A few weeks ago, my friend invited me to a special screening of Whip It, Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut about the world of roller derby. You see, my friend is a member of the Burning River Roller Girls and they were at the screening to explain more about derby and their experiences in the league.

Of course, as with any movie I watch, I’m always on the lookout for some stand out nail color. With the amount of makeup and costuming involved in derby, I expected to see some crazy colors on screen. What I didn’t expect was to find the most interesting polish pop up on the only non-roller girl in the movie, Alia Shawkat’s character Pash.One of the first things my friend and I commented on after the movie was her electric blue nails (she’s a fanatic too). That set me on a mission to find out more about the color and thanks to Makeup Department Head Eryn Krueger Mekash I’ve got the scoop!

Not only was the movie fantastic but hearing the different league members speak about why they joined and how it has changed their lives was empowering. Some of the women stood up to introduce themselves showing the diversity of the group. A concert pianist, a grad student, a stay-at-home mom, a local bar owner, an engineer (like my friend). Women of all shapes, sizes and ages. There is no typical roller girl. If I had even a modicum of coordination, listening to them might have compelled me to lace up my skates and join.I’m actually heading to see roller derby for the first time tonight as the Burning River Roller Girls host their 4th Annual Black & Blue Charity Bout to benefit Toys For Tots. I hear the “fresh meat” (aka newbies) participate in full contact musical chairs. Sounds like a blast!! Since Alia’s character cheered on Ellen Page’s Bliss wearing blue nails, I’m going to scream and shout for my pal wearing the same shade Pash donned in the movie… No-Miss Biscayne Blue.

If you’re not familiar with the No-Miss cosmetics line, they’re dubbed “Healthy Alternative Products.” They can be found in stores like Whole Foods and are Big 3 and Camphor Free. I reviewed their Tamarac Tangerine polish a couple years ago.

Biscayne Blue’s consistency is a bit thin with a brushed chrome metallic finish. It reminds me of those old China Glaze Classic Chromes. Anyone remember those? I needed three coats and the finish is pretty brush stroke-y but the electric sky blue hue is very pretty.

To minimize brush strokes I have two suggestions: 1. Wait 5 minutes between coats (a tip from Deb Lippmann). 2. Instead of a typical middle-side-side 3-stroke application, try side-middle-side (a tip from CND’s Angi Wingle).
You can find No-Miss polishes at Whole Foods for $9.99/ea though the in-store color selection doesn’t compare to online. I bought Biscayne Blue from NoMiss.com where the polishes retail for $6.99/ea.

Thank you to Eryn Krueger Mekash for helping me solve the blue polish mystery. You may remember she also helped us find out what Tina from Glee wears on her nails. You can view more of Eryn’s work at Famehog.com including some of the amazing bruise work she did for Whip It and the incredibly detailed tattoo work she did on Justin Timberlake for Alpha Dog.

Have any of you tried No-Miss? What did you think? Who else saw Whip It and loved it? Do I have any roller girl polish fanatics?

images: FanPop

Found in health food stores, like Whole Foods, No-Miss is a line of cruelty free cosmetics that includes over 150 shades of Big 3 Free nail polishes. With the formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl-pthalate and camphor eliminated these lacquers are a healthy, pregnancy safe choice.

I have been scoping No-Miss out for a while now at my local Whole Foods. I keep hoping that one of the amazing green or blue shades listed on their site will miraculously appear in the small display rack. So far, no luck.

But on my last trip I noticed a gorgeous shade that just had to come home with me. After sharing the orange trend with you, I’ve been on quite a kick. And oddly enough, craving orange juice like there’s no tomorrow. Are orange polishes some kind of subliminal message cooked up by the Florida Orange people and polish manufacturers? I’ll add it to my growing list of conspiracy theories.

On to the polish. The shade is called Tamarac Tangerine and as with all No-Miss polishes it is pigmented with natural, from-the-earth micas and oxides. I was pleasantly surprised by the formula and application. Unlike some thicker Big 3 Free polishes, this formula is thin and easy to spread. You do give up some pigmentation with that but I think it’s worth it. What you see below is 3 coats of color with no top coat applied, just its own glossy sheen. Overall, I’m impressed with the quick drying time, the color range and application.

For you chemistry/ingredient geeks like me here’s the run down on the No-Miss formula.
Nitrocellulose-a fiber used for viscosity. Ethylacetate, N. Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol-solvents used to dissolve Nitrocellulose. also may contain: Mica, made from sand, cosmetic titanium dioxide, (white),cosmetic iron oxide blue, (indian paint pot grey/blue), iron oxides, earth born colors made from rocks, zinc oxide, from the earth, used to promote drying and to deflect harmful UV rays from the sun.

While I was shopping I decided to pick up the Almost Natural Polish Remover as well. Using fruit acids as a solvent this remover claims to be non-drying and gentle. I just had to see if a “green” remover could really deliver as well as its acetone laden counterparts. The answer is yes and no. Did it remove my polish without drying my nails? Absolutely! Did it work as quickly? No. But isn’t it worth the few extra seconds of rubbing to make a healthier choice? The only downside for me was the smell. The touted vanilla scent comes off very plastic and strong.
Ingredients: Fruit Acid Solvent, Amber Acids (derived from plant lichens), Deionized Water, Vitamin A, Natural Vanilla Fragrance.

No-Miss products are available online at NoMiss.com and Whole Foods. Polishes retail for $6.50 and the 4oz remover retails for $6.99.

Have any of you tried No-Miss? What are your thoughts?