Hello lovelies,

I've received a surprise package from Sally Hansen with a Fashionista Box*. It contained a selection of Madeline Poole's essential Sally Hansen products for Fashion Week shows and I really liked the idea of 'insider tips' that I want to share it with you. It was very exciting to discover what are 'the hero products' of such a great manicurist and a Sally Hansen Global Ambassador.

I've only tried one of the products before so I had to try the others first before writing this review. Let's have a look at the (stylish) box and the products...

The box itself was packed in another outer box and in an orange sleeve with Sally Hansen logo on it. There are five full-sized products in this selection box: Two cuticle care and three nail polish products. All of them fit snuggly into cut-out cardboard inside of this cool bright orange box. I mean - how well-thought is this packaging? I'll be definitely re-using this box after removing the inside :)

The first product I'll be looking at is the Sally Hansen Nail Rehab strengthener:

The Nail Rehab strengthener has a light peachy colour and it's quite translucent but the opacity can be built up. As you can see above, it is almost invisible in one coat and I found it was nicely colour-correcting int he first coat. If you have short nails, want naturally-looking nails without applying regular polish, you can apply two coats and it will look very nice. But please be careful when using any nail strenghteners - use them if your nails are oily and paper thin and need hardening. On the other hand if your nails are dry, brittle and splitting, use nail/cuticle oil with jojoba oil several time a day.

The bottle comes with a silver mirror-effect cap with small and short nail brush. The brush allowed for an easy and precise application. Base coat shouldn't be applied thickly so you only need a little bit of product, no need for huge brushes anyway.

Next product is Insta-Dry Top Coat. I've noriced that many ladies in various Facebook groups recommend this as a great topcoat and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. It's formula is on the thinner side and brush is quite thin as well but it applied easily and dried fast and glossy. I'll be definitely using up this bottle, it's a great top coat!

"A quick-dry, chip-resistant top coat. Exclusive acrylic polymer formula hardens and dries any nail color to the touch in just seconds. Double UV filter formula helps protect nail color."

There were two top coats in this set, each very different. The second top coat is Gel Shine 3D Top Coat. It has thicker gel-like consistency and the brush is flat and with rounded bristles. I found the bristled to be ttoo firm so that it wasn't bending enough when I was topcoat nail art and it smudged it. I also didn't like the formula that much. I had to apply quite thick coats otherwise there was a bit of patching and dragging. It's also took a while for it to dry enough and for the first time in years I ended up with ruined nails with different imprints from my clothes etc. It's a shame but this top coat just didn't work for me. Interestingly, the Miracle Gel Top Coat is really good.

Let's move on to the cuticle care products. Cuticle Rehab is a cuticle oil treatment that comes in a 8.8ml squeeze out tube and it has thick gel consistency. It can be easily applied with the built-in brush which is nice and soft. It smels kind of fruity, like a yellow melon. I haven't been using it that long but it seems nourishing to the skin and cuticles so I'll keep using it.

"Helps reduce nail breakage. An intense, brush-on cuticle oil that instantly smoothes, softens & helps restore moisture to cuticles. Formulated with Jasmine & Rose extracts and Vitamin E, which are known to calm and soothe."

Last product I want to share with you is the Instant Cuticle Remover. I've tried this remover before and I still use it on occasion. It comes in a bottle with a squeeze out tip and it has a gel consistency. It works very fast and effective and it is a good cuticle remover. The reason i don't use it all the time is that it shouldn't be left on the nails for more than a minute which tells me it must be some pretty strong stuff. I like to take my time with cuticles so I prefer slower-working products.

"Maximum strength formula leaves cuticles smooth & soft. Great for calluses too! Formulated with Chamomile and Aloe, known to help calm & soothe."

How to use: Squeeze a thin strip around cuticles and under nail tips. After 15 seconds gently push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher or manicure stick. Wash away excess immediately and thoroughly with warm soapy water. To remove calluses, apply to callus for 1 minute. Wash away excess immediately and thoroughly with warm soapy water. Do not leave on longer than 1 minute.

So that was five Sally Hansen picks from the fabulous Madeleine Poole. My favourite must be the Insta-Dry Top Coat, it's a really good one.

I don't think the Fashionista Box as a whole is available for sale (I couldn't find it) but you can buy all the products it contains. It might even be better for most because you can decide which products you'd like to try. All of the Sally Hansen products are available at the UK website and at the US website and all the other international outlets that sell Sally Hansen.

Hope you've enjoyed today's review and have a lovely day! Lucie x

*Products sent for review

Hello lovelies,

I'll start from the beginning...My story with Soap Dodger brand started many months ago back in July 2015. Kat, the creator of the brand has been looking for some advice on her new nail polish line 'Ard As Nails and I was happy to help her out. Well she surprised me with some polishes which I've shown you here and here but also gave me the opportunity to try some of her other products, no strings attached. Kat said they were a gift and she didn't expect a review but when I like something, I like to share it with you all. I've been testing some of the hand care products for weeks now and I'm ready to talk about them. I'll also give you some compelling reasons at the end of this post why you should try Soap Dodger products ;)

Soap Dodger is a British brand of homemade products that currently offers quite an extensive range from bath and body, home fragrance and wax melts to 'Ard As Nails nail polish.

About: "Soap-Dodger was created by Kat in the summer of 2012 from her kitchen. Following succesful sales for over 6 months we then expanded the range and made it all available online. None of the products are tested on animals, and we try to source local ingredients where possible. We don't use parabens and try to use oils and butters that are skin loving. The majority of people will be able to use our range of products as they are suitable for sensitive skin.

All of the products are lovingly handmade so that you receive the freshest products available using the best ingredients we can get our hands on! We are fully certified to manufacture products by hand, in accordance with UK and EU legislation. Our products are handmade and hand cut or moulded. We are also a member of the Guild of Craft Soap & Toiletry Makers."

How cool is that? Kat has built a legitimate business out of her kitchen and the fact that she has certification as well makes me reassured that her products are good and safe to use.

First up is the Cuticle Balm. It comes in a screw-lid jar that to me looks like there is enough product for the whole town! There is 15g a pot and there is no way I can use it all up by myself. The price point is very affordable - £2.50! The next thing I noticed was the scent. It is very light and to me it seems like there are some citrus and flower notes mixed together.

The cuticle balm has solid consistency so I scrape a small amount with my nail and put small piece on my cuticles. Once all nails have a little ball of product I use my fingers to rub the product into the skin and nails. It starts to slightly melt and is more workable when it gets warmer. It doesn't completely melt so it really does have a consistency of a balm. When I'm on the go I prefer to use even less product (wipe the balm with finger in the pot and then rub it on the cuticles). It helps getting rid of dry patches and cuticles.

Soap Dodger about Cuticle Balm: Tackle your cuticles by treating them daily to a natural blend of rich butters, Jojoba Wax and a mix of essential oils. Use sparingly and rub the balm into your cuticles before gently pushing them back. The excess can also be rubbed into your nails to help keeping them look conditioned.

Next product I loved and wanted to show you is Hand Love. Hand Love is a solid-ish butter that melts on touch and it reminds me a bit of LUSH Lemony Flutter because it also completely melts into oily, nourishing film. I use it both during the day and as an overnight hand mask with cotton gloves. When used during the day I only use a tiny ball of product otherwise it will be too much. The blend of butter and oils works well for my dry skin and I wake up with beautifully soft hands. The only downside for me is that it leaves little bit of waxy feeling in the morning but once I wash my hands it's gone.

There are several scents available and I chose Fantastic Fox - A crisp, sweet and fruity floral with notes of lemon and orange. This fragrance rests on a base of musk, woods, cassis, orchid and plum." I didn't expect to like the scent as much as I do but the fresh and fruity scent does it for me. The scent isn't overpowering which is another plus.

Hand Love comes in a plastic jar with screw-on lid and in two sizes - 50ml or 100ml. The 50ml jar will last ages and it costs only £3.50

Soap Dodger about Hand Love: Our Butter Love range is hugely popular so we have expanded the range and created this new Butter Love for hands. Packed full of Mango Butter and Rice Bran Oil this is an intense hand butter for those suffering with extremely dry skin. Rice Bran Oil is a light and emollient Oil which is rich in Vitamin E and contains both oleic and linoleic acids. This Butter is best applied at night and only a small amount is needed. Allow a few minutes for this to soak into your skin, and remember a little goes a long way!

Last product I've been using is Hand Repair Balm. This is a curious one - it has very similar feel to Hand Love but it has a different set of ingredients. It is supposed to be even more nourishing and richer than Hand Love, kinda like a hand mask. It worked well for me when I used a generous amount overnight with cotton gloves. It also melts into oily substance that soaks into the skin overnight but it has much stronger way feeling/film in the morning. But same with Hand Love - I just washed my hands with soap and the film mostly washed off. It's a really cool product especially for those whose hands are really dry, cracked and strained. I would however like to say that because Hand Repair Balm and Hand Love are so similar I would choose to buy one of them and something else like the Cuticle Balm.

Hand Repair Balm comes in a 70ml pot and costs £5.00

Soap Dodger about Hand Repair Balm: Our hand repair balm has been created to soothe and treat sensitive fingers and hands. Tiny splits in your hands and fingers can often be uncomfortable. Our Hand Repair Balm is made from ingredients such as Olive Oil, Shea Butter and Lemon Wax.

3 reasons why you should try something from Soap Dodger:

1. You're supporting a small business, real people and their families and you're buying British product
2. They are a great value for money and with good ingredients and not tested on animals
3. They work - they worked great for me and my skin and cuticles and my favourite product  that I cannot recommend enough is Hand Love

Have I persuaded you yet? ;) No, really... If you live in the UK, this is a brand you should definitely try or at least look at. Kat also sells many other products like wax melts and candles, body oil, face serums and cream, nail polish and more.

Have a lovely day! Lucie x

*Products were gifted to me without expectation of review