Thoughts on Jessica Palladium, Gel Nails and Japanese Candy Goo

Cosmetic:

So from my last post you can see I went dusty hunting for nail polishes.  One of the polishes I bought was Jessica Custom Nail Color in Palladium.  While this isn't a rare find at all, it was a decent price at $4 (compared to the $7-$8 I see it going for).  The polish application was good.  The brush was thin but maneuverable and the polish was opaque in 2 coats.

It did take a little longer to dry than I'm used to but that's what Seche Vite is for right?

The polish is a metallic but it glitters like crazy.  Imagine TV static but in glittering gold (granted TV static is a thing of the past.....) it's so fluid, it reminds me of the sun reflecting off the currents of a river or pond.

Now the pictures don't do it justice.  It's just so glittery without being a glitter.

So I also mentioned I got a gel manicure last weekend.  It was my first time and I really liked it, but it's not something I would ever get again.

Why?  Well......  although it dries fast and stays shiny and is a great option for those who are trying to grow out their nails, it has some faults with me.

First off, after all the layers are said and done it ends up being way too thick.  Also, for the cost of the gel manicure I could have gotten a full set with all sorts of bells and whistles.  Most importantly, I have a vast nail polish collection and like to switch colors often.  Having such a thick nail put me out of the mood to paint my nails, they also looked odd too.  I also have a tendency to pick at my nails when I'm bored or if I see a chip.  So once I see a weak spot on the gel around my cuticle, I had to pick at it.

In fact I was picking at my nails since the moment I got them.  The gel mani gets extra points for keeping my persistent picking at bay for as long as it did.  But today, I found a major weak spot and peeled the gel off of my nail.  The gel didn't want to come off so it took a few layers of nail with it.

This is why I can not have a gel manicure.  This is also the reason why I don't get acrylics done anymore unless it's for a very special occasion.

I ended up soaking my nails in acetone using the foil method and scraping the gel off my other nails.  This was not fun......

I ended up painting them as seen above, but my nails are so short now..... too short.  I also reshaped my nails back to rounded tips.  Why does every salon here automatically do square tips instead of asking?  It just doesn't look good on all people.

But alas, lesson learned.  That money spent on manicures will go instead to nail polish or candy.

Speaking of candy.....

Confection:

I found this at the Japanese supermarket and the scientist in me had to have it.

 This candy is so cool!  It's called neru-neru-nerune and is described as a soft candy.

So first you fill the little cup that comes with the tray with water and you put it in the bowl portion.  I've found it works best if the little measuring cup is overfilled with water.  An underfilled cup doesn't dissolve all the sugar and stuff so it doesn't expand as much.

Mix packet #1 with the water.

Fold in packet #2 with the #1 mixture. 

You will see it start to foam.  Mix it up really well.

Then you add packet #3 to the other side and dip your newly made goo into the candy pieces before eating.

Each flavor has a different candy that it's dipped in.  I guess it's supposed to complement the goo.  I've seen this candy in 3 flavors: grape, muscat and soda.

Would I get this again?  Probably not.  But I'm glad I tried it.