Nubar
Cosmoprof 2010 Day 1 Recap
The first day of Cosmoprof is over and I’m beat! The day just flew by and there’s still so much more to see. In case you’re not familiar, Cosmoprof is a beauty trade show that takes place in Las Vegas. Brands from the salon and spa industry come together to sell their wares and it’s not just products. There are packaging companies, product manufacturers and salon equipment suppliers here as well. Plus there are sections for emerging brands and international brands. So cool! It’s a bit overwhelming but really interesting to explore.
From now through Tuesday I’ll be at the show checking out our favorite salon brands to see what they have in store for us nail fanatics and showing you any great finds I discover. Also, I have a new contributor to the site, Christine, who will be sharing her thoughts on the show with you as well. Christine is a friend I met via Specktra ages ago and she’s as big a nail fanatic as I am. Seriously, not long after we met, she purchased a full size OPI display rack to hold her polishes and it’s more than full. Anyway, check out what caught our eye on Day One of Cosmoprof!
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The Arsenal – Nubar Foundation Base Coat
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’ve launched, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
The bare bones basics of any good manicure is base coat, top coat and color. I’ve shared with you one of my all-time fave top coats but I’ve never dedicated a post to base coats. Obviously this is long overdue!
I’ve been a fan of CND Stickey for forever and a day. I even posted about the “Stickey Sandwich” method back when ALU was just a baby. However Stickey has a major competitor for the “holy grail” crown in Nubar Foundation Base Coat.
I’ve had bottles of Foundation Base Coat floating around the polish room for years now but it wasn’t until I ran out of Stickey that I discovered its magical powers. It doesn’t dry tacky like Stickey or Orly Bonder but Foundation Base Coat grips on like glue. I get amazing wear every time I use it. And although it’s not a ridge filler, it provides a smooth surface for the polish to glide along even in spite of my less than stellar nail beds. I told you it was magic.
Nubar Foundation Base Coat can be purchased online from ByNubar.com for $6.99. The shipping is steep though so I suggest banding together with some friends to hit the $75 limit for free shipping.
Nubar 2010 10th Anniversary Color Swatches, Review and Comparison
To celebrate 10 years of creating beautiful 3-Free polishes, Nubar has released a special edition color called Nubar 2010. A clear polish filled with iridescent flake glitter, this lacquer will make those of you who have yet to hunt down Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure very very happy.
Not only does Nubar continually put out collection after collection of gorgeous colors, they have some of the best treatment products on the market. Their Foundation Base Coat has achieved “holy grail” status in my book and the Diamont top coat is one of the few quick drys in my arsenal that isn’t thick or tricky to apply. In my opinion, that’s more than enough reason to celebrate their 10th Anniversary in style. And Nubar 2010 has plenty of style. Check it out after the jump! |
Nubar Royal Gems Collection – Coming Soon
If you’ve been wondering how Nubar would follow up the utlra stunning Going Green collection, I’ve got the answer. Next month Nubar will launch the Royal Gems collection; a set of seven rich jewel tones and one glitter bomb that can be worn alone or layered.
The Royal Gems collection includes:
24k – pure glimmering gold shimmer with gold glitter accents
Ruby – shimmering red with red glitter
Tiger’s Eye – warm medium brown shimmer
Emerald – sparkling green shimmer with green glitter
Sapphire – blue glitter in a base of royal blue shimmer
Platinum – lustrous silver with silver glitter accents
Amethyst – rich royal purple shimmer with subtle blue micro glitter accents
Tiara – rich multi-faceted glitter which can either be used alone or as a top coat that takes on the color of any shade with which it is paired.
The Royal Gems Collection will release on September 15th. Nubar polishes retail for $7.49/ea and can be purchased on ByNubar.com.
I will have swatches of these and the Modern Matte collection for you soon so stay tuned.
Matte Top Coats – Let’s Compare
 Love it or hate it, Matte Nails are the big trend for Fall. With all the matte nail polish collections coming out, it will be a hard style to ignore. If you’re not ready to jump in feet first, why not try a matte top coat instead? Using them to mattify any polish in your arsenal makes it a more versatile and budget friendly way to embrace the look. Give your tried and true shades an update with a new finish.
From flat to satin there are a plethora of choices in the non-glossy top coat realm and I’ve tried them all so you don’t have to. Check out the results after the jump! |
First things first. There are certain things you give up in using a matte top coat.
Essie Matte About You ($10, essie.com) and Rescue Beauty Lounge Matte Top Coat ($18, RescueBeauty.com) are the most mattifying top coats I’ve come across. If you desire that truly flat finish this is your best option. The cloudiness does lighten the shade a touch but not significantly. Here’s my problem with that. They showed butter London’s Nail Foundation ($18, butterLondon.com) as an example yet they neglected to explain that only ridge filling base coats dry matte. Using your clear or tacky base coats won’t achieve that look. Overly opaque or shimmery ridge fillers won’t get it done either. Nonie Creme of butter London used her Nail Foundation over Yummy Mummy backstage at Alexander Wang to matte down the shine and in this instance using a base coat totally worked. She even sent me a pic from her iPhone to share with you (above). However when I used it over my test shade, OPI No Room For The Blues, it didn’t turn out as well. The nude pigmentation in the base changed the color drastically. If you don’t mind that, it’s a simple mattifying solution but I still prefer a matte top coat.
Nubar V For Men Matte Finish Nail Protector ($8.99, ByNubar.com) comes in a close 2nd to Essie and RBL in terms matte-ness and I love that it’s more forgiving in terms of application. It applies smooth and even every time.
Now for those wanting a satin style nail, the next three options are ideal. They take down the gloss giving a more buffed look. Orly Matte Top Coat is actually discontinued but still available on Head2ToeBeauty.com for $4.95 so get it while supplies last.
Orly Nails for Males ($6.99, SallyBeauty.com) performs similarly to the Matte Top Coat in spite of its dark appearance.
Finally, Barielle’s Matte-inee Top Coat will be launching soon on Barielle.com.
I received quite a few questions regarding InStyle’s June issue. One of the tips in the Summer beauty section was about matte nails. They suggested using “your base coat as a top coat to remove the shine from your lacquer.” 
So did this clear up a lot of your questions reagarding matte top coats? Which do you prefer… matte top coats or matte polish? Or do you wish this whole matte thing would just go away already? Sound off Fanatics!
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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