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Dashing Diva Design Nails on the Go

By on June 23, 2010
in Dashing Diva, Gold with 21 Comments
dashing-diva-design-nails-on-the-go-gold-chrome Ever since Beyonce made Golden Lightening Minx an international hit, nail fanatics worldwide have been looking for a way to replicate the look at home. Brands have been putting out “Minx-like” polishes but no lacquer can truly achieve that blinding chrome finish.

Now thanks to Dashing Diva’s Design Nails on the Go… you can bling your nails like Beyonce for a fraction of the Minx service price.  These full coverage stick-on nails come in range of chrome finishes and animal prints.

I had the good fortune of running into Pattie Yankee, Product Development Advisor and Lead Educator for Dashing Diva Professional, backstage during Fashion Week where she showed me these fun tips.  She sent me home with a set in Gold Digger to try out and they are just what I was looking for.

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CND Monday – Experimenting With Girlie Pink

By on June 21, 2010
in CND, CND Monday, Pink with 17 Comments
alu-cnd-monday-girlie-pink-lavender-pearl Welcome to CND Monday, a regular series here on ALU. On each CND Monday I’ll be sharing a new layering combination from CND Colour & Effects to show you the versatility and creativity of the line.

Recently a reader emailed me asking about some of the lighter shades in the CND Colour range.  After seeing my comparison of China Glaze Something Sweet & CND Tutu she was interested in finding additional opaque, cool-toned pinks in the CND lineup.

Even though pinks aren’t necessarily my bag I’m happy to oblige reader requests when I can.  Though unfortunately for this particular reader there aren’t any colors lighter than Tutu that are cool and opaque.  Instead I went one step darker and pulled out Girlie Pink and some coordinating Effects to play with.

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Orly Plastix Satin Finish Nail Polish Swatches & Review

By on June 18, 2010
in Fall 2010, Orange, Orly, Purple, Red, Satin, Teal with 72 Comments

orly-plastix-collection-fall-2010 “Gretchen, stop trying to make FETCH happen! It’s not going to happen!” – Regina George leader of “The Plastics” in Mean Girls.

For the past year now nail polish brands have been trying to “make fetch happen” with a seemingly never ending barrage of matte nail polishes.  My lazy, always-running-late self loves mattes for their quick dry time and I know I’m not alone but the detractors seem to be in the majority.  I get it.  The wear issues and flat wall paint finish aren’t exactly selling points and most certainly deal breakers for a lot of you.

Enter Orly’s twist on the game, the Plastix Collection, a set of four satin lacquers.  Like their Nails For Males and now discontinued Matte Top Coat these polishes dry with a semi-gloss “plastic” finish.  This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this type of finish but it hasn’t come in fun colors until now.  The Fall runways featured lots of satin nails as well which is why I’m declaring Satin is the new Matte.

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My 2010 Wedding Season Mani-Pedi Combination

notd-china-glaze-for-audrey-flyin-high This past weekend the boyfriend and I attended the wedding of one of our favorite people on the planet.  She is funny, smart, charming.  Just an amazing friend.  One of those people that you meet and just know you want in your life.  So you can imagine how happy we are that she found a man who realizes how special she is and treats her a queen.

Of course a wedding means planning the right outfit all the way down to your fingers and toes.  I immediately knew which dress I wanted to wear but deciding on nail color was a challenge.  Do I go trendy because I’m the all knowing nail girl (my friend said that, not me)?  Do I play it safe because it’s a wedding?  Or do I march to the beat of my own drummer and go with what strikes my fancy?  I chose D – All Of The Above.

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Manicure Trick – Wrap Your Tips

manicure tip trick wrap nail tip or edge with polish Much like wrapping the perfect present, a flawless, long lasting manicure requires a little wrapping of its own.  Wrapping the free edge of your nail with polish helps extend the wear of your manicure and should become an essential step in your routine.

I’m sure most professional nail techs consider this part of their everyday manicure service but it’s not as well known in the consumer world.  Since we discussed this technique in the comments of my Quirius review, and there were multiple requests for details, I figured a quick tutorial was in order.

Read on to see my step-by-step guide to wrapping your tips and get a look at one of American Apparel’s latest nail polish releases. It’s GREEN!

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