Review of Signature Nail Systems

Those who know me know that I am completely OBSESSED with nails. From the most creative artwork, to long stiletto nails, 3-D designs and the latest nail creation, I love it all. Unfortunately for me, I'm a nail biter. Not just a nibbler either. I will pick and bite until my nails are bleeding. I know, I know. It is a disgusting, terrible habit! But after 23 years, I still have yet to break it. I have consistently gotten my nails done (every 3-5 weeks) since I was about 17 years old. I love new and different techniques and have tried it all: acrylics, solar, hard gel (the kind you can't soak off), Shellac, fiberglass, silk wraps, and I have also tried other types of gel such at OPI, Gelish, etc.

My first love in nail enhancements would have to be hard gel. I've used a few types, but my favorite brand thus far for hard gel would have to be LUXE nails. It is what got me hooked on regularly getting my nails done. The look and feel so natural, as well as they were minimally damaging to my nail bed. It also helped that my nail tech was amazing and created the most beautifully shaped nails. Because I am so hard on my nails and such a picker, I also loved how strong and durable hard gels were. I could wear them with a tip (if need be) or on my natural nail. It helped me reduce my biting and allow me to grow out my natural nail- something I had never been able to do.

Once I moved to Texas, I found it nearly impossible to find nail techs and salons that actually used hard gel products. I love the look and feel of shellac ( or OPI gel) nails, but alas, they aren't strong enough for my biting habits. My nails would look beautiful for about a week, and then with one small pick, I would easily rip of the gel and continue biting. I've even tried wearing OPI gel colors with tips under them ( there is a LOT of building of the gel involved to remove the look of any tip lines). Once again, my nails would be perfectly manicured for about a week and a half. Then my bad habit would get the better of me, and I was popping off my nails within minutes.

I'm completely fine with acrylics. I recognize adding tips to my nails is called an "enhancement" therefore, I'm not one of those people who necessarily needs "natural" or organic nails. I'm also so hard on my nails that I am ok if the enhancement does scuff up my nail a bit. In order for the nail enhancements to be more durable and stick, some filing down will be necessary. My major issue with acrylics is the fills. I don't like to get fills because even after just one, my nails begin to feel like talons. The nail just gets too thick and heavy for my liking. I typically like to just get a fresh set- which means more money, and it also means removing the old set which is a painful and time- consuming process. In my search for the perfect type of nails to replace my beloved hard gel sets, I discovered the Signature Nail Systems, or SNS nails.

SNS nails claim they are "healthy natural nails." They say they are organic, there is no odor or primer, no need for a UV light and that the products contain various vitamins and minerals. Do I necessarily  believe this system is completely natural and organic? No. As I said earlier though, being completely natural and organic isn't really a concern of mine.

A description of the benefits of SNS, as well as a chart comparing this system to other nail systems. More information can be found on the SNS website: http://signaturenailsystems.com/Home.html

Intrigued by the idea of something that feels as light as gel, but as sturdy and durable as acrylics without the heavy damage, I spent hours upon hours researching salons that provided this service. I am not typically a "nail salon" girl. I've had my fair share of great salons, but also dingy unclean salons that had a serious language barrier and ruined my nails. I will visit various nail salons for pedicures, but when it comes to my sets, I usually seek out an actual nail tech. Once I find a professional tech whose work I like, I usually stick with them.  My understanding is SNS has been around for many years now. However, I found it difficult to find a salon who provided this service here in Austin. I poured over reviews prior to trying a place. Many reviewers described botched SNS services where their nails were painted with regular polish, they were still cured under lights, or worse, they received basically an acrylic set with a gel coat. With my confidence wavering a bit, I settled on two nail salons. One salon had amazing ratings, but is located far south Austin- near Onion Creek. Since I am North Austin, I was reluctant to make the nearly 30 mile trek ( one way) just to get a set of nails. The other nail salon I stumbled upon was called Studio nails and Spa, and was only 7 miles from me. My major concern was that this salon seemed fairly new, and there were no ratings on it as of yet. After studying their website and watching numerous youtube videos of the SNS process ( so I could call them out if they did anything that wasn't actually part of the system), I made a leap of faith and went to Studio Nails and Spa.

When I arrived I  was warmly greeted. I was the only one in the salon, but both girls working were sweet and friendly. They were also conversational. The salon, upon first scan, was large and simple, but very clean. I explained I wanted an SNS set, and they immediately brought out a huge section of their color swatches. I was impressed already! Such a variety of color choices- a confidence boost for me. Lan was the lovely lady working on my set. She decided for my first set it would be best to add tips, and then hopefully during the fill tip enhancements would no longer be needed. She was gentle and meticulous. She didn't file and drill my nails down relentlessly, and she actually redid a nail completely because she wasn't happy with how it turned out.

The SNS process is interesting. The best way I can describe it is basically a gel/ acrylic hybrid. After shaping my nails, she put one coat of gel on. Then she dipped my nails into an extremely fine clear powder as the "base coat." She then flicked my finger (to dust off any excess) and moved on to the next finger. She repeated this process twice on each nail, as she said she wanted to build up the base a bit more on my nails. She then put another coat of gel and dipped each finger in the my chosen colored powder twice. After the color was added, she added a gel coat again, letting it dry by a fan for a moment. The final touch was a top coat, which glossed the nails to a high sheen. I immediately loved them. They felt so natural and thin, looked as gorgeous as a shellac set, but felt EXTREMELY strong and durable. She charged me $40 for a new set. In completing my research, this was a very reasonable price for a new set of SNS nails. In comparison to the amount of money I have spent on other sets in the past, I also found this price to be fair.

My first SNS nail set in a Lavender color. I had just gotten done with a crazy (and long) set of stiletto nails, so I asked her to file my nails down extra short and shape them as natural as possible.

I was curious about the "fill" process,  since the color essentially came from a powder and likely could not simply be "added to" like they normally do with an acrylic set. She said they would soak my nails for just a minute or two in acetone to soften the powder up, and then essentially shave off the colored powder so that a new color could be added. It sounded like it wouldn't get built up and heavy like an acrylic set, so (depending on how the set wore) I figured I would try a fill with the SNS rather than getting a new set.


After three weeks of wear, my nails were in excellent condition! There was little lifting, all 10 nails were still intact, and there was no color fading/ chipping. I did have one nail that was slightly loose, so just shortly after hitting the three-week mark, I decided to go get my fill done. She soaked my fingers in acetone for about 2 minutes. The gel/ powder mixture immediately became almost gooey. She then used the drill to shave off all the layers, leaving just a very thin base layer as the starting point. She actually just pulled off the one loose nail I had (and started over fresh with that nail). I was impressed at how painless it was and how little damage was done to my nail in comparison to acrylics. She repeated the same base coat/ dip, color coat/ dip process as the first time. For my fill, she had me dry next to the little table fan for just a few minutes longer. She said it was because she did not was any bumps in the top coat. Does this make the SNS completely free of any drying time as it claims? NO. But again, waiting a few minutes at a fan does not make a huge impact on my opinion of a set. My fill cost me $28. This was a huge savings for me because usually after 3-4weeks I am paying for an entirely new set.

This is my fill set after about a week and a half of wear. You can see they look still look amazing- nearly new! I chose the color "Puppies Breath", which is a peachy/ nude natural color. I plan to get another fill in 3 weeks, to see if the sets remain as durable and lightweight.

Overall I have been LOVING my SNS nail sets! My hands are constantly in water at work, and I haven't noticed it effecting my nails. They look very natural. Most people think they are simply shellac or gel set. I have had little to no lifting even on my fill set, and I have yet to have a nail crack or any color chip off. At this point they really fit my needs. They are strong and VERY durable, help my natural nail grow, have high shine with beautiful colors, and no UV lights or thick and heavy powders are required. I would encourage you to give them a try if you're curious about the system. It was worth it for me! I would also encourage you to do your homework to find the perfect salon. Just like the gel craze, so many salons claim they offer this service, but really they just use acrylic powder in place of the actual process.

For those of you who have tried it- what are your thoughts? I would love to hear others' experiences (good and bad) with the Signature Nail Systems.

If you're in the Austin area and would like to check out the salon where I got my SNS sets, please visit:
http://studionailsspa.com/

- The POSH Lady

Setting Sprays: a makeup essential or just another step?

 As someone who suffers from oily skin, I have experimented with nearly EVERYTHING humanly possible to regulate the shine on my face. I grew up in Colorado, so my skin adapted to the dry climate. Now living in Austin, my skin freaks out in the humidity, and thus, I become a giant greaseball. I will preface my slick-face woes by stating that I am a girl who LOVES a matte finish to my skin- like zero dew/ luminous look. I'm fine with a lovely "glow" to my skin, but if there is even a hint of glitter/ gleam in a product what-so-ever I will not purchase it. I also must mention that ( as oxy-moron as it may sound) I am a very simple girl in my makeup routine. I don't do too much in regards to sculpting my cheekbones, blush or eyeshadow. I'm a "one and done"; meaning, I put on my primer, foundation, liner, mascara, shadow and finishing powder on in the morning, and that is it. I never bring my makeup bag with me anywhere, thus I never touch up my makeup throughout the day. When evaluating makeup products for purchase, coverage, mattifying nature, and staying power are my three must haves.

 After trekking my way to Sephora on numerous occasions and testing out every mattifying primer and finishing powder in existence, I still haven't found my Holy Grail matte product. My makeup was continuing to melt off my face halfway through the day, leaving me awkward and embarrassed. Since I'm not interested in touching up my makeup while I work, I began toying with the idea of purchasing a setting spray. Setting sprays are a very new step to my makeup routine. Initially, the thought of having to add another step to my process annoyed me, so I planned on using the setting spray in place of a setting powder. However, as I began using the spray, it just seemed too weird to me to not set with a powder as well, so I rarely use my spray in place of.

I originally got a sample of Urban Decay's All Nighter setting spray based upon all of the positive reviews.

Overall, I really enjoyed this spray! It has a mild, pleasant smell and applies really well. Word to the wise: when you use a setting spray, even though they are a finer mist they will still apply wet and do take a few minutes to dry. The first time I used it I panicked for a moment because it applied on so wet that I thought it was cause streaks and create runs in my makeup.

The All Nighter is said to actually lower the temperature of your makeup throughout the day (great for humidity) and keep your makeup from melting or cracking for up to 16 hours. I must admit, I was fairly impressed with the staying power of this spray. I don't know that the spray set for a full 16 hours, but I did notice my makeup stayed in place for a full day of work, as well as dinner that evening. I would say I had my makeup on for at least 12 hours and definitely noticed an improvement in the appearance of my face that far into my day. After about a week and a half of testing out the spray, I went back to Sephora with my heart set on purchasing the All Nighter. While chatting with one of the experts there, they directed me to another one of Urban Decay's setting sprays that would help hold my makeup in place, as well as combat some of my oily issues.

                                 
                   Enter Urban Decay's De-Slick Oil-Control makeup setting spray.

 Much like the All Nighter, this spray is meant to help hold your makeup in place while lowering the temperature of your makeup. However, this spray also claims to control oil/ deflect shine on the face, to keep ones' skin matte throughout the day. Intrigued by the idea of this spray offering more oil-control than the All Nighter, I changed up my choice and purchased the small bottle of this. I've been using this spray for about a month now, and overall I really enjoy it.

I do feel this spray does help to hold my makeup in place. Does it have the staying power of the All Nighter? In my opinion, no. I do feel the need to touch-up my face after working all day and before going out at night, which I don't recall feeling that need with the All Nighter. Another con for me is the scent of the De-Slick. It is nothing terrible or deal-breaking, but it does have a more potent, less sweet scent than the other spray, and is a bit more noticeable. Perhaps this is just me, but I've also noticed that De-Slick seems to burn my eyes a bit more. If I'm not careful and open my eyes too early after spraying, my eyes sting and water, and I have to quickly dab them with a towel( FYI- I wear contacts as well).

Here's a photo of the setting spray right after I sprayed it (on completed makeup). You can see all of the shiny areas, which are actually the visibly "wet" areas of the spray. I spray my face in an "X" formation twice, and then a "Z" formation- as directed. The spray takes about 2-3 minutes to fully set and dry. Also another tidbit; I put mascara on AFTER spraying. I've noticed the formula makes my mascara too wet and it smears if I apply before spraying.

The big Question- does it help keep my face matte and reduce oil-production? Overall, I would say yes. Sometimes I still catch some shine in the mirror while at work, but that is typically a good part into my shift, and I recognize it could be the change in various makeup products (like under eye brighteners, foundation, etc.) that I used for that day. I  don't know that I would call it a HG product, as I still have unwanted oil and shine at times. However, I do love setting sprays for the simple fact that I can put my makeup on once and then not have to fix it throughout the day. The directions recommend spraying your face prior to applying makeup and then again as a finish. I haven't experimented too much with this method, mainly because it annoys me. Shouldn't my primer aid with the "under makeup" portion? Isn't the setting spray meant to be more of a finishing product? I don't know that I would use the spray solely under makeup, without any primer. Primers are made to help the overall application and look of makeup, and I just don't feel the setting spray would be competent as a primer.

Another interesting observation I'd like to note about the De-Slick setting spray in particular is how it sets with various types of foundation. I usually wear cream-to-powder or liquid-to-powder products to help with my oily nature. Two of my favorite foundations include Hourglass Immaculate foundation (HG for sure!) and Benefit's The Big Easy Better Than BB Cream. De-Slick tends to be ok with my Immaculate, however, it can get VERY powdery/ cakey if I use too much of it with the Big Easy foundation. Depending on what setting powder I use, sometimes I see this over-powdered look as well. It is likely due to the mattifying formulation of the De-Slick mixing weirdly with the mattifying properties of the other products I use.


I purchased the travel size of De-Slick, so I plan to purchase the All Nighter after I use up my bottle and further compare the two. During my sample period I remembered I felt my face looked shine-free with the All Nighter, but I only tried it for a little over a week (in less humid/ non-summer weather), so I'd like to give it another try.

What are your thoughts on setting sprays? Anyone else have experience with these two products? Also, any uber oily sufferers out there like myself, feel free to comment with your favorite methods and products to combat shine!

- The POSH Lady