Archive for September, 2009
Web Snob Wrap Up – 9-26-09
55 Secret Street watches celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson demonstrate the perfect messy ponytail backstage at Vena Cava’s Spring 2010 show.
Is Khloe Kardashian’s wedding really for Kourtney? Allie is Wired reports the rumor.
Bag Bliss shows how easy it is to create your own one of a kind Laudi Vidni Handbag!
Bag Snob has a sneak preview of the MUST HAVE Bottega Veneta Cruise 2010 Collection.
Beauty Snob goes back stage at the Vera Wang Spring 2010 Show to witness the magic Lucia Pieroni, Color Creator for Clé de Peau Beauté.
Coquette gets a preview of the new RACHEL Rachel Roy collection at Macy’s with Rachel herself!
The Daily Obsession invites all those in Seattle to check out an amazing, private art exhibit open this weekend only.
eye4style gets sexy in the most unsexy way imaginable.
Fashion Pulse Daily shows how Norma Kamali’s fashion are way more than meets the eye.
Before you color your hair, read this Fall Hair Color Trend report From Pantene Stylist, Hallie Bowman on I’m Not Obsessed.
Check out the five fall items Second City Style says you should pick up now that will still be chic come spring.
SheFinds can’t wait to go a-line at the office this fall.
Shopping and Info found the leather jacket worn by Elena on Vampire Diaries.
Stiletto Jungle shops the top picks from the debut Kate Spade clothing collection.
Stylehive has compiled a collection of fun finds inspired by Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” video… how come we weren’t this endearing in our geek phase?
The Beauty Stop explains how to tell if your mineral makeup is the real deal.
The Shoe Goddess chats about accessories with Monica Botkier!
Don’t Forget to Enter My StrangeBeautiful Giveaway
Happy Friday Fanatics! Before you head off on some fun weekend adventure, don’t forget to enter my StrangeBeautiful Naming Contest for your chance to win a full set of Color Volume 3 polishes.
You have until Sunday at 11:55PM EST to enter. Click the link below to view the entry form. Good luck!
China Glaze Matte Magic Top Coat Swatches & Review
 I’ve got another matte top coat to add to your shopping list. Matte Magic is China Glaze‘s entry into the matte nail trend for Fall and they really hit it out of the park. When I originally did my matte top coat review a few readers asked about the Men’s Matte Top Coat from China Glaze. As I said then, that product isn’t intended to be worn over polish but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something in the works. Ta da… Matte Magic.
Check it out along with my Dorothy Who? Matte look after the jump! |
Now I don’t have any info to back this up but if I was a betting woman, I’d place all my chips on Matte Magic, Essie’s MAY and RBL’s Matte Top Coat being manufactured by the same company. There’s no other explanation for how they all look IDENTICAL in the bottle and on the nail. All three are the most mattifying top coats I’ve used. If you’re looking for a truly flat finish, they’re your girls!
Since I used OPI No Room For The Blues in my other matte post, I wore it under Matte Magic as well to make it easy to compare. If there are any differences in Matte Magic versus the other brands it’s that this one applies more even and I’ll assume that’s due to the brush.
Thanks to a reader suggestion, I slapped a coat of Matte Magic over my Dorothy Who? manicure before removing. It looks like crushed sapphires trapped behind frosted glass. LOVE!
China Glaze Matte Magic is rolling out to Sally Beauty Supply stores now and will launch everywhere else China Glaze is carried October 5th. The bottle is .325 oz and retails for $6.50.
I have one more matte top coat to show you but in the meantime, which one is your fave so far? Will you be stalking your Sally’s for a bottle of Matte Magic? Is it just me or do you want it even more because it’s mini-sized? Everything is more adorable miniaturized, no?
A Twist on the Ombre or Gradation Manicure
 Have you seen the ombre manicure that was featured in InStyle Magazine? In my post on multi-colored nails we saw CND’s version for the Kai Kuhne runway last February that they called a gradation. Either way I think it’s a fun play on the concept of a gradated manicure and much easier to replicate at home.
You may remember that I wore a gradated CalGel manicure at NY Fashion Week last season and while I loved the style, it’s not exactly DIY friendly. So I put my twist on ombre multi-colored nails with, what else, a green version. Check it out! |
Products and Tools: Tips: Note: Because this is a demo I only mixed colors for my middle and ring fingers and left my thumb out. You will want to mix three shades for a full manicure. Ring finger mix: Start with 7 drops of Milf and add 1 drop of Orbis Non Suficit. For me, the color was darker than I wanted so I added one more drop of Milf.
The idea here is to custom blend varying shades of the same color, working across your hand from lightest to darkest. However I went a different route than the method suggested by InStyle. Rather than combine pure white polish into a dark lacquer, having to create 4 separate mixes, I chose a light green and a dark green with similar color traits and blended them to create the mid-tone hues. I selected Illamasqua Milf and RBL Orbis Non Suficit because they both have a slightly grayed, dusty quality to them and I wanted a muted look.
Illamasqua Milf Nail Lacquer
Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Suficit
Acrylic pigment jars (easily found on eBay or at craft stores)
Toothpicks (for mixing)
Clean nail polish brush. I used one from an empty polish bottle I bought for frankening.
*Have your nails prepped with base coat applied before beginning.
*Apply the polish as soon as it is mixed. Exposure to air will cause it to thicken quickly and dry shortly after.
*Mix the lightest color first and apply immediately before moving on.
*Clean your brush with remover between colors to avoid streaks from previously mixed polishes.
*Regarding my formulas below, I remove the brush from the bottle without wiping it against the sides and the amount that drips off equals one drop.
Middle finger mix: Use an equal amount of both lacquers. 4 drops each of Milf and Orbis Non Suficit.
What I love about this look is that it’s much softer than the “Skittles Nails” I’ve worn in the past. It’s not as bright and in your face. In fact you could make the variations much more subtle by choosing polishes that are even closer in tone. Or if you follow the InStyle method, adding white polish, your nails could vary by a single drop.
So what do you think of this look? Is this something you’d be willing to try at home? If you’ve done a similar manicure, what shades did you use? I actually received a message from a reader, Sarah, who blended a gorgeous grayed purple version using OPI Siberian Nights and China Glaze Agent Lavendar. Share your creations in the comments!
The ALU Archives – China Glaze Dorothy Who?
 The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.
Last night I went to a screening of the Wizard of Oz with the winners of my giveaway courtesy of China Glaze. In select theaters across the country the film is being shown in Hi-Def to celebrate its 70th Anniversary. Being that I had never viewed the film on anything larger than a 27″ TV it was a thrill to see Judy Garland singing on the big screen. In lieu of the standard previews they showed a whole package about the making of the movie with casting info (I never knew Buddy Ebsen was the original Tin Man) and cast interviews. It was really cool. If you can find a screening in your area I highly suggest going. Of course such an event requires a WoO themed manicure and naturally Dorothy Who? was my pick. Check it out along with a fun pic of me and the giveaway winners after the jump! |
You guys I can NOT WAIT until the Wizard of Ooh Ahz collection returns. Mainly so I can stop using my old bottle of Dorothy Who?. I love the old gal but she’s not in the best shape. I’d like to preserve her as is without attempting to add thinner. As you can see Dorothy Who? is a glitter packed gem.
Similar to Ruby Pumps the blue and silver glitter is suspended in a sheer electric blue base. It does dry with texture so you need a thicker high gloss top coat (ie Seche Vite) for a glass like finish. I just wish my camera could capture how truly magical this shade is. There is a fire and brilliance that the camera just doesn’t see. 
Here we are pre-movie. Julie even wore sparkly red heels to match her Ruby Pumps manicure. Though talk about a small world. I’ve known Julie via Facebook for a couple years now though we met for the first time backstage at Fashion Week and Julie did Gena’s nails for prom. I love those kind of random coincidences.
So who else is dying to see the new Wizard of Ooh Ahz polishes?? It’s got to be one of the most anticipated collections of the year. I just know it will be a sensation.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
