Today I'm going to introduce this brand that has a totally different approach to nail polish and nail care from the one we're used to. When I got to use Acquarella for the first time, it was a learning moment as things are done differently. The products are not tested on animals, they don't contain animal products or by-products. Basically, Acquarella is a brand of water based color and has no nasty ingredients. The set* I have includes nail conditioner, nail polish in color Girly, nail polish remover and buffer kit. It came with an instructional sheet, so it was easy to understand how things are done.
The instruction sheet tells how to use buffer kit and how to use nail care products correctly. Before you can apply nail polish for the first time, you have to prepare your nails and that takes a few days. You're supposed to buff nails on the first day, and then apply conditioner for 3 days (remove conditioner before reapplying a new coat).
After that you're ready for your nail polish. No base or top coat is needed with this system. You should apply 2 thin nail polish coats. Since it dries from the top to the bottom, it will feel dry very quickly, but keep in mind that it needs time to cure (about 6 hours to be safe). It's recommended to do your nails 15-20 minutes before bedtime, so there would be plenty of time for that. The first time I applied this nail polish, I didn't give enough time for it to dry (I'm used to doing my nails morning/mid-morning) and I think I applied the first coat too thick, so while my nails looked perfect they started chipping the same night. To be completely honest, I didn't follow instructions fully as I did dishes, washed my hands and took a shower only in a couple hours after nail polish application. Acquarella recommends to be more cautious for the first 24 hours (avoid long showers, longer contact with water, etc.) to make the nail polish last and get the best of its performance, but for me it's hard to do that with 2 dogs around as I constantly wash my hands or do something around the house involving water. However, I gave it another try.
To remove the nail polish you should moisten a cotton pad with nail polish remover and swab nails. This remover works ONLY with Acquarella nail polishes. It actually feels very hydrating, none drying, maybe even a little oily, so the first thing that comes to mind is that nail polish will not stick to the nails, which is not true as I learned later. It also gets a little foamy once on the nails. Not sure how well you can see photo on the left, but I tried to show how that looks. It's very important to wash your hands well with water afterwards. P.S. Excuse my nail/cuticle look as I took these photos while my hands were getting back to normal from bad nail breaks and dried hands.
Next time I applied nail polish in really thin layers, and it lasted well. Though maybe I applied a little too thin as I wanted the result to be more opaque, but I haven't tried 3 coats yet. The nails had nice finish and shine, they also felt and looked very light. It's a personal preference, of course, but I like a thicker coat of nail polish + base/top coat. However, this is such a clean product that I think it would be an amazing and safe alternative for kids or teenagers. Girly is a very pretty and summery color and I'm sure I'll use it again, but to be fair it's a little too much preparation work for this nail polish. I'm used to having nail polish on all the time, so once I remove one nail polish, I apply another one right away, so 3 days with bare nails is a lot for me. Though I haven't tried that, but I think it would be fine to use Acquarella nail polish without the detoxification period.
* marks PR samples received complimentary
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