My first night in LA, I was treated to a blowout and manicure at the Nelson J Salon in Beverly Hills. Tucked in behind the store fronts on Bedford near Wilshire, Nelson Chan’s salon is the perfect combination of clean, minimalist design and superb pampering.

I was greeted by Nelson upon arrival and given a tour of the salon. Nelson Chan, who’s been voted “Best Colorist” by both Allure and InStyle, is super down-to-earth in spite of his long list of celeb clientele. What impressed me most… how much thought and care went into the salon’s design. Nelson really put his clients’ comfort first in small but significant ways.

There is a separate enclosed room with an industrial fan for clients receiving chemical services to shield the rest of the salon from being bothered by the odors those treatments give off.

And have you ever felt like your neck was about to snap off while getting shampooed? Well that won’t happen here. Nelson found the most comfortable lounge chairs for his wash stations. With movable foot rests, laying back for a conditioning treatment was more comfy than any recliner I’ve been in. Seriously, the combination of Nelson’s hands on my scalp and those beds (I mean chairs) nearly put me to sleep.

In addition to the amazing scalp massage, conditioning treatment and blowout I also got a much needed manicure. In the days before leaving I was running around in such a scramble that my nails were the least of my worries. And I certainly couldn’t meet my fellow bloggers with sad looking tips.

While my hair was being styled, I received a mani with my China Glaze White Kwik Silvr. Not that they didn’t have a great polish selection but I always travel with my own. Now I don’t have an explanation for the odd expression on my face but I was having such a diva moment, getting my hair and nails done at the same time. What does a girl have to do to get a glam squad?

Even though I’m “the nail girl” I’m also obsessed with hair. Always displeased with the texture (coarse & dry), I’m constantly on the hunt for the ultimate shampoo/conditioner combo, treatment product or styling tool. The storage bins of product in our linen closet can attest to that.

So feeling how soft and swing-y my hair was after the conditioning treatment I was jazzed about getting a tub of Nelson’s own Brazilian Hair Masque with Acai oil to take home. Rich with phytosterols, anthoncyanins, essential fatty acids and vitamins, Acai oil is considered a “super food” but also has high moisturizing and anti-aging properties. I’m telling you girls, my hair felt like silk and I NEVER EVER make that claim. I’m going to covet that masque.

For more info on the NelsonJ Salon and their signature line of products visit, NelsonJBeauty.com

images: Total Beauty & NelsonJ Salon

One of the stops on our beauty tour of LA was the L’oreal Paris store in the Beverly Center. It’s L’oreal’s version of Sephora with testing stations throughout the store and experts on hand to help you choose the best products for your coloring, skin type, hair texture, etc. It’s the perfect beauty junkie playground. If only we could test out all drugstore lines this way.

The store is divided into sections by product line (color cosmetics, hair care, hair color, skin care, sun care) including special displays for the HiP line and Europe exclusive products. One of the best features of the store… the L’oreal TrueLight Pod. A what pod? It’s this amazing enclosed space that allows you to see your makeup in different types of lighting. No more worrying about whether that foundation that looks amazing in store lighting will look the same when you step into the sun. How cool is that?

Now other than the HiP line I haven’t owned any L’oreal makeup in almost a decade. So it seemed like a strange twist of fate to be there. Why the product ban? A terrible allergic reaction I had to one of their foundations. Like my entire face was swollen and red. It took me ten days on steroids to overcome. Not a lot of fun. Of course now that I’m on allergy meds I figured it was safe to wade into the L’oreal waters again.

While there we went on a mini shopping spree and it was quite overwhelming. Just the rack of mascaras alone is the size of a normal L’oreal drugstore display. I swear at one point I was spinning around like a fool due to visual overload. Somehow I narrowed down my choices and found some goodies to bring home and play with. So what are some of my favs?

Infallible Lipgloss – I’m so in love with this gloss, I can’t even stand it. It hasn’t left my purse since LA. Normally my makeup bag is filled with MAC Lipglasses but they’ve had to make room for Infallible. It really does last while remaining smooth and glossy, even after drinking. What I really love… the applicator. The arrow shaped tip makes precise application foolproof. I even talked my friend into picking up a tube last weekend during an emergency stop at Big K while on a winery tour and now she’s in love too.

Wear Infinite LE Eye Shadow Quads in Coral Craze and Bronze Bliss. These quads are part of the Summer Limited Edition collection and instead of spending half a day debating between the two, I just got both. I really love the pink and dark brown in Bronze Bliss and the light and dark tans in Coral Craze. I’ve tried a few different combos between both sets and they’ve all been summer-tastic.

Of course I had to stock up on some favorites too; Sublime Glow gradual self tanner and HiP Cream Eyeliner. And while I still have others to try out, the shadow quads and lipgloss are immediate stand outs. The only hard part will be shopping in a boring old drugstore from now on.

Sunscreen? What? This is the nail polish blog, right? Don’t fret you’re in the right place. I haven’t jumped ship I’m still the same nail polish fanatic you know and love (or just like a lot). But being a beauty product junkie, I have interests outside of the nail world. Blasphemy, right?

Well, thanks to Total Beauty I had the opportunity to expand my writing horizons and take on the challenge of creating a quiz. Totally fun, right? Well I hope it’s just as fun to take as it was to write. So hop on over to Total Beauty, take the quiz and let me know what you think.

Hey, while you’re at it why not enter to win a hybrid filled with beauty products or one of the many other great beauty prizes Total Beauty is giving away. Just write a product review (seriously that’s it) and you could be the big winner.

What’s that? A free manicure or pedicure? Who couldn’t use one of those right about now? You know some of you have tired winter feet that need TLC before breaking out the sandals. Well Herbal Essences is here to help. Just buy specially marked Herbal Essences products to get some free pampering for your tips or toes.

Here’s the skinny:

1. Purchase two (2) bottles of specially marked participating Herbal Essence Shampoo and/or Conditioner product or one (1) package of participating Herbal Essence Color product.

2. Visit this website and enter your two qualifying UPC/LOT codes.

3. Print your redemption form.

4. Mail it in.

It’s that simple! You should receive your voucher within 4-6 weeks of receipt and verification. Please allow one week for verification.

In celebration of Earth-Day on April 22nd, TotalBeauty.com, the first online beauty product library, is set to launch an eco-awareness campaign and their biggest sweepstakes to date, the “Totally Green Sweepstakes.”

Starting April 17th through June 5th 2008, TotalBeauty.com will launch the eco-beauty feature and sweepstakes, benefiting HealthyChild.org, while educating women on making eco-conscious beauty choices. One lucky winner will be driving away with a new 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid car filled with a year’s supply of luxurious green and organic beauty products.

To enter, all Earth-Day supporters just go to TotalBeauty.com and search for their favorite (or not so favorite) beauty products, then write and submit a review. That’s it. From April 17th through June 5th, TotalBeauty.com will be giving away hundreds of Earth-Day inspired daily prizes, including conflict-free diamond from Brilliant Earth, eco-spa trips from Spas of America, and more.

And, each time a review is written, TotalBeauty.com will automatically enter the reviewer in the Totally Green Sweepstakes that will give them the chance to win the ultimate prize of a 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid car filled with beauty products from Origins Organics, Sephora, Raw Natural Minerals, Suki Skincare, and Tela Beauty Organics.

And, with every review written about a green product (these are tagged on the site), TotalBeauty.com will donate $1 for to HealthyChild.org, a worldwide charity dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures.