RSS Feed

October, 2009

  1. RAP SHEET: Karen Guinto

    October 29, 2009 by pam

    Guilty as charged.

    Karen Guinto, Merchandise Manager for Store Specialists Inc., is a maniped addict.

    Nails 1

    The stylish mom tells the Polish Police her biggest nail secrets – from her favorite brands and shades to tips on maintaining beautiful nails.

    Favorite nail polish brands: Orly, Essie, OPI and Face Shop

    Top five favorite nail polish colors: Bon Bon (Orly), Noir Ceramic (Chanel), RD302 (The Face Shop), Ballet Slippers (Essie), Eternal Optimist (Essie)

    Her collection “I have about 30.”

    Nail 3


    Favorite nail polish haunts: Rustan’s, PCX, Face Shop

    Nail pampering spot: “I only go to a place where I know the manicurist won’t murder my fingers.  It’s so hard for me to just go anywhere coz my cuticle is very thin, thus the risk of getting wounded is higher.  Since I live in the south, I go to this place in BF called Cosmo World.  My favorite manicurists provide excellent service at a very reasonable price.”

    How often do you change your nail polish color?
    “Every two weeks but depending on my mood sometimes every week.”

    Nails 2


    Pet peeves: “I refuse to have the manicurist place the red stuff/medicine after cleaning, I want my nails clean; when they make a mistake of making my nails round instead of square; when bubbles form in the manicure after drying; when they accidentally nip the cuticle deeper than they should and cause a cut; when I see people with chipped off polish, worse when the polish is only covering half of the nail, might as well remove it or get another maniped.”

    How do you take care of your nails?
    “Going to the parlor regularly; moisturizing.”

    Favorite nail treatments: “Nothing so over the top, just the simple manicure pedicure would do; for nail polish it would be the Orly Top and Base Coat.”

    Favorite polish remover: “Nothing in particular.”

    If you can only wear one shade every day, what will it be?
    “Light, pinkish cream shades like Essie’s Ballet Slipper”

    Tips for other nail polish junkies: “Invest on good nail polish base and top coat, like Orly Top and Base Coat. This would seal in the polish and make the color last longer.  Apply two coats of the top coat instead of the usual one for added staying power.”

    Photos by Mon Guinto.

    Category rap sheet | Tags: | No Comments

  2. INVESTIGATION: Saizen’s Easy Nail Polish Remover

    October 29, 2009 by pam

    When your nails look this bad, you know it’s time to remove your nail polish.

    remover4

    And our trip to Saizen (3rd floor, Robinsons Galleria) was just right on time because there I spotted this:

    remover1

    Yes, Easy Nail Polish Remover. It came in different colors but naturally, I chose the pink one.

    Since I don’t speak Japanese, the packaging offered little information.

    remover2

    One, it’s made in China. Two, it was produced for Daiso Japan. Three, they hired an awful translator.

    Seriously. Because this is the English text on their warning label:

    “After opening film inside, do not keep bottle tumbled also do not carry bottle.

    Do not use near the fire.

    Do not use with a cigarette between lips.

    After opening film inside, close lid firmly and keep at the cool, dark place not infants touch.

    Do not mix up with other nail polish.

    Do not use when something wrong of nail.

    If something wrong on the skin, stop to use and consult with skin specialist.”

    Hilarious.

    And since I do not have infants hanging out in dark places and I never have a cigarette between my lips, I bought it.

    The promise of “easy” was hard to resist.

    But opening the bottle wasn’t easy at all. I couldn’t peel the protective film, I ended up having to puncture it before ripping it off.

    remover3

    I let my left index finger take the first plunge.

    remover5

    Inside the jar is a sponge soaked in nail polish remover. There’s a slit in the middle of the sponge and that’s where you’re supposed to insert your finger.

    remover6

    I did exactly that and started swishing my finger around. As expected, the nail polish remover was cool to the touch. My chipped nail polish did start coming off.

    remover7

    But because of the lack of friction, I discovered that the Easy Nail Polish Remover doesn’t remove polish thoroughly – especially not around the cuticle area.

    remover8

    I tried the other fingers and the results were the same. I still had to make an effort to remove nail polish from around my cuticles.

    remover9

    Normally, when I use my regular nail polish remover and cotton to remove my polish, I end up getting polish smeared on my fingers. I thought that mess could be avoided with the Easy Nail Polish Remover. But it turns out that you still need to remove polish that the Easy Nail Polish Remover couldn’t.

    remover10

    The Easy Nail Polish Remover had an especially hard time with my thumb because in addition to polish, it also had gold glitter.

    The Easy Nail Polish Remover is no match to gold glitter.

    The good:

    1. The Easy Nail Polish Remover does make things a little less messy.

    2. No need for cotton.

    3. You can remove polish with just one hand.

    4. The warning label was very entertaining.

    The bad:

    1. It isn’t very thorough, you still need to remove residue polish after.

    2. I’m not a big fan of the scent – it’s a bit strong.

    3. Because the label is mostly Japanese, I don’t know what chemicals this polish remover contains.

    4. I’m wondering how hygienic this is. Where does the old polish go? What happens to the germs from your fingers? How many times can you use this polish remover before it becomes dirty and disgusting?

    The verdict:

    I don’t feel too bad about spending P85 on this nail polish remover. But for now, I think I’ll stick to my old favorites.

    If you like the idea using a jar and a sponge to remove your nail polish, you might want to consider making your own using your favorite nail polish remover. How? Click here.

    Update:

    After just one day, I threw out the Easy Nail Polish Remover. And for good reason. One, it was leaking. Two, it was staining everything pink. The nail polish remover is so strong that it’s actually melting the color off its packaging.

    Never again.

    Category investigation | Tags: | No Comments

Older Entries