Sunday, February 27, 2011

Apothecary: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream

Hello ladies,

Today I want to share information about one of my favorite products for hands and nails: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. This moisturizer is a staple in my beauty regimen. Its concentrated formula can be utilized to treat dry skin on the lips, hands, elbows and feet.

I initially experienced Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream as a teenager. It was one of the first products for hand and nail care that joined my early assortment of beauty products. This hand cream has been a companion in helping me care for my dry skin over the years.

The product is a clear gel with a medium consistency. It absorbs readily, leaving a light shielding layer to protect skin from the elements. Neutrogena Hand Cream is concentrated. I apply one to two pea sized dots for both hands. While the packaging states that a 2 ounce tube can last over 200 applications, I tend to be more generous with my usage. I still find the intensive formula to be an economical choice.

In the evening, I massage this cream into the skin on my hands, with attention to my nails and cuticles. The glycerin rich formula does a notable job at preventing hang nails and cuticle damage caused from dryness. It also keeps the nail beds hydrated and guards against peeling and splitting. One of the components of maintaining nail length is using a quality hand cream. Proper moisturizing keeps nails flexible and inhibits breakage.

My tube of Neutrogena Hand Cream resides on my night stand. I love the versatility of the formula. If I forget to apply lip balm before bed, the smallest dab can be used to soften my lips. It is also an effective moisturizer for elbows and feet.

The compact size makes Neutrogena Hand Cream a useful product for travel. It can perform the functions of various skin care essentials. Its concentrated formula would ensure you had a sufficient amount to meet your skin care needs. It would also be great to toss into a purse or backpack for a day out.

The formula is sold in original and fragrance free varieties. The scent has been updated to a light floral that reminds me of Estee Lauder Pleasures. While lovely, the fragrance dissipates quickly. It wouldn't interfere with any perfume you chose to wear. Men who aren't comfortable with scented products would likely prefer the fragrance free option.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Methylparaben, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Sodium Sulfate, Fragrance (1430-012).

The primary emollient in the Norwegian Formula is glycerin. This ingredient has been clinically proven to draw moisture to the skin. I find glycerin provides fast relief for dry skin issues. Glycerin is reputed to be helpful in healing eczema.

One of the most common questions I am asked as nail and beauty blogger is: What hand cream would you recommend? Neutrogena Hand Cream is consistently my favorite drug store moisturizer for hand and nail care.

I have used this product with great results for over fifteen years. I am curious if there are any other devotees of Neutrogena Hand Cream. It is certainly a drug store classic!

Neutrogena Hand Cream was sent to me for review. This product can be purchased at neutrogena.com or check your local drugstore. The retail price is $4.99 for a 2 ounce (56 g) tube.

Happy painting, ladies!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Get Festive Giveaway Winner!

Hello ladies,

The time has come to determine the winner for the Get Festive Giveaway!

Here presides the honorable judge Cooper on a park bench.

He is a miniature daschund

With major authority.

In a bowl are 779 hand written contest entries mingled with biscuits.

He savors the thought of the task.

Cooper is on the job.
He is ready to stare down the obstacles before him.
Things quickly get turned around.
He shakes his head in defiance
And perseveres.
He noses around

To uncover the hidden truth.
Cooper experiences
How the taste of victory

Can be quite literal. What do you have there, Cooper?
The winner is Thifa!

Cooper is a bit topsy turvy from the proceedings.

He quickly regains his composure and is ready to resume his neighborhood watch.
Good boy, Cooper!

Congratulations to Thifa! Stop by her cooking blog: student-kitchen.blogspot.com. There you will experience some recipes and ideas for delicious and affordable meals.

Many thanks to our giveaway sponsors: Overall Beauty, requited love and made from earth.

A special thanks to Cooper and his human companion LJ for their assistance.

Please enjoy the latest offering at painted Lady fingers: the Make It Fancy Giveaway! You will have a chance to win the Gabrielle Faust Eye Shadow Collection from Overall Beauty, a Nfu-Oh nail polish ring from Ginger Kitty Designs, eight nail art stamping plates from chez-delaney and a skin care assortment from Reviva Labs. Enjoy!

Happy painting, ladies!




Friday, February 25, 2011

Make It Fancy Giveaway!

Hello ladies,

Welcome to the Make It Fancy Giveaway! Here you will find an assortment of items with which to adorn yourself. Luxuriant eye shadows, a sparkling ring, nail art image plates and beautifying skin treatments.

Let's take a look at the prize package one lucky winner will receive.
~The Gabrielle Faust Eye Shadow Collection from Overall Beauty.
~A Nfu-Oh 51 nail polish ring from Ginger Kitty Designs.
~Winner's choice of eight nail art stamping plates from chez-delaney.
~A skin care assortment of four popular products from Reviva Labs.
Eight decadent shades: (across/top to bottom) Vampire's Kiss, Karmic Knight, Misanthrope, Sanctified Snow, Indiscretion, Love Lost, Hourglass Sand, Aftermath.
The winner's choice of eight nail art stamping plates from chez-delaney. Below are my picks. Which eight image plates would you choose?








Detail of image plate P19 not shown.
Reviva Labs: Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
Reviva Labs: Collagen Serum.

Many thanks to the giveaway sponsors: Overall Beauty, Ginger Kitty Designs, chez-delaney and Reviva Labs!

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. The winner's prizes will be shipped directly from the giveaway sponsors. All prizes are new.

The detail photos of the stamping nail art plates are from chez-delaney.com. All other photos are my own. The ring from Ginger Kitty Designs is one of a kind. It will show subtle variation to the ring pictured.

A special thanks to Denise Ashbridge for making the collage picture with all the giveaway items.

The Make It Fancy Giveaway! is open internationally for followers and e-mail subscribers. The contest runs through the end of the day March 14th. To keep this simple, I am willing to count the date as the last available time zone worldwide. As long as it is March 14th somewhere on the planet, you may still enter.

Here's how to enter:
Mandatory:
1) Become a follower or e-mail subscriber of painted Lady fingers. If you are currently a follower or subscriber, that certainly counts! Please let me know in the comments which option you choose for keeping up with painted Lady fingers. For example: I follow via Google Friend Connect or I subscribe via e-mail. Be specific. I check entries very carefully.

If you follow via Google Friend Connect, log into the proper account when you leave your comment. If you follow via Google Friend Connect, your account has to have some public aspect. It is okay if you don't follow publicly, but there needs to be some signs of humanity on your profile page. If you subscribe via e-mail, your e-mail address must be confirmed through feedburner. If you have never received an e-mail related to painted Lady fingers' blog posts, you do not have a confirmed account.

2) Include your e-mail with your entry to qualify. If you forgot to write your e-mail in with your contest entry, leave me another comment with your e-mail address.

Both 1 & 2 together = 1 entry.

Optional extra entries. There are lots this time!
3) Let me know: Tell me some of your favorite eye shadows from Overall Beauty Minerals (other than the Gabrielle Faust Collection). You can see the full line of colors here. 1 entry.

4) What is your favorite item from Ginger Kitty Designs? 1 entry.

5) Which 8 nail art stamping plates from chez-delaney would you choose? 1 entry

6) What products from Reviva Labs (other than the four pictured) are you most interested in? 1 entry.

7) Blog about the contest in a post or add contest info to your sidebar. I will definitely count your entry if your blog is not written in English. I will also count your entry if your blog is just getting started and has a small number of followers. These extra entries are meant to be inclusive and fun. Please provide a link. 2 entries. If you use one of my contest photos, add another entry. Please mention that you used a photo.

8) Tweet about the contest. Only once, please. Please mention @ladyfingersblog in your tweet so I can count your entry. You can also retweet one of my contest announcements to qualify. Here is the tiny url: http://tinyurl.com/4jqhctp

9) Have painted Lady fingers on your blogroll or add painted Lady fingers. Please provide a link if I haven't already commented on your blog. Otherwise please remind me. I want to be sure to count the entry even if painted Lady fingers has been on your blogroll for a long time. If you have a nail polish blog and you would like to be on my blogroll, please e-mail me. 1 entry.

10) In appreciation, I am going to add an extra entry for those who comment regularly on non-giveaway posts. I do enjoy reading your feedback! Thank you! Not to worry, I am very inclusive with this extra entry. 1 entry.

11) Make a purchase from Ginger Kitty Designs during the giveaway period. Use code PAINTED15 for 15% off. (You get a discount and the code also keeps track of the entries!) 5 entries.

You are welcome to put all your entries in one comment or return to the contest post with comments for each entry. Either way works for me. Your entries don't have to be sequential. Enter in any way you like whenever you like before the end of the day March 14th.

You are wholly welcome to enter this giveaway even if you have won recently. If Lady Luck is on your side, I support it with presents.

Best of luck, ladies!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Nubar Spring Garden Collection (tell me your picks)

Hello ladies,

I have news to share of the upcoming Nubar Spring Garden Collection. This is a pastel grouping with a sparkle topcoat called Dewdrop. I love the names of the colors. I'm most interested in trying Blue Hydrangea and Purple Aster. I am also really curious about Earthen, which looks like a pale taupe.

Are any of the colors catching your fancy? How do you feel about pastels?

Click to view the promotional photo full size.

The Spring Garden Collection

Take a leisurely stroll down the Earthen path through The Spring Garden,

the scent of Pink Lily in the air.

The fresh colors of early Spring abound,

with the soft green of the Baby Sprout,

gentle shade of Blue Hydrangea,

delicate Yellow Primrose,

silky Purple Aster,

fresh White Peony,

and the lively Honeysuckle,

each enhanced with the elegant sparkle of Dewdrop.


Always free of formaldehyde, phthalate and toluene,

the nail lacquers in nubar's The Spring Garden Collection are:


1. Pink Lily – vibrant pink creme

2. Earthen – subdued earthen grey creme

3. Baby Sprout – soft pastel green

4. Blue Hydrangea – muted pastel blue

5. White Peony – ivory creme

6. Yellow Primrose – delicate pale yellow

7. Purple Aster – dusty pastel purple

8. Honeysuckle – cheerful honeysuckle

9. Dewdrop – fine glitter top coat

Happy painting, ladies!