One of the best parts of attending a trade show like America’s Beauty Show is all the great people you meet. Like at the Minx booth, I had the pleasure of meeting Minx Master’s Naja Green and Lisa Logan. Naja is a LA-based Celebrity Manicurist and co-host of Nail Talk Radio whose clients include Lady Gaga and Lisa is a NYC-based Celebrity Manicurist who has an amazing roster of clients and editorial work including tending to the digits of Ms. Beyonce Knowles.

Lisa recently launched her own line of uniques designs for Minx including a pattern called Daybreak that is intended to be worn with the UV gel polishes that are so hot right now.  When I initially stopped by the booth I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to try any of the patterns without covering up my Shellac so I was thrilled to learn that Lisa created Daybreak for that very reason.  The Minx appliqué starts off clear at the base with holographic dots that get closer together near the free edge of the nail.

See Lisa apply Daybreak to my nails and check out the final look in the short video below.

Minx are a professional product. To locate a salon near you offering Minx, visit MinxNails.com. Prices vary by location and pattern so call first to verify the cost and design availability.

Thoughts on my Daybreak Minx nails? How many of you have tried Minx? Which type of nail appliqués do you prefer? Minx or drugstore versions (Sally Hansen, Incoco, Nail Fraud, etc)?

Disclosure: Minx nail appliqués were applied gratis by Lisa Logan for Minx. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

Thanks to Fanatic Nicole, I have a fab offer to share with you.  Lifebooker, the online resource for all your health and beauty appointment needs, has an offshoot site Lifebooker Loot that is a lot like Groupon.  They offer exclusive deals for a short period of time on beauty and health services.

Today’s Lifebooker Loot is for a Minx Manicure at Vada Spa in the West Village for only $28 (including tax).  The deal ends February 10th at Midnight EST so if you’ve been dying to try Minx, here’s your chance.

ps. Boo to whoever stole my Minx pic and Katy Perry’s to promote the deal!

Happy Friday Fanatics! I know things have been a bit quite here on ALU but it’s been a crazeballs week for me. Thanks for your emails to check in on me! You are all so sweet!  Since I’m getting ready for my trip to NYC for New York Fashion Week I’ve been running errands and doing a lot of behind the scenes type work this week.  Plus, my nails were looking pretty beat so a little nail R&R was in order.

However, I’ve received quite a few emails and tweets about Rihanna’s nails at the Grammys.  Someone wondered if she was wearing some crazy CalGel design, traditional nail art or Minx.  Those of you who guessed Minx were dead on the money (no pun intended) and  thanks to the people at Minx and Celebrity Manicurists like Kimmie Kyees, I’ve got the scoop! Rihanna, Beyonce and Keri Hilson all rocked Minx on the Grammy red carpet, check out the detailed pics after the jump!

Celebrity Manicurist, and friend of ALU, Kimmie Kyees Minx’d Rihanna on Saturday for Clive Davis’ Grammy Party using a custom Money Minx.  It looks like a $100 bill has been stretched across her nails.  Very unique! Then for the big show, Kimmie added some extra bling attaching colored crystals along the detail lines of the bill.  For an event like the Grammys you have to go all out and Rihanna certainly did that. Did any of you catch Fashion Police on E! Monday night?  There was quite a debate about Rihanna’s dress.  What do you think?  Thumbs up or down on this look?

New York-based Celebrity Manicurist Lisa Logan flew to California to add some holographic style to Beyonce’s Grammy look. The multiple Grammy Award Winner word Golden Hologram Minx that gave off a rainbow effect in the light.  At first I thought she was wearing the same Golden Lightening Minx I tried last year and I was just seeing the reflection of the lights.  But knowing they have holo Minx now… so cool!

New to the Minx lineup of patterns and designs is the Tease Me line.  Tease Me Minx are like duo-chrome polishes in that they flash different colors (red & gold, blue & silver, green & gold).  To complete her Grammy ensemble Keri Hilson wore Tease Me White Minx that flash both white & silver. Houston-based manicurist Athena Elliott applied Keri’s Minx for the night.

Did you watch the Grammys this year? Personally, I was disappointed in the MJ Tribute. I didn’t know about the 3-D aspect so it just looked fuzzy. And where was Diana Ross? I did love the performances by Pink, Lady Gaga & Elton John and Beyonce but the rest left me saying “meh” I mean Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift? Are you kidding me with that? How she won Album of the Year is beyond me. She’s adorable and all and I don’t hate her music but let’s get a tiny bit real people. Was the teenage population voting? Anywhoodle, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the show, the fashion, the nails. Anyone stand out to you?

To get Minx’d in your hometown, check the Minx website for salon locations near you!

image credit: Kimmie Kyees, Celebutopia and Adam Orchon.

ps. I’ll post the rest of the OPI Hong Kong polishes in the next couple days!

Well this certainly is a surprise.  I always check out the Chanel runway shows with the hopes of catching a glimpse of their next big nail color.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to gawk at the clothes as well but I beeline for the up close shots of the nails. Today’s Spring/Summer Couture runway was no different.  And what do I see?  Silver chrome, mirror-finish manicures to compliment the heavy metallic accessories, shoes and garment details.  I love the look but it seems so NOT Chanel to use products other than their own. So what does this mean? A. Chanel has given into the Minx trend and gone foil on us. B. They had extra bottles of Kaleidoscope on hand for the show (Remember, lighting changes how polish looks so it could be Kaleidoscope). C. We’ll be seeing a new super metallic silver from Chanel Le Vernis come Fall.

What do you think? Nail polish or foil? In your Chanel metallic dream world would you rather see Kaleidoscope come back or a brand new foil-like Chanel silver polish?

image credit: Vogue UK

ALU Fanatic Angelica shared (via Facebook) this post from Perez Hilton about Katy Perry‘s latest tattoo. Of course us nail girls will immediately notice her colorful, frisky tips.

Katy posted that image on Twitter via TwitPic where she originally shared a snap of her mani a little over a week ago (below). See, that’s the fun of Twitter folks. If you haven’t embraced it, get on board. If for no other reason than to win some polish from yours truly.

A quick search of the Minx website confirmed that Katy is indeed wearing the popular nail stickers. As you may recall, I tried out Minx last December and while I enjoyed the look, I had issues with lifting not long after. But if you inspect Katy’s pic from today (above), her nails have grown out some yet the Minx are intact. Makes me wonder if they’ve improved the product since then or if it was just a bad application by my nail tech.

What do you think Fanatics? Are you over Minx? Loving Minx? How are we feeling about Katy’s nails? Has anyone had great success wearing Minx on their fingers? I’ve heard raves about them on toes. Sound off!

Minx Nails are the latest trend in celebrity nails. A flexible polymer that is heated then applied to nails, like a sticker, they are a mess free, green alternative to nail polish and fake tips. I first discovered Minx last January when Nails Magazine celebrated their Silver Anniversary by featuring silver lightening Minx on the cover. Since that time, Minx have exploded on to the celebrity and fashion scene. They’ve been popping up at red carpet events, in music videos and on the runways. Celebrity manicurists love Minx for their fashion forward designs and ease of use.

Chrome Minx – Forget trying to get that perfect mirror finish with a chrome/metallic nail polish. It’s NEVER going to happen. Well never say never but you know what I mean. Minx Silver and Golden Lightening is the only way to get a true chrome look on nails without going the fake/press on route.

Custom/Patterned Minx – For the nail art lover or fashionista, designer Minx is the way to go. With over 100 different patterns to choose from, there is a Minx for every occasion but for a very specific look, Minx can create custom designs. You can even have your favorite photos turned into a Minx nail coating. For example, during the election, celebrity manicurist Lisa Logan requested custom Obama Minx; one set with his last name and one with his face.

Fashion Shows – At LA Fashion Week, Christian Audigier called upon celebrity manicurist Kimmie Kyees to design plaid and American flag tips for his American Lord show. With practically no notice it was Minx to the rescue. Working through the night, they were able to create and deliver custom designs for 300 tips. It took 8 hours and help from Minx’s LA trainer Naja Rickette, celebrity “green” manicurist Jenna Hipp and her friend Steph to apply the coating in time but they got it done. Could you imagine if they tried to paint the designs by hand? Impossible!

Having read about Minx for quite some time now, I was itching to get them on my hands. A few months ago I checked the Minx Salon Finder to see that my closest Minx Pro was in Pennsylvania, a two hour drive from the Cleveburg. Boo! Fortunately, I’m persistent and kept checking the site only to find that a few weeks ago a new Minx stylist was added in my area. Yay!

So this past Saturday, despite the falling snow and slippery roads, I trekked on down to Stow, Ohio to meet with Telia Anderson at the Gavin Scott Salon & Spa. Telia has been using Minx on herself and her co-workers for quite some time now but I was pleased to be her first real Minx client. Since it’s the holidays and because Minx is known for their chrome look coatings, I had to get Golden Lightening. As you can see below, the coatings come on a sheet with various sizes, similar to the Avon Instant Manicure or Sephora Nail Patch.

What makes Minx different from the nail stickers you can buy in the store is the material and the adhesive. I don’t know about any of you but I’ve tried the Avon and Incoco versions and could never get them to stick or lay properly. Plus, they just looked cheap. Minx is definitely a higher end product.

Application – A basic manicure is performed before application and the nail plate must be cleaned of all oils and residue. The coatings are heated under a lamp or hair dryer to make them flexible and warm the adhesive. The tech then lines up the rounded edge with the cuticle and, while lightly dragging, presses the coating onto the nail. Telia used a hair dryer, after applying, to help the coatings seal onto my nails, like shrink wrap, before using the Minx glass nail file to remove the excess.

And here is the final result….

How incredibly cool does that look? I mean, talk about bling!! I’ve been getting compliments left and right. I think Telia did an amazing job, especially since I was her first. You know, I’m not normally into this type of look but since my nails are short it’s not gaudy or crazy looking. On long nails, I think it would be extremely tacky and over the top. Best left to the editorial world.

Now while I’m loving look of Minx and think Golden Lightening is super fun, there are definitely some pluses and minuses to wearing them.

Pros

• Easy to apply – There’s no mess, no wait time, no accidental smudging or sheet marks
• Looks you can’t acheive with polish – True chrome, intricate patterns, your dog (if that’s your thing)
• Perfect for pedicures – They last forever on toes. With no drying time they’re ideal for winter pedis. You’d never have to leave the salon in flip flops with frozen toes. FYI – I saw Telia’s toes with Golden Lightening and they looked beyond fab!
• A “green” product that doesn’t use chemicals for application or removal. Just a little heat and some gentle peeling takes Minx right off.

Cons

• No matter how much you file, the edges are never truly smooth
• On tips, they start lifting after a couple days
• The line at the cuticle is rounded so they won’t match every nail shape
• Cost – The $40 I paid is at the low end of the price range which makes them great for special occasions but not practical for everyday wear.

If you want to try Minx for yourself, look for a salon using the Minx Salon Finder. Cleveland area fanatics can call Telia at the Gavin Scott Salon & Spa (330-650-4450) to book an appointment.

What do you think kids? Would you try Minx? Have you tried Minx? Is the gold fun and hip or not so much? I want to hear what you think.

image credit: Minx Nails, Kimmie Kyees and All Lacquered Up.
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