Review: New Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

With all the new nail implements hitting our drugstores lately from brands like Revlon, Sally Hansen and CoverGirl, I thought it would be fun to review the one that I've been the most intrigued by (especially after seeing Aquaheart's review here, back in January).

I patiently waited for a good sale and picked this up for a great price a few weeks ago, and now I'd like to give you my thoughts:

 Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

(retail: around $3.50)

As you can see from the packaging, this buffer promises 400% more shine than bare nails, and the shine is supposed to last three days.

I like the shape of the buffer because it gives you a lot of surface area to work with when compared to traditional nail buffers. The only complaint I have is that the tip of the buffer, which is the best part to use to really get into the nooks and crannies of your nails, might be the part to wear out first. I really like the pointed tip, and when I'm using this buffer I favor that tip over the rest of the buffer. So I imagine that, over time, the tip will wear out and I won't be able to use that part of the buffer much. But hey, at least I'll still have the rest of the buffer to use (and there's a LOT to use).

The nontraditional shape of this buffer fits easily in my hand and it's very convenient to work with. Also, the sponge material inside the buffer is very firm, so I don't forsee it bending and giving out after a few uses. All in all, it feels like a quality nail buffer in your hand, and that's more than I can say for the dozens of other cheapie buffers I've had over the years that seem to disintegrate after just a few uses.

As instructed, I used the green side first, which contains a fine-grade sandpaper surface. My nails have lots of ridges, so I require a bit of a grittier sandpaper to do the job. This one is VERY gentle, so I required lots of buffing to even out the ridges, although it wasn't excessive by any means. I'd say it was on par with other buffers I've used in the past.

Next, I used the white side of the buffer to polish my nails, and THIS is where the Crazy Shine buffer really shines (pardon the pun).

Of all the buffers I've used in the past (both cheapie and higher end), this buffer is BY FAR the most effortless to use, and the results are pretty much instantaneous.  I went into this thinking it would be like any other buffer, but boy was I wrong. I literally ran this buffer across my nails three times and the shine was INSTANT. It literally looked like I had just applied a high-shine top coat to my nails.

As much as it pains me to show you my bare nails, I just have to show you a before-and-after:

PLEASE forgive these pictures. In the "before" shot my nails look absolutely horrible. I did a lot of work outside before I took these pics, so my skin is dry and my nails are really beaten up (and I broke my middle fingernail which really bums me out). I have some slight yellowing due to always wearing nail polish, and I didn't want to apply any lotions or creams to my nails before using the Crazy Shine buffer because I wanted my nails to be as dry and oil-free as possible. Also, due to the lighting in these pics, my nails look dirty. I assure you they're not, but it bothers me that they look that way (oh the embarrassing things I do for this blog!).

ANYWAY, as you can see in the "after" shot, it literally looks like I'm wearing  a shiny top coat. I am not. This picture was taken just moments after using the Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer and nothing else. And I am pleased to report that I'm now on day three after using this buffer and my nails are still incredibly shine.

FINAL VERDICT: The Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer absolutely lives up to its claim to "create top coat shine in seconds that lasts three days". I have no way of measuring if my nails are truly 400% shiner than before, but they are REALLY shiny, and it took no effort whatsoever to get there. The green side of the buffer is gentle, which means you may require some extra elbow-grease if your nails have lots of ridges, but the star of this show is the buffer. If you're looking for crazy shine that lasts at least three days, I think you'll be very happy with this product. DEFINITELY worth $3.50 and if you can get it on sale (or have coupons) I say don't hesitate to pick one up. This is a quality product that, in my opinion, is worth double the price.