Category: nails

Sally Hansen Triple Shine

I’ve been hooked on gel manicures for the last couple months and have come to really appreciate the shiny finish, not to mention the awesome staying power. But I wanted to give my nails a little break from the damaging gels so I’ve been back to regular polish the last couple of weeks. But I haven’t been missing the shine!

The new Triple Shine from Sally Hansen keeps a shiny finish for a solid couple of days. That’s huge for me when a regular manicure usually chips on me after a day or two. Thanks to the Ultimate Shield Complex, exclusive to Sally Hansen, polish stays on no matter how tough you are on nails. Especially handy since we are on our way to pool and pedicure weather! And the natural crushed pearl keeps color bold and glossy.

There are 29 awesome shades. I’ve been playing with the cheerful Kelp Out, Red Snapper, Vanity Flare, Dive In and Reef-Raf (from top to bottom in the above image). I think my favorite is Red Snapper as a classic and sophisticated red. But I can’t wait to use the more playful Kelp Out and Dive In during pool weather!

Find all 29 shades here and share in the fun on Sally Hansen’s Facebook and Twitter using hashtags #TripleShine, #Shineon and #TurnUpTheShine.

Sally Hansen sent me this product to try out but, as always, opinions are my own

Tips For An At-Home Manicure

Sure, I’d love to have a professional mani/pedi weekly and let’s go ahead and add on a couple blowouts and a massage (or two). But that just isn’t possible for us regular folks. So, I will continue to pursue the perfect at-home blow out and beg for a back rub when I can. But I have had enough practice to pretty much master an at-home manicure which makes me feel pampered and will give my nails a professional, clean look. And I am excited to share those tips on Great Day Green Country this AM – we changed things up this week and will be doing my usual Friday segment on Thursday

Quick side note on my polishing skills: I have lots of trouble getting polish to remain chip-free for more than two days. I know even the illustrious Eva Chen admits to repolishes every couple of days. So I’ll settle for working my way through my endless nail polish collection with a switch up more often. I’ve had gels for a couple months. With my returned natural nails, changing up shades right now is kind of refreshing. With that said… here is my routine:

Start with clean, dry nails. Remove older polish with a nourishing remover. Make sure to double check sides of nails for any rogue polish. Splurge on specialty nail cottons because they are particularly absorbent and abraded.
Shape nails with a glass file. A glass file is gentle on delicate nails and avoids tugging or breakage. Squoval is the universally-flattering and classic shape but we have been seeing editorial-shaped nails like pointed on runways for a couple seasons so go for any look you desire!
Soak nails in a bowl of warm soapy nails to soften skin. Sometimes, I jump in the shower at this point to kill two birds with one stone.
Apply a cuticle remover to remove dead tissue from the cuticle area. Use a wooden nail tool to push back cuticles. Resist using those dreaded nail clippers. Cutting skin can breed bacteria. And that skin also serves a purpose protecting the delicate cuticle area and can prevent redness. Cut any hangnails if you must.
Thoroughly rinse cuticle remover ensuring it doesn’t stay on skin too long. Nourish dry hands with a rich hand cream like Nuance Salma Hayek Super Brightening Hand Cream (which is cruelty-free and can help with the appearance of age spots) or Library of Flowers Coco Butter Handcreme.
Wipe nail beds only with alcohol or a nail primer like Deborah Lippmann 2 Second Nail Primer to ensure oils from the nail bed are completely clean. Use specialty cotton to avoid any residual threads that could ruin polish application. Or try Q-Tip Precision Tips Cotton Swabs if your nail beds are on the small side.
Apply a strengthening base coat like Essie Grow Stronger and allow to completely dry. If you have trouble keeping polish on, try Orly Bonder. Then use two coats of colored polish, starting with a swipe down the middle of the nail followed by one on each side. Finish with a quick dry, no chip top coat. Right now, I am loving Debroah Lippmann Hard Rock.
Maintain your manicure by applying a new top coat every other day. In the evenings, keep cuticles looking healthy with hand cream or specialty designed cuticle and nail balm.

Nails inc. Couture

Nails inc. has been a long time favorite of mine with their stunning colors – Baker Street anyone? Well, now they have come up with something pretty darn clever. Personalize your very own unique bottle of nail polish – a gift to yourself or for a true polish junkie. So how does this work?

Head over to nailsinc.com (their new US site) and tailor-make a unique bottle of polish. First, pick your color from the extensive color range. Then select a unique lid with either crystals or studs in metallic, black, pink or grey. Add a label with your very own shade name. And then it comes boxed in a gift box, ready to gift away or rip open yourself. Add two stickers depending on the occasion. Voilà – you have your very own nail polish. How fun is that? Available at nailsinc.com.

Celebrate with us using the hashtags #fishandnochips and #nailsincUSA over on twitter. Follow us @bellebellebeau and @nailsinc.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Pantone’s Color of The Year 2014 – Radiant Orchid on FOX23’s Great Day Green Country

I have great appreciation for Pantone and their annual “color of the year”. I couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about 2013’s selection, Emerald. But I need to be honest here. I felt like their 2014 selection, Radiant Orchid, was out of nowhere. I couldn’t wrap my head around the ultra-femine and somewhat dated shade. But I leaned into it, started playing with purples, lilacs and violets. And color me wrong. The regal and mysterious shade is actually quite captivating. “Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Now, that I can get behind. This morning, I am on FOX 23’s Great Day Green Country discussing my favorite beauty buys that had my falling for Radiant Orchid.

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Lacquer

This is a new one: scented nail polish. At first skeptical, I have been so impressed with Revlon Parfumerie both as a novelty and as a polish! So to address the question I keep receiving…. does it really smell? Believe it or not, it does! It lasted about a day for me. And it is only noticeable upon dry down so don’t sniff the bottle expecting to get a whiff of something pleasant. I’ve been wearing Beachy (above) for three days without chipping or peeling. It is actually some of the best performing polishes I have tried in a while. The perfume inspired bottle has a plastic top, functional brush and a significant quantity of polish. Now here is the good news…. Tis’ the season to give! I have one polish (in Wild Violets, below) to share with you, friends. #ShareTheShade! Enter using the widget below. US only due to shipping restrictions.

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NARS Loves Miami Gift Set

NARS recently launched their third gift set honoring a city (other city-based gift sets include NARS Loves New York and NARS Loves LA). Each set is inspired by the unique culture and it so happens that Miami’s has some of the most iconic, top-selling shades. This version includes and eye and cheek palette with:

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