Catrice Revolutionary 3 Step System

I've mentioned my experience with Catrice nail polishes before so I'll just mention it briefly. It seems that my nails don't go well with them in terms of longevity – it all depends on the shade but I mostly get one or two days of uninterrupted wear and that's when I startb noticing quite noticeable chipping. Some shades could not be helped even with the addition of a base/top coat but some really benefit from them (e.g.Tres Chic and A Gallon of Mellon shades). I find that Catrice as a brand has some beautiful shades to offer, some are really unique and others sophisticated. I'm also a fan of the new, less curved brush which goes perfectly with the texture of their nail polishes so really, my only issue is always the poor longevity. It is due to my previous experience that I was extremely interested in trying out the Catrice Revolutionary 3 Step System which increases the durability of regular Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquers to last up to eight days with an added gel-shine finish. This is an affordable way to create a professional look but without the need for an LED lamp or a visit to the nail salon. I'm personally not a fan of true gelled nails because I had a horrible experience with those years ago but I do like the effect they have and I'm frequently raving about some good regular nail polishes which provide a gel-like effect. This Catrice 3 step system seemed like a low-key way of doing things yourself and a chance to finally expand the longevity of Catrice nail polishes. Have I mentioned that they're also easily removable with regular nail polish removers? *score*

Ranije sam spominjala svoje iskustvo sa Catrice lakovima za nokte tako da cu ga samo na kratko spomenuti. Izgleda da se moji nokti ne slazu najbolje sa Catrice lakovima po pitanju trajnosti – sve ovisi od nijanse, no uopsteno na mojim noktima traju dan-dva prije nego se pojave dosta primjetna ostecenja uz rub nokta. Nekim nijansama nije pomogao ni dodatak baznog laka i/ili nadlaka dok je nekima upravo njihovo prisustvo znacajnije produzilo trajanje (npr. nijansama Tres Chic i A Gallon of Mellon). Catrice kao brend u ponudi ima stvarno lijepe nijanse, neke su unikatne a neke beskrajno elegantne. Takodjer mi se dopada oblik nove cetkice koji je manje zaobljen i odlicno saradjuje sa samom teksturom njihovih lakova tako da je jedini problem koji imam i dalje – trajnost. Bas zbog ovog mog prethodnog iskustva sam se jako obradovala isprobavanju Catrice Inovativnog Sistema iz 3 koraka koji povecava ucinkovitost Catrice Ultimate lakova za nokte do cak 8 dana uz dodatak posebnog sjaja, karakteristicnog za gelirane nokte. Ovaj sistem mi se ucinio prakticnim posto ne kosta previse i u udobnosti vlastitog doma, bez potrebe za LED lampom ili posjete salonu za nokte – kreira efekat profesionalno uredjenih noktiju. Licno nisam fan geliranja posto sam prije par godina imala jako lose iskustvo sa njima no dopadaju mi se standardni lakovi za nokte koji pruzaju slican efekat. Catrice sistem iz 3 koraka, osim sto je prakticna varijanta, ucinio mi se kao nesto sto bi napokon moglo produziti trajnost Catrice lakova na mojim nokticima. Da li sam spomenula da se i spomenuti tretman sa lakocom skida obicnim skidacem laka? *bravo*

This system consists out of three steps (as implied); Step 1. is the Ultra Stay & Gel Shine Base Coat (10ml for 3,49€) which helps to strengthen and protect the nails from discoloration and the formula also evens out imperfections of the nail plate to allow a smooth application of colour. This base is of a very strong smell, is transparent but has a bluish pearlescent shine. It has an uneven, a bit gloopy texture on its own but the brush evens it out and it mattifies the nail plate after it dries (aprrox 3-5 minutes of drying time required). Step 2. is the Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer but I say that this system can be used with any nail polish, of any brand. Of course, have in mind that my personal goal was to finally extend the wear of Catrice nail polishes so this is what I tested most intensely. Do make sure that each layer of your nail polish is completely dry before you proceed. Step 3. is the Ultra Stay & Gel Shine Top Coat (10ml for 3,49€) which seals the colour and creates an especially long-lasting and gel-shine finish. This one has a string smell to it as well, is completely transparent, adds just a hint of volume (doesn't make the nail appear too thick) and adds a beautiful shine. I find it to be a wonderful top coat but its drying time is also a bit longer than average – I'd say 5-10 minutes. I found that this three step ‘sandwich’ as I like to call it makes nails look very pretty, groomed and polished – the look it gives really is beautiful. Nails do have the gel-like appearance but they're not too thickened and remain elegant-looking. However, regardless of which nail polish I've used, that 8 day of wear claim fell short. In the case of Catrice nail polishes, without the system I get 1-2 days of wear (3 days at most). With the system, the maximum wear was 4 and in some cases 5 days – pretty impressive for Catrice nail polishes but still not those 8 promised days of wear. In the case of nail polishes from other brands, I've noted an extended day of wear. I feel that this Catrice Revolutionary 3 Step System will be either loved or hated, all depending on your expectations – mostly because it's time-consuming. It's up to you to decide if additional 1-3 days of wear are worth the approx 20 minutes of effort.

Kako naziv nagovjestava, sistem se sastoji od tri koraka; Korak 1. je Ultra Stay & Gel Shine Bazni lak (10ml kosta cca 7KM) a njegova je funkcija da osnazi i zastiti nokte od dikoloracije. Takodjer njegova formulacija sluzi ujednavacanju nokatke ploce, uklanjajuci sitnija nesavrsenstva sto omogucava ravnomjerno nanosenje boje. Ova baza je dosta jakog, karakteristicnog mirisa, prozirna je no ima plavicast odsjaj. Sama po sebi je grudvaste teksture koju cetkica jako lijepo izravna preko nokta i ona donekle matira nokatnu plocu nakon sto se osusi (susenje traje cca 3 do 5 minuta). Korak 2. je Catrice Ultimate Lak za nokte no ja bih rekla da se u sklopu ovog sistema moze koristiti lak po vasoj zelji, od razlicitih proizvodjaca. Naravno, imajte na umu da je mene licno najvise zanimalo da li ce ovaj sistem produziti trajanje konkretno Catrice lakova tako da sam na njih najvise fokusirala svoje testiranje. Mogu samo preporuciti da budete sigurne kako se svaki sloj laka za nokte u potpunosti osusio prije nego predjete na naredni korak. Korak 3. je Ultra Stay & Gel Shine Nadlak (10ml kosta cca 7KM) i njegova funkcija je ‘zatociti’ boju i kreira narocito dugotrajan i sjajan finis. I ovaj tretman je dosta intenzivnog mirisa, transparentan je i noktu dodaje samo malo volumena (tj. ne cini ga znacajno debljim) uz dodatak lijepog sjaja. Mislim da je uopsteno divan nadlak ali vrijedi spomenuti da mu je potrebno malo duze vremena da se osusi (otprilike 5 do 10 minuta). Zakljucila sam da ovaj ‘sendvic’ (kako ga volim zvati) cini da nokti izgledaju uistinu lijepo, uredjeno i uredno. Nokti zaista djeluju kao da su gelirani no nisu previse debelljuskasti i ne gube na elegantnoj duzini. Ipak, bez obzira kakav sam lak za nokte koristila izmedju baznog laka i nadlaka – niti jednom mi se nije ispunila tvrdnja da ce manikir trajati 8 dana. U slucaju, konkretno Catrice lakova, inace mi traju dan-dva (maksimalno 3 dana) na noktima bez ovog sistema. Sa sistemom, Catrice manikir mi traje ukupno 4 dana, maksimalno 5 dana. To je super s obizrom na moje prethodno iskustvo ali opet ne dovoljno dobro. U slucaju da sam koristila neke druge lakove, dobila bih samo dodatni dan trajanja. Mislim da ce Catrice Inovativni Sistem iz 3 koraka korisnice ili voljeti ili potpuno odbaciti a sve ce ovisiti od vasih ocekivanja – ponajvise zato sto sva tri koraka oduzimaju dodatno vrijeme. Na vama je da odlucite vrijedi li zbog dodatna 1-3 dana trajanja manikira uloziti 20 minuta svog vremena na sprovodjenje ovog sistema.