Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy

I’ve been seeing ads and commercials for Revlon’s ColorStay Gel Envy collection everywhere for months and finally bought it last weekend. The concept of the collection is that it’s supposed to give you a salon-quality manicure at home. Honestly, my feelings are a mixed bag.

I’ll start with the good news because I like being optimistic.

The Gel Envy polish real does give you a lovely and vibrant color, and there are 38 shades for you to choose from. Not too shabby, right? There are few things that I love more than pink nails, so I went with “Royal Flush.” It’s a rich pinky-red with maybe a bit of fuchsia to giving it a bit of sass. I really loved and maybe have just found my vacation nail color!

I found the application super easy. The Gel Envy process has two-steps, the base + color coat and the Diamond Top Coat. The base + color coat is a thick, opaque formula, so I only needed one coat. And even with the one, my nails had a gorgeous, rich color to them. The Diamond Top Coat was just as effortless, and I’ve honestly never seen a top coat dry so fast! And the system has no UV component, which saves everyone some time and money.

Lastly, my nails did feel harder and stronger while wearing the polish.

And now for the bad news…

This is another one of those gel-like nail polish systems that promises long-wear and a high gloss shine. It did give a nice enough shine, but I wouldn’t call it long-lasting. It didn’t chip per se, but by Day 2 I was already seeing some tip-wear on multiple fingers. It hadn’t even been 48 hours and I felt like I needed a touch-up. I wasn’t impressed. To its credit though, it’s Day 5 and there isn’t any flaking or major chipping going on yet.

The price is a bit of a turn-off too, at least initially. You need to buy both the base + color coat and the Diamond Top Coat, and each bottle is about $7.99 a pop. They do sell “starter kits” that have one bottle of color and one of the top coat, and that seems to be the way to go in order to save a few dollars for us penny pinchers.

Lastly, the thought the Diamond Top Coat had a funny smell, stranger even than other polishes I’ve tried over the years. Thankfully, since this system dries quickly the smell doesn’t linger.

The truth is that this is not a gel manicure. It’s gel-like so the results aren’t going to be the same. So, there are some pros and cons about the system, but I really do love the lush colors. And now that I have the Diamond Top Coat, I might try experimenting with other shades to see if they last a bit longer. The tip-wear did sour me a bit though, not going to lie.

Has anyone else tried ColorStay Gel Envy? What did you think about it?

*This post is not in collaboration with Maybelline, and the opinions are my own.

What's In My Bag? Work Edition

You know how some people collect shoes? Well, I might love me a pair of gorgeous pumps or badass boots, but I can’t say no to a new handbag. I love my burgundy Audrey Brooke cross-body bag from my March Monthly Favorites, but the color wasn’t exactly shouting “spring!” to me, so I thought it was time to switch bags. And while I was at it, I figured I’d do a “What’s in My Bag” post.

I’m a sucker for a good WIMB post for some reason. Are any of you? It seems a bit voyeuristic, to be honest, but it gives you an intimate portrait of the blogger who’s willing to spill their guts—or the contents of their bag—onto the internet. So, without further ado, here is my What’s in My Bag Work Edition post!

The Bag

I work full-time, so during the week I go for utilitarian when it comes to choosing a bag. It needs to be able to fit all the usual suspects (wallet, make-up, phone, etc.) while also being able to hold my lunch and whatever I might need to carry to and from work.

I fell in love with this London Fog satchel when I spotted it in DSW last spring. I loved the vintage shape of it and the color, which just seemed so cheerful. I’m honestly not a huge fan of pastels, but I couldn’t resist this bag’s charms! The pink with gold accents was just too perfect. I believe it cost me around $70 last year (but don’t quote me on that), and I used it well into the summer before reluctantly switching bags. The bag itself is pretty sturdy and it can hold a lot, surprisingly, so it met all my work needs.

The Contents

Reading Material – Since I love to read and work in publishing, I have a lot of reading material in my bag. I always have at least one paperback (currently The Secret History) that I read on the train as well as my Kindle Fire HDX. I use the Kindle to read manuscripts for work, but I also upload the New York Times to read in the morning since I’m a news and media junkie. I always keep a small notepad in my bag too, which I use to jot down blog posts and whatever creative writing I might be doing on the side. And to be very old-fashioned, I keep a train schedule in my bag even though I have the Train Time App on my phone…

Beauty Essentials – I kind of suck when it comes to remembering to freshen my make-up during the day, but I always keep a lipstick or two in my bag. My daily look doesn’t usually include lipstick, but slicking some color onto my lips is my way of switching from a day to night look if I’m going out after work. I’m currently carrying Revlon’s Cherry Tart Colorburst Lip Butter and Maybelline’s Pinkalicious. I also carry a few loose hairpins or hair claws. This time of year, I keep a hand moisturizer in my bag, like Jergen’s Ultra Healing, to help repair the damage winter has done to my poor dehydrated skin. And lastly, I have my trusty sunglasses! These Miu Miu shades are my pride and joy. Their retail value is a couple hundred dollars, but I snagged them for $40 last summer. I absolutely adore them! The details on the side get tons of compliments, and I feel so confident (kind of like a movie star) when I’m wearing them.

Bits & Bobs – Of course I always have my iPhone 5 in my bag along with a pen (or 5…) to write things down in my notepads. It probably goes without saying, too, that I keep my wallet and my monthly train ticket in my bag as well. My wallet, which I bought in a market in Florence last summer, is another of my pride and joys. It’s the softest leather I have ever felt, even if it is a bit boring as far as design goes.

So what are some of your bag essentials? Do you have anything in there that is completely utilitarian?