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
On the heels of the full sheet nail wraps by Empower Nail Art comes Scratch – individual designs for digits by designers. It’s more of an enduser experience, but in a field full of Kiss and Sally Hansen and essie wraps, is there room for more? Backers on Kickstarter seem to think so. The designs are fresh, and out of the $6000 goal, nearly $20,000 has been raised as of this date.
Scratch is a brand new, LA born, beauty company that acts as a platform for Designers, Illustrators, and all types of Artists to collaborate, create nail wraps, and share their art through a fun new wearable medium. We’re a facilitator of awesomeness. Seriously. The incredibly talented artists we’ve been able to work with so far have created nail art that is beyond inspiring.
The goal is to produce 3 designs a month from different artists. Instead of taking on celebrity manicurists as Minx does, Scratch has instead turned to the graphic design community for inspiration. What do you think of this model? And does the fact it has been so quickly and easily funded signal there is still plenty of room in the nail wrap category?
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?
Living Proof Celebrity Hairstylist Chris McMillan was inspired to keep Natalie Portman’s hair chic and simple, channeling a Richard Avedon, 1960s feel for the Academy Awards. Clothing stylist Kate Young shared the maternity Dior dress the possibly pregnant Portman would be wearing, and it took off from there.
“Natalie said that from the front it looked like she’d cut her hair short, and then from the back you saw this beautiful French twist. She called it a fakeout short haircut, which she loved.”
Try this look at your salon or at home:
Apply Living Proof Prim Style Extender while hair is still damp
Blow dry with a round brush – (McMillan recommends YS Parks, a line of Japanese brushes he calls “just unbelievable”)
Create a classic French Twist using bobby pins and teasing to give a bit of cushion.
Tip: Place lower on head to create a beautiful shape from the back
Use Hold Firm Hairspray to smooth and create a chic and modern look
As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week wraps up, CND showed two opposite but equally appealing looks at Alexander Wang and The Blonds. Photos courtesy CND.
The Blonds, that dynamic duo of fashion designers, always gives free reign to the nail company to go wild. This time they outdid themselves with the movie theme of the line, running The Shining, Gentlemen Prefer Blonds and a number of other flicks across bejeweled and decorated tips. How many movies can you spot?
On the opposite end of outrageous, Alexander Wang showed what was cased as a “Sandstone” nail. Tan shades fanned across the nail then buffed to a matte.
I need this bag and skirt in my life.
Check back for the full pictorial album upload.
