Between working, medications, and constantly experimenting with nail extensions on myself, my hands are trashed. Dried out, peely trash.
So in an effort to restore them to some kind of presentable condition before I go off to nail school next year, I'm going to share with you all the products I have tried and what I think.
Let me also say that I know NOTHING about the chemistry side of things. This is just my experience and thoughts. If you want to know more sciencey stuff, I highly suggest checking out the Lab Muffin. 
So depending what you do with your hands depends what kind of cream you need. I know some people apply every time they wash their hands, but I personally like to use a heavy one at night - I love that feeling of leaving a heavy cream over night and waking up with baby soft hands, and I keep a light one for top ups throughout the day.
So here are 7 of my top picks of hand and nail creams that are readily available:

Revitanail
Hand and Nail Cream
Over the last couple of years I have gone through a few tubes of this particular cream. I would classify it as a day use cream but it is slightly on the heavier side. But having said that it has almost no oily residue to it, so when I feel my hands need a little extra TLC while I'm getting all dried out in an office, this is one of my go to's. The scent is also quite light, floral and quite subtle. I also like that it boasts having pearl extract and calcium which are meant to be good for your nails (which is always my no. 1 beauty concern!).
Check their FB site for more information. Revitanail is available at Priceline, Coles, and selected pharmacies.

OPI Live.Love.Carnaval

For summer OPI have released these adorable packs to get your nails beach ready. There are 2 variations, one with Shorts Story (A cute pink) and one with Live.Love.Carnaval. You get a base coat, colour and top coat from the Infinite Shine range in a cute box. This is the perfect set for anyone who hasn't jumped into the Infinite Shine range yet - and it's worth taking the plunge as the colours are SUPER shiny and claim they can last 11 days (although I have to admit that I never wear a polish that long. I have to change almost every day!). 

So because I can never leave a colour alone, I stamped using a cheap tropical plate off eBay, and the Born Pretty white and black stamping polishes.

The OPI Infinite Shine Packs retails for $45.90 and are available in David Jones and Myer. 

BeautyBigBang Stamping Plate

Stamped over ORLY Mirror Ball and coloured in with the Neon Tints from Emily De Molly 

I was sent this stamping plate for review, and seeing as I LOVE Christmas I couldn't help but do a bunch of different nail designs using it. Although it is a small plate, it has plenty of designs to work with - which I like as quite often you get plates where some of the designs aren't nice or particularly usable. I used a range of stamping polishes for these designs, but I found the images a little hard to scrape - they took a couple of passes with the scraper to get the image clear, but once I practiced a little it was fine. You can see the black worked best. They have a great range of original design plates so even if it's a little close to Christmas, it's worth having a look.

This stamping plate is available here. Be sure to use my discount code for 10% off - OMC.

Stamping polish used is Hololulu Blue from Hit The Bottle

Stamped with the white stamping polish from Born Pretty

BeautyBigBang Crystal Skulls

Ok so these would have been perfect for Halloween, but it's never too late for crystal skulls right? I got sent these beauties from Beauty BigBang. Now I know these are available in a few places, but the thing I loved about these specific ones is that you get a pack of 20 for not much money, and they have a whole bunch of colours available. I was also impressed with how duo-chromey and sparkly they are. As they are flat backed, they do stick out a little on the nail, but I just used a giant glob of nail glue to keep them secure and they stayed put for the few days I had them on. You could always got a glob of acrylic if you really want these babies to stay on. 

The only downside, the purple coating did rub off. This picture was taken after wearing them for 24 hours. However as bad as that sounds, it actually make them look even more sparkly with the clear showing through, so it didn't actually bother me.

The Crystal Skulls are available here. Be sure to use my discount code for 10% off - OMC.

Colour By TBN polishes

Reverse stamping over Mirror Mirror

A little while ago I got my hands on a bunch of Colour by TBN polishes. To be frankly honest I hadn't heard of this brand until recently so I wasn't quite sure what I was in for. This is a brand you will find at chemists, but my local isn't somewhere I normally go so I had to go for a hunt. So I love these. Like I know I love all polish, but I really loved these. They are super cheap for good sized bottles and the colour pay off is amazing! In fact better than quite a few more expensive brands I have. They also have a great range of colours, and I think they will be my new go to base colours. The other amazing thing is that the creme polishes in this collection actually water marble well. I'm absolutely terrible at water marbling but I got them to work like a treat.

So here are some pics of art I have done using these polishes, and some swatches of the colours I have.

Find your closest Colour by TBN stockist and check out their full range on their website here.

Beautybigbang Chrome Powder

I recently got sent some products for review from Beauty BigBang. The first one I had to get onto my nails was their silver chrome powder. I already have quite a few chrome powders of varying qualities, but this is up there with one of the better quality ones. You only get 0.5grams, but it is very fine powder and you don't need a lot. 

I'm pretty sure everyone knows the drill by now, but this is to be used over a gel no wipe top coat. What colour you put on underneath changes the colour a little (although I don't think it is as obvious as it looks like on their website). I did this over a pastel purple and white on the ring finger. To be honest I didn't love the purple but the white looked amazing. And because I have a nail art addiction I then did some stamping over the top. I love how bling it looks! 

The Silver Chrome Powder is available here. Be sure to use my discount code for 10% off  - OMC. 

Models Own Colour Chrome

 I have been eyeing off Models Own polishes for ages as one of those magical unicorn brands from the UK that we couldn't easily get here in Australia, so when it was announced that Priceline was going to start selling them, I may have wet myself just a little bit. So the first polish range they are selling is the Colour Chrome collection. I have got my sticky hands on most of the collection to share with you.
So I will start by saying that they are not as chromey as chrome powders over gel polish, but for those who don't do gel, this is about as bling as it gets. Like all chrome polishes they are a little streaky and they dry insanely fast, so you need to apply super quick (and I mean SUPER quick). You also need to shake the bottle up quite a bit to get the full chromey effect. But once you have the hang of it they are amazing and apply with one coat.
As an added bonus, these babies stamp super well!!!!! It always makes me excited when a mainstream polish stamps well, especially when they are affordable. So with each of my swatches I have included a stamping swatch.
Models Own polishes are available from Priceline Pharmacy stores and at www.priceline.com.au

OPI XOXO collection

It's that time of year when all the Christmas polishes start coming out, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on this adorable mini kit with all the OPI XOXO collection in it. 

In case you're interested in this kit, it comes with 25 minis - 12 XOXO and 13 classic shades and is $89.95.

The XOXO collection is 12 shades with lots of gorgeous shimmery colours, and a couple of holos which I am SO excited about! The formula is great as always, the darker colours I have done 2 coats and the lighter colours I did 3 to make sure they were nice and opaque, but you can probably get away with less. 

Coalmates
A dark grey filled with loads of silver shimmer. It also apparently has some holo in it, but it's almost impossible to see. Great formula and only needed 2 coats.

Opallac Gel Polish

 

A while a go I got send this amazing pack from Opallac, and I have featured their amazing thermal colour changing polishes before, but as I did a fresh set of nails on the weekend I am going to take you through the process with me.  

First of all, you need to prep your nails - so pushing back cuticles, buffing lightly and I like to dehydrate them with some rubbing alchol. I didn't do this this time as I just had some fresh acrylic on, so no pictures of that.

 

First up we start with a thin coat of base coat. 

 

Then nuke it in the lamp for 30 seconds. 

Kiss Acrylic Press On Nails

I should really title this post as TMI - I'm going to get a little personal with you today. I've mentioned before that I have a growing obsession with acrylic and press on nails, but apart from the obvious reason that instant long nails rocks, I wanted to share why. But before I start on my rant, lets look at some nails! There are both press on nails from Kiss from their Acrylic range. They claim they are 10x stronger and don't chip. And from my experience I would totally agree with this! I am getting an easy full week wear from these and they look as good as when they were put on. In fact the top picture was taken after a week of wear! I only took them off because I get bored after a week. 

Kiss nails are available from www.keysun.com.au/store/b/kiss-nails or from Priceline and Big W stores around Australia.

So here is the super abbreviated explanation - almost 3 years ago I got sick. I thought it was food poisoning of the explosive kind. It was horrible but I thought if I slept it off it would eventually go away. But it didn't. After many doctors trips and hospital visits I started developing more and more symptoms like a tremor, my leg would kick by itself, extreme dizziness, and worst of all was the deep pain all over my body. I was bed bound for a long time. Doctors had NO idea what was wrong with me. They initially thought it was MS but nothing was showing in test results. Eventually I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder - IE the pathways in my brain are wrongly wired. After trialling a heap of medications and a lot of rehabilitation I am slowly recovering and am getting my life back together. 

What does this have to do with my nails? Well because I mentally couldn't cope with the pain I kept clawing at my own skin, which left me covered in scabs. I discovered through my nail obsession that if you have acrylic or press on nails, they aren't sharp enough to do any damage to the skin. So after a few months of wearing them I've gone from looking like a leper to looking pretty normal (apart from a little scarring). So my nails have become a really important part of my healing process! 

Before falsies

After falsies

Halloween Nail Art

With just over 2 weeks until Halloween - I thought I would share a bunch of nail art that I've done just in case you aren't already following me on Instagram (and if you're not, go now.... you know you want to @onemorecoat ). I'm sure I will have many designs yet to come n, but this is what I've done so far  - along with 2 designs from previous years just because I still love them so much.  

At least I have my nails sorted - now I just need to plan something to do on the actual day! 

Stamping over OPI Turn On The Northern Lights

OPI Iceland Collection

I recently got my hands on 6 of the colours from the new Iceland collection from OPI. This is a lovely collection for spring (I know it was created for autumn, but hey some of us live in the more awesome hemisphere ;) ) as most of the colours are muted pastels making them super flattering and perfect for some nail art. I need a special shout out to Turn On the Northern Lights! as it is the closest polish I think I own the the original formula of Max Factor Fantasy Fire. Not as sheer but it has the some lovely sheen to it. 

Each of these swatches is 2 coats and without topcoat because they seriously dry so fast and shiny by themselves. 

The OPI Iceland Collection is available now from David Jones, Myer and selected salons nationally.

Aurora Berry-alis

I’ll Have a Gin & Tectonic

One Heckla of a Color!

This Isn’t Greenland

Suzi & The Arctic Fox

Turn On The Northern Lights!

Kiss Artificial Nails

Recently I got sent a bun.ch of artificial nails from Kiss and seeing as I have literally gone a month now wearing them, I thought I would share with you all. Now lets all take a moment to marvel that this is an entire post on my right hand! Recently I have been wearing acrylics, and as I HATE doing them on my right hand because I'm too uncoordinated. So wearing these babies was the best solution. 

There were 2 types - the imPRESS and Gel Fantasy The imPRESS ones have sticky tabs on the nails that you just peel off the protective layer and put them onto the nail. The Gel Fantasy came with both sticky tabs separately and a stick of nail glue. I tried out both and in both cases got 5-6 days wear out of them. I could have gone longer but I can't stand it when my nails start to look a bit rough so I had to take them off. They certainly didn't pop off on their own accord! My only complaint with the tabs is that they make a tiny gap around the edge of the false nail with the real one. It's not really noticible until you run your hands through your hair and it gets caught. Or when you decide to make meatballs and get raw mince stuck under there!
The first 2 I have take a picture after 5 days of wear so you can see how well they last up!

Kiss nails are available from www.keysun.com.au/store/b/kiss-nails or from Priceline and Big W stores around Australia.

After 5 days - the nail has bent a bit and the white is worn

After 5 days - the tips of the blue nails have peeled a bit. 

More Born Pretty Products

I recently got sent some more pretty products to play with from the Born Pretty Store. Be sure to use my code VHW10 to get 10% off full priced items. 

How beautiful is this unicorn powder? Glad to finally find an affordable powder that is so stunning! This is over white gel with some caviar and stones.  0.2g BORN PRETTY Neon Unicorn Mirror Powder Ultra-thin Nail Art Mermaid Chrome Pigment Powder (#40320) 

How adorable is this stamping plate? I used the Ulta3 watercolour range to colour it in (OMG I wish that range was still available :( ) Square Nail Art Stamp Template Sketches Painting Image Plate BP-X39 (#40241) 

These nails feature another adorable stamping plate - I just need to pretend it's summer! I coloured these in with the Emily de Molly sheer neon polishes.  Icecream Image Plate BP-X33 6*6cm (#40235) 

This is a powder that changes colour in the sun, that I've rubbed into the tacky layer of a white gel polish and stamped over. Photochromatic pigment (#40140) 

How awesome is this crystal skull and diamond?! Totally saving these babies for Halloween 💀 Black gel with matte top coat spots for fun. 💎. 3Pcs 3D Skull Diamond Manicure Nail Art Decor
(#40398) 

Indigo Effect Powders

A while back when I first got obsessed with mermaid powders, I fell in love with the original Indigo Mermaid Effect powder. So while I was at the Beauty Expo, I stocked up and bought a whole range of different colours. So here are swatches of them all. Now as I've said before, you sadly need to be a nail tech to get these babies from their website, although there are some available on eBay if you don't mind paying a little more. 

All the powders I have done over while gel polish except the holo Metal Manix and Glass me. 

Mermaid Effect - Pastel Pink
This was my favourite of all the new powders I got. It is a delicate pink with a strong blue/gold shift to it.

Mermaid Effect - Tiffany
This one has a similar shift to the pastel pink, although the shift isn't quite as strong.

Mermaid Effect - Aquarius
A more blue version to the Tiffany. To be honest you may not need them both, but it is still very pretty.

Metal Manix - Holo
There are no words to describe how holo this powder is. It's just crazy! This is over black gel with a no wipe top coat.

Holo Fuchsia Effect
A more scattered holo effect, more like a fine glitter but is quite opaque and the holo is quite pretty.

Pixel Effect - Snow White
If you've seen my swatches before of the classic Mermaid Effect powder, then you can see how similar this is - just a much chunkier glitter. And the shift is divine. I've worn this over a few colours now and they always come out stunning.

 Mermaid Effect - Neon Orange
My poor camera could not deal with how bright the neon powders were. To be honest they have no where near as much shift as the pastel Mermaid Effects, but still a fun powder to play with.

 Mermaid Effect - Neon Pink
Just like the orange, super duper crazy bright, but not a lot of shift. It is still quite a mesmerizing colour.

Glass Me
This is the newest of the effect powders and it's a real chameleon. It makes whatever colour you are wearing super reflective so it looks like glass, and gives it a gold shift. Here I am wearing it over a bright pink, so you can see how it has changed the colour a bit, but it is a gorgeous effect.