☆Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat - Review + photos of my manicure miracle product!!!☆

Source:
http://avonshop.co.uk/

I've been saying for a while now that I'll publish a review of Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat (a great product, but why did they have to give it such a long name?). When looking through my blog's private statistics I can see that a lot of people are searching for an honest review of this popular nail polish, so here it is!
From my experience of this product, I actually think Avon are understating this stuff's power. It has absolutely worked wonders on my nails. I can't stress how thankful I am from it!

Avon say...
"Treat your nails to an at-home manicure without the beauty parlour price! Sheer pink-toned gel makes nails 92.5% stronger and gives them a shiny finish." - http://avonshop.co.uk/


Let's jump back to 4 months ago... me and my partner spend a week in the freezing cold extra-long winter of 2012/13 "fixing" my car's body work and some stuff under the bonnet (you'll be surprised what you can achieve with WD40, Duct Tape, and industrial-strength super glue).

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My nails were already in poor condition, and all the chemicals, hands-on work, cold weather, and extra hand washing made my nails deteriorate dramatically. Click the photo to the right to see how poor my nail condition was for yourself! It was impossible for my nails to grow - they were so weak that whenever the slightest length was achieved they would break almost instantly. Thin, brittle, dry and peeling, something had to be done!

Previously I would have donned the OPI Original Nail Envy or No7 So Strong, but I fancied something new, so I bought a bottle of Gel Strength Base Coat from Avon. Dramatic as it may sound, it turned out to be one of the best beauty-related decisions I've ever made.

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When I first used this product I would apply 2 coats, then I would remove and re-apply it when I noticed signs of wear. While my nails were in such bad condition I wore Gel Strength alone, I didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to my nails while they looked so unhealthy! The photo to the right shows my nails after the first application of Gel Strength - just by giving them a good was and a glossy shine, they already look healthier! As my nail condition began to quickly improve, I would wear 1 coat rather than 2, and wear a nice shade of polish on top. :)
Personal tip: I always wash and dry my hands thoroughly after using nail polish remover - those chemicals can't be good for your nails, and polish won't apply or dry well on wet/damp nails!

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Here are the great results I noticed...
1. Overall nail condition improved dramatically in a short time frame. Check out the photo to the right to see how my had improved after just 6 weeks - immaculate!
2. Nails have grown more rapidly and improved strength has prevented breaking.
3. The nail surface appears smoother - this product could benefit those with uneven nail surface problems.
4. Wear it alone for instantly improved nail condition and an attractive glossy shine.
5. Prolongs the wear of any nail polish applied on top; Before I started using Gel Strength, any polish I wore would chip and peel within days of application, particularly around the tips and cuticles. Sometimes I wouldn't even get a days' wear out of it! But when I'm wearing this product under my polish the wear is improved dramatically. Colour seems to form a stronger bond to the Gel Strength than it does to the bare nail surface or other to base coats I've used. It makes your polish ultra-hard-wearing! This strong "bond" also makes it an excellent glue for nail decors and gemstones. 

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Image - right: In this photo I have been wearing this polish for 6 days, yet there are barely any signs of wear. The polish shown is Avon Nailwear Pro+ in "Blue Water Lilies".

I literally have no complaints about this stuff whatsoever. I have worn this it daily since I first applied it. I use it on my toes to prolong my pedicure now, too! The results I got from this product rival that of OPI Original Nail Envy and No7 So Strong, yet it's only a fraction of the price, so it's definitely worth a whirl! Not only are my nails in fantastic condition, but due to this stuff's ability to make any colour extra-hard-wearing, I no longer have to worry about manicure touch ups! I couldn't be without it. Thank you, Avon, for saving my nails!

Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat is available online at http://avonshop.co.uk/ or from your Avon Representative.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

3x Avon SuperShock products; Gel eyeliner, pencil eyeliner, mascara; reviews + photos

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There are quite a lot of products in Avon's SuperShock range, and I have three of them; SuperShock Eyeliner in "Blackened Metal", SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil in "Black", and SuperShock Mascara in "Black" in the limited edition packaging. So I thought I'd give them all a review in one blog.

First I want to share my thoughts on my favorite product of the three, my SuperShock Eyeliner in "Blackened Metal". I'd heard good things about it from friends, and I can see why! Its a gel eyeliner which comes in a little glass pot, and is currently available in three metallic shades; "Blackened Metal" is a very dark grey/black packed with silver shimmer (see my "swatch photo" below), "Shimmering Sapphire" is cobalt blue with light blue sparkles, and "Flashy Brown" is a metallic shade medium-dark brown/bronze.

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I went for "Blackened Metal" as I'm not a fan of bright eye make up on myself. I wish this product was available in matte black - I can't fault this shade at all, but it would be nice to have it in plain black, too. Anyway, I really love how build-able this shade is. When first applied it's fairly light and translucent, but when you layer it up it becomes a gorgeous dramatic dark grey / "almost black", packed full of sparkling silver shimmer, I love it!
I can't explain how good the wear is; I work 18 hour days, and it looks just as stunning at the start of my day as it does at the end... it doesn't even need any touch ups! It's also smudge-proof and crease-proof. The formula is silky-smooth, but it does feel quite greasy on your hands and it's a pain to get off your skin and brushes with water alone (so try not to make a mess with it!).
Obviously you'll need an eyeliner brush to apply this product. A brush isn't supplied, but Avon do sell one separately for £4.00. My assistant's sister uses Avon's eyeliner brush and tells me it's good, but I use my MAC 263 Small Angle Brush which is available for £16.00 from the MAC website.
Avon SuperShock Eyeliner is available from your Avon representative for £6.00.

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© Tuesday T. Bryan Photography
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Now it's time to discuss the eyeliner pencil, Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil in "Black".
Although I do like this product, I personally don't think it's as good as the SuperShock Eyeliner. If they made  the SuperShock Eyeliner in this deep matte black I'd buy it in a shot!
On your skin this liner lasts all day, the wear is fantasic. Again, it's completely smudge-proof and crease-proof. However, on your waterline this product just doesn't work for me; it fades and begins to run very quickly, and literally within minutes I have no liner left on the corners of my waterline at all which is disappointing. Again, this product is silky-smooth but quite greasy; you need to be careful not to make a mess with it as it's almost impossible to remove with water alone, in fact it's even more difficult to remove than the SuperShock Eyeliner due to the dark shade. The pencil is very soft which makes the application smooth and drag-free, but it also means it wears down fairly quickly so you'll need to sharpen it quite a lot.
Avon SuperShock Gel Pencil Eyeliner is available from your local Avon representative for £6.00.

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Lastly, my Avon SuperShock Mascara in "Black". They only sell this product in black, but that's no problem for me. They also sell a SuperShock Max version which I'd like to get my hands on! I bought it a couple of months ago in the limited edition packaging; it's metallic red with gold writing and stars and really is quite pretty, now and then they sell it online and in the brochure for a limited period.
This is a volume boosting mascara, and it really does work. I have fairly short lashes and they're quite thick anyway, so I usually go for a lengthening product, but I'd heard great things about this one so I had to give it a go. It thickens my lashes really well! And it coats my lashes for root to tip which gives me a nice dark lash line without eyeliner. It doesn't clump which is always a winner. It also dries very quickly - my "everyday mascara" was Maybelline Great Lash for about 2 years as it was an all-round beauty bar the fact that it took too long to dry which could lead to it getting messy, but Avon SuperShock (and my No7 Extreme Length Mascara) have now replaced it! The photos show the thickness and length of my lashes after using Avon SuperShock Mascara.
Avon SuperShock Mascara is available from your Avon representative for £8.50.

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By Tuesday T. Bryan.

Image - below: The photo below shows all three products together; SuperShock Eyeliner on my upper lid, SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil on my waterline, and SuperShock Mascara on my lashes.

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