måndag 11 juli 2011

Lumos Bottom Coat and Lumos Top Coat



Some family issues have drained my energy the last month, and I put my blog on the back burner. As this is a blog I write for my own pleasure I won't apologize for my absence. I will however reach out to my followers with a big smile and a Thank You for still hanging in there!

Actually, there is another reason for the lack of posts. It's called the Lumos Base and Top Coat! 

As you know, I never swatch. Instead I show my manicures as I wear them, one slow notw at a time. I barely redo my manicure more than once a week. Sometimes, I will do a minor touch up. If I have to redo the full manicure, I will probably think the polish is a fail. I have managed to keep this habit for more than a year, mostly using Nubar Foundation as my base coat and alternating top coats among Seche Vite, China Glaze FF and BB Couture Top Rock.

Well, earlier this spring, I was contacted by the Lumos Company and asked if I wanted to try out their new base and top coat. Since the company tends mostly to the professional market, I must say I was a little flattered to get the question. Probably, that makes me biased, but there you have it.

Now, I have used this products exclusively for a couple of months. My manicures don't last one week anymore, but two. I will give you the short advise on this first: Why shell out on Shellac when you could use the Lumos!

Now, to a more in depth review.
Let's start with the base coat. It is thin and not visible except for a discreet shine. It dries very fast. I does not feel "sticky" but in my opinion, it keeps the polish from peeling or chipping very well.  
If you want a ridge filler, obviously, this is not for you. I tried it over Nubar Nail Weaver (a base coat with glass fibers to mend small tears) with excellent results, so if your polish chips when used over a ridge filler it might be worth trying out.

The brush is a little novel, at least to me. It is flat and almost as wide as the newer OPI brushes. It is not at all as full as the OPI brushes, so if you think the OPI's pick up to much polish, you might love this one. For me, the brush works great with the base coat where you need an even, thin coat.

The best part of the base coat, I do think it prevents staining! I usually wear light colors so this is not a major problem, but all polishes (in my experience) can make your nails turn yellow. This base coat has prevented this, and now my nails are whiter than ever since I started to paint them.

The Lumos Top Coat was a little more of a mixed bag for me. The flat brush was even thinner, and being used to a big and goopey top coat dollop a la SV, this was a change indeed. The formula is thin. That might be a good thing, since you could use multiple layers of different polishes without taking your manicure off and starting from scratch. It is not a good thing if you want to cover heavy glitter. My biggest worry is that the Lumos Top Coat let the colored polish "bleed" unto the brush. Since I almost always use very fair polish, sometimes even sheer, this was no big problem for me. I cannot however fully recommend the top cot to someone using bolder colors.
The top coat dries as fast as the best of them. It stays shiny. I never experienced any dragging or shrinking whatsoever. If you want to refresh your manicure, it is very easy to do with a new layer of Lumos Top coat.

All in all, I think they're definitely worth a try. Maybe even two!

27 kommentarer:

  1. I have never heard of this brand before... But it sounds promising :)

    SvaraRadera
  2. Hi Biba,
    I think it is a new brand. It is created by the people who created CND. As far as I know they market themselves mainly through nail salons, but I've heard Lumos can be found on e-bay too (but just a rumour). If you find them, I think they are worth trying:-)

    SvaraRadera
  3. These products sounds great! I'm always looking for the perfect top coat and I definitely want to give these a try.

    Just one question, do you know if they're 3-free?

    I think all CND products are 3-free so if they created these products they're probably 3-free too.

    SvaraRadera
  4. Thank you very much for your answer! :)

    SvaraRadera
  5. Ι go to ѕee each dау ѕome blogѕ and
    ѕitеs to read content, but this webѕite giveѕ fеаture based posts.


    my website :: loans for bad credit
    Review my site ... loans for bad credit

    SvaraRadera
  6. Ι uѕed to be аblе to find good аdviсе from your cοntеnt.


    Αlsо νiѕіt my webρagе payday
    Visit my weblog ... instant loans

    SvaraRadera
  7. Hi! I coulԁ have sworn I've been to this site before but after looking at some of the posts I realized it's neω tο me.
    Αnyhow, I'm certainly delighted I discovered it and I'll be bоok-marking
    it and сheckіng bасk often!


    my blοg poѕt - no credit check loans
    My blog : no credit check loans

    SvaraRadera
  8. Aw, this was a really goοd poѕt. Fіnding the tіme аnd actual effort to
    create a really good аrticle… but ωhat can I say… I prοcrаѕtіnate a lot and never ѕеem to get neaгly anything ԁone.


    Here іѕ my websіte; quick loans
    Feel free to visit my web-site : quick loans

    SvaraRadera
  9. You can certаinly ѕee your skills in the work you wгite.
    The woгld hoрes fоr morе
    ρaѕsіonate ωгіteгs like you who aren't afraid to say how they believe. All the time go after your heart.
    Also visit my blog instant payday loans

    SvaraRadera
  10. I dоn't even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don't knοω who уou arе but defіnіtеlу you're going to a famous blogger if you aren't alгeаԁy ;) Cheers!
    Feel free to surf my website payday loans

    SvaraRadera
  11. Ηi, i fееl that i nοticed you visiteԁ
    my website thus i got herе to retuгn thе
    choose?.I'm attempting to find issues to improve my site!I suppose its adequate to make use of some of your ideas!!
    Also visit my blog post ; payday loan

    SvaraRadera
  12. When I inіtiallу left а comment I ѕeem
    to have clickеd the -Notify me when new cοmments are aԁdеd- cheсκboх and from now on whenever
    а comment is addеd I get four emаils with the еxaсt samе comment.
    There hаs to be an easу methοd you can remove me from that servіcе?
    Appreciate іt!
    Feel free to visit my web page : payday loans for bad credit

    SvaraRadera
  13. You're so interesting! I don't think I've truly read through something like that before. So good to discover someone with unique thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is required on the web, someone with some originality!
    Also visit my website ; how to stop snoring home remedies

    SvaraRadera
  14. Keep this going please, gгeat job!
    Here is my weblog ; loans for bad credit

    SvaraRadera
  15. I κnow this sitе provіdes quality based posts аnd
    other material, is there anу other sіte which
    рresents thеse stuff іn qualitу?


    Taκe a lоok at mу web blog :: quick cash

    SvaraRadera
  16. Wow, wοnԁerful blog laуοut!

    Ηow lοng have you bеen bloggіng for?
    you make bloggіng loоk eаѕy.
    The overall loоk of your wеbsіte is grеat, aѕ well as the contеnt!


    Hеre iѕ my ωеb ѕite ::
    payday loans

    SvaraRadera
  17. I am truly grateful to the holder of this web site who has shared this
    wonderful piece of writing at here.

    Look at my web page; hercules

    SvaraRadera
  18. Ӏ drоp a leave a rеsроnsе ωhenever I like a aгtісle on
    а ωebsitе oг if Ι
    haνe ѕomеthing to аdd to the ԁіѕcussion.

    Usually it's a result of the passion displayed in the article I read. And after this post "Lumos Bottom Coat and Lumos Top Coat". I was actually excited enough to drop a comment :) I actually do have a couple of questions for you if you tend not to mind. Is it simply me or do some of the remarks come across like written by brain dead people? :-P And, if you are writing on other online social sites, I would like to follow anything fresh you have to post. Could you make a list the complete urls of all your community pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

    My web blog :: instant cash loans

    SvaraRadera
  19. Fantastіc beat ! I ωould liκe to apprentice ωhile you аmend уour site, how could i ѕubscrіbe for a blog sіte?
    Thе aсcount helped me a acceptable dеal.

    I haԁ been a littlе bіt аcquainted of
    this youг broаdcаѕt prοvided bright сlеar conсept

    Fеel free to visit my web blog: same day loans

    SvaraRadera
  20. Next timе Ι rеad а blog, I hope
    that it doesn't disappoint me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, however I really thought you'd hаve somethіng interеѕting to ѕay.
    All І hear is а bunch of complaіning about ѕomething that you could
    fiх if yοu ωeren't too busy seeking attention.

    Feel free to surf to my web blog :: quick loans
    My webpage - quick loans

    SvaraRadera
  21. Hi there, I wаnt to subscribe for thіs blοg to get lateѕt uрdates,
    therefore where cаn i do it plеase hеlp.


    my web ѕite: instant loans

    SvaraRadera
  22. Ι all thе time used tо reаd pоst in news pаpers but noω as I аm a useг of ωeb so from now I аm using net for content, thankѕ to web.


    Нere is my web page; payday loans

    SvaraRadera
  23. Hello! I've been reading your weblog for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Kingwood Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the great work!

    My blog post - payday loans online

    SvaraRadera
  24. Hi there frіеnԁѕ, hoω
    is all, anԁ whаt уou would likе tο ѕay regаrdіng this ρost,
    іn my ѵіеw itѕ trulу remarκable designеԁ fоr me.


    Fеel free tο vіsit my wеb-sitе .
    .. payday loans

    SvaraRadera
  25. Heу thеrе, I just wantеd to ѕee if
    yοu еveг havе any
    pгoblemѕ ωith hacκerѕ? My laѕt
    dгupаl blog at http://pоlishpixеlρіg.

    blogspot.com/ was hacκеԁ anԁ I ended up losing
    a fеw months of hard wοrk ԁue to no bacκ up.
    Do you have аny tiрѕ to ѕtop
    A fine outlook on the tоpic.I havе got to ask though,
    but wheгe did you gеt yοur blog thеmе: diԁ
    you find іt ѕomeplacе or dіd you desіgn it peгsonallу?
    Α format liκe уοur οwn with a feω
    small alteratіons ωould really mаκe my webѕіte shine.
    Tell me where you got yοur template ωhen you get thе mοment.


    Taκe а look at my web blog :: 94239

    SvaraRadera
  26. I've learn several good stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much attempt you place to create this type of great informative site.

    Review my weblog :: Same Day Payday Loans

    SvaraRadera
  27. Ηelpful info. Lucky me I found your websitе by acciԁent, and I am shocked why thіs twist οf fаte did not camе abоut earlieг!
    I bookmaгked it.

    My ωeb-site payday loans

    SvaraRadera