Three or four years ago, I had a really bad day one sunny day in June. I went to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, stood in line for about an hour, only to discover that I didn’t bring the correct paperwork to fix a problem that I had. Then I went home and got stung repeated by a wasp as I cleaned the banister on my deck not realizing that a wasp had created a hive underneath the railing. Finally, I badly injured the nail on my thumb when it got stuck in between two pieces of wood as I tried to collapse and put away a wood and canvas deck chair.
I eventually straightened out the problem with the RMV. Even though I had a very bad reaction to the wasp stings, I got some medication the next day and got better a day or so later. But my thumbnail that split after getting stuck in the chair remained split ever since except maybe in June through August when my nails are stronger. It’s a pain during the rest of the year to watch my nail polish split too on my thumb as the nail grows longer. Ugh.
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A couple of months ago, I cut my thumbnail “down to the quick” because the split became very noticeable as my thumbnail grew. It’s a bummer because the rest of my nails had grown quite long during the summer and early fall. So that my nails didn’t look too weird, I trimmed them all. Boo hoo.
But after I received the bottle of Olive & June Nail Strengthener from my November order, I started using it regularly. The O&J Nail Strengthener is applied just like nail polish with a brush, but it is more liquidy and it disappears into the nail itself. It’s not like clear nail polish or a nail primer. For several weeks, I stopped wearing nail polish so I could apply O&J Nail Strengthener directly to my bare nails. It was well worth it to let my nails go on hiatus from polish for a while so I could strengthen my nails. As late fall, winter and cold temperatures set in, I noticed that some of my other nails had started peeling. Not good. I applied O&J Nail Strengthener every night to my bare nails for a few weeks. My ultra-short thumbnail started to grow and has now reached the the tip of my skin with no split in sight, so far! And the rest of my nails feel stronger and are no longer peeling. Success!
On the O&J website, it says that the Nail Strengthener results in a 77% increase in nail strength. It contains celery seed extract to help prevent peeling, get rid of white spots, and to prevent ridges and Flora Complex to nourish the nail plate and strengthen the nails.
Now, whenever I change my polish, I apply O&J Nail Strengthener first before I apply polish in order to maintain the health of my nails. I am more than satisfied. O&J Nail Strengthener is priced at $14 for a bottle with 13.5 ml.
Ingredients: Ethyl Acetate, Isopropylidenediphenyl Bisoxyhydroxypropyl Methacrylate, Dimethyl Urea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Apium Graveolens (Celery) Seed Extract, Water, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol.
Because my nails are healthier now and more uniform in length, I started polishing them again.
World Lit, one of the shades I bought in my December order, was calling my name to try it out. I’m glad I did because it’s a beauty. World Lit is described as “a true mauve”, and I would say that description is accurate. It’s a light mauve, and to me, it appears to be a cool-toned mauve. I think this shade works wonderfully well with my cool-toned fair/light skin tone. And like all the Olive and June nail polishes, World Lit wears like iron.
Like all the Olive and June nail polishes, World Lit is 7-free, cruelty-free and vegan, and it is priced at $8.
As usual, if you decide to give the Olive and June manicure system a go, please use my referral code to get yourself 20% off the Mani, Pedi, Press-On Nails, or Weekender Sets and get me a free bottle of polish.
Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Acrylates Copolymer, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Dipropylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Octocrylene, Polyvinyl Butyral, Di-HEMA Trimethylhexyl Dicarbamate, Citric Acid, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Dimethicone, N-Butyl Alcohol, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Methicone, May contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Black Oxide of Iron (CI 77499), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Titanium Dioxide nano (CI 77891), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Red Oxide of Iron (CI 77491)
What an awful day, indeed! I LOVE mauve, and World Lit is just gorgeous! This is my type of shade! I would love that color in a lipstick and lip gloss!
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World Lit really is a perfect mauve for winter and spring because it’s a light mauve. I agree, I think it would be pretty as a lipstick or gloss!
Hi, Allison – You poor baby! I’m so sorry your nail split and stayed that way; how awful! These two nail products sound so good, especially with the testimony you are able to give. I get a reaction to wearing nail polish so I am always looking for something safe to test out. Maybe these can help. You always get me to buy things. Lol! Thanks for finding the best stuff – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
Angie, perhaps you should try the polishes that are good for kids like Piggy Paints?? Olive & June is 7-free. I think there may be other brands than are 10-free, but I’m not sure which: maybe Zoya? Did Zoya not agree with your nails?
Thanks, but Piggy Paints and Zoya did not agree with my nails. I just tried Orly Breathable and it seems okay after a test. Thanks for clarifying that 10-free would be the best option at this time…
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Oh I love that dusty pink–sooo feminine!
Thank you! It’s such a great winter and spring shade 🙂
Loving the mauve shade! That is such a lovely hue, and you can wear it all year round. Perfect match for your skin undertones too!
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