Elegant Touch & Kimmie Kyees Nails

when it comes to current beauty trends, nails are now just as important to your overall look as your eye liner, gloss and bronzer. from nail polish and wraps to art sets and press on nails, letting your tips be the expression of your style is so easy to do.

the uk's top nail care brand, Elegant Touch, has created fabulous products over the past 30 years and they're moving full steam ahead with their products. they've also recently collaborated with celebrity manicurist, Kimmie Kyees. not only do her clients include Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Salma Hayek and Eva Longoria, but she's worked on numerous editorial and ad campaigns. her work is everywhere!

i was sent some fun nails from the brand, including the Green Glitter set you see in the pic, created by Kimmie herself.

these nails are different than the typical glue-on nails because they use adhesive tabs to hold the nails in place ~ and they stay put! i typed, did housework, washed my hands numerous times, and they didn't slide a centimeter. removal was just as impressive. a little cuticle oil, a bit of a lift on each side and the nails came off without damaging my natural nail.

love!

Elegant Touch Envy Nail Wraps work on both fingers and toes. Gold Bengal Metallic is the style you see {also available in Silver Bengal and Zebra}. these were perfect for adding an accent nail to my hands, but i did eventually use all of them on my fingers. these are like other nail wraps, but are also unique ~ a base and top coat are recommended in the application, but unlike nail polish-based wraps, are removed by peeling off, like a sticker.

i'd have to say i like the Wraps best, but the Kimmie Kyees nail set gave me the opportunity to be really bold and daring, channeling my inner rock star... :) 

the entire Elegant Touch Nails collection {yes, even more exciting nail goodies to discover!} is currently available at Ulta stores nationwide and on ulta.com. be sure to also visit Kimmie's website, kimmieknails.com for fabulous pics and nail inspiration from the artist.

products featured sent to me for review consideration; pics taken by me :)

Expert Nail Tips from Katie Cazorla

'tis the season for dry hands and nails? no, it doesn't have to be, beauties! take it from me ~ i have some tips to share from Katie Cazorla, owner of the fabulous nail salon and boutique, The Painted Nail and star of TV Guide network's reality show, Nail Files {i admit, my new guilty pleasure}.

along with these tips and tricks, i also asked Katie to share her favorite trends, personal nail-friendly products and the one *shade* she absolutely would wear forever...

enjoy!


first off, thank you for taking the time to give us the top nail tips of the season, Katie! will you share with my readers your advice for keeping hands looking fab through the harsh, cold winter season?
KC: "always have cuticle oil in your purse ~ applying it often will keep your cuticles from drying out, which can be painful, which is totally not fab! moisturize often, and never have chipped polish! i'd rather see bare nails than chipped polish!!"

i couldn't agree more ~ boo to chipped polish! in addition to cuticle oil and a good hand cream, what are your fave, must-have products?
KC: "The Painted Nail polish because i love to layer polishes for a custom nail look! sugar scrubs! they're so amazing {especially in colder weather} to slough off dead skin. plus, they smell delicious and feel great! finally, a top coat... you never know when you're going to need to freshen up your mani!"

what would you say is the must-wear nail trend of this current season?
KC: "DESIGNfx nail appliques by Dashing Diva, with a soak off gel top coat!"

what nail shades are hottest right now?
KC: "anything with GLITTER!"

i love it! adding sparkle makes any day better! now, will you share your personal mani/pedi routine with us?
KC: "i always exfoliate with the ME! Bath ice cream sandwich in the shower, then use The Painted Nail Vanilla Cranberry shimmer creme so my feet are soft and sparkly. i am very particular and i want my pedicure water HOT with a Me! Bath ice cream scoop soak: strawberry flavored."

how often do you change your polish?
KC: "i personally do it everyday or every other day. i am neurotic! but to keep my nails healthy, i use a clean layer of soak off gel so my natural nail isn't destroyed by acetone!

if you could only wear one shade for the rest of you life, what would it be?
KC: "it would be glitter, and YES that is a color in my book, because it makes me happy!"


thank you so much, Katie, for taking the time to share your fun nail tips, recs and personal routine!

if you're ever in the neighborhood, be sure to visit The Painted Nail and tune in to watch Nail Files on TV Guide network {check your local listings}!

fun, fab nail look!

happy thursday, beauties ~ don't you love this fabulous nail look?!

i certainly do! it seems to be quite simple to do and looks fab, so i thought you'd also enjoy...

products used {you can, of course, experiment with different shades}:

OPI ~ Suze Takes The Wheel, RapiDray TopCoat
Mattese Elite ~ Always On Top
Deborah Lippmann ~ Boom Boom Pow

here's how to do it...

*paint all the nails with two coats of OPI Suze Take The Wheel, except the rings fingers on each hand.

*paint the ring fingers with 2 coats of Mattese Elite Always On Top.

*apply Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow to the top edge of the nails and then use the edge of the brush to lightly drag the polish down the nail bed, about 55% of the way down.

*wait a few minutes of that to dry, then apply more Boom Boom Pow to the top edge of the nails, without dragging down.

*apply OPI RapiDry TopCoat to the entire nail.

et voila! fun, fancy nails. can't wait to do this myself! :)

source: Annamarie Tendler

nail color of the week: Wallis by butter London

Wallis by butter London is a fierce shade of metallic-mustard-olive-green goodness...i wasn't sure if i'd like it, but had to give it a try...

i've been wearing this for about two days now, and have to say i do love that it's different; that and the fact that i decided to get it while taking advantage of the bogo free sale at ulta {it just happened last week-- did you get any polishes from the sale??}, makes it even better.

up until my purchase, i had little experience, ok, absolutely no experience with the brand. of course, i had heard such good things about it, and it didn't disappoint! the formula is easy to apply and this shade turned out fabulous in 2 coats. i suppose if i wanted to i could have done with just one, but i never do that anyway, so i won't start now.

so...what do you think of this shade?

pics taken by me :)

essie dresses nails on the 2011 Primetime Emmys red carpet...

if you're like me, you find that award shows are one of the best places to get style inspiration. these days, it's not only for hair and makeup, but nails, too! since i have a special place in my heart for lacquers, i'm always overjoyed to discover what shades are featured in magazines {many mags are now listing what brand and shades the models wear in their fashion and beauty spreads}, on tv, and red carpet events.

at this past weekend's Primetime Emmy awards, some very fabulous essie nail polish shades were seen dressing the nails of tv's leading ladies...

Connie Britton {Friday Night Lights} wore Luxedo, a gorgeous dark mulberry, complementing her stunning scarlet gown.

Laura Linney {The Big C} was spotted wearing Hi Maintenance, a light-pink neutral hue on both hands and feet.

Mireille Enos {The Killing} chose to keep it neutral with Brooch the Subject from the winter 2011 collection.

Maria Bello {Prime Suspect} also went neutral on her fingers and toes with another light-pink classic, Limo-Scene

Jason Wu Nail Polish Collection by CND

i always love the details that go into putting the finishing touches on the ensembles presented during fashion shows. of course, drooling over the clothes is a given, but sometimes i just have to know what nail color the models are wearing and who designed the shoes and accessories, if not the designer.

for Jason Wu's spring 2011 runway show, i was excited to discover that another color was created exclusively for the runway by CND, and will also be part of a new polish collection! the Jason Wu Nail Colour & Effects Collection will be the designer's first beauty endeavor and CND's first direct partnership with a designer.

"every season i play with different ways of using color in my collection, so it was a natural choice to collaborate with CND on a capsule of nail colors that reflects my aesthetics," the designer told WWD.

these shades will be limited edition and available may 2011. the stylish palette features four staple colors: Miss Wu (a limestone gray), Brigitte (a dirty rose), Veronica (a blood red, pictured below on model), and Sophia (a dark mushroom). also part of this collection is an effect topcoat, named Anna, that contains silk fragments to provide depth.




tell me: is this a polish collection you'll be interested in purchasing for yourself?

xo

nail color of the week: Chanel Paradoxal

Paradoxal from Chanel comes from their new fall collection, and if you haven't already heard the buzz about this color, listen up.

you need to get this.

for fall 2010 the must-have shade-- it's unique and falls in perfect line with the taupe-grey-purple trend going on.

if you hadn't already gathered, i really love this new color...



that aside, the shade is a bit hard to capture on film. it even looks different on the nail than it does in the bottle. while it has an iridescent sheen in the bottle, it doesn't appear to be so on the nail. it's shimmery, but this dark grey-violet shade is not a glitter, and, in some light, even appears to be a creme. it's in a class by itself, i have to say. as you can see in my pics, it looks more purple, but trust me, in person, it's not. i bought mine at Macy's, but it's also available in fine department stores and online.

for some color comparisons with other nail shades, visit my friend Michelle at All Lacquered Up (of course).

tell me: do you plan to purchase this new Chanel shade?

xo
pics taken by me :)

VB Cosmetics Cuticle Oil with Shea Butter

hangnails are dreadful to look at and painful to have. cuticle oil is a great product to keep them at bay and keep nails looking healthy. my current fave is VB Cosmetics' Cuticle Oil with Shea Butter. since i have an issue with getting hangnails, i have to be very attentive to my hands (seriously, i can get them constantly if i'm not careful-- such a pain, literally). if you've ever experienced them, you know what i'm talking about.



this surprisingly ungreasy oil gives my nails and cuticles a nourishing treat each time i use it, about once a day. along with shea butter, this contains safflower, avocado, grape seed and canola oils. application is simple, just brush on and rub it in. i like to use it on my toes, too!.

you can find VB Cosmetics Cuticle Oil with Shea Butter at vbcosmetics.com

xo
product featured was sent to me by the brand for review consideration