My thoughts on the 

Sistaco Nail Powder System

**advertisement: this has been marked as an advertisement in line with NZ advertising laws as this product has been gifted to me. All thoughts and experiences in this post are my own and are not associated with Sistaco**

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I'll admit I was really pleasantly surprised with how easy and quick this was. Yes, I say surprised as the powder and Gel combination sounded deceptively complicated - despite their great marketing that "it's a powder, not a polish”.

I mean to be fair I have nine years’ experience with painting my nails (including using gel polish) so I'd class myself as finding Nail polish (like normal nail polish) incredibly easy.

 

Nonetheless I was very excited to try this! 

I was really happy when sistaco offered to send me a Deluxe Base Kit to try and allowed me to choose two colors (awesome collaboration- but that's a story for another day). They also sent a SistacoExpress Remover which I am yet to use.

With some input from my colleague, I ended up choosing two colors that I wouldn't typically be immediately drawn to for myself.

Sure, I love red as much as the next nail Enthusiasts, but did you see Fuchsia!!!? (I die!) 

 

*Image from Sistaco.co.nz

After narrowing my wish list down, I settled on Crimson and Rose Gold. Both I'd classify as classic sophisticated colours with a sistaco twist.

You're here to answer the question... 

Do you need Sistaco? 

Are you looking for an amazing chrome or holographic finish without the pricy salon visit? Then yes, you need sistaco!

 

In a second I’ll discuss the application, but first let me touch on the packaging. It's divine! The Deluxe Base Kit came in a sturdy cardboard box with a foam insert with cut out space for key items. My kit included a base coat, topcoat, two powders (with space for a third), lamp (and power cord), two small containers to mix your own pigment and applicator. 

Also gifted to me was a cuticle tool and easy remover bottle, which fit in the box but didn't have dedicate foam compartments. 

 

The Colours:

Rose Gold

Online, Rose Gold Looks to be a versatile neutral nude with a holographic shimmer finish. A color I was really looking forward to trying because it offers the best of both worlds- business sophistication with party vibes!

 

Crimson:

The website photos show crimson as a deep bright red with a stunning metallic finish. Interestingly the website has this colour in the “holographic” area, however based on the education of Cristine-the-science-queen (Simplynaillogical), I would not define this red as “holo”. It is still a beautiful finish though!

 

As you can see in the photos, Crimson yields a different finish depending on the application.

Initially I applied as per instructions with the brush; pressing and brushing the product into the nail.

The second time I tried this I used the sponge application (like an old school eye-shadow applicator) and buffed it into the topcoat. This created an amazing chrome like finish!

 

The best finish I discovered was when I applied Rose Gold Holographic to the basecoat and then buffed Crimson into the topcoat. This created a holographic chrome finish. MIND BLOWN!

  

Let's talk about application! 

Now here’s a secret - I actually applied mine onto false (press-on) nails. Two reasons for this: 1) my natural nails are short currently and I really wanted the full effect of glamorous sistaco nails! 2) I have previously reacted to some gel polish in the past (and this one smelled similar). I want to be clear the reaction I had previously is not an indication of poor quality polish! I became more sensitive to a number of allergens when pregnant and the allergy has stuck around since. This is my first time re-exposing myself to gel; I’m hoping the false nails will help.

 

I glued false nails onto my natural nail prior to following their application directions.

 

Right, back to application: 

I will note, the instructions aren't the most detailed and a true beginner to the nail industry may struggle because of this- but not to worry, because this blog post will help! 

The instructions say to wash hands to remove oil and buff the surface of your nail for a longer lasting manicure. 

I’d recommend using nail polish remover/acetone to remove any residue from past manicures (I didn’t because of the falsies). I buffed my false nails and wiped with isopropyl alcohol to remove all reside and create a dry surface.

 

In the instructions it says to apply top-coat (without base coat) for a less-long lasting Mani, and base coat first for a long lasting. 

There are also two sides to the instructions- which I only noticed at the last minute! One for holographic and one for "classic". The crimson packaging says it is part of the classic range so I followed that. 

 

I applied a coat of base coat as directed for a long lasting Mani and cured that in the cute lamp. I'll talk about the lamp below.

 

Then using the brush, as instructed, I placed the powder on my nail and brushed it down from cuticle to free edge.

 

This part makes the skin around your nail messy; but don't bother trying to clean it now because it’s really easy to get off at the end and you don’t want to risk smudging your mani!  

 

Now I admit, I veered away from the instructions here as an experiment and applied another coat of base and re-applied powder for a second coat. I'm not sure this is advisable as my little finger didn't cure fully and I had to re-do it. So maybe just stick to the instructions! haha

 

Then I finished with a coat of glossy top-coat and cured. 

 

All the while I had messy fingers!!  

 

Once all my nails were completed and fully cured, I washed my hands with soap and water.

 

Like I said at the start of this Sistaco review, it was surprisingly easy to remove the excess powder. A hand scrub would have made it even easier, but I wanted to test out a more typical process. Bear in mind, I'm used to painting nails so the base and topcoat were applied with no cuticle flooding and very minimal overlap onto my skin around the nail. 

 

The powder just flakes off in the wash, and the gel polish cured onto the skin could be peeled off in a hot shower or with softened skin (but I'd strongly advise you do your best to avoid getting it on the skin and remove it before you cure if you do get any gel on the skin!) 

 

Summary

Overall, I'm really impressed! Like ridiculously impressed. Way more impressed than I thought I would be!!! AND I’m totally not being paid to say this!

 It was, surprisingly, much easier than typical coloured gel polish. Because the colour is a powder I feel there is far less opportunity for messy application and flooded cuticles. With a typical gel every layer of colour is a new opportunity for mess and smudges, with this process only the base layer matters really – so you could focus really hard on getting a perfect application on just one layer (instead of the typical four for a coloured gel polish).

 

Lets see some more photos! 

Some things to note...

 I mentioned my little finger went a bit funny and I had to re-do. Essential when I went to wash my hands a part of the top-coat shifted and crumbled creating an ugly lump and exposed area. On reflection I suspect this was to do with 1) me veering from the instructions and doing two coats of base colour and 2) how I hold my hand under the lamp and that because it's a small lamp the side of my little finger didn't fully cure. I also find, for me personally, the little fingernail is the one I'd flood or overload with product just because it's so much smaller than the other nails and I sometimes forget to adjust my dipping/wiping accordingly; I could have overloaded the nail with product meaning it didn’t have long enough to cure? (I’m just speculating).

 

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, I love it. Seriously, love it!

 

I’m writing this post about a week after trying the product. I tried the product twice (once red, then applying the nude and playing around to make an ombre look!)

I did unfortunately have a mild allergic reaction. I suspect this was because some product did get into my skin around the nail. The dumb thing with this is that even after removing the nails the slight rash stuck around (not for long though).

Like I said, I love this system! I will be using it again but I’ll try applying the product to false nails before applying them to my natural nails – that way I could avoid the gel touching my skin.  

 

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

·       The gel polish has a sweet nice smell

·       Cute and convenient size portable lamp

·       The pre-set timer on the lamp is really helpful

·       Overall it’s not as messy as I thought and,

·       The powder was really easy to clean up and wipe off my skin

·       It creates a very unique and smooth finish

·       Much easier than gel polish as you only have to really concentrate on a perfect base coat application

·       Simple to follow

·       Quick dry time for base coat and no dry time for powder application, so far less chances to smudge!

·       Quicker to apply (for me) than I was expecting.

·       These have lasted incredibly well! *I did apply mine over false nails however had no issues with chipping or denting (other than the above mentioned little finger nail)

 

Cons:

·       It is messy during the process, and there is a chance the power could spread around (like glitter) – although I use a babywipe as my surface cover to try and combat this as the damp texture seems to collect and hold the powder and prevent it puffing and spreading.

·       Instructions are not ideal for a brand new beginner to the nail industry – however the steps are so simple most people could probably work it out without even reading the instructions

·       The applicator is wasteful in the sense that I couldn’t get the sponge applicator clean from product so you’d need a new applicator for every colour.

·       It does take more time than “normal” nail polish to apply (well for me anyway).

 

The pro's clearly outweigh the con's

Phew! Congratulations to you if you stuck around to the end!

 

Thank you for Reading...

To say thanks for reading here’s my exclusive discount voucher POLISHED20, to get you 20% off your sistaco purchase.

I do highly recommend it. So yes, you should totally go away and purchase!

 

What did you think? Did you make it to the end? Do you think you’ll give it a go? Would you like me to make an application video?

Let me know below in the comments!

 

::peace, love, polish::

Hannah

 

 

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 Nail Art Accounts you should Follow

Book.Polish

For my first "Instagram Accounts you should Follow" I'm so excited to share with you a super fun instagram account, Book.Polish. I knew when I stumbled across this account it would be good - I mean how cool a premise is that!? Books and Nail Polish!

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A post shared by Lou (@book.polish)

To celebrate sharing this account, Lou (From Book.Polish) and I decided to do a Twinning Mani! 

We both chose the book "Little Woman" and painted our nails to match the respective cover. What do you think?

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A post shared by Hannah (she/her) | Nail Artist (@polishednz)

So pretty!  

Now lets meet Book.Polish

What’s your name? Or what Name do you go by?

I'm happy to go by Lou or Lu! Those are nicknames. 

What are your pronouns?

She/Her

Where do you live?

I live in Vienna, Austria, a city of around 2 Million people.

 

What’s your IG handle and how did you choose it?

My name on Instagram is book.polish, and it literally was the first thing that came to mind after I had the idea of doing manicures based on book covers. I wanted something that simply captured that concept. My first true love has always been literature, and it felt perfect to combine it with my new hobby. There was already a bookpolish before, but that account seems to be inactive since 2017, so choosing that name seemed fine to me.

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A post shared by Lou (@book.polish)

 

What famous person throughout history do you most admire?

This is a tough question, because every historical figure has problematic aspects in their lives/views, and there is a tendency to romanticize or glamourize people after the fact. But someone I have found very important and interesting is French philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir. 

Her work on how gender is socially constructed, while more or less mainstream now, was groundbreaking back in the 1940s. She also lived a very interesting life, being in a long-term partnership with Jean-Paul Sartre, but having many other relationships (with men and women), while being one of the few women in the white male intellectual scene of the time.

 

How long have you been nail painting? And how did you first get into it?

I've been loving nail polish since I was a kid, my mum and I always used to paint our nails and toenails during the summer, and it was such a nice activity (glittery toe polish in the summer is just the best). During my teenage years, I was a heavy nail biter, using pretty nail polish to limit that bad habit (with low success). While I wore nail polish all through my early twenties, I had never done more than paint my nails one solid colour until last year, when I developed an interest in experimenting more.

Part of that is definitely due to Simply Nailogical, whose videos I've been watching and enjoying for a while. At some point I saw Cristine do a design where I just thought "Hey, I want to be able to do that!" and it just went on from there. Another factor was the Covid-induced lockdown where I live – suddenly I had all this time and nowhere to go, and that is when I started the Instagram account, in late November 2020.

 

Do you prefer swatching or nail art?

Personally I prefer doing nail art, since the Instagram account is my artistic/creative project. I think I also follow more nail art accounts, because that gives me inspiration and makes me feel connected, but there are some great accounts who do mainly swatching that I enjoy as well, for example your girl vee or mylacqueredlife or nonbinarynails.

 

https://www.instagram.com/nonbinarynails/

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A post shared by Lou (@book.polish)

What is your favourite nail polish and why?

One of the few good things in 2020 was that I discovered multi-chrome nail polish (and the option to order nail polish online - a whole neeeew wooooorld!). My current favourites thus are multi-chrome polishes in general, with Prism Polish's "Walking on the Sky" and Color Club's "Don't Kale my Vibe" being standouts. There is something so magical about the shifting colours, I feel like a butterfly being drawn to a flower, the many shades capturing my attention. They make me feel happy, and it's also a simple way to have a something going on on my nails (whithout actual nail art).

"Walking on the Sky" shifts from bright turquoise to periwinkle to purple (I don’t know what this pose is though, sorry)

“Don’t kale my vibe“ shifts from bright green to gold-brown with a hint of red/purple

Another one I'm really enjoying right now is the opaque-in-one-coat "French Tip" white polish by Color Club. I'll be using that one a lot for book-cover based designs.

 

Favourite nail polish brand?

Although I only have five of their polishes, I'm currently very much in love with polishes by Prism Polish, a UK indie brand that is 10 toxin free, vegan-friendly and cruelty free. Their blue creme "Nimbostratus" is probably my most used polish right now, sparkly warm yellow "Spiced Apple Cider" is such a happy colour, "My Solos are my Trademark" is the most magical thing, and I already mentioned the wonderful "Walking on the Sky". I like their branding, their bottle and brush design, the packaging it came in was super cute... The only bad thing I can say is that Brexit-related taxes are messing with my future orders, which is making me so sad. 

On the cheaper drugstore front, I'm quite happy with CATRICE polishes, most of their cremes are very opaque and have a nice consistency.

 

Favourite nail polish colour?

I have two favourite polish colours, the one is a light-turquoise the other one lilac. I keep buying these over and over again, in slightly varying shades. I generally prefer to wear lighter nail polish, maybe because they brighten my mood, maybe because my nails aren't that long and rather broad and I think it suits them better.

 

Are you a natural or false nail (press on) fan?

For myself, I like natural nails, although I'm still struggling  with nail biting, and my nails are rather thin and bendy, although that has improved a lot! I never thought that there would be a point where I'd be comfortable with sharing my natural nails online, and I'm proud of that. My goal is to get them to a more sturdy state. I did try glue-on nails as a teen, but I kept picking them off, and it left my natural nails even thinner and more damaged than before. 
I also don't want to have to spend more money on artificial nails of any kind, and I'm a bit wary of beauty standards that require recurring costs (such as filling gel-nails each month). But the beautiful thing is that there are so many options and everyone can experiment and choose what suits them best. My younger sister is doing her own acrylic stiletto nails, which are so different to mine, and it's exactly the look for her!

 

What was the most difficult manicure you painted?

Honestly, the braided mani look I did for "How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division" I struggled with the patience required, having to apply so many layers and letting them all dry, and I just didn't manage to place the stripes neatly. I had to start over so many times, which is a pain when you mess up one of the last layers, and the end result is rather mediocre (coincidentally, this is also the inspiring nail design I saw Simply Nailogical do, that sparked it all for me). I still really like the look though.

 

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A post shared by Lou (@book.polish)

What manicure is your favourite?

I really love the continuous gradient I did for „Die Stadt der Wilden Götter“ and as a birthday mani for nailsbyaccident. It’s one of my favourite book covers ever and I’m happy with how the nails turned out. All those colours together!

 

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A post shared by Lou (@book.polish)

If you could paint one person’s nails in the world who would you pick?

Hmm, so the very first person that popped into my mind is Michelle Obama, because she's such an inspirational woman, intelligent and tender and tough, and she has great style, but I think I'd faint if I actually had to paint her nails, haha. I'd also like to paint Patti Smith's nails, as she's one of my favourite musicians and I'd really like to get to hang out with her. Generally I don't really enjoy painting someone else's nails though, it's much more difficult!

 

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A post shared by Lou (@book.polish)

What other nail art accounts do you think I should follow?

Oooh, naming just a few is tough Here's a selection of awesome nail artists who all have their distinct style and who inspire me a lot: 

@press_reset_nails – super creative, elegant and inspired by the world 
@nailybycanishiea – has such a distinct style
@nailsbyaccident – an account full of neon, layers, gradients, colours and experimentation 
@nailsbynovia – wonderfully aesthetic and unusual designs 
@mani.tees – versatile, geeky, always brightening my mood
@deylie_nails – here for the holo and lots of different designs
@nailsuponatime – lovely minimalist designs and perfect poses
@basecoatstories – glam, minimalism, elegant creativity
@catfishlovespolish – super cute and there’s always something new 
@coyarose - wonderfully artistic designs inspired by nature

Thanks for Reading!

Don't forget to check out all the awesome accounts I've featured so far here.

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and comment below with your favourite mani and who you want to see next!!