Untried Day #118: This past Tuesday I was invited to the Cleveland Indians game for a special women’s event. I had the opportunity to sit in the Social Suite on Wahoo Women night which benefits the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.

Even though I’ve always been more of a football fan, there’s nothing quite like spending a beautiful summer night at a baseball game, sipping on a beer and snacking on peanuts (Cleveland’s own Peterson’s naturally). It’s the picture of Americana.

And I have to give it up to the Tribe’s marketing team. They have really created something special with their Social Suite. Anyone who is active in social media can apply to sit in the suite, like the fancy people, for a night. The view and the accommodations in the suite are pretty spectacular.

So what’s a nail girl to do on a night that is dedicated to both women and the Indians? A red, Tribe-themed manicure of course!  I wanted the perfect Indians red so I looked to my untrieds and found Zoya Sooki and I paired it with CND Midnight Sapphire from the upcoming Fall 2011 “The Look” launch. It is a pretty good match to the team’s blue color. Keep reading to see how it turned out.

What day is it? What time is it? I seriously have no clue at this point. The time change from Cleveland to Vegas has me in such a tailspin that I honestly have no idea if it’s Monday, Tuesday or Sunday. I rarely have this type of reaction to flying outside my own time zone but this trip is really throwing me off.

Maybe there’s something in the air because Deborah Lippmann mentioned this morning that she’s all out of sorts. That her typical spot-on sense of direction is so off that she keeps getting lost in the Mandalay Bay, a hotel she has stayed in many times. At least I fly home tomorrow night (gotta love the red eye) and will hopefully be back on track asap.

So far I have met some amazing people and seen lots of fun products and colors at Cosmoprof (more on that to come) but I had a major fangirl moment when I met Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, EVP & Executive Artistic Director of OPI. I’ve had the privilege to speak with some incredible people in this industry but Suzi has always been at the top of my nail bucket list and today I can finally cross her off. It seems only fitting that I meet her the day I delve into OPI Sparrow Me The Drama from the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection as part of my commitment to inject more pink/red into the 365.

As I mentioned in a recent post, I’m in Vegas for Cosmoprof which is an annual trade show where beauty brands, typically professional salon & spa lines, sell their products to distributors & buyers all over the world. It’s pretty amazing and after three years of attending it doesn’t get any less overwhelming or tiring.

Today I met with some great brands including China Glaze, CND, Dashing Diva, Orly and Zoya and I finished out the day with a stop by the Nubar booth to meet Nail Files star Katie Cazorla, owner of The Painted Nail salon. I already adored Katie after speaking with her over the phone and, in person, she’s even more adorable. Affable, hilarious, larger than life and yet totally down-to-earth. No matter what you think of her show or reality TV in general, you can’t help but love Katie. She’s a star and all you have to do is meet her and you can see why TV Guide Network would want to give her a show.

Now you know that I went all fangirl over Katie’s gorgeous purple, Legendary Lavender. I’m actually rocking my second pedicure in a row with that color. This is no fling my friends. My love affair is strong. That left me curious to see how some of the other summer collection shades would fare so I decided to try The Painted Nail Citrus Sparkle next.

Step by step, ooh baby, Gonna get to you girl
Step by step, ooh baby, Really want you in my world

That’s right Fanatics, I went to the NKOTBSB concert and I’m not one bit ashamed because it was AH-Mazing! Those boys, well men, sing and dance their asses off for over two hours to throngs of screaming fans and I was so happy to be one of them. It totally makes up for the fact that I never got to see them perform when I was a kid.

For me, the best parts of the concert were seeing my darling Joey McIntyre, who rocked some multi-colored nails the last time they were on tour, sing “Please Don’t Go Girl”, Donnie Wahlberg revealing his rock hard abs and Nick Carter sporting a LeBron James “Choke” t-shirt. Though I couldn’t help but notice that AJ McLean was wearing black crackle on his nails (see here). I went with two of my CLE blogger pals, Suzanne & Allison, and we had a blast dancing and singing the whole night. My ears are still ringing!

While I enjoyed Backstreet Boys, I was really there for New Kids On The Block so I had to do a NKOTB themed manicure which I dedicate to Joey and his stunning baby blues. I chose a pale blue, Color Club Factory Girl, to match his eyes and a darker, grittier hue, Orly Sapphire Silk, to represent his “Hangin Tough” Boston background. I also failed at my attempt at nail art using Milani Nail Art polish in Blue Print.

I’ve been doing quite a few interviews lately for various publications about summer and fall nail trends. Of course we know that crackle is EVERYWHERE, nail art isn’t dying out anytime soon and neutrals have been making a resurgence. But what I find funny is when looks that are pretty much “old hat” in the nail community end up being the “new” hot trend.

I was recently asked by the Style Network’s StyleSpy about the “new” celebrity accent nail trend and the best ways to wear the look. Of course, this isn’t exactly a new look but since so many celebrities have been rocking the accent nail it’s now a thing. My advice has always been to look for contrasting or complementary color combos. Black & white, purple and gold, lime and fuchsia, etc.

For this summer my favorite combination is orange & blue or teal & coral, so I rummaged my untrieds to create a fun accent nail manicure and came up with Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme and Orly Frisky.