Celebrity
Ellen’s Ode to Nail Polish
A friend of mine was home sick yesterday and she tipped me off to Ellen’s monologue about nail polish (Thanks Heather!). I’ve long been a fan of Ellen. I even had the chance to see her stand up routine during her last tour before her talk show launched. She’s such a genius and even though I swear like a sailor, I respect the fact that she can make me howl without even a hint of filth.
Now I would never call Ellen a girly girl, I think Portia picks up the slack for her in that department, so I was surprised to hear her talk about getting a manicure. But leave it to Ellen to pick up on the fact that OPI nail polishes have some cheeky and unusual names. Hence, her nail polish poem.
Roses are Pretty and Privileged,
Violets are Escape to Bahama,
Blue is Got A Date To-Knight,
Perfect for my Mama.
The grass is uncommitted,
The sun is Goldilocks Rocks!
My toes are Clubbing Til Sunrise,
Though I go to bed at 8 o’clock.
The moon is All Lacquered Up,
The stars are Tickle My France-y,
Now that you’ve learned all these colors,
It’s time for me to dance-y.
Check out the full monologue below.
I actually own or have owned all those shades at one point though Escape to Bahama and Uncommitted threw me for a loop. Anyone know those polishes? I thought maybe Escape to Bahama was meant to be China Glaze Bahamian Escape?
Is Megan Fox Keeping Grey Nails Alive?
Exciting news on the gray nail front! Megan Fox is donning the shade on the cover of October’s Cosmo proving that gray is still having a moment. Some may say it’s “so last season” but didn’t they do that with Chanel Black Satin only months after its release? Well I’m not ready to give up on gray and I’m happy to see it popping up on celebs and magazine covers.
Green Celebrity Manicurist Jenna Hipp (@JennaHipp on Twitter) did Megan’s nails using Orly Mirror Mirror, a light cement gray creme.
So what’s your take Fanatics? Are you beyond over gray? Still on the bandwagon? Or could you care less because you weren’t buying what gray was selling in the first place?
Guess Who’s Wearing China Glaze?
 Can you guess which celebrity sported black, gold flecked tips? Find out after the jump! |
If you’re following China Glaze on Twitter you probably knew the answer. That’s right, China Glaze is tweeting now and sharing all sorts of fun nail pics, celeb nail scoop AND holding contests. Last week, they posted this behind the scenes pic of Rihanna wearing China Glaze Liquid Leather taken by Celebrity Manicurist Kimmie Kyees. Remember when I interviewed Kimmie last year after she gave Rihanna her famous Japanese Koi tips for the Grammys? If not, read more about her HERE.
For more great China Glaze nail gossip, follow them on Twitter.
Oh and I mentioned Contests, didn’t I? Every day from now through August 4th China Glaze is giving away a set of Retro Diva polishes to a follower who tweets “@ChinaGlaze I want 2 win a ChG Retro Diva Collection.”
So seriously, what are you waiting for? Join Twitter already. All your fave nail people are there!
image credit: Kimmie Kyees via China Glaze
Katy Perry’s Flower Power Nails
ALU Fanatic Angelica shared (via Facebook) this post from Perez Hilton about Katy Perry‘s latest tattoo. Of course us nail girls will immediately notice her colorful, frisky tips.
Katy posted that image on Twitter via TwitPic where she originally shared a snap of her mani a little over a week ago (below). See, that’s the fun of Twitter folks. If you haven’t embraced it, get on board. If for no other reason than to win some polish from yours truly.
A quick search of the Minx website confirmed that Katy is indeed wearing the popular nail stickers. As you may recall, I tried out Minx last December and while I enjoyed the look, I had issues with lifting not long after. But if you inspect Katy’s pic from today (above), her nails have grown out some yet the Minx are intact. Makes me wonder if they’ve improved the product since then or if it was just a bad application by my nail tech.
What do you think Fanatics? Are you over Minx? Loving Minx? How are we feeling about Katy’s nails? Has anyone had great success wearing Minx on their fingers? I’ve heard raves about them on toes. Sound off!
So Fresh and So Clean – The White Nail Trend
 This past weekend P. Diddy hosted his annual 4th of July fete, The White Party. It’s always great for celeb watching as the Hollywood set gather to celebrate Independence Day and support a cause decked out in their finest white garb. This year Diddy co-hosted with Ashton Kutcher to benefit Malaria No More.
With a strict “white only” dress code I knew there would be some fab white nails on parade like the ones on my fave Kardashian sister Khloe. I just LOVE her. Khloe, as Chelsea Handler so eloquently put it, “you’re a real bitch and I like it!” But Khloe isn’t the only celeb who’s been sporting bright, white tips, the trend has been spreading like wildfire. Over the past couple weeks I’ve tested a whole mess of shades so if you’re looking for suggestions on the best whites to buy for summer, read on. |
Take Gwen and Lea Michele, star of my new fave fall show Glee. On Gwen white tips look rocker and edgy. On Lea the color adds a girly, upscale feel.
1. Thick, chalky and streaky So you’re either putting on three coats to get the thick lumpiness even or you’re applying four coats to get the polish opaque. Even my all time favorite, China Glaze White Kwik Silvr (below), needs three coats and it’s the BEST white I’ve ever used. Yellows have the same problems so I believe it’s just a side effect of trying to make light colors opaque. So what can you do to wear white tips with ease? My best suggestion is to wear a shimmery/glittery hues because they hide flaws better than cremes. White Kwik Silvr and Orly Gogo are hands down my favorites in the shimmer/glitter category. WKS brings on the bling so if you want to kept it subtle, opt for the Orly.
Even style icon Gwen Stefani who’s known for her retro chic makeup & hair has ditched her signature red nails in favor of white and I’m liking it. Like black, white goes with everything and it can accent a look by making it more mod, fresh, funky, etc. It’s a statement color in spite of its neutrality.
Though one thing plagues most white polishes… application. I’ve found that all white polishes I’ve tried have one of two major issues:
2. Thin, milky and semi-sheer
If sparkle isn’t your thing, look for a softer white. Yes, you need multiple coats to get it opaque but the formulas on these are easier to control and even with 3-4 coats they don’t look thick. My faves are Essie Marshmallow and OPI Peace Baby!. Peace Baby! doesn’t offer as much coverage but it’s workable.
If you’re dead set on the stark, creamy look then go for it full-on. You need a Wite-Out shade that isn’t overly chalky. It has to have major shine or else you may as well just paint your tips with correction fluid or, you know, OPI Alpine Snow Matte. Of all the truly opaque whites I tested these three are your best bets for decent application that won’t make you want to throw the bottle against the wall.
What do you think of this trend? Are you on board or jumping ship?
Do you have a favorite white that I didn’t mention? Have you found one with perfect application that’s still in production? I’d love to hear which ones tickle your fancy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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