If all these new developments in nail technology, from Axxium to Shellac and beyond, have you feeling dissatisfied with your typical run-of-the-mill spa treatment, you’re not alone in wanting more from your mani! OPI has answered your prayers with yet another way to boost lasting power for your lacquer, and after much speculation and anticipation, the brand’s brand-spanking-new GelColor shades are slowly but surely arriving at a salon near you… if you’re lucky!

After just 30 seconds under a salon’s LED lamp, you’ll have glossier color pay-off and a tough-as-nails finish that doesn’t feel any thicker than your regular manicure. For the trend-spotters who can’t wait to get gel versions of the most recent collections, you may be out of luck for now, but the good news is, GelColor comes in 30 of the brand’s most popular classic shades, including Lincoln Park After Dark, You Don’t Know Jacques, and I’m Not Really a Waitress. And there’s no better way to improve on the original than with a long-wearing gel coat that’ll keep your favorite shades chip-free for several weeks!

- Alexandra Gambardella

Guest beauty post from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Ever since my post regarding the Pros & Cons of Shellac and Gel Manicures, people have been commenting that they either love their shellac or have noticed what I did–it destroyed their nails. CND just issued a press release stating that those of us in the nails destroyed by Shellac realm may have had our manicure done by a salon who didn’t properly apply and remove the Shellac or who mixed products not ensuring or measuring up to CND’s standards.

As an educated consumer, here are some pointers for making sure you receive the REAL CND Shellac:

1)    Look for the CND seal of approval on the window of your salon.

2)    Ask if the salon uses CND Shellac products.

3)    Watch the products that are being used during the service – if you do not see “CND Shellac” on the bottle, it’s not Shellac.

4)    During removal, do not allow soaking of nails in a bowl of acetone – request CND Shellac Remover Wraps or cotton and tin foil removal method.

The program is rolling out first in New York, California, Nevada, Colorado, Ohio and Chicago, and will expand across the US in 2012.

I’m happy to hear that they are going to start enforcing quality assurance when it comes to a manicure it seems many people desperately want. I will say that for me however, both of my CND Shellac Power Polishes were done with all CND Shellac products and I still had a problem with the manicure. The first time was by a CND manicurist at Cosmoprof and the second time was at a salon who followed all of the same steps as the first manicurist and used the appropriate products (no mixing of product or filing.) Regardless, hopefully if there are salons out there not following the proper protocol, this certification process will help weed them out. What do you think?

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Last week I made my twice weekly trek to CVS. (I practically live in the beauty aisle.) Since my nails have still not recovered from all of the Shellac manicures, and any polish I have put on them quickly chips, I decided to opt for some Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips (or stickers as my 7 year old calls them.) Since they were out of Misbehaved, which completely brings the fishnet stocking clad leg lamp from A Christmas Story to mind, I opted for Laced Up, which is similar with a fishnet design and black floral. I was so excited to try these polish strips, I probably could’ve shot someone’s eye out.

The reason I adore nail polish strips is because they are so super simple to apply. There’s, of course, no dry time and your nails look professionally done. My boyfriend even asked me, “When did you have time to go to the salon?” Ha! That said, I was happy with the outcome and snapped a pic by some vintage looking Christmas plates I bought from Rue La La for steal. I did not, however, go stick my tongue on a freezing pole.

However, my excitement only lasted 24 hours, as by the next morning, each of my nails were chipped at the top. I chalked it up to working on the computer all day, until I took a shower that evening and came out missing the strip on my pinky nail. Now, I know how to apply nail strips the proper way, so I was stumped as to why a strip would come off in such a short period of time. I quickly went to the pack of strips I had placed back in the package, only to find they had all dried out and would no longer stick. I complained about how stupid I would look with only 9 polish strips on when my boyfriend suggested that I apply a thin basecoat of clear polish and then place a strip on top of it so that it would stick. Genius boy! That worked and I was back to beautiful 10 finger manicure.

Over Twitter @CVSBeautyClub made the recommendation that I apply a top coat over the strips to make them last longer. At first, I did not heed their advice as I felt it defeated the purpose of using nail strips in the first place. However, by day 3 of wearing them, I noticed that the edges were beginning to turn upward lifting away from my nails and kept snagging on my clothes and hair. I got out my handy Zoya Armour top coat and brushed a thin coat over them and went about my day. That evening, before date night with my man, I jumped in the shower and again emerged with a strip missing, this time from my index finger. I had no other extra strips to use that would fit that finger so I opted not to replace it. By day 4, more strips popped off and I succumbed to the fact that I would just have to remove them all.

Sally Hansen’s site says the strips can last up until 10 days. I have found this to be true of other strips I have used like Avon’s Instant Manicure (do they still sell these?) and Incoco’s Nail Applique (although Nail Fraud’s Nail Decals also didn’t last long.) But sorry, Sally, not yours. This is disappointing, as I really loved the designs and want so badly to have nice manicured nails again. Have you used Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects Nail Strips? How did they work for you?

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

The entire Eye Candy collection

 If diamonds are a girl’s best friend,  I have a feeling China Glaze’s new set of glitter nail polishes, Eye Candy, will be a very close second. The winter “Eye Candy” collection boasts dazzling shades of 3-D glitter inspired by the diva of all divas herself – Marilyn Monroe.

I tried two shades: Love, Marilyn and Blonde Bombshell.

 As a lover of all things red, I was catapulted into instant nail obsession when I tried the Love, Marilyn shade. With a name that is associated with old Hollywood glamour and decadence, the rich red sparkle with diamond flecks lived up to my expectations. It’s the perfect glitzy Christmas shade, and was a hit at a formal event I attended over the weekend.

As for the second shade I tested….

My new favorite shade, Blonde Bombshell

I cannot say enough good things about the Blonde Bombshell color. It’s a deliciously rich polish that makes your nails look like they are literally dripping with gold.  It looked awesome when paired with a gold oversized watch (as I’m sporting today), and stands out just enough. I’m going to stock up on this color without a doubt.

I highly recommend using 2-3 coats to get your desired sparkle and prepping nails fully before trying this polish out. The first time I tried the colors, I only did a quick rubdown with polish remover and didn’t use a base coat (shame on me!) Within a few minutes of drying, the polish literally popped right off my nails. I imagine a base and top coat would do the trick and seal the color better.

The China Glaze Eye Candy collection comes in six glam colors with equally fabulous names. Each polish retails for a humble $8. Go online here to select your favorite shade.

Have you tested any of China Glaze’s new colors? Which shade are you dying to try?

Amanda Huggins

Amanda is a PR and communications girl living and working in the NYC area. She is a firm believer in the powers of a strong cup of coffee and fire-engine red lipstick.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Back in July while at Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure (seriously) of meeting Deborah Lippmann. She took the time one morning to sit down with about 20-25 beauty bloggers and talk about how she creates colors for her collections, the chaos of working on set with celebrities and backstage at fashion week, as well as running a business with her husband. She honestly was one of the most down to earth and approachable beauty experts I have ever met. And best of all, I was lucky enough to get to sit right beside her as she spoke to the group (and we were both speakers on panels that week too.)

So I was totally stoked when I recently won Deborah’s Waking Up in Vegas one #ManiMonday on Twitter from @RealBeauties. What are the chances? I met her in Vegas and I win the nail polish she created from her time there.

The color is gorgeous. It’s described as a “putty” color. Although, I do find it curious that a polish named after Vegas was a subdued color and not one fraught with pizazz. I think of show girls and all of the glitz and glamour found on the strip. Regardless, it really is a beautiful shade and I even wore it when I was on PA Live.

Two of my readers had previously submitted questions for Deborah, which she graciously answered as well:

From Cady: After years and years of biting my nails, they just won’t grow anymore! How can I get my stumpy nails looking stylish (and kid proof)?

Deborah’s answer: A weekly manicure, even for short nails is key. Keeping the nails groomed is so important – nails snap and break when edges are rough, so keep them smooth by lightly buffing nails every few days with a tool like my Smooth Operator. The rough edges are also what make people want to bite the nail, so that’s another reason why keeping them groomed is important. You can also use a product like my Hard Rock Top and Base Coat to hydrate, strengthen and protect – put a layer on nails every few days to help them grow. You can also use polish on the nails, you don’t have to wait for them to grow to use polish. Sometimes people think that polish can hurt the nail, but, depending on the formula, it can actually help the nail with nourishing ingredients.

From Andrea: Is a base coat really necessary? All I get are bubbles and it doesn’t seem to make my polish last any longer than if I skip it?

Deborah answers: Always apply a base coat. The perfect technique is to apply one thin coat with 3 strokes down the nail, and 1 stroke across the tip to seal the lacquer. Never shake any nail product vigorously because it will cause bubbles and streaks in the finished manicure, instead roll the bottle gently between your hands.

Do you wear Deborah’s polishes? I’d love to hear about it.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

When I first heard about Shellac and LED gel manicures, I was over the moon excited. I could finally have polish on my nails sans chipping and polish peeling for more than 3 days and all without having to apply fake nails. In August, while at Cosmoprof, I received an awesome manicure from CND in Hot Pop Pink (pictured below.) The manicure took just as long as having acrylic nails or wraps put on (an hour) and the result looked just as amazing. I remarked to the manicurist just how gorgeous her own nails looked, as they were long and it didn’t even appear to be naturally her own. She told me they were and that wearing the Shellac helped her achieve the length. I believed her, until my own experience has led me to believe otherwise.

My CND Shellac lasted me 3 weeks. I was ecstatic. I applied CND’s SolarOil to my cuticles and under the tips of my nails on a daily basis as instructed by the manicurist. My nails had grown a bit during this time and I was excited to go for round two of another CND Shellac at my local salon. This time I went for a French manicure CND Shellac. My nails were finally long enough to adorn some white tips and I was stoked. I went about applying the SolarOil again daily, but this time it only took 3 days for one of my nails to peel and the Shellac to come off. Day 4, one of my nails broke and it became clear how brittle my nails were becoming. By day 5, all of my nails were either peeling (the nail itself, not the polish) or breaking.

Looking at my very soft, peeling nails, I decided to not apply any polish at all for 2 weeks, but continued to put the SolarOil on them. But sadly, they didn’t seem to recover. In the meantime, I had been sent the complete Red Carpet Manicure LED Starter Kit and as I was about to have my first television appearance, I knew my nails had to look amazing. So I used the kit, which comes complete with a portable LED light and is a DIY home LED manicure kit. Colors were gorgeous, time was still about 1 hour to complete the manicure and I used their Revitalize cuticle oil daily. But by day 3, my nails were peeling and even more brittle. I now had stubs for nails (even shorter than pictured above.) Finally I asked fellow friends in the salon business and fellow bloggers if they experienced the same of gel manicures, and it was a resounding yes.

Pros:

Manicure can potentially last up to 3 weeks
No chipping
Manicure is instantly dry upon last UV go round
Mirror finish (nails look wet, but aren’t)
Can DIY and look just as amazing as at the salon
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous

Cons:

Very drying to your nails
Repeated application (without a breather) will result in brittle and peeling nails
Wear time gets less and less with each application
If you don’t apply the cuticle oil daily, your nails will dry out a lot quicker
Costs add up, especially if the manicure doesn’t last 2-3 weeks

So it appears that, at least for me, a CND Shellac or LED gel manicure will only happen for special events (like holidays, TV appearances, events) and cannot be worn all of the time. Unless I want to continue having man hands with my stubby nails.

In the meantime, I will be in nail re-cooperation with Qtica’s Cuticle Repair Balm and Solid Gold Cuticle Gel Oil to moisturize the nail beds and then Qtica Nail Growth Stimulator to regain my length.  I’d love to hear from you: what has your experience been with LED gel manicures?

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

As a nail polish addict, I’m a big fan of Deborah Lippmann – and I’m not alone! Deborah’s trend-making lacquers are always the “it” shades on every runway, cover shoot and red carpet, and if her lacquers are good enough for the finicky celebrities she’s turned into diehard fans, they’re good enough for me!

And Deborah doesn’t let any special occasion pass by without commemorating with some festive specialty shades! Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, the glitter-loving nail expert has created two gorgeous glitzy polishes – Shake Your Groove Thang (a glittering gold) and Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? (a gorgeous shimmering red) – perfect for jazzing up your holiday party look! Wear alone in multiple layers for an all-over chunky glitter look, or layer over coordinating or contrasting shades to serve as a gorgeously festive topcoat! They make great little stocking stuffers for the nail polish addict on your list… but don’t forget to stock up for yourself in time for all your pre-Christmas cocktail parties!

- Alex Gambardella

*Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Fall is my absolute favorite season.  I love everything about it, the leaves changing colors, fall clothing, the new flavors of lattes at Starbucks…mmm Pumpkin Spice. Everything just seems to become a bit richer and more luxurious in fall, including nail polishes.  While I had fun with the playful nail colors of summer, I look forward to the slightly more polished, sexy, sophisticated colors of fall and I am absolutely loving the nail colors in Duri’s Wine Tasting Party Collection.

The collection includes four colors; Cognac (a warm plum) , Bloody Mary (a very sexy red), Pinot Noir (a deep garnet shade) and Grape Swirl (shimmery violet.) The colors in the collection perfectly complement the color trends in clothing for fall as well.  My favorite of the collection is the Pinot Noir, for some reason it seems to bring out my inner vamp, color is just so daring.  It’s fun wearing the Pinot Noir and Grape Swirl at the same time…either mixing them or wearing one shade on my fingers  and the other on my toes.

I know it’s a bit early to be planning this far ahead, but I am pretty excited about wearing the Bloody Mary nail color during the holidays. Do you have any polishes from this collection? Which is your favorite?

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

As any style-watcher knows, nude is the must-have shade for everything from heels, booties, lip gloss, nails, and beyond. However, despite its timeless popularity, the perfect nude nail lacquer can also be a pretty tricky hue to get one’s hands on; after all, it’s relative to your specific skin tone. But what if choosing your shade was as straight-forward as selecting the correct shade of foundation?

Eco-friendly nail artist to the stars, Jenna Hipp, along with her team at Nailing Hollywood LLC, has already has had her work featured in various magazines and on countless celebrity cover girls, but her recent collaboration with green enamel line RGB (and founder Gina Carney) takes trendy, eco-conscious manicures to the next level. With their recent Nail Foundation collection, the power duo seeks to help beauty mavens get that perfect nude shade just for you, no matter what your race – for graceful, elongated fingertips. In-the-spotlight stars Keira Knightly, Michelle Williams and Lea Michele, among others, have already rocked their own specialized ‘nude’ shades in the public sphere – are you curious enough to join them?

- Alex Gambardella

*Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Recently I had the great privilege of being asked to speak at Cosmoprof North America. Not regarding my work as a beauty blogger, but on the social media side of things that I do for my day job. While I was there I decided to seek out brands I knew and loved, as well as up and coming brands that I know YOU would want to know about. If you’ve been reading A Girl’s Gotta Spa! forever or are a fan of us on Facebook, then you know I LOVE Zoya Nail Polish (part of the Art of Beauty family.) I’ve met Leo and Michael Reyzis before, but this time I had the opportunity to sit down 1:1 with Zoya herself. WOW. What an honor, not to mention what an amazingly talented and savvy woman she is.

Our conversation began with Zoya asking me what I liked about Zoya Nail Polish. I explained that a brand gets my loyalty when they can deliver a product that actually works. I told her that of all of the nail lacquers I have tried, Zoya Nail Polish has not only lasted the longest, but has an amazing product that I shout from the rooftops about: the Color Lock System. She seemed surprised that my focus was just on functionality and not on the color assortment or the collections themselves. To me, while I feel Zoya really has some great colors and I love the collections, as someone who is constantly sent the next “miracle” product that turns out to be not so much, at the end of the day, how a product performs is what sells me on buying it again, writing about it and telling all of my friends and family about such an awesome product (would you agree?)

I had the opportunity to hear the background of Zoya herself and how her nail care collection came to be. Did you know she is a classical musician? It is because of this training that Zoya Nail Polish has that air of artistic expression. When she came to this country there wasn’t a viable job opportunity as a classical musician, so she began to work at a beauty salon. During that time, hair care with a nail salon is what the trend was…you never found a business that was solely a nail salon without the hair care component.  At the time (1980′s) polishes were made with formaldehyde, and Zoya was pregnant with Leo (pictured with me) and knew there had to be a healthier, toxin-free alternative. Since her husband Michael was a chemist, she asked him to develop what is now today the Zoya Nail Polish formulation. It was then that Zoya opened a nail salon and was told she would never make it. But here she is, and I hope she is saying, “How do you like me now!”

Another way in which Zoya chose to be different is in the manner in which she named her polishes. Her 1st line was named after famous women such as Carmen, Cleopatra, etc. She felt there was only so many ways you can describe a plum or a red, as the other major players in the industry were doing at the time. She wanted women to be able to relate with another strong, intelligent woman because the color of your polish says a lot about you. She had me select colors that I wear, in which I choose many neutral and “safe” colors. She responded, “You live in a conservative area.” She’s right. Then she observed the colors I was wearing on that particular day–my Skagen Denmark watch with a bright orange band and my glistening peridot ring from Leela Bijoux. She said, “You are a generally happy and very positive person. You can see that in the bright colors you wear…and orange also means you have wisdom.” And she’s also right here. Have you thought about the colors you wear and how that projects portions of your personality to how others perceive you?

I was really impressed with Zoya and I left the Art of Beauty booth with a deeper appreciation of female entrepreneurs. And the feeling that maybe I should wear a bolder nail color my next go around.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts