As you can see, I took a little time off from the blogs due to shows, shoots and the plague of death, but I’m back in action! Follow this link for my latest swatch set for A Girl’s Gotta Spa on China Glaze’s spring 2013 collection, Avant Garden
The swatches look a little different this time. I’ve been working with the Cinapro art and decided to lay them on the Shellac swatches for the Spring. You can see the colors quite well.
LIMEADE
LILAC LONGING
AZURE WISH
CAKE POP
GRAPEFRUIT SPARKLE
Oops, photo mia. I do a very popular combo of 1 layer Beau, 1 layer Romantique and 1 layer Silver VIP status and it looks pretty identical. I guess I can skip that layered look now.
ABS is coming March 9-11th, are you ready?
The Midwest’s biggest beauty show will be held at the McCormick Place in downtown Chicago, Illinois, and it’s a DON’T MISS. The show has a big floor of exhibitors, lots of demonstrations and tons of education. Because distributors don’t always carry full lines from manufacturers, it’s a great chance to see everything a company offers, and take advantage of show specials. It’s best to make a “shopping list” of the booths you want to hit, items you want to find, and of course leave a little leeway for serendipity.
This year I’m going to be demonstrating at the Cina/Star Pro booth. There’s fun nail art in acrylic and gel to share, but since I’m going through the items right now for the show, I want to talk nail closet staples. The basics we have to have to do our jobs every single day. I’m often asked about files and the like, and thought I’d share my favorites with you. The best part? These are all incredibly affordable yet quality items. You won’t feel you’ve skimped while being able to save where it counts.
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TOEZEES toe separators for pedicures
Toezees are GENIUS. They are individual separators, usually only requiring two per foot. This saves a lot of material, and the clients love them because they are so comfortable. I am able to leave one in if needed for, say, a stubborn overlapping little toe. I can’t even use anything else. The problem is they often have to be special ordered, so the show is a great time to stock up!
Cuccio’s Pastel Pedicure Slippers
There is nothing worse than giving someone a calming pedicure, then having to slip screaming neon slippers onto their feet. I was a fan of these gorgeous pastel pedi slippers as soon as I saw they also come in Black or White or Sage or Tan. I’ve been using these for about two years, and they used to have a flip out design where you secured the thong portion after the foot was slipped in. The design has been upgraded so that the slipper is already secured. There is still plenty of room to tuck in the foot without ruining the polish.
Files! Files! Files!
Manicurists go through files like there is no tomorrow, and with multiple grit and sanitation needs. Starpro has an amazing selection of files, from buffer to natural nail and so much more The show is the best place to see all of the options available.
Nail Art Wheel
Enough said! Cannot. Swatch.Without.
Metal Implements
Used correctly and without a lot of pressure, these really help create a clean nail. The best part? They are really inexpensive so you can replace easily when they dull or if you happen to lose them.
What’s on your shopping list?
Fekkai stylist Paul Hanlon created an accidentally undone look for this season’s 3.1 Phillip Lim show. Hanlon drew his inspiration from the concept of a sophisticated, uptown girl with a rocker, downtown boyfriend. The edgy look complimented the effortlessly cool pieces in Lim’s collection.
THE LOOK: Hanlon drew inspiration from the uptown chic-meets-downtown cool looks in 3.1 Phillip Lim’s show
HOW TO:
1. Begin by combing a generous amount of Fekkai Full Blown Volume Styling Whip through damp hair
2. Create a defined part and blow dry hair using a round brush to create volume
3. Spray Fekkai Perfectly Luscious Curls Wave Activating Spray on the hair from mid-length strands to ends. Then, using a 1.5-inch curling iron create loose, natural looking waves with texture.
4. Next, gather hair towards the mid-back of the head and secure with a bobby pin. Don’t be too perfect with this; Hanlon purposefully played with unbalanced proportion. Girls with shorter hair can skip this step and leave the style loose.
5. Separate ends by applying Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème and mist hair lightly with Fekkai COIFF Sheer Hold Hairspray to finish the look.
All Products by Fekkai: Fekkai Full Blown Volume Styling Whip ($25), Fekkai Perfectly Luscious Curls Wave Activating Spray ($25), Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème ($25) and Fekkai COIFF Sheer Hold Hairspray ($39). All products available at Fekkai.com, ULTA.com, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Despite the terrible weather, the party was popping last night at Victoria’s Secret in Woodfield Mall. VS held a nationwide event and I had the chance to be on hand providing polish changes using the just released nail polishes:
There were 18 colors available ( rumor has it there are 24 total) plus a new pump bottle of Polish Remover and a combination base/top coat. The colors were rich, and the formulation very creamy. The top choice of the night was the color “Classified”, a pink with rose or raspberry undertone. It somewhat matched the darker shade on the tablecloth.
The Sign-up sheet was filled in minutes! This was the first time VS has had a manicurist on-site, and it was a hit.
Next in line was a dark red called “LushWorthy” that had a gorgeous foil look to it. It was a classic red, with a twist.
Shhhh..she was in 6th grade and had come in with full nail polish art she had applied. Had to add hearts on the new Victoria’ s Secret polish on her fingers.
“Bitten” is the lightest color, and is what is used on all VS models for their shoots. One coat gave a clean look, and three gave a nice, opaque white/pink.
With raffles, mini waters, chocolates, discounts and double points, it was a fun night for everyone. Thanks for stopping by. If you pick up a bottle of the new Victoria’s Secret nail polish, let me know what color you selected!
Here is a roundup of the nails I’ve been sharing on Facebook or Twitter:
Fools Gold
Negative Space Pink Mondrian nails
Glitter Organization
Negative Space Black & White Mod French
Empower Nail Art (sticks to the curves of a dog nail)
Mardi GRAWR
Tell me that you love me, glitter moon
Snake Charmer
Happy Chinese New Year
