Category: nails

Polish & Co. Nail Polish

Out of North Carolina, Polish & Co. is a new nail polish line with all the sass and beauty of a Southern Belle. Theresa Williamson is the founder and long-time nail industry expert. And her creativity in naming the shades after North Carolina lifestyle is just the beginning.

For fall, she came up with some serious rich and vampy shades that echo what we have already seen on the runways for Fall. I am loving “Eggplant Parmesan”; the perfect deep purpled burgundy, “Jeans 2 Tight” ; a dusky deep blue that mimics the color of a fall night sky or “Too Shy”; a muted nude taupe with the perfect amount of warmth for any neutral nail lover.

Below, I am wearing Code 9 and 5 O’Clock Shadow. Essie Set in Stones is on the tips as a kind of messy French manicure.

Theresa designed the polish for long wear on natural nails and the formula is 3 Free (without Formaldehyde, Toluene or DBP).

Available now for $12 in a selection of finer boutiques, internationally in Nassau, Bahamas and online at www.polishandco.com.

Julep Nail Care and Giveaway

Beauty subscription services have come on strong over the past year. Birchbox has long been a favorite, having introduced me to brands I would never have heard about otherwise. And beauty samples in the mail is definitely a treat. So it was about time for me to try out another popular service: Julep.

Julep is all about nail care. These boxes are a great way to build a high quality polish collection. You can do a style quiz to determine which introductory box you receive. Or you can just select what jumps out. I was drawn to the Classic With A Twist Julep Maven Box, featuring two polishes (Kate and Rose) and The Best Pedi Cream Ever. I’ve been thrilled with the Pedi Cream – it might even live up to its name. The formula contains exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids. It is unusually hydrating with shea butter and coconut oil. I’ve been using it nightly and have noticed it makes quite a difference.

Kate  is a soft white pearl. It requires a steady hand and three coats, but I love the look of white nails. Rose is juicy watermelon red crème that goes on beautifully. The color is opaque with perfect coverage after two coats. Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. The brush is an exclusive design – flat with micro-frayed brush hairs that makes application a breeze.

When you join Julep Mavens, you receive an introductory box. Then on the 20th of each month, you get an email with the newest offering. You can do nothing if you want the box, or simply log on and opt out between the 20th and 24th to skip the month. Use the code “MAVENINTRO” to get your introductory box for just a penny. The polishes are also currently carried in Sephora.

I am so glad to be able to share an introductory box with one of my readers! The giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Enter using the widget below:

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butter LONDON ‘Olympics Heavy Medal’ Trio

I am positively giddy about the upcoming Olympics. I have already started organizing an Opening Ceremony party and plan on being glued to the television for the whole two weeks. And butter LONDON has just introduced a new way for us to celebrate: the commemorative Olympic Heavy Medal Collection. The set includes three beautiful, metallic nail lacquers representative of those gold, silver and bronze medals that are about to be awarded. The limited edition set includes The Full Monty, Diamond Geezer and The Old Bill. I’m consistantly impressed with the quality of butter LONDON polishes, and I am sure these won’t disappoint!

Dermelect ‘ME’ Anti-Aging Colored Nail Lacquers

My nails aren’t exactly at their best right now. For some reason, they are more fragile than usual and prone to peeling. So I jumped at the chance to try the newly launched Dermelect ‘ME’ Anti-Aging Colored Nail Lacquers.

The set of six bold creme shades are infused with ProSina, a pure protein peptide extracted from New Zealand’s sheep’s wool. This protein provides strength to nails, making them less likely to chip or peel. The  patent pending technology allows the second coat to fuse with the base coat. The resulting web of color made this one of the longest-lasting polishes I have ever tried. I got a beautiful opaque coverage with two coats. After a week of wear, I have found my nails aren’t peeling and growing stronger.

Available shades:

  • Persuasive (luscious peach)
  • Provocative (fabulously fresh fuchsia)
  • Above It (breathtaking sky blue)
  • Head Turner (brilliant orange crème)
  • Luxurious (rich, confident lilac)
  • Power Trip (burst of red w/pink undertone)

The polish is DBP, Toulene, Formaldehyde, and cruelty FREE (no animal testing). These also protect nails from UV damage – perfect for a summer manicure. Available on www.dermelect.com and C.O. Bigelow in NYC.

RGB Nail Color in Coral

With my golden accent nails intact from my LuckyFABB manicure (glitter polish lasts FOREVER!), I scoured my stash for a color to finish my nails. What stood out was the very on-trend coral from a brand new line to me: RGB. I was thrilled with the formula and wear of the RGB polish. It lasted for a solid five days which is a long time for me. The formula is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP (dibutyl phthalate), Formaldehyde Resin, or Camphor. All RGB products are cruelty free and made in the USA.

Next, I can’t wait to try out the RGB x Jenna Hipp nude polishes that were all over the Met Gala red carpet last week. The classic and low-key shades are a great way to take a break from this season’s vibrant hues. They come in four shades each of foundation and tint. Foundation (or F) is opaque, while tint (or T) is sheer.

LuckyFABB Nails

My Monday spent at LuckyFABB was full of blogging advice, seeing old blogging buddies and making new friends and connections. I never expected my manicure to get a facelift. At the LeSportsac booth, my manicure got “blinged”. On top of my original Chanel Paradoxal, she used Essie’s As Gold As It Gets and Sephora by OPI It’s Real 18K Gold Top Coat for an imperfect golden French Manicure. Then, an accent nail was added with just the gold polishes. Adds a bit of interest, don’t you think? And bonus! The manicure matched my ring perfectly.