On one of the hottest days of the year, we arrived at one of my favourite establishments in Belfast – the rooftop bar at the stunning Merchant Hotel for the ‘KISS - Bring the Salon Home’ Summer Party and was immediately transported to a lash & nail beauty paradise!
Upon entering I was given a gorgeous cocktail and took a seat as Paddy McGurgan - make-up artist extraordinaire and founder of the Makeup Pro Store in Belfast (my go-to place if I ever need to get glammed up – the artists are magical and always leave me looking uh-mazing!) - gave me a lash-over.
The latest in lash innovation, this product delivers the unrivalled beauty of a mink lash – they are plush, voluminous, soft and lustrous, but do not use mink. Instead they combine human and synthetic hair to create a naturally shiny, feather light strip.
Unfortunately, although my lashes are naturally long-ish, they’re quite fair at the ends and in any case, they would never be long enough to compete with false lashes which give me the definition I desire. I must admit I was really impressed with these and will definitely be purchasing again. There were piles to choose from; I opted for a natural but oh-so-fabulous strip to give my tired eyes a little wake-up call! When applied they felt weightless, comfortable and looked completely natural (they also got me lots of compliments, which is always a good sign!). I am also told that they can be reused up to 10 times making it a very inexpensive investment!
Next up, it was mani time! Again the choice was endless and after much deliberation, I chose a matte navy shade. The girl applying the nails told me that these were called ‘imPRESS and go’ and that they require no glue – you literally peel off the adhesive, press them on and go with no glue & no drying time.
This works by a super-hold, dual-layer adhesive. Basically the top layer is designed for optimal adhesion to the hard service of the artificial nail and the bottom layer is designed for optimal adhesive to the natural nail and is made with a softer, flexible gel adhesive that fits into the ridges and imperfections of your natural nail. I must admit I was wary at first and immediately doubted their security and ability, however I was soon proven wrong - realising their staying power after a wardrobe-clean up did not budge them - which definitely says something! Over-using products and not removing gel nails properly has left my nails on the weak side and so this product is the perfect solution, they cause no damage, are easily applied and have a lovely natural finish. Each set includes 30 nails and comes with a mini file and prep pad! At only £7.99 I will definitely be stocking up before I move to London for July - a salon-worthy manicure in minutes – what’s not to love?
Visit www.KISSeurope.uk for more information
KISS products are available at Superdrug stores nationwide (the imPRESS and go nails will be available from 26th July)