NOTD
My Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week NOTD Challenge
Hola from Fashion Week Fanatics!! I arrived in New York City on Wednesday and it’s been a whirlwind of activity ever since. Not only am I here to cover backstage nail, makeup and hair trends for a third season but I also had the pleasure of participating in some fun beauty blogger activities with Total Beauty. Between all of that and visiting some of my favorite brands, I’m one tired nail fanatic!
As if I don’t have enough things on my plate while I’m in town, I decided to tack one more to-do on the list. This season I challenged myself to wearing a different nail look each day. Take a peek at my Day 1 & 2 manicures after the jump!
You may remember that I visited the now famous Sakura last season to get a gel gradation manicure. It was great for a long week like this when I don’t have time to deal with chipping nails and tip wear. However this year I decided to switch it up on the daily.
You see I was inspired by my pal Heather from MAC. She initiated a NY Fashion Week Makeup Challenge to all us bloggers which is really fun but hard to pack for. My makeup bag can only carry so much. So while I’m doing something a little different each day I’m no wizard with a brush. BUT I can do something similar with nails. Enter the NOTD Challenge.
BT-dubs you MUST check out the FAB Sakura manicures my girls Heather, Dina and Sarah did for this week.
Day One – I flew in early Wednesday after being up all night, my usual pre-trip packing nightmare. Some time in the wee hours of the morning I did a quick mani with RBL Orbis Non Sufficit from The Blog Writer’s Colors collection. Since I’m wearing Mismas on my toes I wanted a strong green creme to pair with it and this one fit the bill.
Day Two – I received the new Zoya MatteVelvet Winter colors but didn’t have a chance to review them before leaving. Knowing I’d want to bring some matte looks to the party, I had to pack Savita. This is not my proudest photographic moment but it’s proof that I did the change.
Be sure to check back for more looks from my NYFW NOTD Challenge and stay tuned for lots of fun backstage coverage. It’s just getting started!
My 4th of July Manicure – A Nail Art Extravaganza
 Happy 4th of July Fanatics!! I hope all my US based readers are enjoying their holiday weekend. We’ve been having a lazy day around the house; cooking out, relaxing, enjoying a few beers. We’ll be heading out to see fireworks later as long as the weather holds up. The clouds are rolling in but I have hope that we’ll get a reprieve from the rain.
In the meantime, I decided to give myself a little Independence Day manicure that evolved into a nail art experiment. See its evolution from simple to all out crazy after the jump! |
What I used: So I started off very simple with a multi-colored manicure. It’s got patriotic spirit and is very user friendly. You don’t need nail art skills to make this happen yet it’s festive. Have a FANTABULOUS 4th everyone!
Let me clarify that this is not necessarily a recommendation of how you should wear your nails but rather ideas you could try on their own.
*Nubar Sexy Red
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On
*OPI Dating A Royal
*Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Blue
*Dotting Tool
Because Steph has been encouraging me to attempt polka dots, I finally took the plunge, adding some white ones using the dotting tool. Steph’s application tip: Pour a bit of polish onto aluminum foil to let it thicken. Dip the dotting tool in the polish and gently tap onto the nail, holding the tool perpendicular. 
Since I was so proud of my dots (this is truly my first effort), I added some to the red as well. Though I think that nail looks more like Toad from Super Mario Brothers than 4th of July.
Now what would a 4th of July mani be without stars? So I broke out the nail art pen and drew a hasty star at the base of my nail. Application tip: Make sure your polish is completely dry or use a quick dry top coat, like I did, before you start to draw or else you’ll damage the color underneath.
That star looked lonely so I gave it a friend. Note: The bonus of using these nail art pens is that you can wipe off any mistakes with water and not ruin the polish below. So don’t be afraid to experiment. Just be careful when you wipe to avoid skin contact because the color can stain. 
Finally, I added stripes to go with my stars. Because the special paint in the nail art pen dries matte, I applied top coat to protect the design and add shine.
Now I realize this look is WAY over the top but we’re talking about a holiday where people paint stars & stripes on their faces so who really cares. If you want something a little more tame, try adding just one of these elements to your manicure for a little 4th of July pizazz.
NOTD – Duri Night Before Christmas
Last Saturday we hosted an Un-Xmas Party, a party to celebrate with our friends without the pressure of decorations, gifts or any type of forced holiday cheer. We just wanted to have a good time with our favorite people. It was a blast of course and like any time my girlfriends come over, we eventually ended up in the polish room looking through my latest finds.
While digging through boxes one of the girls discovered a hidden gem that I had passed off at first glance, Duri Night Before Christmas. As you can see in the pic below it looks extremely glitter packed so I wrote it off as a Lippmann Superstar clone. Boy was I wrong. My friend asked to try on the color and with just one coat, it was glowing under the incandescent light. Right then and there, she proceeded to give herself a full mani and it looked stunning. For a girl that doesn’t like dark nail colors, she was mesmerized by Night Before Christmas so it seemed extremely apropos for my Christmas Eve NOTD.
Night Before Christmas has a berry base that becomes crimson with two coats. The shade is peppered with gold, bronze and red glitter that leaves a slight texture on the nails but it’s nothing that a coat of Seche Vite can’t fix. I showed it without top coat and as you can see, it doesn’t dry matte or rough like a lot of glitters tend to do.
Duri nail polishes retail for $5 and can be purchased directly through the Duri website. Right now they are offering a holiday promotion. Purchase their Holiday Special ($30) that includes Rejuvacote, Herbatherapy and Brush’n Go and you’ll receive 3 Free Polishes. The deal automatically comes with their most popular shades but you can request alternate colors in the comments section upon checkout.
Merry Christmas Eve everyone! What’s on your tips today?
NOTD – Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Night Hydrangea
Since I’ve been on a major purple kick lately, I just had to share my NOTD with you all. I about jumped for joy when I got my hands on the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring collection and saw Night Hydrangea, a vibrant red grape shimmer. I know spring is a LONG ways off but I’m already over the snow and this shade is a perfect way to combat the winter blues.
Night Hydrangea is part of a seven color lineup filled with bold hues; three bright shimmers, three rich cremes and one warm gold metallic. I originally previewed the shades during New York Fashion Week where the gold, Tassel, was featured on the runways
The shades include – top row (l-r): Tassel, Nasturtium, Azalea; bottom row (l-r): Honeydew, Forsythia, Night Hydrangea, Beet Stain
As you can see, Night Hydrangea is extremely vivid. It’s bright but not neon and can be worn in any season. It’s definitely dark enough for winter but won’t look out of place come spring. The subtle silver shimmer gives the shade depth and a slight look of texture but no real sparkle. It dries smooth and glossy, even without a top coat and only required two coats.
I don’t have release info on these yet and a full review of the collection is in the works so stay tuned!
For my fellow purple lovers… what’s your favorite purple right now? What’s on your nails today?
NOTD – Cleveland Browns Opening Day Spirit
I’m not a sports fanatic or anything but I love me some Cleveland Browns football. In this town, football is king. No matter how bad the team sucks, we continue to support them and sell out the stadium. As season ticket holders we never miss a game, except maybe the lame pre-season ones. And for today’s season opener against Tony Romo & the Dallas Cowboys, I did a Browns themed mani in our team colors, natch. I wonder if Jessica Simpson will be there, cheering on her boy.
Such a mani requires the perfect shimmery brown and true pumpkin orange nail lacquers. I chose Zoya Pia and Carolyn New York Spanish Harlem. A pretty good match, no?
What’s on your tips today? Are you supporting your favorite team with polish?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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