Nail Tech Secrets

Now, as much as this Essie polish collection reminds me of Forks, Washington (hello - Twilight!), it is actually inspired by the other side of the country.  It features some gorgeous blues, a color story that I still am loving so much.  I do believe that blue has gone from a trend to a classic at this point. 

You can find Essie polishes at your local salon (ask if you don’t see it), or you can order online from Essie.com.

Zoya’s gorgeous summer collection ships April 1st (no joke).  They are two collections:

La-di-da (creams) - Proud (America) and bold (Dita) give you two perfect summer reds. Also included are two ultra bright pinks (Renee and Ali), a neon orange (Paz) and the perfect yellow (Pippa).

Ooh-la-la (metallics) - Vibrant (Katy) meets the perfect summer green (Midori), blue (Tallulah), gold (Goldie), white (Ginessa) and sweetest pink (Emme).

Zoya makes a fantastic polish, and while I don’t use their base/top coats, I do love Qtica’s nail stimulators (base coats), which are made by the same company.  They have been around a good long time now and really have carved a nice spot out for themselves in the highly competitive nail products market.  If you can’t find Zoya in a salon near you, order it straight from Zoya.  Do support your local salons if you can - this is a tough time for everyone.

Cuccio has been in the nail business as long as I have.  I have seen the company grow from one little Star Nail line to having their foot in all kinds of brands.  I always thought Tony Cuccio reminded me of a beauty lovin’ mobster, but I guess its just the name. 

Back to the subject at hand.  I have gotten my little paws into a really nice line from Cuccio Naturale, a spa manicure line based on the yummy smells of milk and honey.  And they really do smell amazing.  The products I have tried in this line (and my thoughts about each) are below:

Milk and Honey Sea Salts:  This is a really nice hand and body treatment along the line of the 5 Minute Manicure products.  Lots of rich oils, lots of salt (to do the scrubbing), and a magnificent scent.  All for a much more reasonable cost than the 5 Min Manicure - $15 at Amazon.com

Milk and Honey Cuticle Conditioning Butter Stick:  I believe this is a brand spanking new product, as I cannot find it for sale anywhere.  This is a roll up stick with a rich blend of jojoba, olive oil, shea butter and vitamins A and E, in a beeswax base.  Keep your eye out for it - it is a really convenient way to keep some cuticle conditioners with you without the risk of a bottle of oil coming open in your bag.  Eek.

Milk and Honey Cuticle Revitalizer Complex Oil:  This is a nice oil - so great that my mother snatched it as soon as she tried it.  *Sigh*  The milk and honey scent is really nice - it is one of the food scents that doesn’t bother me at all. Retail size is a 1/2 oz bottle with a glass curved dropper that doles out just the right amount.   $12 at Amazon.com.

Lyte Ultra-Sheer Body Butter in Honey & Soy Milk:  This is my favorite product in the milk and honey line.  It is one of the most non greasy lotions I have used.  It is pretty heavily scented, but the scent smells quite nice and dissipates in a reasonable amount of time - it won’t interfere with your other fragrances for long.  If you are one who needs lotion and hates greasy, this is absolutely your lotion.  I don’t mind greasy for a little while, but I love this lotion too.  It is perfect to sit around the house and grab a pump or two while you are going about your business - it won’t leave you greasy for long at all.  I’m having a tough time finding this one online too, but keep an eye out at Shopping.com and you will find it popping up soon.

This Cuccio Naturale line can likely be found in your local salons as well, so take a little time and call around or visit your local salon to find these great Cuccio products.  This is going to be a tough year for salons, do what you can to give them your support if you want them to still be around next year. 

The Spring 09 Prada campaign is out, and they have some gorgeous bedazzled nails to go with their gorgeous bedazzled bags and shoes:

Green is definitely not my usual color of choice for nails, but really, these are beautiful.  They appear to be possibly a metallic green base color, with larger oval faux emerald stones surrounded by tiny white rhinestones.  So pretty.  And nice for Prada too - I usually see a nice nude from Prada (not that there is anything wrong with that!).  I’ll keep my eyes open for the nail tech who did those, I would love to find better pictures and a tutorial.  I don’t know that I would do green, but I sure would do them in a nice sapphire blue or Christmas red - how pretty!!

Hat Tip: e-polishblog  Images:  Prada.com

Creative Nail Design has introduced a new lineup of Spa Manicure products for use by your nail tech, with some good retail products connected to it.  This is the Almond SpaManicure:

The set includes:

• Almond Milk Bath - Nourishing, warm-oil hand soak transforms into a milky moisture bath for nails and skin.
• Almond Moisture Scrub (formerly SolarManicureâ„¢) - Thick, luxuriant hand treatment gently polishes and super-conditions skin. 
• Almond Illuminating Masque - Lustrous, shimmering hand masque deeply conditions and refines the skin, leaving a healthy glow. 
• Almond Hydrating Lotion (formerly SolarSilkâ„¢) - Silky-smooth hand & body lotion quickly absorbs into skin leaving a soft, satin feel. 
• Almond Soothing Crème (formerly SolarButterâ„¢) - Rich, intensive hand cream deeply moisturizes and protects dry, parched skin.

As you can see, several of the products are repackaged products from the Solar line – but that is ok, the solar line is great stuff and the almond scent is downright edible.  Visit your nail tech and ask about the CND Almond SpaManicure and you will no doubt soon be able to purchase the products on your own very soon!

I know I haven’t pimped out Beautyfix yet here at the new and improved (well, actually being WRITTEN now) Nail Tech Secrets, but, please take a few minutes and check it out. 

One of the niftiest things about Beautyfix is the fact that a team of about 30 panelists - ranging from celebrity makeup artists, to beauty manufacturers to some of your favorite beauty bloggers - are the ones who choose what is going to go into each quarters package.  Ada, who is the co creator of Alchimie Forever and does their bus dev, is one of our amazing panelists, and she is a sweetheart!

So, getting back to the task at hand - Alchimie Forever has a number of gift sets available this season.  The one we are looking at today is the Heavenly Toes gift set, which includes 532nm antioxidant foot balm, a deluxe foot file, and toe separators.  This is what Alchimie Forever says about the balm:

Shea butter. Watercress. Willow. Jojoba
This  revolutionary product blends botanicals to soften, nourish, detoxify, heal, and protect. Jojoba and shea butter are combined for a powerfully moisturizing treatment, while willow bark sloughs away rough skin and naturally alleviates pain and discomfort. Watercress has detoxifying and purifying properties to reduce swelling and invigorate tired legs.

Sounds lovely, eh?  Here is a video sort of about the 532nm but more about feet in love - its cute.

The Heavenly Toes set is available online at Alchimie-Forever.com, for $49.  Use the code “holidays” at check out for free UPS Ground shipping - and check out their Facebook page too! 

(And while you are checking out Alchimie Forever on Facebook, definitely join Beautyfix on Facebook too - we will soon be doing a sweepstakes for our fans!)

Now, I am grateful that gone are the days where your pedicurist lets you leave the salon barefooted if you didn’t bring your sandals along (Lord knows I sent many a client out the door like that in my earlier days), but I really do hate sliding around in those rubbery disposable thongs.  Ick.  I always remember to bring my sandals.

These PediCouture pedicure thongs are one step up from your good ol’ Havaianas however.  As you can see in the image, there are squishy soft toe separators, a cushy thong that is pretty much like a good slipper with a rubber sole.  Delightful!

I showed you the hot pink terry slipper above because it is much easier to see what is going on here, but this one is really my fave:

Call me Cruella.  These puppies retail from $25-28, depending on the design and are available at PediCouture.com. 

Lots of us love to gild the proverbial lily at the holidays - I know I do.  Here is a video on making a Christmas candle on your nails. 

Do you do art on your nails for the holidays?  It is really not as difficult as you may think to do it yourself.  But definitely start practicing with your “right” hand (that might be your left hand.lol), you will have a much better time. 

You can find all the supplies you need at your local Sally’s, and probably Target and even your drugstore.  Online, you can search at Amazon for some great choices like this 10 piece Nail Art Paint Set.  With the addition of a striping brush (which you can buy, or make yourself by removing all but about 4 hairs out of a paint brush - even a cheap one), you are all set.

Do you have some pictures of your nail art online?  Let me know - or email them to me, I would love to show off your work! 

This is OPI’s Holiday 08 collection, Holiday in Toyland.  A gorgeous spread of reds from light and bright to dark and sexy!  The collection also includes 3 coordinating lipsticks.  here are the colors (and you can click the image to see it full size):

OPI Holiday in Toyland Polish Colors

• Girls Just Want To Play – coral-red
• Red Hot Gift – bright red
• Little Red Wagon – classic holiday red
• Rosy Mistletoe-sies – shimmer magenta
• A Ruby for Rudolph – shimmer berry red
• Don’t Toy With Me – shimmer burgundy
• Sheer Your Toys – pale shimmer gray (SUPER hot color this season!)
• You’re A Doll – shimmer baby pink/mauve
• Glamour Game – shimmer nude/champagne
• Brand New Skates – dark silver
• Baby It’s Coal Outside – charcoal shimmer
• Play Til Midnight – shimmer midnight blue

OPI Holiday in Toyland Lipsticks

• Little Red Wagon
• Rosy Mistletoe-sies
• Don’t Toy With Me!

For detailed info on how to do nail polish that lasts yourself, check out the archives here at Nail Tech Secrets!

OPI collections are available through most all salons near you!

This is OPI’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection, India. 12 gorgeous colors - with all the spring trends and classics included. Beautiful pinks, corals, reds, and even a gold and the necessary blue for the season. Here is the color list:

I’m Indi-a Mood for Love - NL141 - hot pink!

ElePhantastic Pink - NL142 - carnation pink

Black Cherry Chutney - NL143 - dark black-red

Keys to my Karma - NL 144 - Rich red

MonSooner or Later - NL145 - Orange-red

Moon Over Mumbai - NL 146 - Soft gray

Yoga-ta Get This Blue - NL 147 - Dark blue (yeah!)

Get Me to the Taj on Time - NL 148 - pale opal

Curry Up Don’t Be Late - NL 149 - Gold metallic

*Charmed by a Snake - NL 150 - bronze

*Lunch at the Delhi - NL 151 - coral

*Royal Rajah Ruby - NL 152 - burgundy frost

* - available in lip color and liner

I probably don’t have to tell you how fond I am of OPI, but I will again. They have, hands down, the best polish out there. Most professionals use it for a reason. They have made improvements in the design of their brushes so that you can do a more beautiful job at home as well, OPI polish is very worth spending a few more dollars on. This collection will be released February 6, 2008 - so be watching for it at your local salons!