Hoarding Nail Polish: OPI & Sally Hansen

If there was one part of my cosmetic collection that did not need adding to, it would definitely be my nail polish collection.  Alas...Fragrance Direct was calling and as well as the Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser and Balm that I mentioned in yesterdays post, I also came away with three nail polishes.  I got two OPI nail polishes, and a Sally Hansen one.

From the left is OPI Don't Touch My Tutu from the New York Ballet collection, Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud and OPI Steady As She Rose from The Pirates of the Caribbean collection.  All of these look so similar in colour in the bottle, but I'm so pleased with all of them.  The OPI polishes cost just £3.99 each, and the Sally Hansen was just £1.49!  Bargains.

A white based nail polish is probably one of the few colours that I actually don't own, so that could have justified maybe one of these.  Definitely not all three, but it's best to try I guess.  Now I don't need anymore whites...

Starting at the top of the swatches, we have Don't Touch My Tutu by OPI.  This is a gorgeous, sheer soft white.  It took me three coats of this to get the perfect wash of colour with no streaking, and it lasted a good five days with minimal chipping.  For better swatches of this, definitely check out Duckling To Swans blog, as it was her that convinced me that this was the one for me.  (I actually had to place a second order from Fragrance Direct to get this; I had it in my basket but then decided against it, and then regretted it...)

In the middle, Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud.  This isn't a perfect white, it has a very slight tint of lilac.  Literally, the slightest touch added and I really like it.  It kind of reminds me of a set of nail polishes that I saw on Cult Beauty a while back, and it was a set of maybe ten nail polishes that were all slightly off white inspired by white washing that had been tinted with other clothes.  I got really good wear time from this again, and got four days without a chip.  I used two coats to get the polish an opaque white.

Finally, we have OPI Steady As She Rose.  I really love this one, and I'm pretty sure it's my favourite.  It's a lilac nail polish which I think has a hint of a dusky pink about it.  It's perfect for the Spring season which is all about pastel colours, and I'm very pleased!  Wear time is slightly less than Don't Touch My Tutu by a day, and opacity is at two coats!

Have you tried any of these?  What did you last buy from Fragrance Direct?

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Cuticle Eraser & Balm

Earlier this month, I had a mini spree at Fragrance Direct and one of the things that I bought was this Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser Balm.  In the past, I've used the Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Balm which was nice, but I never really noticed a huge difference in the look and feel of my cuticles.

This Sally Hansen one is in a screw top pot, with an eye catching white and green swirled pattern.  It is lightly scented with white tea and cucumber which is really nice and refreshing.  It's very faint, and does fade quite quickly though so no worries if you're not a fan of the smell!

I've been using this almost every night since I got it, and I've noticed such a difference in my cuticles.  I didn't think they needed too much care in the first place, but they just seem so much neater and don't need to be pushed back when I'm giving myself a manicure.  They are much more nourished, and feel much softer.

The one small thing that I'm not keen on is the texture.  It's very sticky, kind of feels like a sticky but creamy lip gloss.  Luckily, I use this as I'm going to bed so the sticky feeling isn't too much of an issue and disappears when I apply a hand cream.

A little goes a very long way and I can see this lasting me a long time!  I much prefer this to my Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover Gel, and think this makes a much bigger difference.  At a bargain price of £1.50 too, you can't really go wrong!  I'd definitely buy this again if I ever run out!

Have you tried this Cuticle Eraser & Balm?  What are your top nail care tips?