Hands and Feet Fit For A Princess

Have any of you watched Beauty and the Beast yet? In the midst of the busy week I had last week, I was able to squeeze in a perfectly chill Sunday afternoon to watch the live action film of the animated film that captured our hearts. What can I say? I super loved every minute of it. It may be a retelling and having the same story but spoilers aside, I like the twists and the new character developments I don't really get all the hate and criticism. Of course it's not going to be super exactly the same, otherwise, why make a movie? As a friend said, if you go there to enjoy a good movie, you will enjoy a good movie, and indeed I did.

Anyway, the excitement of the movie launch has captured as well the fans of the movie who are into beauty. Do you know that Gelish and Morgan Taylor came up with a Beauty and the Beast polish collection? I got dibs on it too and I'm so excited to you all about it.

"Go on, unfold your menu. Take a glance and then you'll be our guest. Oui, our guest. Be our guest" 

I went to Nailaholics salon in Glorietta 3 last Friday. Just as I got there, we already had a feast of yummy sweets waiting for us, I felt Lumiere would be there singing Be Our Guest

(I went for the cake pops designed as Belle's gown)

The collection has pastels and neutrals as well as brights and metallics to suit whatever your style is. Each shade corresponds to a particular character or aspect of the movie. Just like I said in my post before, if you're too attached with that particular shade of polish but would have no time to go to the salon to get your Gelish color fixed up, Morgan Taylor has its regular polish equivalent.

Now let's talk polish, shall we?

Be Our Guest is a deep berry pink that's perfect if you want something feminine but not too girly, like if you want something super bright for a pop of color. I actually see this bright pink on my friend Kate (who was with me during the event describing my pedicure on Facebook live) who loves bright colored things.

The Last Petal was the shade I chose. I wanted something classic but not too pale. I'm really into deep colors. This deep red color reminds you of the enchanted rose of the Beast, with each petal falling with every passing time he and the castle is under the spell.

 Plumette with Excitement is for the ultimate girly girl, with the pastel pink color that reminds us of sugary-sweet buttercream icing or the colors of sugar-coated almonds. Just so you know, Plumette is the name of the flirty feather duster girlfriend of Lumiere (in the movies, she's the sexy French maid)

The Beast longs for Days in The Sun and there's a polish with a sunny, buttery, happy yellow color to remind us all that. Aside from the happy days he longed for, this color also reminds us of Belle's gown in the famous ballroom dance scene with Mrs. Potts singing the song "Beauty and The Beast."

Potts of Tea is not really a super white color but it's got light pink flecks of shimmer that remind us of the color of Mrs. Potts in the movie, almost like ivory white instead of "correction fluid" white. Wear this on a wedding and it will be a definite statement white while still keeping it toned down for the occasion. Just like the characters in the movie, there is some sort of a three-dimensional effect in this white color. It's white with personality.

The villain gets a polish named after him too, named Gaston and On and On, which is a sky blue color. With Luke Evans' portrayal, Gaston has been a favorite by a lot of people as well. The blue color is so gorgeous you keep looking at your nails, just as Gaston keeps looking at himself in the mirror so much.

What sets apart this collection is Enchanted Patina, which can be used on its own or layered on top of another polish in the collection to give an antiqued chrome effect. Here's how it looks like on regular polish:

It looks like a regular copper gold color but when you swatch it on your nails, it's an antique-ish gold with pink shimmers. At one angle, it's gold, then angle it a bit it's lilac, then it's pink. If Potts of Tea is white with personality, Enchanted Patina is gold with personality.

Here's how my choice looks on my nails: The Last Petal with a statement nail of The Last Petal with a coat of Enchanted Patina on top:

The color of the statement nail gets a bit more personality with Enchanted Patina. Up close, it looks really gold, and on photo it looks the same too. But on some angles, it mutes out to a soft berry rose color with some golden flecks with some deep red shining through. I guess I do look like I have princess hands for definite #feedgoals and flatlay goals in Instagram.

Is Belle your spirit Disney princess? Which of these colors would you like to try. Head on to Nailaholics, Posh Nails, Beauty and Butter, Nail Cocktales, and other leading salons nationwide, including Kallista in S'Maison, Conrad Hotel.


Store Directory

Gelish
facebook.com/GelishPhilippines; instagram.com/gelishph

Morgan Taylor
facebook.com/MorganTaylorPhilippines; instagram.com/morgantaylorph

Nail Polish for the Busy Bee

I oftentimes go DIY with my nail color, and go to the nail salon for special occasions. As for my pedicures, I always rely on a good salon to do their wonders in making my feet look like a person's and not, like a beast or something.

I was invited to try out Gelish over at Nailaholics in Glorietta. Gelish Soak-Off Nail Polish is a safer kind of polish free from harmful chemicals found in other brands. It has fast curing time (only 30-45 seconds via UV lamp) giving my nails major shine and upon removal, causes zero damage. Also, unlike traditional gel polishes, removing Gelish Soak-Off Nail Polish does not require UV lamp.

These nail polish shades are popular among Hollywood Celebrities such as Adele, Lady Gaga, and Khloe Kardashian. They are wedding-friendly and work-friendly without looking too boring. Just in case that you got too attached to your Gelish Soak Off gel polish shade, there are also regular polish equivalents from Morgan Taylor polish.

For my hands, I chose Rule the Runway, which is a pretty, light gray that kind of looks like a taupe color. It's actually the favorite among clients.

I love darker colors on my feet so I chose a dark, berry color named Looking For A Wingman. It's not really bright classic red or a deep maroon but it's got some plum in it.

The difference with gel polish than regular polish is the formulation which lasts longer and looks super shiny . Depending on your activities, your polish can stay vibrant, shiny, chip-free for up to 21 days. Each coat (from base to color to top coat) needs a 30-45 second curing done via a standard UV lamp. As we need trained professionals to apply gel polish, we also need to go to a salon to have it removed as well. 

It's my first time to try to use gel polish on my feet, actually, and I'm excited to see if gel polish could withstand my floorwork and pointe stretches. I like how this color made my feet look cleaner and whiter and for someone like me with abused feet, this can make my feet look more human for a longer period of time. The ladies over at Nailaholics also are very gentle with my pedicure, and they followed my instructions as to not pull on cuticles or dig deep on the nail bed.

My mani looks so clean. This is a gray that's not boring but it's still okay to wear on red carpet events and formal occasions, like a nice accessory to a gray or navy dress or even white, when I do wear white.

A week after, my gel pedicure still looks the same with no chips and still vibrant shine, and this is someone who rolls on her toes, swims, and does a lot of floorwork. The manicure lasted for at least a week, since my nails grow really fast (growth was already obvious) and a lot of heavy housework does cause it to peel. However, even while chipping, the shine was still vibrant.

The best thing I like with gel polish is that as soon as the topcoat is sealed, you can leave right away. No more drying time or holding things like you were Edward Scissorhands. If you would like to try gel manis, shorter nails are much easier to maintain than longer nails. It's also best if you choose a lighter polish, where chips are less obvious. Also, choose a light-colored polish so chips and peels are less obvious when they do happen. Take good care also of your hands by avoiding harsh chemicals or detergents and wearing protective gloves if you do have to handle them. Also, keep your nail beds and cuticles moisturized by applying hand cream to your hands and nails. This would make your hands look so much prettier too!

Try Gelish Soak-Off Gel Polish when you're attending a special event, on your wedding, or even travelling where you wouldn't have to worry so much about chipping and would have super pretty hands and nails for all those food and flatlay posts. I tried Rule the Runway and Looking for a Wingman for this session. Which shade should I try next? Let me know in the comments below which shade I should try or which shade you should try too. Post a photo and tag me.