Thank you to everyone that commented during Comments 4 A Cure. I really appreciate your support of this worthy cause. I would also like to thank my fellow bloggers in the Beauty Blog Network for their efforts during this campaign. And even though I did not reach the 150 comment mark, I will still be donating $150 to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

After doing a random draw of all the people that commented, I have selected Heena of Beauty 101 as the lucky winner of Comments 4 A Cure merchandise. She will be receiving a large coffee mug and magnet from our Cafe Press store. Heena, I will be emailing you soon.

But, wait we’re not done yet. Starting June 10th, there will be auctions benefiting the American Cancer Society on eBay through Mission Fish for products donated by our collective pr and beauty contacts. You can preview the items up for grabs on the Comments 4 A Cure Auction page.

All Lacquered Up is sponsoring an auction as well. I have hand picked my favorite nail care products and nail polishes from recent collections with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. The auction will start June 10th at 12PM PST and end on June 17th.

Graham HandsDown Ultra Nail & Cosmetic Pads, Blue Cross Cuticle Remover, Creative Nail Design Solar Oil and Creative Scentsations hand lotions in Mango & Coconut, Cucumber & Aloe, and Citrus & Green Tea, LaMont Crystal Nail File and a nail polish remover pen.

China Glaze nail polish in White-Kwik-Silvr, Blk-Bila-Bong and Orange-Pacific and Misa nail polish in Ur Beautiful and Baby I Love You.

OPI nail polish in My Private Jet, Lincoln Park At Midnight, Espresso Your Style, Designer Series Elegance, Kangarooby, Digderidoo Your Nails? and No Bees Please.

Creative Nail Design Aqua Jet, Orly Fabulous Flamingo and Essie Cool-Lots

Please bid generously and often.

I always look forward to breaking out my summer sandals and saying buh-bye to closed toe shoes. And even though I give myself regular pedicures, maintenance becomes even more important in summer. The constant exposure and rubbing can turn even the softest soles and skin into a cracked dry mess.

We are officially one month away from the start of summer so I figured it was time for my tips and tricks for at home pedis and keeping them fresh.

Perfect the at home pedicure:

• I never clip my toenails. I always file them. I find that toenails tend to split under the pressure of clippers. The only time I clip is after a shower when nails are soft and pliable.
• Shape the nail straight across to avoid ingrowns.
• Soak and cleanse your feet then use a cuticle remover and pusher to remove excess skin. I prefer Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover and a stainless pusher that is half spoon, half nail cleaner like the one sold here.
• Use a manicure brush to remove any residue or dirt from on top of or under the nail.
• Use a body scrub to remove any dead skin from feet. I like St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I find it’s too rough for my face but great on my body.
• Finally, grab your foot file and go to town on those calluses. Don’t make your skin raw or red, just a good sanding. I know some people prefer Diamancel files but I’m a budget gal so I pick up the cheapie ones at Sally Beauty.
• Now at this point, a lot of people would do a mask or moisturize or do a paraffin dip. I prefer to wait until after I apply polish to do any of those steps. I don’t want any oils on the nail bed so I wait. I just swipe the nail with a bit of vinegar and get to painting.
• Just like with my nails, I apply a base coat, 2 coats of polish and a top coat. I tend to use the combo of Creative Stickey base coat and Super Shiney top coat with Qtica 1/2 Time Drying Accelerator drops. It’s what works best for me.
• After my nails are dry I slap on some foot cream. I really love this product from a small online company called Sweet Melissa Natural Body Care. Her peppermint foot cream is amazing. Very rich and filled with shea butter. I’ve been ordering from her for a couple years now and haven’t found a cream I like more.
• Correct any painting errors with this excellent tip I got from Christine, the 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic; Use a cheap angled eyeliner brush dipped in polish remover. So much better than worrying about fibers from cotton balls or Q-tips ruining your paint job.

So now that you have pretty pampered tootsies, how do you keep them from becoming scaly dried out hooves? These are my maintenance tricks.

• Keep your foot file in your shower and use it daily after your feet have been softened by the shower water. It only takes a minute and keeps your heels soft and pretty all summer long.
• Let your significant other make fun of you for coming to bed with socks on in the summer. Your feet need a rest after hoofing around all day. Slather on some foot cream and slip on a pair of cotton socks to keep the scaly skin at bay.
• Apply an AHA cuticle cream, like Creative Cuticle Eraser, to your toes and avoid that crusty white skin that pops up around your nail bed.
• Invest in a pair of gel socks or booties. Foot cream and cotton socks are great but 30 minutes in a pair of gel booties will make your feet feel amazing. I lucked into picking up a pair at Bath & Body Works during their Big Sale for 75% off. Kohl’s department stores always seem to be having a sale on the Earth Therapeutic’s booties or check a bed and bath type store.

I’m an admitted eBay addict. Between eBay and my other online shopping habits I have quite a collection of packages that come to my house. In fact my honey calls me “LB” because of all the little boxes that he picks up on our front porch.

I love shopping on eBay almost as much as I love nail polish. I search for deals on just about everything I use, from razor blades to shampoo. The problem with eBay is shady sellers. Even the ones with good feedback can be deceptive because a lot of buyers don’t know enough about what they’re bidding on. I’m sure everyone has heard of someone buying an “authentic” item only to find out later that it’s a replica. It’s no different with polish.

There are many of us that hunt down discontinued, hard-to-find but much loved colors and eBay is a great source for that. Even though there are some very lucky ladies that find treasures when they’re out “dusty hunting” at little nail shops, it’s still quite an effort. Thanks to eBay, I’ve been able to track down some amazing polishes for myself and friends but lately there has been buzz about unscrupulous sellers. I felt it was only right to warn you all, my dear friends, before you get taken. I’ve heard too many stories of people receiving watered down polishes, polishes missing labels or with handwritten labels, etc.

Here are my tips for polish buying on eBay:

• Check the feedback on the seller. Sellers that regularly list polish and have 98% or higher feedback rating are more likely to have authentic items but that’s not always the case.
• Ask questions before buying. Find out how old the polish is. Where it came from. If thinner has been added. If it still mixes in spite of it’s age. Don’t feel bad about asking questions. You have a right to know as much as possible about what you’re buying. Especially with the prices some sellers demand.
• Look at the pictures and see if the color is what you’re expecting. If a picture of the label isn’t given, ask for one. Compare it pictures on the Community Nail Polish Gallery.
• If in doubt, join Makeup Alley and ask the nail board. Though if it’s is truly hard to find, you may not want to publicize the auction.
• Feel free to email me if you’re still unsure. I promise not to snipe your auction.

Does anyone have other useful tips, sellers to recommend, horror stories to share? We’d love to hear them.

The 2007 Beauty Awards:
The Beauty Industry’s Highest Honor

The CEW Beauty Awards recognize the most innovative beauty products of the year. Press coverage of winners reaches upwards of 300 million consumers through national print and broadcast.

The winners were announced on May 2, 2007. Here are the entries in the Nail Care & Color: Under $12 category (there isn’t a Over $12 category).

Finalist: Victoria’s Secret Beauty Very Sexy Nail Lacquer

I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences with these products. Who do you think should have won? Was there a new product in 2006 that was overlooked?

In my opinion, OPI’s Pro Wide brush and Diamond Dust Formula in the Designer Series polishes should have won in a landslide.

info and photos: CEW

In celebration of the launch of ShopStyle.com as the first and only shopping engine devoted entirely to fashion, ShopStyle is sponsoring “Set the Trend 2007” — a Virtual Fashion Contest.

You have until May 31 to put together the winning outfit online and win one of three Shopbop.com* gift certificates. The grand prize is $500!

I decided to go play and design an outfit myself. I’m not a fashion gal, as you can tell but, it was fun to look through all the clothes, shoes and accessories. Since I’m not a stick I decided to put together a look using the plus size pieces on ShopStyle. This is what I came up with. What do you think?