nail enamels.

As for the gold one, I have no problem with it. It just glides smoothly. Plus I really love the color gold when it comes to nail polish! Its elegance just never fades.

On my second coat, I achieved the fullness and opacity I wanted. It lasts 4 days in me before I got minimal chipping. The top coat and base coats helped a lot!

(second coat with top coat)

For this duo, you will just have to pay for as low as 129php. Not bad!

On the base of the bottle, here's a sticker there that says Warrior Princess. It's kinda made me feel like I am a warrior too lol! I guess it refers to the duo color? It has no ingredients listed on the nail polish. However, the full details are to be read on the plastic packaging.

So yeah, I think that's all I have to say! Happy blogging! xx

My San San Nail Polish Collection!

My life this past couple of weeks involved window-shopping, stalking for new products and of course hoarding things to test them out. It’s because we previously lost our internet connection so I always get bored. Initially, I spent half of my June savings for some products and pieces of clothing that I might need for school.

We all know that June-July is the midyear so sale on goods are here and there. If you are a fashion/beauty junkie, I definitely would not have to remind you of this. Hahaha! So yeah, I believe that I should not let these months pass without hoarding some of the things from my wish list.

From L-R: Pants from Whoops at PHP399
Couple of Pants from Bench at PHP399/ea
Nail Polishes from San San ranging between PHP36-PHP45
iWhite Korea Bundle Packs (Moisturizing Facial Wash at PHP139, Whitening Peel-off Mask at PHP199, Aqua Moisturizing Cream at PHP169, Facial Cream at PHP179)
Eskinol Facial Wash and Scrub at PHP5/ea
Skin White Lotion at PHP19.50
A’Bonne Spa Milk Salt at PHP74

Whoops Pants at PHP399

The first thing from my wish list is pants. I have at least ten pairs of it but they have grown quite big for me already. Maybe it was because of the way they were washed that they don’t fit me well any more. So that’s why I had to buy some. I target high-waists pants or those that have rips on them but when I saw this at the mall at more than fifty percent off (from P1195 to P399), I immediately went to the fitting room and got my size. I bought the blue one first on size twenty-five but soon figured out that it’s quite fitted on my legs so I exchanged it for a size twenty-six and in this color. I think the one I tried on was tried at least a hundred times hahaha! Whoops are still on sale, by the way. They have pants in huge variety of colors and sizes at P399, P499 and buy 2 for P1200.

Bench Colored Pants at PHP399/ea

More pants!!! Bench as we all know is one of the most successful and popular local brands we have here in the Philippines. So when I found out on their Facebook page that they will have their colored pants at fifty percent off, I seriously had to run to the mall and buy these two. I got one in maroon and one in blue. And they are for PHP399 (from PHP799) each as well! I regret buying the other pants from Whoops and hoped that I should have dropped by Bench first so I would not have to buy the other pants and spend my P399 instead on the gray pants from Bench. Ugh!

And now, here's my iWhite Korea product hauls!

iWhite Korea Whitening Pack at PHP199 for 95g tube
(with two sachets of teir facial cream)

iWhite Korea Aqua Moisturizing Cream at PHP169 for 50 tube ml
(with one sachet of facial cream and one sachet of nose pack)

iWhite Korea Mositurizing Facial Wash at PHP139 for 70ml tube
(with one sachet of nose pack and whitening pack)

iWhite Korea Facial Cream at PHP179 for 65ml tube (New packaging)

I am an avid beauty junkie, as you can tell. I still have lots of unused face products on my stash, but I feel like I had to buy some more. iWhite products has been on my wish list for a long time now and I’m really happy that I was able to buy them now. I’ve been using the peel-off mask but I only buy those in sachets. So it’s my first time to buy them on tube. I’ve used the facial wash before because it was included on one of the promo pack I bought back then but I was still in grade school that time and I haven’t even started blogging yet and I already forgot how that facial wash works so it’s my time to use it again together with the other iWhite products. I’m actually quite excited for my review post!

I also think that I’ve been an impulsive buyer again but when I really saw iWhite products on bundle packs, there’s no time for thinking twice in buying them. I can tell that these are the old package and they are re-packaging but I don’t care since they still have the same active ingredients and contents are still the same.

The tube for the face cream above is the example for the new iWhite Korea packaging. I’m planning to buy its bundle pack but there’s no more stock so I had to buy the new one and they are more expensive than the old ones.

Stocks are very limited so if you want iWhite products at lesser prices (bundle packs) with free sachets of their other products, I suggest you hurry to the nearest Watsons/department stores in your area now.

A Bonne' Spa Milk Salit at PHP74 for 350g

I’ve been reading good reviews about it so I bought one for me to try out. It wasn’t really expensive so I was surprised. I also think that it would be a good substitute for St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub for a fraction of its price. It wasn’t on sale, but who cares? I wanted it and it’s one thing from my wish list as well. Will post a review about it soon.

From L-R: San San Top and Base Coat at PHP36 for a 12 ml bottle;
San San Nail Polishes in Blue Sapphire and Purple Topaz at PHP37 and PHP45 for a 12ml bottle

I didn’t bought them from the mall but I had to include them in my mid-year purchases. Watch out for my review about the San San Top and Base Coat!

From L-R: Eskinol Pimple Fighting Facial Wash at PHP5 for a 6ml sachet;
SkinWhite Advanced Whitening Lotion at PHP19.50 for a 10ml sachet;
Eskinol Papaya Smooth White Facial Scrub at PHP5 for a 6ml sachet

I bought it from the HBC store together with the nail polishes as part of my facial wash review. On the other hand, I bought the SkinWhite Lotion because I think it’s for the face but when I got home, I figured out that it’s a lotion. For the body!!! Anyway, will post a blog review about facial washes in the Philippines soon!

How about you? Have you bought something during the mid-year sale? Bought iWhite Bundle packs or pants on sale? You can share it here with me! Happy blogging!

Love, Hanna

San San Nail Polish In Violet Gleam Swatch & Review

Hello guys! It's February, the month of love! So it's somehow a good time to pamper by giving yourselves good manis and pedis especially if you are supposed to be going out with someone haha ya know what I mean! But that's not the reason why I changed my nail polish today since I don't have this someone right now to go out with.

It's been two weeks, I think, since I last had my diy manicure because I'm doing this National Museum campaign for my midterm in Public Relations so I really had minimal time for myself the past week. Ugh! We just presented last Saturday, thank God my team's already finished!

So anyway, for today, I painted my nails using San San Nail Polish in Violet Gleam!

What I used for my manicure today: L-R: Caronia Nail Hardener & Base Coat for 49php, San San Nail Polish in Violet Gleam for 37php, Chic Two-Way Nail Art in Ivory for 33php, Caronia Fast-Dry Top Coat for 49php, and Caronia Kwik-Dry & Cuticle Conditioner for 49php

If you read my previous posts, you'll know that I love purple shades! And that's what pushed me to buy this color instantly as I see it on HBC shop near our house!

The bottle's so cute, right? I actually love the metallic silver thingy on the handle of the bottle. And it doesn't look cheap though I bought it for less than a dollar! Can you believe it!?

And the color payoff is really amazing! I used two coats for my polish and it dries with instant glossy look you need not to use a top coat!! One coat will do actually but I added another for longer color life.

Notice that I designed my accent finger a somehow leopard look. This has been my first time to design my ring finger like this so bare with me if it looks not like those professionally applied leopard nail arts. And sorry for the blurred picture. I used a low-pixel-led phone cam for this. :(

More photos!!! I'm sorry I just love the packaging and color of San San Nail Polishes that I have at least 20 colors on my stash now!

If you can just see the ingredients, you'll know that it's Toxic-Trio free meaning that it is safe for our health! And they dry fast enough as well!

I'm not yet satisfied with my mani so I put on extra matte top coat to achieve this awesome look since I noticed that little bubbles appeared upon drying the polish so I added this! Though San San Nail Polish in Violet Gleam created bubbles, the matte top coat perfectly hid them!

So that's it! Like the color? Leave a comment if you had the same experience with San San Nail Polish! Happy blogging! xx

Love, Hanna

Chic Nail Polish in Honeydew Green Review

I am so loving my current nail polish, just sharing! LOL. It makes my nails look so yummy as it looks like legit Honeydew. They also remind me of those pears my mom loves to buy every new year.

What I love about the Chic Nail Polish is that they have a variety of shades in which you could choose from. I actually wanted to buy every single one of them since they really do have an amazing shade selection! I do not have any problem with the brush/applicator since it doesn't create streaks. But yeah, remember that applying nail polish requires a bit of skill too. Practice makes perfect, right?

It is also free from the toxic trio (Toluene, Formaldehyde and Dibutyl Phthalate.) Moreover, Chic Nail Polishes are almost available in any drugstores and retail stores nationwide. One bottle costs as low as PHP33!

There's just two things I don't like about this nail polish: the formula tends to become thick easily and could create those annoying bubbles. Best to reapply in thin layers. I already used three bottles from the same brand and they are pretty much the same.

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My San San Nail Polish Collection

I have once been a Sansan Nail Polish hoarder that I ended up with having too much bottles than my nails could handle. I love them because of the wide variety of colors to mix and match. They are easy to apply without streaks and they are long-wearing too! So far, here are the colors I enjoy using in rotation.

 

 

From L-R: Blush Pink, African Plum, Seal Brown, Velvety Garnett

From L-R: French White, Warm Blue, Sandy Brown, Purple Breeze, Tropical Lemon, Sea Green

From L-R: [Blossom Kisses, Berry Bloom, Sweet Glow (Rosanne Collection)], [Purple, Nude (HD)]

From L-R: Violet Gleam, Metallic Lilac, Touch of Beige

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