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NYC Beauty Tour – MAC AIDS Fund Celebration
A major highlight of my trip to New York was getting the opportunity to attend the celebration for the MAC AIDS Fund reaching the $100,000 mark. Annie, Erika and I got insider access to the event thanks to the amazing Heather from MAC, .
Appearing at the event were MAC AIDS Fund Chairman John Demsey, MAC AIDS Fund Executive Director Nancy Mahon and the uber fabulous Viva Glam VI Spokespeople Eve and Dita Von Teese.
“Our $100 million landmark has been reached with enormous commitment from our VIVA GLAM spokespeople, M·A·C makeup artists and dedicated customers,†said M·A·C AIDS Fund Executive Director, Nancy Mahon. “The only thing more exciting about reaching this milestone is the prospect of setting and reaching our next fundraising goal and continuing our grant-making and partnerships around the world.â€
The event was held at the MAC store on Columbus Ave and when we arrived the paparazzi were waiting in the pouring rain but we were able to walk right in and stake our claim to some prime viewing spots. A bunch of MAC artists were in attendance and they were rocking some incredible makeup. Color me jealous of their skills.
Just before Eve and Dita arrived, the paparazzi swarmed in like vultures to set up their gear and snag a prime spot. We were positioned right behind the wall they created. I wonder what the pap thought of being on the other side of the lens. Was he laughing at my big bad point n’ shoot or just cheesing for the camera?
Eve and Dita arrived separately, a few minutes apart. Eve entered first on the opposite side of the store from where we were standing. All I could see was a mass of flashing as she was ushered to the back of the store. My heart skipped a beat as Dita emerged and breezed right past me. I tried to get a good shot of her but I was flustered by how incredibly stunning and tiny she is in person. Like seriously, she is OMG flawless. No airbrushing needed.
Of course both ladies looked impeccable from their makeup to their manicures. I had to check out their manicures. Being the rock star that she is Eve wore a gunmetal gray while Dita worked a deep burgundy moon manicure that compliments her classic pinup style.
We were fortunate to get some face time with J.J., Eve’s makeup artist, to pick her brain about Eve’s look. JJ used MAC 3-D lipglass in Wondershine to create that gorgeous coral lip and melon pigment as a blush on Eve’s cheeks. That prompted me to share my favorite use of pigment, making nail polish, something J.J. hadn’t heard of before. Go me, dispensing the knowledge!
The MAC AIDS Fund is supported by the sale of more than 7.1 million VIVA GLAM lip products. Remember, 100% of the retail price of every Viva Glam product is contributed to the fund. That’s a heck of a lot of lippies. My personal favs, Viva Glam V & VI and their matching glosses. I never leave home without them in my purse.
NYC Beauty Tour – Dashing Diva
My first night in Manhattan started off with a stop at the newest Dashing Diva salon at 149 3rd Ave. for a manicure and cosmos. Ever since I read about their fab Girl’s Night Out experience I’ve been wanting to witness it for myself so, you can imagine my excitement when I found out we were going.
Walking into a Dashing Diva salon is like entering girlie heaven. You can’t help but feel like a giggly princess inside the pink, modern but inviting decor. Being the giant polish hound that I am, I immediately zeroed in on the color wheel of lacquer. Can you guess what caught my eye? That’s right, blues and greens and they have quite a good range. Not all the colors are listed on the Dashing Diva website but I hope that it’s just because they are new because all my green and blue lovers should be able to snag a bottle for themselves. One color in particular, C347, really sparked my interest with it’s olive green shimmery goodness but a steely blue gray (C350) ended up being my polish of choice. Dark gray is a great neutral with a chic edgy feel.
What really impressed me was the cleanliness and pristine condition of the salon. I know it’s a new location but we’ve all walked into those nail shops that have dust on anything standing still and in my opinion Dashing Diva could never become that. They are most definitely on their A game.
Each nail station has room for two customers so you can gab with your best pal or make a new friend while your hands are pampered and polished. Now I watch every manicurist like a hawk; to pick up their tricks, techniques and the occasional mistake and two things really stood out about their process.
1. There was not a cuticle nipper in sight. Color me wowed. I can’t stand having my cuticles cut. I don’t agree with the technique so being in a shop where I didn’t have to fight to keep mine intact was a major bonus.
2. You can choose the scent for your hand treatments. I chose orange. What a great personalized touch. Many people are sensitive to scent or hate certain ones, like my aversion to all things coconut, so giving their customers a choice was a wise decision.
The Basic Diva Manicure touts a “Flash Dry” finish that keeps you from smudging your nails as you “dash” out the door. So as I sat at the drying table, outfitted with flat screen monitors to keep me occupied, I couldn’t help but be skeptical about this top coat claim. Way too many times I’ve reached into my purse for money, keys, rings, etc and wrecked a perfectly good manicure. It’s one of the reasons I prefer to do my own nails. So when I was told that I could move safely about the salon, I was just waiting for the wreckage as I grabbed for my rings. And as you can see below, I survived smudge and dent free.
I wish we had the time to indulge in a pedicure but considering the cold weather and my lack of open toed footwear, it would have been a waste. Next time I’m in the city I’ll have to find time to cozy up on the big pink couch with a cosmo.
And for gals in a super hurry, Dashing Diva carries an assortment of ready-to-go tips for your last minute nail needs.
OK so now it’s time for Dashing Diva to open a salon in Cleveland. Please, please, please!! And all you Cleveland nail shops out there, take a page from the Dashing Diva playbook and step up your game. Not only do they deliver a top shelf nail experience, the price is uber-reasonable at only $15. So until I get a Dashing Diva here, I’ll continue to hate on all you gals that have ‘em.
NYC Beauty Tour
Thanks to the wonderful people at Total Beauty I have returned from a whirlwind tour of the Big Apple as part of their Blogger Community Advisory Board. I had the most fantastic time hanging with some of the best beauty bloggers on the web.
Even though the weather was gray and rainy and my flight was majorly delayed, I was enthralled with the magic of the city from the moment I left LaGuardia. Over the next week or so I’ll be sharing with you the details of my trip; the sights, sounds and beauty products (oh my!).
I had the good fortune to spend my first afternoon in the city buzzing around town with Erika from Makeup Bag and Annie from Blogdorf Goodman. I shot this moments after we were berated by a big mouth New Yorker for wasting time buying three separate subway tickets, instead of just one to swipe three times. Check out Annie’s gorgeous tips (that’s Zoya Indigo). Oh and make sure you stop by Makeup Bag to see pics of our Prescriptives makeovers.
Our evening began with a trip to Dashing Diva (more on that later this week) and then dinner at Aroma Kitchen in the East Village. The wine flowed, the conversation was scintillating and the meal was incredible. My blogger dinner companions included; Kristen from Beauty Addict, Sara from Bit By The Beauty Bug, Connie and Caroline from The Daily Obsession, Tia Williams from Shake Your Beauty, Annie and Erika.
Then it was back to the Hotel QT for some much needed sleep. Due to a washing machine mishap, I was up the entire night before my flight departed so by midnight I had been up for over 40 hours and used up my 2nd and 3rd winds. Even though I encountered a naked hotel guest outside Annie’s room and some, shall we say, interesting noises coming from a neighboring room I slept like a log on my super comfy king bed.
After a long day of touring through the finest beauty departments the city has to offer and learning about a number of exciting new products, it was dinner with the gals that made me forget about my aching feet. I will never wear heels during a day in the city again. Though I must note that they were really cute shoes.
Stay tuned as the NYC Beauty Tour continues…
NARS Zulu Madness
Perhaps by now you have seen the Sephora Holiday Catalog. Because of the move, I didn’t get mine. It wasn’t until I logged on to the Sephora site that I saw the image below. That green fairy is sporting NARS Zulu nail lacquer on her nails. And yet again a frenzy ensues over acquiring a polish. It’s gorgeous, right? Gorgeous but frustrating. Why? Let me share a little tale with you.
For many many months I have been playing a game with my shopping cart on the NARS site. I don’t know if you’ve been to their site before but there is a Vintage section with discontinued items at majorly reduced prices. One item being phased out is NARS nail lacquer in their old non-Big 3 Free formula. Among the shades in the DC’d bin, Zulu, a deep forest green creme. So since early last summer I have put that polish in and out of my shopping cart more times than I can count. I was trying to be good and resist online shopping.
So what happened when I finally decided to cave in to Zulu? You guessed it, it’s gone. After emailing NARS customer service I learn that it’s not just “temporarily out of stock”, it’s gone for good. And I quote, “Unfortunately, we are no longer producing the NARS Nail Polish in the color “Zuluâ€. There is not an anticipated re-launch date at this time.”
When I saw the Sephora holiday image I became overjoyed, thinking the wizards at Sephora had read my mind and found me a Zulu dupe. I frantically emailed Sephora to find out the name of that glorious green polish since I couldn’t seem to find it on the Sephora.com site. I waited in excited anticipation for a response. So imagine my disappointment upon learning that it’s NARS Zulu, available only to Beauty Insiders and in limited quantities.
My theory is, that Sephora bought out NARS old stock of Zulu and that once it’s gone, it’s gone. As of right now it’s listed at “temporarily out of stock,” but I wouldn’t hold my breath for it’s return.
Instead, let’s move on. Your favorite fanatic is here to save the day. Chelsea Psycho Green. One of my favorite nail boarders and dusty hunting pals sent me this gem and with a shiny top coat, it’s a Zulu twin. Here’s an old swatch pic of it, dug up from the archives. And check out DQ2′s comparison pic on Blogdorf Goodman.
Without a top coat, the finish is very dull when compared to Zulu’s jelly like finish but if you’re looking for a deep forest green, this is your best bet. Chelsea is a small salon brand and can be found at nail shops and professional beauty supply stores. I’d suggest calling around to find a salon near you.
See, I told you green would be popular this fall!
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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