Product Review Times Two

Oddly enough, I don't paint my nails. I spend roughly two and a half hours a week in a pool, and between that and doing dishes, its just not worth it ... too much chipping and I can't be bothered with the upkeep. I do, however, like to keep my toes looking pretty - particularly in the summer. I prefer hot pink for the Diva toes and here's a shock ... I do them myself. Horrors! I'm kind of a germophobe and nail salons squick me. Fungus anyone? ~brrrr~ I learned the perils of paronychia back in cosmetology school and I've never gotten over it.

I'm always on the lookout for a new nail color or polish product - so I was pretty excited when I read about Sally Hansen's new Color Quick - Fast Dry Nail Color Pen. While I'm happy to be my own best pedicurist, doing so takes time and I hate waiting around for the polish to dry. I like the quick dry stuff and its increasingly hard to find. Both L'Oreal and Maybelline seem to have discontinued their quick dry lines and I'm bitter about it.

Earlier this week I happily snatched up a tube of Hot Pink Color Quick and gave it whirl. Since my toes were freshly polished and I couldn't wait to try it, I painted my fingernails. Here's my review: horrid! The brush is stubby, oddly shaped, and overly wide. (Not unlike myself.) The polish itself is kind of dry, kind of sticky, and very streaky. Controlling the amount of polish on the brush is damn near impossible. One is supposed to "click" the pen to dispense "the perfect amount" ... that's a nice theory but in practice there was either too much or not enough. Feh.

Given the quality of the enamel, I was dubious about it's durability - and this morning's swim proved me right. Most of the polish had left my fingertips by the time I exited the pool. Sorry fellow swimmers! I've never seen polish disappear so fast. Absurd. Save your money and skip this product. Its lame.

On a related note, a friend of mine hipped me to sally Hansen's Dries Instantly 30-Second Top Coat - and this one's a keeper. It does exactly what it says. I'm giving it two sparkly Diva Crowns.

So, what color are your toes today? Got a favorite nail product that rocks your world? Shout it out in the comments.