Pink Wednesday

Happy Pink Wednesday!  This week, I am wearing Diva Bride by China Glaze.  I really love this color!  I am usually a girl who prefers a darker shade or something with more color.  However, after wearing a neon shade of pink last week, I wanted to wear something that was soft and really feminine.  Diva Bride is that perfect shade!  

This pink is so appropriate for any occasion, especially a wedding.  It is also a fabulous base for a french manicure.  This polish will be my new go to color when I need that perfectly polished look.  Thanks so much for reading!  Hope that you have a great day! 

MANICURE MONDAY POLISH REVIEW-ICE PRINCESS INSPIRED

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope that you had a fabulous Thanksgiving.  Did you shop on Black Friday?  I did and shamefully bought more nail polish.  I couldn't help myself when I came across Princess Grace by China Glaze.  This is a pretty lavender hue.  While in the bottle, this color looks like it will appear more of a lilac shade.  Once a coat of polish is applied to the nail however, it is so light that it looks iridescent.  I applied two coats to my nails because the shade is so light.  When the light hits the nail, you can see that Princess Grace is a light and luminous color.

Since Sally's Beauty Supply had a special of 1.00 off 2 bottles of China Glaze, I also purchased Snow Globe!  This is a clear glitter polish, that has hints of purple, light blue, and a light green sparkle.  China Glaze was right on target when they named this product as it literally looks like the snow falling on a scene in a globe.  Snow Globe is gorgeous and can be used for so many looks.  When layered on top of Princess Grace, this polish reminds me of the sun glistening on new-fallen snow.     

The combination of Princess Grace and Snow Globe, to me, should be called The Snow Princess!  As you may know by now, I really enjoy the winter, especially the snow.  Looking at my nails today, I am looking forward to that first real snow of the season. 

Thank you so much for reading.  Just a note, starting next Monday, 12/5, I will be starting my 12 Days of Christmas Polishes.  I will be reviewing new colors for the season, as well as coming up with some festive looks for this special time of the year!

 

Pink Wednesday

Happy Pink Wednesday everyone!  As I write this post, it is pouring rain and 45 degrees outside.  However, you would never know how cold and miserable the weather is here by looking at my nails.  This week, I chose China Glaze's Shocking Pink (Neon).

In wearing this color, it looks like my hands should be wrapped around a Pina Colada while sitting on a warm tropical island.  Shocking Pink is a fun, vibrant shade that surprisingly does not make my fair skin look pale.  The color is much brighter than it appeared in the bottle at the beauty supply store.  However China Glaze clearly states that it is a neon shade...I just didn't have the time to really look at it.

I will enjoy this fun summer color on this cold and dreary day before Thanksgiving.

Thanks for reading and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

MANI MONDAY-THANKSGIVING INSPIRED BLING

Happy Manicure Monday!  With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, I wanted to do a look that was holiday-ish, without looking too much like Christmas.  So this week, I chose Be Bold by Elizabeth Grady and paired it with OPI's Bring on the Bling.

Be Bold is a brownish red, a little darker than brick.  While I would technically classify Be Bold as a red, it has enough of a brown hue to look perfect for the fall, especially Thanksgiving!  I like to save the real festive reds for Christmas time.

For a little sparkle, I added OPI's Bring on the Bling to my ring finger.  This glitter polish is from last year, but it is on of my favorites!  There are hints of different colors within this polish, but they are subtle enough to just give the gold some dimension.  Paired with the brownish red, the gold pops off my hand.  
Be Bold is available at Elizabeth Grady Skin Care Salons.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a great Monday!

WHAT YOUR HANDS REVEAL ABOUT YOUR AGE

Have you glanced at the back of your hands lately?  Since starting this blog and taking pictures of my hands and nails, I am not happy at all with what I see.  My hands are really aging.  Many of us, including myself, take such great care of our faces by using the right products and following a routine.  Yet we neglect the back of our hands.  Even when applying sunscreen to the face and body, how much thought do we really give to the hands?
It is a fact that the skin on the hands is much thinner than on the face.  Therefore, when the natural aging process occurs, it has a noticeable effect on the hands.  (Sun exposure speeds up this aging process).  The result is wrinkly, creapy, thin skin.  Age spots are also present depending on how much sun exposure we had as a child and young adult.  However, there is good news!  With a little effort, we can improve the appearance of our hands.
The key to having great, younger-looking hands is to follow a routine similar to what we do for our face:

• Cleanse (which is a given)
• Moisturize (several times a day if possible during the winter)
• Exfoliate with a granular scrub (at least once a week)
• Protect (with an SPF of 15 or higher)

• For even more noticeable results,  I recommend moisturizing with petroleum jelly or my favorite product, Aquaphor by Eucerin.  Apply at bedtime and cover hands with cotton gloves while sleeping.  

• I also recommend trying microdermabrasion on the backs of the hands for fabulous results.  This super-exfoliating treatment will speed up the cell formation process for radiant skin.

If you have the opportunity to visit your favorite spa, I suggest having a Spa Manicure.  At most salons, this service will include the exfoliation and either paraffin wax or a mask.  The bonus is pretty, polished nails!  I encourage you to start this new routine today.  I am going to and I believe that we will have younger looking hands soon!  Thanks so much for reading!

Pink Wednesday

Happy Pink Wednesday!  I am so excited to participate in my first Pink Wednesday!  For this first week, I chose my favorite polish combination...OPI's LaPaz-Itively Hot with OPI's Teenage Dream layered on top of it.  My nails just look like a party!  The hot-pinkish hue of LaPaz paired with the perfectly pink glitter of Teenage Dream look amazing together!  While I polished two coats of LaPaz on my nails, I really only needed one.  (I always do two out of habit.)  I layered one coat of Teenage Dream on top of it, followed by a top coat.

Whenever I wear this duo, I always get complimented.  The word that I have heard most often about this combination is "FUN". I love the glitter polish too because it helps my manicure last longer.  I hope that you are having an excellent week so far and I thank you so much for reading!

MANI MONDAY REVIEW: CHINA GLAZE'S BLUE YEARS EVE

Happy Manicure Monday Everyone!  I was in the beauty supply store over the weekend and noticed the new China Glaze Holiday Colors.  I plan to buy and review every one of them.  Colors are vibrant and amazing!  The first color that I picked up is Blue Year's Eve.  This is a gorgeous shade of midnight blue, with a hint of shimmer.  Color definitely reminds me of winter, especially New Years Eve.  The shade of blue would look good on almost anyone.  I have a very pale skin tone and it looks great.

While the color is rich and beautiful by itself, I wanted to try it with some OPI Silver Shatter.  I bought this bottle of shatter last summer with the Pirate's of the Caribbean collection and hardly ever used it.  I think it is because I never used it with the right color.  On top of Blue Year's Eve, it looks amazing!  This combination is pretty, glittery, and wintry.  I am going to call this combination JACK FROST BLINGING OUT YOUR NAIL!   
(Pictures below...sorry about the quality.  I am still learning how to work my new camera!)

GLYCOLIC ACID vs. LACTIC ACID

If you have ever had a facial or read a beauty magazine, you have probably heard of Glycolic and Lactic Acids.  However, do you know what they really are?  If you want more information, read on. 

Both Glycolic and Lactic are alpha hydroxy acids (AHA's), which help to fight blemishes.  They are both organic acids extracted from natural sources.  Glycolic Acid is extracted from sugar, and Lactic is extracted from sour milk.  Lactic and Glycolic are used during certain facial treatments to speed up the skin's natural exfoliation process. Exfoliation promotes production of collagen and elastin, and unclogs pores, which can reduce acne.  After exfoliation, a client's skin will look smoother, softer, and more radiant. 

The question that I get asked by my clients is which acid/treatment is best.  The answer is that it depends on each person's individual needs.

Lactic is considered the milder of the two.  It is a great treatment for a more sensitive client.  This AHA works great for the person with sun-damaged skin and other discolorations.  It is more hydrating as well. It works best in a series of treatments.  For example, I have done Lactic peels on myself weekly for 4-6 weeks at a time. 

Glycolic Acid  is often used to effectively reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  It penetrates the skin faster, so results are noticeable sooner.  However, this acid is harsher than Lactic and can be more irritating to the skin.  In my opinion, it should never be used on a person with sensitive skin.

With the holidays coming up, these treatments are excellent!  They will keep your skin glowing through all the parties, dinners, and celebrations.  Winter is a good time to receive these treatments too because the sun isn't very strong.  Lactic and Glycolic are not recommended in the summer because they increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun. 

You should speak with your Aesthetician to see if these treatments are right for your skin.  I personally love the Lactic peel and have had excellent results with it.  My skin looks glowing and it has cleared up some problem blemishes.  I prefer lactic because I do have sensitive skin.  I hope that this post helps you though if you were thinking about getting a peel.

    

MANICURE MONDAY POLISH REVIEW

I love painting nails and trying new polishes!  Being a Licensed Nail Tech, I always use either OPI, or another line found in the professional beauty supply stores.  However, I recently purchased nail polishes from a company that I love...mark. by Avon.

I bought mark. nailed it Trend Holiday Mini Lacquers.  It cost $7.00 for the duo.  What a PLEASANT SURPRISE!  The colors are beautiful.  One bottle in the set is a sugar plum hue, and the other is a shimmery champagne.  Since the two colors seemed to compliment each other very well, I wore them both by trying out the ring finger bling trend that I have been seeing in nail magazines as well as on celebrities.  Friends complimented me on the manicure and the colors. 

The polish itself is durable and long-wearing.  As a Mom, my polish never lasts too long, but I did get almost six days out of it.  It goes on nicely and is not streaky.  You could get away with one coat, but I think that nails always look better with two. 

These shades are great for the upcoming holidays and the set would make a great gift or stocking stuffer.  To purchase this set, go to www.meetmark.com

PUMPKIN SPA TREATS

Fall is finally in full swing!  The warm temperatures have departed and the sweet smell of falling leaves is in the air.  Many salons and spas are embracing this season by featuring delicious Pumpkin Spice Treatments for the body, hands and feet.  As an Aesthetician and Nail Tech, I like to offer these services to my clients.  But the question is: Are these treatments really beneficial to your skin, or are they just a seasonal up sell? 
The answer is that there really is power in pumpkin!  Pumpkin is an antioxidant.  Antioxidants are used in  products to prevent the skin from inflammation, and it can slow down the aging process.  Pumpkin contains Vitamin A, which heals the skin.  It is also necessary to maintain a healthy glow. Pumpkin has Vitamin C, which counters the effects of damaging sun exposure.
This November, make an appointment to receive one of these delicious treats.  My recommendation for those who don't treat themselves that often is to get a Pumpkin Spice Manicure. It smells like pumpkin pie, will leave your nails looking beautiful, and most importantly, will help slow down the aging process on our often neglected hands!  Your hands will feel healthy, radiant, and glowing long past Thanksgiving.