Layered Sweetheart Nails with Dazzle Dry

I promised in my post Bugs and Flowers that I will write about the awesome prizes I received from the nail art contest that I joined, so this blog will be a review+tutorial.  I hope you will still find this interesting, despite the length! :)

The contest I joined was by Dazzle Dry Philippines.  Dazzle Dry is a vegan nail polish system.  I know what you're thinking -- "Vegan nail polish?? What's that??!"  That's exactly what I thought when I first heard about it.  The company claims that their products are free of the harmful chemicals commonly found in regular nail polish.  Even more, your nails are expected to dry rock hard in just 5 minutes.  Here is the video that shows how to use the Dazzle Dry system:  

Too good to be true? I just had to find out for myself.  Unfortunately, Dazzle Dry is not yet available for retail in the Philippines.  Salons all over Metro Manila carry the brand and use it for their mani and pedi services, but customers cannot buy the products for themselves.  Being fully aware of the long-term effects of these chemicals to my body, I knew I just had to try winning this nail art contest so I can have my very own set of Dazzle Dry nail polish system.  

True enough, I placed second in the competition and I received the following from DD Philippines:

My awesome prizes from Dazzle Dry Philippines: a complete set of of 1 oz. nail prep, .5 oz. base coat, and .5 oz. top coat, with 2 additional colors of my choice: Morning Sky and Girlishly Giddy!

Curious as I was about this brand, I immediately opened the items and observed them.  First thing I noticed was the smell - or the lack of it, that is.  I still do not suggest sniffing it out of the bottle, but it surely smells much milder than regular polish. The box also specifically notes that the vegan nail polish system contains no camphor, formaldehyde, toluene and phthalate.  I was very happy about this!

To test if the nail polish really dries rock hard in just 5 minutes, I decided to do a sweetheart layered design on my sister that I have been having such a hard time doing with regular nail polish, basically because it requires each layer of nail polish to be completely dry before proceeding to the next.  Here is a picture that shows the summary of how I did her nails:

My experiment proved effective.  I finished this look on my sister in half an hour,  following all the required steps of the DD system, and including all drying times in between each color!

Needless to say, I am very happy with how Dazzle Dry performed for me.  I do wish I had more of this brand to use as base colors, or even for accents on my nail designs.  Join me in telling them how badly we want this to be available retail!!!

A more detailed tutorial follows below, for those who want instructions on how to do this very easy design. :)

Materials:

1. DD nail prep
2. DD base coat
3. DD top coat
4. DD in Morning Sky
5. DD in Girlishly Giddy
6. Pale yellow nail polish
7. Round label stickers

Procedure:

After using nail prep and base coat, apply 2-3 coats of Morning Sky

Place 2 label stickers at the bottom of each nail.  (I actually waited only a minute and realized that her nails were already completely dry!)

Apply 2 coats of Girlishly Giddy on the uncovered part of the nails.

Once nails are dry, peel stickers off and move them up, nearer the tips of the nails.  Apply yellow polish.

Let last layer dry, peel stickers off, and finish with top coat!

I love how simple but cute this design is.  And you really do not need heavy art skills for it!

Helpful Tips:

• When placing the stickers, I found it easier to stick the 2 pieces together first, then putting both on the nail at the same time.  That way, I could see where the dip of the heart will be.
• Be cautious about spacing, to make sure each layer looks roughly as thick at the others.  
• Of course you can try this with other nail polish brands, and not just Dazzle Dry.  But I do suggest using a very fast drying polish.  Last time I tried doing this I spent 2 hours trying to get the look to no avail because my polish wasn't drying enough.
• Try swapping the colors around on some nails to come up with an edgier design!

Thanks for reading! :)

PS. I thought some of you might want to know where they can get their Dazzle Dry mani-pedi done.  The following salons in Metro Manila offer Dazzle Dry services:

QUEZON CITY
1. AURA (Across Ateneo)
2F Palodoma Bldg
313 Katipunan Ave
Loyola Hts QC
Contact #: 423-1410; 426-6992; (0921) 567 8490.

2. NAIL IT/ Abada

23 Fabian dela Rosa St. Cor. Esteban Abada, Unit 106, Loyola Heights Condominium,
Loyola Heights, QC
Contact #: 491-5171.

3. NAIL IT Alvero (At the back of Shakey's Loyola Heights)
91 Rosa Alvero St., Unit 2A,
J & R Con Con Bldg.
Loyola Heights, QC
Contact #: 387-2759.

4. RUNWAY (Close to Ayala Heights)
2nd Flr Capitol Greenstreet
Capitol Golf & Country Club
Capitol Hills Dr., QC
Contact #: 952-2539; (0917) 538 7868

MANDALUYONG/PASIG
1. STUDIO 546
Level 5, Shangrila Plaza Mall
EDSA corner Shaw Blvd
Mandaluyong City
Contact #:638-3956

2. NAIL TROPICS/ Shangrila**
Inside Rustan's Dept. Store, Level 1 Cosmetics
(near GAP entrance)
Shangrila Plaza Mall
EDSA corner Shaw Blvd.
Mandaluyong City
Contact#: 622-6349; 0917 801 NAIL (6245)
**Please inform them that you want the Dazzle Dry mani/ pedi when you make your advance reservations.

PASIG CITY
1. NAIL IT/ Pearl Drive
8101 Pearl Plaza Bldg., 2nd Floor
Pearl Drive, Brgy San Antonio
(Ortigas Center area)
Pasig City
Contact#: 408-3401; 470-8583

2. NAIL IT/ Rockwell
(Beside Medical City, same building as McDonalds)
Tower 2, Unit N-05 Plus, The Rockwell Business Center (RCBC)
Meralco Avenue, Brgy Ugong
Pasig City
Contact#: 494-5713

GREENHILLS, SAN JUAN
1. NAIL IT
2nd Floor, Connecticut Arcade
Greenhills, San Juan
Contact#: 806-1545; 661-4418

MAKATI
1. THE SPA GREENBELT
Ground Floor, Paseo de Roxas
Drop Off Entrance, Greenbelt 1
Makati City
Contact#: 840-1325; 840-1326

2. NAIL IT/ Glorietta 3
3rd Floor, Glorietta 3, Unit 313
Ayala Center
Makati City
Contact#: 474-7378

3. NAIL TROPICS/ Greenbelt 5**
4th Level, Zara side
Greenbelt 5
Contact#: 501-9999; 0917 852 1662
**Please inform them that you want the Dazzle Dry mani/ pedi when you make your advance reservations.

THE FORT/ TAGUIG
1. POSH NAILS/ McKinley Hill
2nd Level The Venice Mall
McKinley Hill Piazza
Taguig City
Contact#: 798-0074; 359-5384

2. THE SPA/ Fort
Bldg. 8, 908 Bonifacio high Street
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Contact#:856-6868; 856-5858

PARANAQUE
1. NAIL IT
#76 Dona Soledad Avenue, JDP Bldg.
Better Living Subd.
Paranaque City
Contact#: 659-2115

ALABANG
1. NAIL IT/ Festival Mall (Across Max's)
3rd Floor, Festival Supermall
Filinvest Corporate
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Contact#: 806-7431

DAVAO CITY
1. NAIL BAR
McPod Bldg.
Acacia St. corner McArthur Highway
Juna Subd., Matina
Davao City
Contact#: 295-1822