TESTING....

So, last week I started my garden (my second one ever!). I found out the hard way that working in the dirt wreaks havoc on natural nails. I am gardening with gloves on this year, but there are just some things (planting seeds and pulling weeds) that are impossible to do with gloves on. This year I made a commitment (wow, really?!? Isn't that a little dramatic? Nah!) to protect my nails until the garden is up and running.

I searched last year, long after it was too late, for something to protect my nails and THIS YEAR I think I found it. Thanx to a new friend of mine, who also happens to be a nail technician, I've discovered OPI's Axxium. It is a soak-off sealer for gel nails that MAGICALLY works on polish without puckering or cracking the color below. And let me tell you, I have been through enough gel "polishes", sealers, etc. that ruined the hard work below them to believe that REAL gel topcoats that would work over regular nail polish were probably not in existence. I spent hours upon hours trying to protect my nails without damaging the manicure or my natural nails underneath... gels and nail lacquer just didn't mix. Until now.

So I did this gorgeous Konadicure and then topped it with the Axxium soak-off sealer and then cured in a UV lamp (Yes! I'm THAT big of a nail crackhead that I actually own a professional's UV lamp) for three minutes. Nails were done IMMEDIATELY after the 3 minute cure time. I wiped them with a piece of cotton saturated in alcohol, applied my NEW homemade cuticle oil and I was done. I now have a nicely thick (but not too thick) protective coating on the nails on my left hand. The mani on my right hand is without the Axxium coat. I'm wearing both for as long as I can to see how this Axxium REALLY holds up. So far so good... nice and shiny, no puckering and no cracking! I'll keep you all posted.

LEFT HAND MANI:

• 1 coat Nail Aid Pink Natural Nail Growth Therapy
• 2 coats China Glaze GR8
• 1 coat Seche Vite (waited 20 minutes to set up... I had to eat lunch anyway)
• Konad image from plate M64 stamped with Konad black special polish
• 1 coat Axxium soak-off sealer (cured 30 seconds after each nail application. When whole hand was done, I cured for an additional 3 minutes)

RIGHT HAND MANI:

• Same, but replaced the Axxium coat with another Seche Vite coat

Now lets see how long these puppies last!!! ;)