Dermelect Nail Lacquers

My interest in Dermelect nail lacquers was born because the active ingredient they contain is a protein peptide. Peptides are highly desirable in skincare and anti-aging products, and recently my nails seem to be suffering from a serious midlife crisis.

At the moment there are only six shades in the Dermelect collections (more are coming). They all have a cream finish and a medium amount of shine (not really glossy). The formula's consistency seems exactly right: not too runny but not gloopy, either. I found it very easy to apply without messing it up. The polishes are surprisingly quick drying for a cream, which also contributed to the no mess factor (until a cat got involved, but I doubt the skincare experts of Dermelect can help with that).

The rich tangerine color is called Head Turner. I like it because it has more red than yellow and has a somewhat retro feel. It reminds me of the old Le Crueset orange shade from the 60s. Head Turner required two coats for an even coverage and I think it'll make a fabulous beach pedicure.

Power Trip is the watermelon red. It's intense enough to be forgiving if you only have time for one coat, but a second one is still better. The color is a bit too flat for my liking, so I experimented with applying a coat of Head Turner over Power Trip. The result (below) is a bit more sophisticated and very summery.

While it's too early for me to say if the Dermelect formula is going to save my nails, I do like the fact that it doesn't stink up my dressing room, and that it's 3 free (also cruelty free, though not technically vegan: the protein peptide is extracted from sheep wool).

There's a bonus photo of Cedric helping me set up for taking photos on my Facebook group. Please consider joining us so you can comment. It's all about color, good smellies and cats.

Dermelect nail lacquers ($14 each) are available from C.O. Bigelow in NYC and dermelect.com. The products for this review were sent for my consideration by the company's PR.