Saturday, February 15, 2014

ANNOUNCING: MAC Box of Chocolates Giveaway!



Hello there, lovelies! 

Myself and 29 other bloggers have gotten together to show our love to our readers with a special giveaway treat. An eyeshadow palette is like a box of chocolates - but this one has 30 different flavors inside each one chosen by a different blogger! 

We've put together a special blogger-curated palette filled with 30 of our favorite MAC shades in a MAC Pro Large/Duo Palette for one of our readers to win! The shades include our favorite neutrals to fun, bold colors and everything in between - but you'll have to win to see what they are! All you have to do is enter via Rafflecopter. 

US only! Giveaway starts February 14 - February 28th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, February 14, 2014

Nail Rehab: Week 1

I was really overwhelmed by the amount of interest in my Nail Rehab series and decided it would be best to do a weekly post while I go through rehabilitation.

Here's what my nails look like now, about two weeks after having my gels removed:


As you can see, my cuticles are heavily dried out from the removal process and there are file marks all over my nails.


You can see the ridges here and also just how thin and brittle they are. *Sad face*


From this angle, you can see the major ridge in my nail from where the gels were and where my nail has grown in. I'm about 1/4 of the way of having them grow out altogether and am getting anxious!

This week's regimen consists of two main aspects:

The first, as recommended by numerous bloggers and nail techs, is to constantly moisturize! Not just for the cuticles and skin, but also for the nails. The better moisturized they are, the healthier they are.

The second:

This came highly recommended to me by a friend of mine and I'll be applying it once a day for a week to see its effect. This is a nail hardener that is supposed to help toughen up nails and prevent them from breaking. We shall see!

What products would you like to see me test as part of Nail Rehab?

Monday, February 10, 2014

Nail Rehab: A Confession



Hello, my lovelies! I'm sure you've been wondering why there's been a lack of swatches lately. Well, here's why.

I have a confession to make. Since 2009, I've had gel nails. I knew they weren't great for my nails when I got them, but I'm a person that likes to work with her hands and breaks her nails frequently.

But paying $40 every two and a half weeks for a fill and not being able to swatch when they'd grown out just too much was starting to bother me. So I took the leap and had them taken off.

Now, my nails are exceptionally brittle from the years of damage. But I'm working to strengthen and rehabilitate my nails.

I'm sure a lot of you have gone through this, are going through this, are considering going through this, or just will. So I figured that I'd document my journey through what I'm not-so-affectionately calling Nail Rehab.

I'll be starting with a before picture in another few days, along with my current rehab regimen. I promise, nothing will be gross. There aren't any infections or cuts or anything. Just very short, brittle nails that I'm working to strengthen.

Hope this is something that you'll all find informative and helpful to you!

Get the NYFW Look: Jin Soon for Tess Giberson



Runway Inspiration:

Tess Giberson Fall/Winter 2014 collection is based on the transference of classic rugged American sportswear into contemporary, effortless, luxurious style. Manicurist Jin Soon Choi used this same idea and created a modern interpretation of the classic French manicure.



Jin Soon Nail Products Used:
  • Dark gray/metallic black nail polish
  • JINsoon Kookie White
  • JINsoon Top Gloss
  • JINsoon Power Coat 

Get the look:

  1. File and clean nails, removing all traces of polish.
  2. Apply JINsoon Power Coat base coat.
  3. Next, apply two coats of dark gray/metallic black nail polish (the shade Jin used from her upcoming JINsoon Fall/Winter 2014 Tess Giberson Collection), let dry.
  4. At the tip of the nail, apply a thin arc of JINsoon Kookie White.
  5. Finish by applying a single coat of JINsoon Top Gloss.

Get the NYFW Look: Essie for Helmut Lang





Runway Inspiration:

Vibrant red, black and neutral colors played an important role in the Helmut Lang Fall/Winter 2014 collection. Julie Kandalec for essie created a chic nude by layering allure and ridge filling base coat over adore-a-ball to give a slightly sandy hue to the final color.


Essie Nail Products Used:
  • Ridge Filling Base Coat
  • Adore-a-Ball
  • Allure

Get the look:

  1. Apply one coat of Adore-a-Ball.
  2. Once dry, apply one coat of Ridge Filling Base Coat.
  3. To finish off the nude look, apply one coat of Allure.

Get the NYFW Look: Essie for Rebecca Minkoff



Runway Inspiration:

Taking inspiration from classic menswear, Rebecca Minkoff’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection infused tailored silhouettes with soft, feminine pieces.  To complement the collection, Michelle Saunders for essie put a bold, modern twist on a classic French manicure.   

Essie Nail Products Used:
  • First Base Base Coat
  • Bahama Mama
  • Midnight Cami
  • Good to Go Top Coat

Get the look:

  1. Apply First Base Base Coat to clean, filed nails.
  2. Once the base coat dries, apply two coats of Bahama Mama.
  3. Using Midnight Cami, brush on a neat arc across the edge of the nail and let dry.
  4. Finish off the look with one coat of Good to Go Top Coat.

Get the NYFW Look: Essie for Herve Ledger




Runway Inspiration:

Inspired by a mixture of fantasy and reality, Herve Leger’s Fall/Winter ’14 collection included a range of bandage dresses, arctic furs and exotic feathers. To complement the playful pieces, Julie Kandalec for essie created a matte, mauve nail. The key polish, lady like, was chosen for its pink undertones that are complementary to every skin tone. 

Essie Nail Products Used:
  • Lady Like
  • Matte About You Top Coat
  • Good to Go Top Coat

Get the look:

  1. Apply Lady Like to clean, filed nails.
  2. Once dry, apply Good to Go Top Coat to prevent streaking.
  3. Finish with Matte About You Top Coat.

Get the NYFW Look: Essie for Monique Lhullier




Runway Inspiration:

Taking inspiration from the feminine pieces in Monique Lhullier's Fall/Winter '14 collection, Julie Kandalec for essie created a sheer, pastel pink nail reminiscent of cherry blossoms. The nail color pops against the lightest pink found throughout the designer's collection.

Essie Nail Products Used:
  • Ridge Filling Base Coat
  • Muchi-Muchi
  • Good to Go Top Coat

Get the look:

  1. Apply Ridge Filling Base Coat to clean, filed nails.
  2. Once the base coat dries, apply one coat of Muchi-Muchi.
  3. Finish with Good to Go top Coat.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Get the NYFW Look: Essie for Lisa Perry


Runway Inspiration:

Lisa Perry's Fall/Winter 2014 presentation was inspired by dramatic volume and shape. To complement the brightly colored garments and textured metallic fabrics featured throughout the collection, Casey herman for essie created a high-shine silver nail look.

Essie Nail Products Used:
  • Ridge Filling Base Coat
  • No Place Like Chrome
  • Quick-e Drying Drops

Get the look:

  1. Apply Ridge Filling Base Coat to clean, filed nails.
  2. Once the base coat dries, apply one coat of No Place Like Chrome.
  3. Lastly, apply Quick-e Drying Drops to seal in color and enhance shine.

 For up to the minute coverage, check out: #essieNYFW for all the backstage happenings and #essielook for their designer nail looks!
You can also follow Essie on social media:

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Get the NYFW Look: Essie for Veronica Beard


Runway Inspiration:

Veronica Beard's Fall/Winter 2014 collection was inspired by 1970's glamour with heavy reference to David Bowie and the glam rock movement. Julie Kandalec for Essie created a layered nail look to compliment the designer's retro-looking fabrics and flamboyant prints.

Essie Nail Products Used:

  • Ridge Filling Base Coat
  • Mink Muffs
  • Meet Me at Sunset
  • Good to Go Top Coat
Get the Look:

  1. Apply one coat of Ridge Filling Base Coat to clean, filed nails.
  2. Once the base coat dries, apply one coat of Mink Muffs and let partially dry.
  3. Next, apply one coat of Meet Me at Sunset and let completely dry.
  4. Complete the look with one coat of Good to Go Top Coat.

For up to the minute coverage, check out: #essieNYFW for all the backstage happenings and #essielook for their designer nail looks!

You can also follow Essie on social media: