Nail Polish, Miscarriages, Cancer? Not So Pretty Episode 2

Not So Pretty 2 cover

Not So Pretty is a HBO documentary series about supposedly dangerous beauty products. It’s a very persuasive, slick-looking documentary. A lot of people chucked out their products after watching it, and as someone who breaks open bottles to use the last three drops at the bottom, this cut me deep. As a scientist who uses a lot of beauty products …

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Breaking Down 5 Minute Crafts “Viral” Beauty Hacks (Video)

5 Min Crafts Viral

I’ve looked at some more 5 Minute Craft beauty hacks – they’re a mixed bag. Some of them are awful, some of them are actually not that bad. This set includes a few beauty hacks I’ve seen around the place: Aspirin for pimples DIY glitter eyeshadow Activated charcoal for teeth Wasabi lip colour Dark circles and tea bags Check it …

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How to Use Glycerin for DIY Beauty

How to Use Glycerin for DIY Beauty

Glycerin’s in a lot of skincare products because it’s an awesome humectant moisturiser that can grab onto water and hold it to the skin. It’s also very cheap to buy at the supermarket ($9.35 for 200 mL at Coles in Australia, $6-7 for 473 mL/16 fl. oz on iHerb or Amazon). What can you do with it? Here are some …

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Does Biotin Work for Brittle Nails?

Does Biotin Work for Brittle Nails?

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H, pops up in every supplement marketed for strengthening hair and nails. Do biotin supplements actually work for brittle nails? The answer is – it depends. Gah! Read on for the gory details… Are you getting enough biotin in your diet? Nutritional supplements generally only make a difference if you’re not getting …

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Ladybird Nail Art

ladybird-nails

I haven’t done a nail art post in a while, so I thought I’d finally post a mani I did recently. I painted this ladybird design using Furless Bitch, a solid black, and Sea Siren Cabin Fever, a bright red creme. Unfortunately Cabin Fever’s designed to be worn on its own, so it took quite a few layers until the …

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Is Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP) in Nail Polish Dangerous?

nail-TPHP-levels

The news broke recently that nail polish can harm your health (again!). This time, it’s triphenyl phosphate, a chemical used in nail polish to increase flexibility – it’s also used as a fire retardant. It’s a potential endocrine disruptor (“it could make you fat!”), and was found to be increased around seven-fold – or so it was reported. In particular, …

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JORD Wood Watch Review

jord-ely-wood-watch-nails-IMG_7251

Today I’m reviewing a JORD wood watch. JORD is one of the many companies coming out with wooden watches now – apart from their obvious hipster appeal, they actually have a few advantages over metal and plastic. Firstly, they’re very lightweight, which is a big plus if you’re into chunky watches. They’re also not as sweaty and sticky as plastic. …

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Fact-check: What’s to blame for the Mentality Nail Polish problems?

mentality-nail-detachment-dmm-nails

Update (2018-12-05): Since Danny of Mentality Nail Polish has generously sent me a cease and desist for defamation as seen in the comments section, I’d like to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to clarify (even though I think it’s pretty damn clear already) that the causes of the issues are science-based opinion and speculation.  Welcome to every nail polish lover’s …

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