Hey Guys,

Let me start with saying I love the feeling of having freshly painted nails. It just makes my hands look so pretty and feels like a little bit of luxury. It's such a treat for me to set aside some time and pamper myself. The dream is to be able to go to a salon and get them done professionally, however I just don't have the time or the money! I think I have found a great alternative. Cue CND Vinylux Weekly Polish.* If you haven't heard of CND before, it may be because they are widely used in professional salons. However with the release of their weekly polish it is now easier for us to get this salon quality at home. The idea is you apply two coats of nail polish and one coat of the top coat and you are left with nails that will last up to 7 days.

The four polishes I was sent are:- Radiant Chill (£6.95, 15ml), a beautiful rose gold colour, Ice bar (£6.95, 15ml), a shimmering iridescent colour, which works great as a topper, Alpine Plum (£6.95, 15ml), a metallic lilac and finally the weekly top coat. I have enjoyed wearing the colours, together, on top of each other and creating feature nails using them. Tried and tested, I can say they do actually last the seven days, as long as you use the top coat. The top coat is where the long lasting technology comes in. With exposure to natural light over time the nail polish becomes more durable and long lasting. This also explains the black bottle it comes in (as to not allow any light into the bottle). The only wear I saw after seven days was slight chipping near the bottom of the nail, where natural wear and tear would occur. 

In the above pictures I applied Ice bar over the Ring finger nail to create a shimmer over the top of the other colours. I really liked this effect and think it added a little dimension to the nails. One thing I will say is the nail polish has a very strong smell. As do most nail polishes, however I put this down to the fact these are salon quality nail polishes. The rounded shape of the brush and formula of the nail polish make it very easy to apply. The bottles suggest two coats of nail polish however I only applied one as the colour pay off was great. I would recommend buffing the nails prior to application to totally smooth your nails out, as the metallic effect can cause the ridges in your nails to show a little more.

Overall I am really impressed with the nail polishes and think they would make a great stocking filler or gift. The colours are perfect, so feminine and perfect for the upcoming Winter months. Have you used CND before? Which colour is your favourite?

Amina xx 

*PR sample. All opinions are my own.

Hey guys,

Hope you are all well. Gosh hasn't it got so cold this week?! I always find at this time of year my hands start to dry up and I start using my hand cream constantly. To keep my hands looking pretty I sometimes wear nail polish - usually for special occasions. I am by no means the type of person who wears nail polish constantly; one, because I don't have the time to and see it as a little pamper, and two, I find that nail polish can also leave your nails feeling brittle and weak if worn for prolonged periods.

So when I heard about a nail polish that was 'breathable and water permeable' I was eager to find out what it was all about.

I was sent two nail polishes by LENA, a nail polish brand: 'My Mind's Gone Casa-blanc-a' and 'I'm Sooo Modestly Dressed' (£6.95 in sale, usually £8.95), as well as a top coat (£8.95). LENA offer nail polishes that allow oxygen and water to penetrate through them and therefore make contact with your nails, which in turn makes them healthier for your nails. So, long gone are the days of having yellow, brittle nails! Also, relevant for Muslim women, the nail polishes are Halal. This is a breakthrough, as when performing Wudhu (the cleansing process before prayer), this isn't completed properly if you're wearing nail polish, as the nails can't be cleansed. However, with LENA, because the oxygen and water makes contact with the nail, it means it is no longer a problem. Because of these reasons, and as a Muslim woman, I can justify spending the extra couple of pounds on purchasing LENA nail polishes rather than a high street brand.

LENA offers a variety of colours which are suitable for everyday use, they also have metallic colours which would look fab for a special occasion. Whilst I admire their creativity, one thing I couldn't quite get my head around when scrolling through the different shades, was the names of the nail polishes - a bit of a mouthful to say the least! Also, not having the name printed on the bottles will make it difficult for reordering. However, I really liked the shape of the brush which made application easy. Also, with the nail polishes being water absorbent, I did think that this might mean they wear and chip quicker, however I didn't notice this at all and the nail polish lasted just as long as any other nail polish I've tried.