Valentine's Day Prep - Part II

                                       

For those of you who didn't celebrate this weekend, make sure you are ready for tomorrow! Give yourself a last minute Valentine's Day themed mani, set the mood with candles, and start pouring some drinks!

Give yourself a mani with a pretty pink or red for Valentine's Day! Check out Pure Ice's crackle nail polish set. You can find these at Walmart, for a very reasonable price! Great to test out the Crackle effect if you haven't tried this trend already. Sparkle pink is the base, and the solid pink is the top Crackle coat. I used two coats of sparkle as a base and it looks awesome by itself. 

                                              

Set the mood this Valentine's Day with a candle from Bath & Body Works. Try out one of their new scents, like Jungle Kiss, which smells like lilies and peaches, with a hint of coconut.

Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles are my favorite. They burn around 30-45 hours, and can fill a really large room with their scent. They are made of the highest concentration of fragrance oils, an exclusive blend of vegetable wax and lead-free wicks for optimal performance. I always like to stock up on these for hostess gifts too :)

Themed drinks are the best. Check out POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice and NUVO Sparkling Liqueur to make some pretty Valentine's Day themed drinks!

The POM Pink Angel

1 oz. POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1 1/2 oz. kurant vodka
1 oz. triple sec liqueur
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice (or squeeze 2 lime wedges into the shaker and drop them in)
Orange peel for garnish

NUVO Kiss
4 oz NUVO Sparkling Liqueur
1 1/2 oz Frangelico
Serve in a Champagne flute

China Glaze Spring 2012 Electropop

I'm loving China Glaze's Spring line - Electropop. Two different sets will be out in Feburary, a Lights collection and a Brights collection. The pinks and purples in this collection are perfect for toes in the Spring/Summer. And I love that it comes with a glitter in the mix! 

China Glaze "Colours from the Capital"

Here are the swatches and bottles from The China Glaze "Colours from the Capital" collection, inspired by The Hunger Games book series! I can't wait to see this movie and try out these polishes!

The collection will be available at salons and speciality beauty retailers, including Sally Beauty Supply and ULTA stores, retailing for $7/bottle. They will be available in early March, timed to the release of The Hunger Games in theaters March 23.

Free Zoya Nail Polish

In 2012, Zoya wants everyone to add some new color to their world.

So from now through 1/9/2012 11:59 PM ET, Zoya is going to let you try any* 2 bottles of Zoya Nail Polish for FREE on ZOYA.COM.  All you pay is the standard shipping charges.

As a bonus, you can purchase an additional $25 or more of Zoya or Qtica products and get FREE Shipping Too!..Bonus!

Use Code: ZOYA2012

*Promotion Excludes True & Fleck Effect Collection Colors

Chanel Black Satin nail polish

Chanel nail polish in Black Satin. Ooo la la. 

Total Beauty Post - Best Polishes of 2011

Best Nail Polishes of 2011

Total Beauty doles out this year's Nail Polish Awards! See which brands you should choose for your next manicure -- and which you should avoid

This is a TotalBeauty.com nails article We tested the hundreds of nail polish brands and shades to bring you this list of the best (and the worst!) polishes. See which one is the most chip-proof, which delivers the most pigmented colors, and more. See the winners now

Rock Royalty Shellac swatch

I'm back! So sorry for the long delay in posts. I promise there is a contest coming up soon! In the meantime, I've been playing with new Fall Shellac colors!

This is CND Shellac's Rock Royalty. A deep dark purple. I included a few different shots since I couldn't capture it correctly with the lighting. I love the color, dark is in for Fall!

OPI Designer Series - DS Bold swatch

Tina has been playing with OPI's new Designer Series, here's what she had to say:

New this fall from OPI's Designer Series is "OPI DS Bold." It's a pinkish/coral shade (rather than red as described by OPI), with silver and pink glitter. I have applied two coats in this picture, but the more coats you apply...the bolder it looks. It's a bit difficult to remove (due to the glitter) however; it's a fun color for fall, so it's worth it!

OPI Samoan Sand at BCBG Max Azria

OPI has kicked off the Spring 2012 shows doing the nails for BCBG Max Azria this morning! Samoan Sand was used on models’ nails and toes. The nude look continues for Spring ‘12! Celebrity attendees of the show included: One Tree Hill stars Sophia Bush and Shantel VanSanten, and Happy Endings star Elisha Cuthbert.

OPI Black Shatter

My BFF Tina played with some OPI Shatter over the weekend. Here's a pic of how it turned out. I love it! She used OPI "The Color to Watch" nail polish, with OPI "Black Shatter."

NARS Silver Odyssey

To celebrate the upcoming Fashion's Night Out, for the first time NARS has created a collection, exclusive for the night. Introducing Silver Odyssey. More details on NARS' involvement in Fashion's Night Out to come, but here is your sneak peek at the collection. Featuring Via Crispi Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner and Space Odyssey Nail Polish, both products are unique and richly pigmented metallic silvery hues, guaranteed to make you sparkle on fashion’s most celebrated night.

Products Include:

• Via Crispi Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner – silver, Price: $23

• Space Odyssey Nail Polish –aluminum, Price: $17

Available: narscosmetics.com, beginning September 8th Stay tuned to the NARS Facebook Page for details on how you can participate in Fashion’s Night Out with NARS!

China Glaze Metro Collection Fall 2011

China Glaze Metro Collection captures Fall in the Big City!

· Skyscraper: A sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of the sky over the city.

· CG in the City: Glittering dusty purple, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter, perfect for a pop of edge from West side to East side.

· Urban-Night: Exactly what you need for a night on the town – rich purple crème.

· Traffic Jam: Stop traffic with a breathtaking, raspberry pink crème.

· City Siren: The perfect deep, red crème to match any outfit.

· Loft-y Ambitions: Burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour – nothing better.

· Brownstone: Burnt terracotta crème mirrors the quaint townhouses of the city.

· Midtown Magic: Burgundy base with flecks of gold shimmer captures the latest fashion trend.

· Street Chic: This gorgeous beige crème is the perfect go to shade letting your clothes do the talking.

· Concrete Catwalk: Steel grey crème is amazing for a chic mani.

· Westside Warrior: For the trendsetting woman this camo green crème is to die for.

· Trendsetter: Mustard yellow shimmer translates beautifully from hot dogs to nails.

The China Glaze METRO collection will be available in a “Downtown” 6 piece box collection (includes Skyscraper, Concrete Catwalk, Westside Warrior, Trendsetter, Loft-y Ambitions and Midtown Magic), an “Uptown” 6 piece box collection (includes CG in the City, Urban-Night, Traffic Jam, City Siren and Street Chic and Brownstone), a brand new, amazing 3D 12 piece counter display, a 36 piece rack display, and as open stock colors.

China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals

Set your summer style to “sizzle” with China Glaze’s new Crackle Glaze Metals collection. The pioneer in crackle technology, China Glaze takes the beauty phenomenon to the next level with this second-generation polish that pairs the edgy innovation of crackle with the elegant beauty of metals. The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection features six sparkling metallic colors including:

· Tarnished Gold: Warm, honeyed hue

· Platinum Pieces: Shimmering silver

· Haute Metal: Pale pink

· Cracked Medallion: Bold bronze

· Latticed Lilac: Soft lavender

· Oxidized Aqua: Deep aquamarine blue

Create dramatically different looks with just one sweep of China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals. Layer over different base colors to create bold styles. Use a lighter coat to create a fine crackle, a thicker coat for a deep shatter effect. As versatile and edgy as China Glaze’s biggest celebrity fans (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicole Ritchie and Kelly Osbourne, to name a few), Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals is sure to be this summer’s hottest beauty trend!

The China Glaze Crackle Glaze Metals collection will be available as open stock colors and 12 piece counter display with a unique Crackle Glaze screen and including an instructional hang tag.

CND Shellac Hot Pop Pink

Hot Pop Pink from CND Shellac. This is part of their second collection. It reminds me a lot of Tutti Frutti from the first collection. Beautiful color. Bright fuchsia pink, perfect for summer!

If you've read my blog for awhile, you know I'm a huge Shellac fan. I went to my kettlebell class and bleached our outdoor vinyl furniture today and my nails don't show a trace of any damage. This stuff is amazing!

Borghese Rapido Fast Dry Nail Lacquer Collection

The Borghese Rapido Fast Dry Nail Lacquer collection is a quick-drying formula that is available in long-lasting colors.

These long-wearing, nail-strengthening lacquers contain Borghese’s exclusive Aqua di Vita complex to help restore moisture and balance, while Micronized Gemstones add strength and brilliance. Each shade comes with a special Duale Curve Tip Brush custom designed to hug the shape of your nail for smooth, flawless application that lasts up to seven days. The rich, saturated hues are free of DBP’s, Toluene and added Formaldehyde.

The Borghese Rapido Fast Dry Lacquer Collection includes:

Vigneto

Marino

Mochaccino

Chroma

Lira

Menta

Violetto

Maraschino

Siena

Rosso

Anemone

Limoncello

China Glaze Summer 2011 - Island Escape

Take an exotic island escape with China Glaze this summer with a tropical, shimmering rainbow of brilliant bright colors! Mix and match these hot hues to add a candy-like pop to that summer manicure and pedicure. Colors in the collection include:

· Papaya Punch: Crème based vivid orange.

· 108 Degrees: Flirtatious berry pink with specks of micro glitter.

· Senorita Bonita: Passionate purple shimmer with pink micro glitter.

· Blue Iguana: Bold and daring sparkly blue.

· Cha Cha Cha: Vivacious shimmer green.

· Electric Pineapple: High intensity crème based lime green.

Escape this summer to a far away place with China Glaze. Vacation in color!

The China Glaze Island Escape collection will be available as open stock colors, 6 piece box collection, 6 piece counter display, 12 piece counter display and 36 piece rack.

Piggy Paint for Kids

Piggy Paint nail polishes are for kids! I was excited to try this polish out. Not only did I love the color, but I thought it was a really cool idea.

Piggy Paint Nail Polish is safe for kids because it is:
- non-toxic
- low odor
- water-based formula
- hypoallergenic
- fun, vibrant colors
- cruelty-free
- safe for use during pregnancy!

I tried this color out in Girls Rule, which is a shimmery purple. I painted my nails at night with a base and top coat, and the next day it started to chip. This is definitely a great concept for kids, but doesn't transfer to adults (washing dishes must have did it in!), which is a bummer, since the colors are outstanding!



Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

Obsessive Compulsive Nail Polish Wasabi Swatch

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics are outrageous! I love them, super bold and fun. Check out the polish I sported for St. Patty's Day. It's called Wasabi. I thought it would turn out green, but it was more of an electric yellow. It's pretty thin paint, so it needs about 3 coats to get rid of streaks.

Gelac vs. Shellac

Many of you know that I'm totally obsessed with CND Shellac. I've done many posts displaying the different colors in the line and demonstrating how chip-resistant it is. CND just released new colors, and my friend Tina and I were super excited about them! The problem is: they are sold out. Shellac is such a hit in the industry and a growing trend, CND can't keep up with the orders.

So, feeling a little let down and limited by color options, my friend Tina, who also does my Shellac manicures, found IBD's Gelac. Gelac is described just like Shellac, as the 14-day manicure. The difference is there are a TON of Gelac colors! Gelac needs to be cured just like Shellac, and has one extra step, which is the 'prep' step.We 'held back' and only purchased 3 colors to start with, Pink Wink, Rosy Future and Black Licorice. Tina did my nails in Pink Wink on Sunday (pictured), which is really really light and would be nice with a french manicure. Sometimes I like the really light ones because it's easier to camouflage new growth. It's a very natural, clean look. It's holding up well, but we still have 11 more days to go!

Has anyone tried Gelac yet? If so, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought! I'll keep everyone updated on my experience, and let you know if its a good substitution for Shellac, or at least when you want to experience more colors!

Chanel nail colour Jade Rose

Ooh lala. Nude is in this season! Check out Chanel nail colour in Jade Rose. This is one base coat and two color coats. I probably could have used a 3rd color coat for more even coverage. At any rate, I love it!