Olympic Neon + The Vanity: TRIND.

First up, thanks to everyone for swinging by yesterday for my #RealBloggerBeauty post. It was cool to share with you guys, and even cooler of Maya to include me in the collaboration. If you haven’t had a chance to read some of the stories shared by my fellow bloggers, head over and check ’em out.

If Jem (of Hologram fame) went dressed as an Olympic figure skater for Halloween, she would wear this dress. J.Lo totally wore this first (and better, truthfully, because homegirl’s body is crazy) on an episode of Idol, I believe. I had to have it because it was a) super affordable and b) super ridiculous. Also known as my fave fashion combo. Jem might call it outrageous, and I’d agree.

Styling this number is an exercise in restraint. The dress is already so much, which meant I needed to keep it tame elsewhere. A nude sandal with a hint of neon piping was an interesting-but-still-safe choice, and the hair needed to go up in a topknot to give top billing to the high neckline + lace detailing. No jewelry, just a hint of a bold lip (in that no-budge long-wear formula I’ve been obsessed with recently).

I love it because it’s super loud and feminine. How fun for girl’s night out?

The Vanity: TRIND Review.

Knowing my affinity for brights, TRIND reached out with the opportunity to take their nail products for a test drive. A gorgeous set of ocean-esque polishes, a polish remover, and a keratin treatment and topcoat arrived on my doorstep a few weeks later.

I’ve been wearing Mint Julep quite a bit (it’s on my toes in this very post!) and used Surf’s Up to create a fun manicure I featured on my Instagram:

The scoop on TRIND: TRIND products are fortified with keratin. Keratin is a protein you normally find in hair products to strengthen hair, but TRIND has added it to their formulas so the nails benefit. Brilliant, eh? TRIND’s treatments are free of the harsh chemicals found in some other polishes, meaning you won’t find the potentially dangerous trio of dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde hiding in that amazing fire engine red manicure. (Dibutyl phthalate and toluene are linked with increasing the risk of birth defects in pregnant women, and formaldehyde is a carcinogen.)

The Nail Restorer and Keratin Nail Protector are a combo treatment used to improve the health of your nails. They include the aforementioned miracle protein keratin, and work to restore + add moisture to dry, weak nails. Treat the Nail Restorer almost like you would a cuticle cream; it can brushed on nails as needed. The Keratin Nail Protector is a topcoat containing keratin, so not only are you protecting your polish job when you brush this stuff on, but you’re also giving your nails a strength shot. I’ve been using the Nail Restorer for about a month now and have noticed my nails seem a bit stronger. I love that the treatment dries quickly (means I can swipe it on clean nails and then get back to whatever I’m doing without a mess). The topcoat is nice; it protected and gave a nice shiny finish. I love to start with the restorer formula then follow up with the topcoat for a clean, natural manicure.

The colors I test drove were Appletini, Surf’s Up, and Mint Julep. Very appropriate for the summer season, that’s for sure. I love the shape of the brush handle (ergonomic; feels good in the hand) and the color pay-off was solid. These formulas cover nicely in two thin coats. They didn’t easily chip (especially on toes), although I was careful to reapply a topcoat every other day when I wore ’em on my hands. (Typing dramatically decreases the life of most manicures, am I right?)

When switching colors, I used TRIND’s polish remover. It’s a mild formula (ie, non-acetone) so I had to scrub a bit to get the polish off, but noticed after the remover dried it left a lovely floral scent behind (as opposed to that strong chemical scent most removers leave you with).

You can buy TRIND products here– go and check out the rest of their color selection! Next on my list is Dark Scarlet and Miss O’Hara!

 Linking up with More Pieces of Me + On the Daily Express, Join The Gossip + I Have A Degree In This, Pink Sole + Cha Cha The Fashion Genius, Style Elixir, Sew Crafty Angel, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Life’s a Party Dress Like It, Get Your Pretty On, and The Pleated Poppy.

 *TRIND sent the nail products for my review; thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.