Top 5 Nail Colours for the Fall

I always look forward to sweater weather, or in the case of Jamaica, ' I get to wear sleeves' weather. The fall season brings a bit of edge to it with the darker richer nail colours that are trending for the season.

 Here are my top 5 picks for nail colours for the season, colours I've been itching to pair with the new fashion that comes with the slight change of the weather.

1. Emerald Shades : This year's pantone colour is Emerald. For fall, choose a more muted shade of emerald as this will go well with the moody shades of the season and gives an edgier feel to a colour that's been around all year. You can pick up your favourite Essie shades at the Beauty Spot on Brompton Road or here. 

Essie - Going Incognito photocredit

2. Deeper Reds : Reds are a year round favourite for me but as the place cools down, I find myself drawn to deeper, edgier shades. They're still classy but are a tad more modern than the classic reds that hollywood pin ups are famous for. The shade I have been reaching for is China Glaze's 'Merry Berry'. You can pick this up at the Fontana in the New Kingston Shopping Centre or here

China Glaze - Merry Berry photo credit

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Shop Talk : The Beauty Spot

This edition of Shop Talk will be about a relatively new store that has me basically mesmerized - enough to have me going back to spend money twice in one week. My gripe with Jamaica is that we have such a small selection of beauty products that is rarely consistent and even more rarely up to date. Thankfully, someone heard my plea and opened "The Beauty Spot" a quaint little store located on Brompton Avenue (behind Spartan Gym).

They basically have everything - brushes to skin care to makeup to nail polish. Their feature brand is Maybelline but they also sell Mac, Urban Decay, Nars, Sleek, Inglot, Milani, Too Faced, Iman, Mary Kay, OCC,  BH Cosmetics and many more. If you are searching for new products on the market this is where you can find it.

I picked up a couple nail polishes, a duo fibre blush brush, replaced my black kohl liner and picked up a coloured liquid liner. I got a complimentary makeup bag with an attached mirror inside and I am super happy with the quality and the presentation of the products.

A couple things I am lusting after that are there are the Urban Decay Naked palette, a couple shadows from Inglot, the OCC lip tars (*squeal*), a Nars blush and a Brush set. I'm sure that list will have additions pretty soon because they add new stock pretty often.

The customer service at the Beauty Spot is unrivaled. When you walk in you are greeted with a smile and a warm welcome, parking is secure and unlike a certain store the sales clerk doesn't remind you of a pushy car salesman. I wasn't at all intimidated by her but it felt like I was chatting with a girlfriend about makeup. She asked me what I liked and what I had tried, she even took a few suggestions I had for products as well as told me what she had tried out and what worked for her. Perfect balance of knowledgeable and open to learning more.

They open Monday to Saturday and are located in Suite #2 of the Spartan Wellness Centre at 1 Brompton Road Kingston 5. You can call them at 63105507/288-2194. I am not affiliated with them nor am I sponsored by them I am just a big fan because I like what they're doing and I want to support them.

You can follow them on Facebook here. They are having a contest to search for the next Maybelline make up artist to be selected right out of our little island. Get excited! lol. But for real, pass by and check it out. You won't be disappointed. 

They were nice enough to let me snap some quick pictures. Check them out below.

Till later,
**Jane

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Review: Essie No Chips Ahead Top Coat (Jane Approved)

If you follow me on twitter you would have been subjected to my constant raving about this product. I scored it at Discount Beauty Centre in Kings Plaza some time ago and I have fallen in love since the first time I applied it.

My search for a good top coat got serious after my most recent encounter with shallac. After removal my nails were weak and brittle and full of ridges. I decided to give myself a break and just use regular polish. Now, I'm no glamour queen - I cook and clean several times a week, and I have neither the dedication nor the time to repaint my nails three times a week. It just will not happen. 

So after my most expensive nail polish chipped on me only two days in I decided that I needed to go out and get a proper top coat. I first picked up the sally hansen insta-dri anti chip top coat in the red bottle. MASSIVE fail. I was sorely disappointed because Sally Hansen has always been my nail go to. With this top coat my nail polish was peeling off in chunks by the next morning. I chucked the bottle and made the plunge with Essie.

Now I am not used to paying $700 + for a bottle of nail polish especially when you can pick up Klean Kolours for $120 BUT I saw the reviews on Makeup Alley and thought if so many people loved it then it was worth a shot. So here's my breakdown:


source

Application
The essie brushes are small and narrow so chances are you won't be able to goop this on. It forces the application to be thin and smooth. It feels a tad tacky - as in you may not even notice it. As soon as you apply it and it sets it kind of sets to a hard clear shell like an acrylic coat of paint - which is fantastic if you don't want your nails to chip.

Dry Time
This is not a quick-dry top coat at all. I would imagine that because it's so good at not chipping it needs time to set. I recommend painting your nails where you have an hour to set aside for dry time. It will feel dry to the touch within five minutes if so long, but you can disturb the polish if you apply pressure to it or dink it with something sharp before an hour is up. Dunking your nails in cold water won't help the process either. I haven't tried it with one of those fast-drying sprays though. This may bother some persons but I think it's worth the wait if I don't have to change my polish for at least another five days.

Durability
With cheaper nail polishes the top coat lasted a good five days without a single chip. After the fifth day I saw tiny chips at the top of the nails of my most used fingers. 
With my more expensive/quality polishes this lasted between seven and nine days. A full week!!! I love products that make my life easier!
This may last longer on you because like I said earlier I cook and clean several times a week as well wash my own hair and do laundry. If you don't do this or you do it with gloves on you could have a longer lasting time.

Cost
This is not one of those bargain products per se. You can find it in Kingston for between $700 and $850. So far, I have seen it at Discount Beauty Centre in Kings Plaza or The Beauty Spot in the Spartan Wellness Centre on Brompton Road.
Since my nailpolish can last this long I really have no reason to go to the nail salon so, when you really look at it I have saved myself some money because my at-home manicure can actually last.

Overall
Bottom line, I would repurchase this product and I highly recommend it to all my friends. The smell is not overwhelmingly powerful and it has a nice shiny finish. I consider this a super fave. Well done essie!


Have you tried this product? What was your experience? Leave a comment and let me know!

Till later,
**Jane

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