So I’m watching Ugly Betty on Sunday on my DVR and what do I see? Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams) soaking her feet in flesh eating fish to make them smooth as a baby’s bottom. I was shocked, disgusted and intrigued all at the same time. My first thought was, “yeah right!” But, knowing that some of the craziest stories on television are based in reality I decided to do a little sleuthing.

Lo and behold, this is an actual treatment in Japan. They call the little guys Doctor Fish (actual name garru-rufa) and they feast on dead skin. They don’t have any teeth just a suction cup type mouth that removes the skin, leaving it glowing and smooth. The sensation has been described as tingly or ticklish. Oh and it’s not just for the feet. If you’re brave enough, you can immerse yourself for a whole body exfoliation.

This therapy is not just for the extreme pedicure lover. Imported from Turkey, the fish are used in some Middle Eastern countries as a natural way to treat rheumatism and psoriasis.

For more info and some great video, check out this piece from Orlando’s Local 6 News.

Also, I found this bit on YouTube. It’s in Japanese but the video is great.

I consider the Makeup Alley nail board to be the most creative nail geeks I know. From layering polish, to custom mixing colors to applying nail gems, decals and stamps, I thought I’d seen it all. Silly us, we didn’t even think about the underside of the nail.

Inspired by the famous Christian Louboutin red sole, Zoe Pocock, of London’s Charles Worthington salon has come up with the “Louboutin Manicure”. Polishing the top of the nail with the clients’ color of choice, she then applies a bright red creme to the underside. It certainly is a heck of a lot cheaper than splurging on a pair Louboutin heels.

Meanwhile, over at the Baby Phat fashion show, the manicurists from Creative Nail Design adorned the models with bold, bedazzled talons. Not only did they apply gems to the upper nail bed but also to the bottom.

So ladies, what do you think of these fashion foward manis? Is it something you’d try? Think it’s great for fashion but not for everyday? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

photos: Grazia magazine scan by Fifitrix at SalonGeek.com, Baby Phat photo from Elle.com

A craze has hit the nail board at Makeup Alley and it has nothing to do with Chanel nail lacquer.

Have you ever seen a nail tech doing nail art? It’s an amazing skill. I’ve often wondered how anyone can paint with such detail considering what a klutz I am. Yes, there are airbrushing tools that make it easier but it’s not something you can do at home. Real nail artists, freehand their work. Just check out the work by Janet at the Beauty Tech website.

Well, nail art fans don’t have to shell out the big bucks for their designs anymore. There is a product on the market that can turn anyone into a DIY nail artist.

From Konad USA comes the Konad Nail Art Stamper. In just a few short steps, you can have something that looks like this. And the posters at Makeup Alley swear that even the clumsy, such as myself, can stamp with ease.

Check out this great video tutorial from the Konad that shows how simple it is.

http://www.konadusa.com/images/multi_media/Instruction2007%20new.wmv

Now wouldn’t this be fun for Halloween?

This is just an example of some of the fun designs available.

There are a couple places online that you can purchase a stamper of your own. Wow So Cool has a Build Your Own Kit option so you can pick out the colors and designs you want. And Head2Toe Beauty carries all the traditional kits as well as individual colors and design wheels.

photos courtesy of perpetuallycute on Makeup Alley