Cassie DeNisco

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At Home Gel Nail Polish Tips & Tricks

Last fall I shared my powder gel polish review but recently I’ve been more obsessed with the simple regular gel polish. I have finally found a good mix of tricks and products to give you the best at home gel nail polish mani or pedi so I’m going to share with you all my secrets.

Nail Prep

The first step is always to remove my old polish and then cut, file, and push back my nail beds. I use this kit from Amazon that has everything I need for this stage. I also make sure to buff out my nails very well. This is probably the most important step so that the polish will adhere and last longer.

Polish

at home gel polish

I actually randomly found these brands on Amazon but they work really well. This base and top coat set is not only inexpensive but also lasts. I usually can go about a week and a half with the polish on. This gel brand, Aimeili, is great because they have colors and have a nice formula. I feel like the polish is the perfect mix and not to thick or runny.

UV Lamp

at home gel polsih

This lamp is honestly what has made such a difference for me. I had a light before this and it was not nearly as powerful as this one is. Not only does this light have different time settings, it’s also big enough for your whole hand to go in at one time. After I cure my base coat, I go in with two coats of my color and finish off with my top coat.

My at home gel nail polish is seriously that simple. I love having my nails done but one thing that this pandemic has taught me is I value my time more. I’ll still get a professional mani pedi for a big occasion but for the other times, I’ll do it at home so I’m comfy and not wasting 2 hours of my day.

I hope this post gave you a few good recommendations to start your at home nail journey. It took me awhile to get good at doing my own nails but once you get the hang of it, you might never go back!

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Must Have Amazon Workout Finds

As many of you know, I am probably Lululemon’s biggest fan. I love their workout pieces and accessories but don’t like their prices. I’ve made it my life’s new mission to find workout wear as cute and as durable as Lululemon at a better price. Shockingly enough, Amazon workouts finds are actually amazing. I’ve put together my list my must have amazon workout finds just for you!

Cropped Workout Tanks
amazon workout finds

These tanks are amazing! They are cropped but they actually hit the top of my high waisted leggings. I love the fit and they have a built in bra so this top is all you need for a workout. I generally wear a size small to medium in tops but I sized up to large for these. Also as you can see they are two different styles but I love both. The pink thicker strap is great for a more high impact workout and I love to just lounge in the white thinner strap. You can shop the white one here and the pink one here!

CRZ Yoga Pants

I initially purchased these to be a dupe of my align leggings. They are definitely different material but I almost like them more. I usually get pretty stressed to wear my Aligns because of the material and the piling, no matter what I do. These leggings are a little more of a workout material and they fit so well. I would size down in these. I usually and did order myself a small but I feel like I could have gotten an extra small because they do pull down a bit at the top. You can shop them here!

Biker Shorts

I have such short legs that most bike shorts look weird on me. I love these from Amazon because they come in a bunch of different lengths.. with pockets! They are so great for a workout or to just lounge in which is so important to me. I’m 5’3 and have the 5 inch version. It hits me mid thigh, right where I would want my short to hit so that my leg still is elongated. You can shop them here!

Cropped Zip Up

This zip up was a serious game changer. I don’t like when they are too thin and can’t hold up their shape. This one is thicker and is so well fitted. I sized up to a large for this one and I’m glad I did because it’s just the slightest bit oversized and I love it. It’s perfect to transition to spring/summer in or wear to the gym. You can shop this zip up hoodie here!

Foam Roller

When the pandemic started, I really turned to Amazon to start getting the things I needed for my workout. I got this foam roller thinking it was a smaller one but I am actually okay with how giant it is. It really helps to roll out and stretch my entire body and was well priced for the size. This one is 36 inches and can be shopped here!

Bangle Ankle Weights
amazon workout finds

If you do any type of pilates like workouts, like Melissa Wood Health, then you know how expensive and hard to find these bangles were. I was so excited to find them on Amazon but had to wait literally 3 months for them to come back in stock. Now they are so easy to find and come in the cutest colors. Unfortunately the exact ones I have are sold out but I linked another brand here that looks similar.

Resistance Bands
amazon workout finds

One of my favorite Amazon workout finds are my resistance bands. They not only are the cutest colors but they were so affordable and come in this great bag to keep them organized. You can shop them here!

As you can see, I actually have a lot from Amazon. They have some really great pieces for great prices. One thing I will admit is a lot of these that I tried have come from recommendations. As soon as I see someone talking about a product, I put it in my cart and check out!

Let me know in the comments below your favorite workout brands or if you have any must have Amazon workout finds!

My Best and Worst Amazon Purchases

We’ve all made some questionable Amazon purchases in our lifetime however this year I made many. Online shopping became a serious addiction of mine during the height of the pandemic, especially on Amazon. I’ve decided to share some of those purchases with you and rate them so you won’t make the same mistakes I did. Don’t get me wrong, some of these purchases were definitely worth it but others, not so much. Here are my best and worst Amazon Purchases from 2020!

Let’s start off strong with some of my Best Purchases of 2020!

Amazon Kindle

My Kindle has changed the game for me. I have seriously taken up reading but the books were starting to turn into clutter. My Kindle lets me read unlimited books and not have to worry about having a place for them. I also like some of the perks of Amazon like free books with your Prime membership which makes reading that much more affordable.

Ugg Slippers

I purchased these on Amazon because I wanted them fast and to be able to try on different sizes. I’m glad I did because as with any Ugg product, you have to size down. These slippers are great because they have a harder sole that you can actually wear out but still get to have the comfort of slippers.

Simply Modern Water Bottle

This water bottle is everything! First of all, it’s half the price of a hydroflask which already makes it better. I also love it for all the different lid attachments that Simply Modern sells. Personally, I don’t like straws so I have like a chug lid and it is great. It is also sleek but is 40 oz so I know I’m drinking enough water everyday.

Face Steamer

I am obsessed with my face steamer. It is great to use once every other week and I have seriously seen great results with it. I was happy to purchase it on Amazon because I felt like I had so many options to choose from and the price points were all affordable.

And now on to my Worst Purchases of 2020!

Nintendo Switch

I thought this would have been my best purchase of the year but boy was I wrong. Unfortunately, I haven’t picked this up in months and I absolutely regret purchasing it. I think that I got it during the height of the pandemic and did use it often but now it just sits in its case, not being used.

Treadmill

This was definitely another pandemic purchase that got use but now sits idle. I think part of the reason is it doesn’t really have it’s own place in my house. Most of the time it stays folded up which makes me less motivated to use it because I have to drag it out and unfold it to use it.

Insta Pot

I was using this Insta Pot literally every day or every few days during the summer. I made rice and breads but now I barely touch it. This was something that I definitely I used way to often and just got tired of it. I think it is good to have on hand but it is kind of annoying because of how big and bulky it is.

Mini Humidifier
best and worst amazon purchases

My mini humidifier I purchased is not nearly as powerful as it said it was. I got it for during the day when I didn’t want to put on my big one but it doesn’t do anything. This was a wasteful purchase because it now just sits in my drawer because I feel bad throwing it out.

These purchases definitely reflect the wild year that we had. I was all over the place with my purchases and I absolutely regret some of those worst purchases. I hope this post helps you find some cool things on Amazon and has you steer clear of others. Let me know in the comments below your worst Amazon purchases ever!

Check out my last blog post here.

My Amazon Favorites!

I don’t know about you but I have been on a serious Amazon kick lately. I’ve had a constant flow of packages from Amazon coming in with all the shopping. I’ve put together my list of my Amazon Favorites and thought it would be perfect to share with you. I’ve linked all of the Amazon Favorites below the video so be sure to check them out if you’re interested.

Amazon is one of my favorite places to purchase things from online. They seriously have everything you could possibly want or need at the greatest prices. I also love that everything can come quickly through Prime and this has been a serious game changer with COVID>

Products Mentioned:

I hope you have been enjoying my videos each Friday. I feel like they’re a great way to connect and add another way to see my content each week. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been loving them and what other videos you’d like to see. Be sure to check out my last blog post here!

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