OPI Gelcolor

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OPI Gelcolor - Icelanded a Bottle of OPI

To date, I own two OPI Gelcolor polishes.

  • Bubble Bath – because I am boring practical it is pretty and simple.
  • I’m Not Really a Waitress – because it is a classic. As soon as I knew it existed in the OPI Gelcolor formula I had to buy it.

I’d own more if it weren’t so damn difficult to get my hands on. Like full-sized Gelish bottles, OPI Gelcolor is officially distributed only to professionals. You know, so us plebeians don’t destroy their reputation or something.

OPI Gelcolor Key Points (Mini-Review)

My experience with OPI Gelcolor has been overwhelmingly positive. The two colors I own:

  • apply with relative ease. On a five point scale, I’d rate it a 5
    (for reference, I’d call China Glaze Gelaze a 4 in ease of application, Red Carpet Manicure a 3, and Gelish a 2)
  • cure properly in both my original and new Sensationail LED lamps without issue
  • wears gracefully and with longevity – I usually get 12 solid days with my application.
    (important note: I don’t have the full OPI system – I don’t use their base and top coat when I DIY!)
  • soak-off removal is easy

The bad news:

  • INRAW isn’t quite the same as the classic, regular nail polish formula.
    This isn’t uncommon with gel versions of existing colors.

In short – I really enjoy the product even if my classic favorite is a bit different.

Deviating from the Norm

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Cuticle Oil & Pedicures

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Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil

This is a legacy post that I’ve given a facelift. Content is the same but may have been edited for clarity, flow, and with some thoughts from 2017.

In retrospect, this seems really obvious. Maybe it already occurred to you, but it only occurred to me recently.

Good Riddance to the Remnants

I was removing the remnants of my last DIY pedicure (China Glaze I’m With the Lifeguard; a delightfully obnoxious shimmery lime green). I didn’t do a full pedicure with callus removal, but I did file the nails into a more respectable shape and length, gently bullied the cuticles back to where they ought to be, and cleaned up the errant bits of the eponychium.

Normally, at this point, I’d throw an AHA lotion on them (like Alpha Hydrox’s 10% lotion), some cotton socks, and go to bed.

2017 Update: I don’t bother with an AHA lotion for my feet anymore with my foot care routine. Instead, I just use any thick lotion I have lying around – right now, that’s this Hawaiian Tropic After Sun lotion. It smells like lime and coconuts and summer – which is great when October is in denial about what season it should be.

Cuticle Oil + Pedicure = No Brainer

This time, I skipped the lotion because (lazy moment) it wasn’t in arm’s reach. Instead, I slapped some of my Josie Maran Argan Oil Light on them, massaged it in, and went about my evening.

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No Buy Pause

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No Buy

Before long it will be time to give my No Buy pause and make some calculated beauty purchases. Soon, the infrequent (and therefore precious) sales shall be upon us. I am not unrealistic – I’ll want to shop.

No Buy Pause Plan

The Bottom Line

There will be more purchased as I hope to maintain my Sephora VIB and Ulta Platinum statuses for 2018. If I plan and am deliberate, I am confident I can meet those thresholds without buying random stuff I don’t feel strongly about.

Fortunately, I continue to be underwhelmed by holiday collections. so there’s little temptation there. The only thing I have been stricken by so far are Urban Decay’s new Heavy Metal glitter liner shades. I love the one I own, but definitely don’t need to add more to my collection – so it is easy to get over.

Home Sweet Home – Travel, Argan Oil, & My Bag

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A post shared by Beauty Skeptic (@beautyskeptic) on

The travel I recently mentioned has come to pass. Fortunately, my trip to Texas resulted in no major skin or hair crises with argan oil at hand

It did result in some good food-related things and some nice window-seat photos. I’m bad at Instagram, but cloud photos from thirty thousand feet get me inspired.

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Garnier Fructis Grow Strong

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Garnier Grow Strong Shampoo and ConditionerGarnier Fructis Grow Strong Shampoo & Conditioner
photo from Target

Intended this for publishing on Monday, but apparently I’m awesome at WordPress and it came out a little early. Don’t worry, the schedule is correct for the rest of the week!

First things first: I received Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Shampoo and Conditioner for free to try courtesy of BzzAgent (and, of course, Garnier). I was not paid to create this content. Anyone can join BzzAgent for free and qualify for BzzCampaigns – you receive free product provided you agree to review it.

Even though my current shampoo and conditioner situation is working out, I’m open to trying products from brands I’ve had luck with. I used Garnier Fructis products with relative success for years when the brand was new-ish. Since then, the brand’s offerings have changed a lot and I’m less familiar with their landscape. Garnier Fructis Grow Strong, which is paraben free and vegan, claims to support hair by making it 10x stronger. I tried it to find out.

The two stars of the Garnier Fructis Grow Strong duo are (per Garnier’s label) Apple Extract and Ceramide.

Apple Extract

In reality, this means it contains malic acid, which is an acid produced by apples, but also all fruits (among other things). Along with glycolic, lactic, and citric acid, malic acid is a part of the alpha hydroxy acid family and is occasionally a component of skincare products.

Malic acid is part of why apple cider vinegar rinses are recommended for no- and low-‘poo regimens. Some people claim that malic acid (and ACV rinses) can stimulate hair growth. This skeptical jury of one is out on that; AHAs interact with living cells, so I suppose it is plausible that they could stimulate the scalp into doing what we want. Otherwise, applied to just the hair shaft itself, it isn’t going to promote hair growth.

Ceramide(s)

These waxy lipids help the hair (or skin, in the case of its natural presence in skin or in skincare) bind together. Think of those ultra-close-up views of what a strand of hair truly looks like: it is essentially a cascade of tiny scales. Ceramide helps them stick and lie flush to prevent damage to the hair’s cuticle. Their presence assists the hair in trapping and retaining moisture. Both of those effects result in stronger hair by:

  • directly reducing the likelihood of breakage
  • improving moisture retention (which also reduces breakage risk!)

Net result is you win because you have healthier, fuller hair. You can learn more about the interaction between ceramide and hair at Longing4Length, who has a nice article on it.

Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Shampoo & Conditioner

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