Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Best Nail Treatments- Irish Rogue

Wow, I am so happy to share this with you! I recently learned about a fairly new brand of nail polish that looked really interesting. I was offered the opportunity to try out the color of my choice as well as their topcoat and base coat.

Since I absolutely love it, let me introduce you to Best Nail Treatments by the makers of Poshe products! After an agonizing time looking at their color chart, I chose to try a color called Irish Rogue, which is part of their neon shades. I also received the basecoat and topcoat so I could do my manicure the way they suggest.

First off, let me just say that this color is absolutely gorgeous! The color didn't photograph well for me, which is a huge disappointment. In reality this color is almost like the green on a can of Sprite, deep and saturated and absolutely dense with color. The best part was a surprise for me: Irish Rogue has almost-hidden shimmer that's easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. This photo shows the shimmer beautifully, and is closer to the color I see on my nails as I type this.

Unfortunately, I have to be honest about my experience with this polish. The basecoat states that it's quick-drying, and the topcoat states that polish will be dry to the touch in 1 minute and completely dry within 5 minutes. This absolutely was not the case for me. I attempted to paint my nails with this twice, and the first time I painted my nails, I gave up waiting after 15 minutes and applied a coat of Seche Vite. My nails didn't dry at all, and about 10 minutes later I removed it all out of frustration because it was all still horribly wet.

The next time I tried I decided to be patient and give the polish more time to dry. I know I've been spoiled with Seche Vite, but I can be patient when I need to. While my nails were nowhere near dry after 5 minutes, I'm willing to assume that's because of something in my body chemistry. My polish was dry within an hour, and since then it's worn like a champ. The only issue I had was with drying, and I assume most people won't have that problem.

Back to the positive points, since there are a ton of them! I have to share the selection of colors, since it overwhelmed me completely! You can choose between cremes, shimmers, glitters, pearls, and metallics. There are even two special effects polishes that I'm absolutely dying to try! Honestly, I believe everyone can find at least one or two polishes here to fall in love with... I know I've found at least 12!

Then there are the topcoat and basecoat. First of all, let me share my favorite part of this: they sell their topcoat in larger sizes! You can get a single bottle, a larger bottle, or you can even get it in a gallon! The basecoat is clear and extremely fast-drying. As are the rest of the BNT polishes, the topcoat and basecoat are big-3 free,  which is reassuring to those of us who do our nails so often! They also sell a polish thinner, in case your polish or your topcoat gets a bit goopy over time. I've found that a good polish thinner is an absolute must!

Also, let me take a moment to address a question I get frequently- how to make your polish last longer. This is probably the question I get asked most often, and I say this every single time. In my opinion, the brand of polish you wear isn't what makes the most difference in how long it lasts. Instead, I find even cheap polishes can last well when you use a good basecoat and a good topcoat. Also, a good basecoat does not work well as a topcoat, because the properties that make it a good basecoat prevent it from making a good topcoat (and vice versa). I'll write more about this a bit later, though... it's worth its own post.


I had one other small problem, but it wasn't a huge deal. The brush that came with my bottle of basecoat had a few long hairs on it, which made application a real bear. It would poke over my cuticle and make a mess!

It was easily fixed. I simply grabbed my manicure scissors! I took the brush out of the basecoat and wiped it off carefully, then held it up sideways in one hand while putting the scissors right up next to the flat part of the end of the brush. A couple of snips and the brush was as good as new!

Bottom line? I love this polish!! It's such a vibrant shade that it's perfect for the summer months. Plus, I've had several compliments on my nails since I put it on! (More than usual, which makes my day!) They're available at the Best Nail Treatments website, and polishes start at $5.99!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go start my wishlist at the website. I have some polishes to mark before my birthday in August! Til next time!


Polish, basecoat, and topcoat were provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.