Pages Menu
TwitterRssFacebook
Categories Menu

Posted by on Mar 12, 2010 in Uncategorized | 18 comments

Get a Pedicure – Save an Airport

stinkyfeetNew security measures at Palm Beach International Airport have left workers holding their noses.  It seems the requirement for passengers to remove shoes before searches meant tired, smelly feet residue permeating the security area carpet – enough to require new carpeting or tiling of the area.

If you think about it, it makes absolute sense.  Feet take a beating, especially during winter travel.  They can remain in shoes for long periods of time, and there is more dead skin buildup because people hide them in socks and closed toed shoes/boots.  This leads to a great combination for bacterial growth and the unpleasant smells that can emit when finally getting around to taking the shoes off.

What can you do if this problem plagues you?

Pedicures play a very important part in hygiene.  The feet are a difficult area to reach for cleansing, and counting on soap dribbling down your legs during a shower won’t cut it for long term maintenance.  A good pedicure will including a strong buffing of your heels and other dry areas to remove dead skin, a sanitizing soak, and clipping of nails.  Extra benefits will be massage, mask and scrub that all help with exfoliation and encourages circulation of your stems.

Other long touted ways to avoid foot odor include wearing correct fitting shoes made from natural materials, wearing socks that wick sweat, and always alternating shoes to give them a day to “breath” and regain freshness.

What if you’ve tried these methods and they aren’t working?  For a small percentage, chronic foot odor is a serious problem that is exacerbated by body chemistry.   Here’s a little tip: Try a deodorant / antiperspirant – on your feet. In the same way it works to block odor from your underarms, it can create a shield to help keep your feet smelling fresh throughout the day.

~ Hillary Fry

Share
Read More

Posted by on Mar 11, 2010 in Uncategorized | 4 comments

Do You Want to Be Macy’s Fashion Director?

Ok, that’s a bit of a tease, but you can have a swing at creating the ultimate outfits over the next 30 or so days – and win big!

Macy’s Fashion Director is every Polyvore addict’s delight.  On the daily, a social opportunity presents itself.  How will you dress for the occassion?  Mix and match items from Macy’s Spring 2010 collections to reveal your personal taste and your stylistic savvy. Submit your ensemble, and you’ve entered for a chance to win a $500 gift card.  Every single day through April 6th.

Twitter darlings Rachel Roy and Clinton Kelly, Donald Trump and Martha Stewart, are among the top stylemakers assisting with the promotional challenges.

Here is a sample of a look I put together this morning based on the challenge “You’re having dinner with your husband’s boss tonight.  What are you going to wear?”

MacysBossDinnerI’m curious whether my husband is supposed to know about the dinner, but let’s not get hung up on the details.

OUTFIT

Spring is around the corner but we’ve got a chill in the air.  I started with this beautiful brown Anne Klein Belted Linen Jacket ($129).  I wanted a bit of structure because it is a business related event, but also thinking about my guy’s actual boss, and after hours events, there is some casual room to play.

Next I selected the neutral Tommy Hilfiger Whitney Pants ($59.50). This gave me the freedom to move two different directions:

1) Early evening dinner would allow for the Michael Kors One-Shoulder Sweater ($89.50).  With jacket it is still conservative enough to pull off, but the gorgeously muted yellow and soft 80’s shape will still keep one feeling feminine.

2) If festivities are to move into later evening then I am all for the Michael Kors Sequined Tank.  The pattern is visually interesting, the color keeps a monochromatic feel, and the sequins add a little spark under the jacket.

ACCESSORIES

I toyed with the gorgeous Rachel Roy Python Woven Clutch, but it was too much metallic with the tank.  The Steve Madden Ruffled Crossbody Bag (which I would not wear crossbody, btw) added interesting texture while being a matte metallic.

For the same reason, I took a pass on some of the brighter metals in jewelry and instead zoned in on these fabulous yellow block bracelets.  A pop of color that compliments either top selection.

Obviously your outfit will vary depending on the “dinner” you have envisioned.

Vote AND try your had at your own outfit.  Every day through April 6th.

Share
Read More

Posted by on Mar 10, 2010 in Uncategorized | 8 comments

Tricks of the Trade: Young Nails Magic Wand

After my OPI Pusherguard Cuticle Pusher disappeared (some blame it on the ghost at work – more on that later) I was hard pressed to find another tool that would so gently push and clean the nail.  The OPI tool also has a patent pending design, so I knew finding another implement that would do both at the same time was out of the question.

As I prepared to repurchase, I came across an implement that promised to push, clean and help create a perfect C curve.  Could it really do all of that?

Multifunctional Pinch TweezerAs you can see, this is a three headed beast.  I’m not sure which version came first, but here is how it works:

  • The spoonish side gently pushes back cuticle
  • Turn it to the teardrop side to scrape any protein buildup on nails
  • Use the pinchers to tighten up your gel/acrylic application at the apex after a flash cure for better C curves.  You can also use it to hold tips to nail while they are drying to avoid getting stuck to your client.  I prefer to sculpt so I haven’t tested this out.

This model is available from several different companies, including Young Nails.  Although I wish it had the OPI push/scraper combo in one (the scraper on this is a little scary looking), I think it is an excellent tool for the nail care professional.  I generally can get a good C curve with my forms, but it looks really nice after a quick pinch with this tool. Also, I know drilling is the way to go, but I feel better having a manual push/scraper on hand.

Have you tried this tool?  What did you think?

Share
Read More