Tag Archives: Nails

Polished: Little Girl Type by MAC

5 May

 MAC Little Girl Type Nail Lacquer

MAC

Little Girl Type Nail Lacquer (limited edition)

Little Girl Type, another Nail Lacquer from MAC’s limited edition Quite Cute collection (available on their site at press time), was the color of choice for this week’s manicure.  I headed over to my usual Dashing Diva to get my nails done and received a proper/inaudible scolding for having the audacity to have gotten acrylics.  Knowledge of how terrible they are for my natural nails was not enough to keep me away in a moment of desperation right before my trip to Florida.  In any case, after spending close to 30 minutes with my fingertips hanging out in a pool of acetone (that also has to be good for me too lol), the acrylics finally melted off to reveal nails thin enough to be mistaken for a sheet of paper.  I can’t complain about weak nails because that is the life I chose. 

Enter Little Girl Type.  The  polish made my ragged nails look, dare I say, quite cute? (you know I can’t go a post without being a cornball ha ha).  The “creamy pale lavender” color appears to skip between purple and pink depending on the lighting.  I was worried about how Little Girl Type was going to turn out during the application since its thin consistency resulted in a very faint and streaky first coat.  However, my manicurist was able to achieve full coverage with three layers of the polish.  In my experience needing extra coats is typical for many MAC Nail Lacquers, but each layer will be so thin that you will not end up with a thick slab of polish on each nail in the end.  Lastly, bonus points for being appropriate for work! 

What do you think of Little Girl Type?  Let us know in a comment below.

-DRB

Polished: Wildfire Shellac by CND

17 Mar

CND Shellac

Wildfire

Bliss Soho

568 Broadway, 2nd Fl. (between E Houston St. and Prince St.)

New York, NY

Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-9pm (12pm-9pm every first Wed)/Sat 9:30am-6:30pm/Sun 10am-6pm

Appointments: 1-877-862-5477/http://bliss.vipguestservice.com/

I finally got my Shellac on at Bliss Spa’s Soho location last month.  I was booking another service and was excited to see that they added it to their menu and after a few clicks I was on my way to Shellac heaven.   Shellac is similar to a gel manicure in its longevity and is similar to a nail polish in its application.  The result is an incredibly long-wearing manicure with a shiny finish.  It looks a lot more natural than a gel manicure since each coat of Shellac is applied in thin layers.  The manicure is supposed to last 2 weeks (which is how long my manicure lasted) and the uv curing method allows you to dig your hands right into your messiest handbag and extract them without a nick.

Back to Bliss…I had never had my nails done at the spa and was a bit nervous after hearing mixed reviews, the main complaint being that nail technicians rush through your service.   Luckily there was only one person getting a pedicure when I arrived so I only had to wait a little while for my manicurist to appear and she did not disappoint.  She took her time and was very meticulous, taking the time to inspect my nails at different angles to make sure that she didn’t leave any visible gaps without polish on the sides of my nails.

Out of the limited range of colors available I chose Wildfire, a fire engine red, since it had been Valentine’s Day that week.  The manicurist began by giving me a quickie manicure consisting of filing my nails into my desired shape and cleaning up my atrocious cuticles.  Seriously, my cuticles are a disaster and because they are a disaster I am constantly picking at them only to make them worse.  To prevent further picking and subsequent ruining of the manicure, I purchased CND’s SolarOil at my local Ricky’s before scheduling the service to keep my cuticles moisturized and my nails looking fresh.  After tidying up my nails, the nail technician applied 1 coat of the base coat, followed by 2 coats of the nail color and finished off with 1 coat of the top coat.  She place my nails under the UV lamp and set the timer for 2 minutes in between each layer and added an extra 2 minutes for the top coat.  Once the Shellac set, she removed the tacky residue with rubbing alcohol and completed the manicure with a round of SolarOil on each nail.  Like many others who have tried Shellac, I could hardly believe that I could just carry on with my day like I didn’t have a fresh coat of paint on my nails.  It was a very liberating experience. 

Dear Shellac,

Where have you been all of my life?  How many countless $15 manicures have I ruined to find this genius?

Love,

DRB

For removal, CND recommends that you use their Shellac wraps, which focuses the acetone on your nails instead of soaking your fingertips in a bowl.  You don’t need to use a nail file and risk damaging your nail beds, just gently remove any residue with an orange wood stick.  Bliss offers a Re-Shellac service where you can remove  and re-apply your Shellac safely.

Check out a picture of my nails 14 days later (day 1 is pictured above) and where you can get Shellac-ed after the jump.  (more…)

Polished: Best of New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011

17 Feb

CND

The Blonds

CND’s Kristina Estabrooks made another dazzling rendition of nail art at The Blonds last night.  New York Fashion Week may not be over, but I do not need to look any further than The Blonds’ show to know what manicures will be my favorites of the season:

February 16, 2011 – Where were you at 7pm this evening? If your answer is not, “At The Blonds show,” you’re about to wish it was…

Tonight at The Blonds, CND‘s Kristina Estabrooks introduced 22 handmade, theatrical manicures inspired by Eastern culture meets ultra glam – in the form of fortune cookies (“You don’t have to be blonde to be a Blond”), red sparkly Chinese characters (translated to “Blonds Love Diamonds”), “HIYA” and googly-eyed nails, and absolutely fabulous “Tranny-cures” comprised of Swarovski crystals and crushed glass with ombre undertones to color coordinate with outfits on the runway. Thai nails shaped with blinged-out hair clips, and dragons curled from thumb to pinkie were just some of the surprises to be seen. Matched with technicolor eyes and glittery hair pieces in afro and cleopatra bob shapes, this collection put the Delightful in DRAMA.

I wish I was at The Blonds last night indeed.  Check out more pictures of the fabulous nails after the jump: (more…)

Polished: Best of New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011

17 Sep

CND

The Blonds

The most spectacular nailgasm took place at The Blonds last night.  CND‘s Kristina Estabrooks made nails dazzle with swarovski crystals and crushed glass.  I can’t imagine the kind of damage I would do if I attempted to crush glass so I could bedazzle my nails and you shouldn’t try to find out. I’ll just have to settle for glitter for now.  If you were at the show I hope you wore your sunglasses Anna Wintour style for the bling-ing-est place to be at New York Fashion Week:

David and Phillipe Blond bring the bling to Fashion Week…and CND’s Kristina Estabrooks ensures that The Blonds runway nails light up the night.  This season’s manicures made love to the spotlight with crushed glass and Swarovski crystal combination coatings on top of various Colour foundations including Girlie Pink, Eclectic Purple, and Anchor Blue.  More than 22 different nail looks (including hand-painted upside down Eiffel Tower manis) graced the catwalk in the groupings of “Showgirls” versus “Abbreviated Tuxedos” – and brought Barbie doll designs, sequined bikinis, Hollywood glamour and sexy, body-hugging corsets to life. 

Stay tuned for more New York Fashion Week coverage on StyleItOnline.com.

Polished Kissez,

DRB

Photos and quote: Courtesy of CND

Polished: E-nuff is E-nuff by Essie

16 Sep

image

Essie

Color: E-nuff is E-nuff

Do you ever get the feeling like there isn’t enough time in the world?  These past few weeks have been a whirlwind!  Today marks the end of New York Fashion Week, a week-long in human years, but it is actually a year-long in fashion years.  Well there is no such thing as fashion years but I certainly felt like a year after running from backstage to backstage with a few shows here in between for StyleItOnline.com.  I only had a weekend’s dose and am currently suffering from the worst back pain I ever had, but this still feels like an improvement now that I can actually walk with my feet flat on the ground.  On my second day I made the terrible mistake of wearing heels that gave me blisters that might as well have been third degree burns.  Train wreck aside,the experience was life changing, well worth the pain and the future hernia it will undoubtedly cause.

But let’s get back to the nails ha ha ha.  I didn’t get a chance to do my nails before my first official day of “work.”  After frantically rummaging through my bag trying to get rid of whatever or whomever was making my bag so heavy, snap! I broke a nail.  Of course I didn’t have a nail file with me (another lesson learned) and by the time I finished my first backstage, my nails were filthy.  Luckily I had a long enough break to head over to Dashing Diva on 8th St.  I know, I know, I went back.  The technician that did my nails did a good job this time.  No complaints about top coats during this visit.  I chose a color called E-nuff is E-nuff by Essie.  The color did not look the same in the bottle as it did on my nails.  I was expecting a brighter coral.  After getting over my initial disappointment, the color began to grow on me.  The subdued coral nail polish makes my nails look sophisticated, giving them a “ladies who lunch” vibe that transitions perfectly from backstage at fashion week to center stage at the office.

Polished Kissez,

DRB

Polished: Agent Lavender by China Glaze

5 Aug

image

Agent Lavender

China Glaze

I’ve been letting myself go recently.  Below is a snapshot of my recent depressing internal dialogue:

Q: Would you like a side of fries with that order?

A:  Sure

Q: Would you like dessert?

A:  Several

Q: Is that hair on your legs?

A:  Damn straight

Q: Are those only 3 polished toe nails?

A:  Absolutely

Every day I reach a new low in terms of my typical maintenance routine, taking a shower and brushing my teeth because that’s just the law.

I finally forced myself to travel down to my usual haunt on 8th St. called Dashing Diva, which seems to be going downhill lately if you ask me.  It is kind of a hit or miss depending on your technician, some of whom behave like a basic manicure is beneath them and a waste of time.  They rush through your service so that they can get to the next customer who is hopefully getting a pricier service that will yield a substancially higher tip.  But I guess that is the case in most places you go.

There are still a few that take their time and are not skimpy with their top coat (why is it so hard to find someone that  will coat the entire nail? Just because it’s clear polish doesn’t mean I will not be able to see that you missed a spot! Several spots! Try each nail…spots!) like Lobsang and Sandy, my favorite technicians of the bunch.

They did not do my latest manicure but fortunately I had a decent job done.  Rushed but decent.  I brought with me a China Glaze nail polish in a shade called Agent Lavender.  I love pastel colors, and although this shade is more of a color for Spring, it compliments my overall nonchalant attitude.  After all, isn’t it just too hot to care?

Unglossed kissez,

DRB

Polished: Chastity by Essie

3 May

Essie

Color: Chastity

A few days ago I went over to Dashing Diva to get a manicure and tried Essie’s Chastity nail polish.  I love the bright bubble-gum pink shade that is glitter and shimmer free (who needs glitter with a color that bright?).  The color brings out the Barbie in all of us.

Polished Kissez,

DRB

Polished: Calgel Strengthening System

7 Oct

Before Calgel Manicure

Picture taken before Calgel manicure

After Calgel Manicure

After Calgel manicure with French 

My nails were in need of serious rescuing so I decided to invest in a Calgel manicure at Sakura Nail and Spa in the East Village. I constantly make my weak nails weaker by getting artificial nails to hide their weakness, creating a vicious cycle.

Check out the crack on the nail on my index finger in the before picture. I had to keep it wrapped in a band-aid to prevent it from getting caught on things. To fix the problem and help my nails grow without breaking I decided to get a Calgel manicure at Sakura Nail and Spa. 

Calgel is a UV Gel. These UV Gel manicures have been gaining popularity recently. Although they are pricier than a traditional manicure, the results are well worth it since the manicure can last for up to a month chip-free. The Calgel at Sakura is:

[...] a superior gel nail system that promotes nail health, making it the healthier alternative in nailcare. It also soaks off in just 15 minutes! Calgel won’t lift, peel, chip, go rubbery or damage your own nails with harsh acrylics or drills. Calgel doesn’t interfere with nailbed metabolism which is why it can actually strengthen your own nails giving you the nails you always dreamed about [...] the days of smudging, chipping and peeling nail polish are over!

The gel allows your nails to breathe, does not cause fungus, and strengthens at the same time. 

My visit to Sakura lasted about an hour and a half. The process consisted of a base coat gel, the nail color gel, a top coat gel and a regular top coat with a clear nail polish. Since I did a french manicure there needed to be two coats of the white gel applied to the tips after the base color. The nail technician did two nails at a time, alternating each hand under the UV light for the gel to set while she worked on the other hand.

The Calgel did not fix the crack in my nail. To address that the technician applied a silk wrap to the nail prior to applying the Calgel. She put on the wrap (that looks like a piece of tape) to half of the nail. Nail glue was then applied over the wrap. After the glue dried, she filed the wrap down until it was level with my nail and did not look like I had anything on.

A Calgel manicure costs $40 at Sakura Nail and Spa. I was charged an additional $20 for the french manicure for a total of $62.50 with tax. That may sound like a lot but after doing a cost benefit analysis, the math checked out in my book. Assuming that it lasts 4 weeks, it comes out to approximately $15.63 per week. Compared to my usual $14 manicure per week that chips within a day or two, $62.50 starts sounding like a good deal.

Sakura offers other cool designs besides a french manicure. You can see some of them over at nitro:licious, where I discovered Calgel. Wendy’s nails look ridic in that post (in a good way lol)! I would have gotten something funky like that but I had to take the professional route and stick to the french manicure.

I highly suggest making an appointment in advance if you are in the NYC area and want to try this since they are usually booked up. They are the only guys in town offering this technology that will help me break free from the chains of slavery from artificial nails.

Glossy Kissez,

DRBrooklyn730

Polished: MAC Baby Goth Girl

1 Oct

MAC Baby Goth Girl

Baby Both Girl (Limited Edition – Style Black Collection)

Description: Black with pinkish purple pearl

Finish: Frost

MAC Baby Goth Girl

One Coat (no base coat or top coat)

MAC Baby Goth Girl

Two Coats (no base coat or top coat)

MAC Baby Goth Girl

Fabulous!

I am seriously in looove with Baby Goth Girl Nail Lacquer. I was looking forward to the Style Black Collection just for the nail polishes and I was not wrong. This season is not about boring nails. The fuchsia pearl, which actually looks like a burgundy color on the nails, in this polish will get my mother to stop asking me if I am in a cult this fall and winter ha ha ha. 

All you need is two thin coats of this polish to get a streak-free look. The fuchsia pearl in the black polish looks subtle on the nails. The polish in the bottle looks like it may be glittery but it does not look that way when it is applied.

The polish is currently out of stock on www.maccosmetics.com but it says that is coming soon. So keep your fingers crossed if you missed out on the first round.

Glossy Kissez,

DRBrooklyn730

Source

Polished: MAC Seriously Hip

1 Oct

MAC Seriously Hip

Seriously Hip (Limited Edition – Style Black Collection)

Description: Black with gold particle pearl

Finish: Frost

MAC Seriously Hip

One Coat (no base coat or top coat)

MAC Seriously Hip

Two Coats (no base coat or top coat)

Seriously Hip gives your nails that old gold look. The pearlized color in this nail lacquer  is more apparent when applied to the nails than in Baby Goth Girl. Gold is more of a contrast to black than purple.  

One coat  was a little streaky. Two coats gave me perfect coverage. MAC has definitely stepped it up in their Nail Lacquer department. The no more than two coats needed didn’t stop after the Jin Soon Choi for MAC Fall 2009 Collection. 

I plan on glitzing up this polish with some gold accessories. Looks like I won’t be wearing plain black nail polish this season.

Glossy Kissez,

DRBrooklyn730

Source

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