Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $7.99

THE SKINNY: This power duo of polish and topcoat lasted longer than anything else I have tried -- ever!

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy is a two-step process with a base coat/color and then top coat. It goes on (and comes off) like regular polish though, so don't be fooled by "gel" in the name.

But it stays on like a gel. It is super shiny and smooth like a gel. (I used "Beginner's Luck," a pale but shimmery nude.)

I can normally keep nail polish for a day before it starts to chip. This polish never chipped or wore down. (I removed it after a week because I could see where it was growing out.)

I was very skeptical about this polish and top coat before buying but it works so much better than I expected. Now I only wonder ... will the topcoat protect any nail polish this well? (I plan to try that experiment next and report back.)

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. And go get more!

CHECK IT OUT: See all 30 shades from Revlon and buy at grocery or drugstores everywhere.

-- Tested by Carrie

Nicka K New York Nail Color

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $4.99

THE SKINNY: Nicka K is a new brand for me that came in a recent Ipsy bag. This nail polish is super shiny and does a good job of not chipping (with top coat).

The New York Nail Color line is touted as a "professional" collection, and the polish is free of DBP, Toublene and formaldehyde.

Ipsy sent me a color called Classic Taupe, which resembles coffee with a lot of creamer in it. It's a good color for winter, but I think it would be too blah for spring or summer. Luckily, it's winter.

The polish glides on easily. Classic Taupe really needed two coats, but I stuck with one for testing purposes and the fact that it's winter and my toes aren't making many appearances.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: Nicka K New York Nail Color comes in 44 shades.

-- Tested by Shay

Illamasqua Nail Varnish (Purity)

RATING (out of 5 stars): 1 star 

COST: $14 

THE SKINNY: I am pretty sure I set a new record for least amount of time a beauty product actually spent on my body. In less than an hour I painted my toenails and then removed the polish. And it was not because of the color.

It was the product. Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Purity came in my August Glossybox.

The color was a pretty, matte peach.

The problem started when I tried to apply it. The square top made smoothing on the polish difficult.

But then it just seemed to never dry properly. After an hour, it was still soft and even the lightest touch created an indentation in the polish. That was enough for me and I removed it. 

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss. This is an expensive product that is not worth your money or time.

CHECK IT OUT: Maybe my sample was just old. Have you tried this and had better results? Illamasqua Nail Varnish is available in 45 different colors from Sephora or buy direct from Illamasqua in the UK.

-- Tested by Carrie

            

OPI Manicure/Pedicure Scrub, Tropical Citrus

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $15.24 for 8.5 ounces

THE SKINNY: You can literally massage away rough, cracked skin with this OPI Manicure/Pedicure Scrub in tropical citrus. This is a sugar scrub with some extras. According to OPI, natural sugar crystals reduce calluses and dry skin, coconut extract softens and citrus extract leaves skin feeling invigorated.

I love this stuff.

Leave your feet a little damp after a shower, squirt a little of the gooey paste from the tube, massage in (and it feels fabulous) and rinse. It leaves my feet feeling soft and soothed.

I’ve also used it with great success to exfoliate rough skin from my elbows.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. In addition to being a great product, the scrub feels so good on my feet after a long day at work.

CHECK IT OUT: This is part of OPI’s manicure/pedicure line of products that come in seven formulas, including lemon tonic, cucumber and papaya pineapple.

-- Tested by Shay