(cuticle oil from Paul & Joe (left)
and Ayura (middle and right))
I have to admit in the beginning that, to moisturize my cuticles, I prefer very emollient and dense cuticle creams and that I also use very thick lip balms on my cuticles. In general, cuticle oil, on its own, does not do a lot for me.
But I do have a weakness for cute-looking cuticle oils. A big reason why I bought these three is that they look so adorable. They are like little treats, and I don’t really use them regularly. But, when I do, I use them as a nail/cuticle conditioner underneath my hand cream and cuticle cream.
The Ayura one in the middle is what started this weakness. It was a limited-edition item included in a set a few years ago and it was never sold on its own. The three layers of oil (of pink, peach, and lime-green shades) are mixed together before use. It is well-absorbed and smells divine. (This cuticle oil was a one-off creation based on the scent
of Spirit of Ayura, one of my favorite fragrances.) I stopped using it after I decided I wanted to keep these colorful layers close to their entirety.
When Ayura’s nail items changed their packaging a couple of years ago, they released After Bath Nail Essence (a general item, not limited-edition). It is not an oil and has a serum texture. The inclusion of alcohol in this prevents it from being more moisturizing, and I make sure I apply a hand cream right afterwards.
The Paul & Joe Nail Treatment Oil (pictured left) has the same light oil texture as the Ayura limited-edition one. It penetrates well and conditions the nail area nicely before I apply my hand cream and cuticle cream.
The link to the Paul & Joe Nail Treatment Oil above shows the new version (Nail Care Oil), out on February 1st. I will be checking it out and see how different it is from the one I have…
Related Posts:
Can’t Live Without: Garnier Hand Cocoon
(one of my favorite hand creams)
Ayura Spring 2008 Collection
(a new look for my all-time favorite brand)
Paul & Joe Foundation Primer N
(tried and tested…and loving it)
by PJ on Thursday, December 13, 2007
in _I Love Colors, -Ayura, -Chanel, -Jill Stuart, -Kanebo, -Lavshuca, -Maybelline, -T'Estimo, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare, makeup, nail color/care, stash focus
Among all my favorite colors, pastel purple (lilac/lavender) has always been near the top of the list. Thanks to the delicate mixture of red and blue, purple, to me, is an elegant color with the right amount of warmness and coolness.
It has been a great accent color in my wardrobe for years (be it pastel lilac or rich violet), but it is only fairly recently that I discovered that soft lilacs look good on my face as well!
Keep pretty:
-Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst
-T’Estimo Frame Impact Eyes in 03
-Lavshuca Eyecolor Select in PU-2
-Chanel Contraste Lumière palette in Aquarelles
-Maybelline Dream Mousse Eye Color in Divine Lilac
-Clinique Glosswear for Lips in 333 La La Lilac
-AYURA Pure Nails (limited-edition lilac shade)
Keep clean:
-Radox Clean & Pamper Handwash with lavender & magnolia
Keep warm:
-Hat by Fred Bare
(My teddy bear pulls this off much better than I do…)
-Sweater by Sisley
Keep organized:
-Beauty Diary by Biteki & Albion
(from Biteki January 2007 issue)
I have noticed that Chanel, Lunasol, and Guerlain are featuring lilac in their spring 2008 collections, and I am predicting that lilac is a key spring 2008 makeup trend!
I have more lilacs on my spring 2008 shopping list, and I am sensing an arrival of Lilting Lilac Part II!
More splashes of colors!
–Girlie Pink
–Citrus Orange
–Aqua Blue
–New-Leaf Green
(pictured from left,Luscious Cosmetics Crystal Nail Lacquer in Topanga
Lip Polish in Belize
Lip Delites Lip Plumper in Palm Beach)
Luscious Cosmetics features simple packaging with a girlie edge. The items are compact and easily portable. Very travel-friendly.
Lip Polish (5ml) takes up very little space in a makeup bag. Belize is a glossy nude with delicate shimmer. Great shade for this coming season.
Crystal Nail Lacquers, Luscious Cosmetics’ signature products, come with Swarovski crystals contained separately in a compartment within the cap. Topanga is a beautiful cranberry with ruby and diamond crystals.
Lip Delites Lip Plumper is an interesting one. According to the website, it is a lip plumper to be worn 1-2 times a day for 30 days to give lips up to 40% more volume. It is not the kind of lip gloss that stings. Instead, it claims to stimulate the production of collagen.
It is essentially a gloss that you wear on a daily basis to see a lip-plumping result. Personally, I don’t usually wear the same lip gloss (or any lip gloss) every day, and, since it has color, I can’t really wear it as an overnight treatment.
But, as a lip gloss alone, it is a fair one. Palm Beach is a sheer orange that looks more wet than glossy. It looks glittery in the tube but the glitters are barely noticeable when applied. Compared with Lip Polish, it is much less glossy and it doesn’t layer as well. It is simply a natural lip gloss that feels lightweight and moisturizing.
Luscious Cosmetics seems to feature quite a few dual-function products, from nail lacquers with Swarovski crystals to lip glosses with lip-pumping effects. (Their Luscious Blooms feature two coordinating shades for face and cheeks.) We’ll see what comes up next!
by PJ on Sunday, June 3, 2007
in _I Love Colors, -Ayura, -Lancôme, -Lunasol, all about Japanese cosmetics, bodycare, fragrance, makeup, nail color/care, skincare, stash focus
Orange has been the youngest member of my favorite color family, since I discovered that I looked nice in orange (deep orange, especially, not yellowy orange) only a few years ago.
It is such a cheerful color. Also, when it comes to fragrance, citrus notes are some of my favorites as well. Uplifting and energizing!
—————————————-
Makeup
Lunasol: Contrasting Cheeks 03
Fragrance
Shiseido: Energizing Fragrance
Lancome: Aroma Fit
Skincare
Ayura: Nail Essence
RMK: Cleansing Oil
Garnier: Handcocoon Intense Nourishing Concentrate
(And…an orange!)
Related Posts:
A Spash of Color — New-Leaf Green
A Spash of Color — Aqua Blue
(cuticle oil from Paul & Joe (left)
