I was very excited to receive a package from VB Cosmetics recently. They sent me a bunch of products for me to review – including the Dazzle Dry Nail Care 3 piece Kit “for the on the go lifestyle”. They also sent one of their new spring nail colors “Sheer Elegance”. The reason I was excited is that I have been searching for a nail polish that I can feel safe using – and that actually works! Some of the “green” nail polishes just don’t stay on and they peel right off. The Dazzle Dry products claim to be a “dramatically innovational vegan nail polish system” that contains “no harmful chemicals; Toulene, Phthalate, Camphor and Formaldehyde-Free.” It’s also “Nitrocellulose Free” (admittedly, I had to investigate why that’s important – turns out nitrocellulose yellows the polish). Sounded intriguing to say the least!

Let me start by saying this – anyone that knows me knows I am not a “manicure” kind of person. Anytime I have paid to have my nails done (which, by the way, I can count on the normally-unlaquered fingers of my hand), I have screwed it up immediately. I notoriously chip or scratch or mess them up by the time I drive away from the salon. Not to mention the fact that I am pretty rough on my hands – typing, packing boxes, filling bottles etc. Nail polish just doesn’t stand a chance.

That said, I AM a big fan of having my toes show a little flair! I still don’t really have time to do the pedicure thing at a salon very often, but I do the “at home” version. Of course, scrubbing my feet smooth with Garden Girl’s Pucker Up sugar scrub, using the Foot Smoother and then applying Zippity Do Dah peppermint foot cream (I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a product plug!).

So initially, I figured I’d give this polish a try on my piggies – which need a fresh coat. That is, until I had an unheard of – and incredibly frustrating – TWO hours on the phone with Dell tech support on Wednesday morning. (Long story that doesn’t end well, so I’ll just leave it at that for now…). So I decided that since I was going to be tethered to my computer while some guy in another nation took over controlling my laptop (again, for TWO hours), I would use the time wisely. I broke open the Dazzle Dry kit.

I will say, coming from someone with limited time available for activities like polishing my nails, the kit was a bit overwhelming at first. The 3 piece kit includes a Nail Prep (that cleans and preps nails), a Base Coat and a Top Coat. I noticed immediately when I opened the kit that the Base Coat was thick and cloudy. Turns out, in cooler temperatures it can become a gel, but it is easily fixed by placing the jar in a bowl of hot water.

So while my “friend” still poked around on my laptop (unsuccessfully, I might add – do you sense my frustration?), I dutifully went through the full steps – Prep, Base Coat, Laquer and Top Coat for my left hand. Then, I wondered if I left out the “prep” if it would still work – so I did the right hand without the first step.

My thoughts? It was surprisingly easy and the results are amazingly strong – for both hands. I’m on day 2+ with only minor minor tiny chips on the tips of a couple of fingers. Mind you – I have been doing a lot of box-packing, bottle-filling and typing over these two days. So I’d say that’s pretty good – they still look glossy and are holding up well.

My only issue is that I was slightly confused regarding the top coat – I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wait for the lacquer layer to dry first? I don’t think I was? So I found it hard to put the top coat on without sometimes squishing the lacquer layer. I’m guessing more skilled nail types will have that process down to a science, however. Also – I’m not a huge fan of the particular color they sent but that’s just personal preference.

But all in all, I’m quite pleased with this product line. The nails look shiny and are holding up very well. They dried in just over 5 minutes total so I was able to start doing things fairly quickly. I will note that when I applied the lacquer alone without the base coat or top coat, it peeled pretty quickly so I’m thinking that all of the steps are key to help the polish adhere. That said, I would want to use all the steps anyway so the nails look their best.

Oh – and I should also mention that the polishes help to strengthen nails with Vitamin B5, Collagen and Calcium – plus they have a UV screen to help protect the colors. And Dazzle Dry is made in the USA.

So if you’re looking for a great eco-friendly nail polish, definitely check out Dazzle Dry!