Wal-Mart has really been upping their beauty game lately, especially when it comes to "green" beauty. Not only do they carry well know earth-friendly brands like Burt's Bee's and Giovanni, but they are increasingly carrying smaller brands too.
On my last Wal-Mart run I made a quick dash through the beauty section to pick up some nail polish remover and discovered WilaVerde Nail Polish Remover, $3. I was a little skeptical of this 100% biodegradable polish remover and it's efficacy. I mean, I was going to be majorly ticked if the stuff didn't remove a lick of polish and I had to go shopping again for something better.
Luckily, I found out that there is nothing better than this polish remover! It is SUPER gentle and feels more like a cuticle oil than a traditional nail polish remover product. It removed all my polish with ease and left my nails and cuticles moisturized. Best of all there was no stinky smell! I haven't tried it on my super dark polishes yet, but I suspect that it won't be a problem. I bought the Fragrance Free formula, but it also comes in Clean & Fresh, Lavender and Papaya Mango fragrances. Yummy, right?
Ladies, this is a major beauty find. I haven't been able to find this for sale online, and the WilaVerde website has no info on the product. Like I said, I found mine at Wal-Mart, so head over there now to pick up your WilaVerde polish remover. You'll love it!
Beauty Discovery: WilaVerde Nail Polish Remover
Budget Beauty News: Hard Candy & e.l.f
Hey Bombshells! I've been trying my hardest to pinch my beauty pennies lately, which is no small feat for a beauty junkie like me! Luckily, two fab beauty brands are hitting store shelves soon that will will keep me looking fab on a dime!
When I heard the news that Hard Candy was making a comeback, I was beyond excited! I remember this cult favorite brand from the mid 90s, with its candy-colored polishes and matching rings. It was THE hottest thing in beauty during the Clueless era. At the time, it was too pricey for my middle school-aged budget ($18 bucks a bottle to a 13 year old is a fortune!), but the revamped line is debuting at Wal-Mart for only $5 a bottle, in tons of juicy, bright colors! The collection will also include eye shadows, lip balms, lip glosses and more. I'll be scoping out my neighborhood Wal-Mart for these little gems!
I'm super excited to announce that fave budget beauty brand e.l.f will be available in all Target stores in November 1st! This brand is awesome because the bulk of the products start at only $1! And the quality is just as fab as the low prices. Plus, e.l.f will be upgrading to sleek black packaging for their Target store debut, and will be offering lots of affordable sets and palettes in the collection (and I love a good palette!). You must RUN to Target November 1st to snag some of these goodies!
Not only are these items from Hard Candy and e.l.f great for the budget conscious beauty, but they would make great gifts and stocking stuffers. I can't wait to hit the stores for the fabulous beauty finds!
Essie Fall Collection 2009
Ladies, meet my new beauty obsession! I am so obsessed with the Essie Fall Collection 2009 right now it's ridiculous. I love fall shades and this collection is giving us creamy fall neutrals, with just the right pops of color to keep things interesting.
My fave shades are Mink Muffs, Midnight Cami (created in honor of the newly released Mercedes Benz E Class) and Angora Cardi, which is why I'll be picking up the 4 Piece Mini Collection, $17. It has my fave 3 shades in mini sizes, so I know they won't go to waste. If all six shades tickle your fancy, pick up the entire full-sized Fall 2009 Collection for $48.
OPI Nail Polish in Here Today...Aragon Tommorrow
Last week, I wrote about green being the hot new shade for fall.
Well, over the weekend I dabbled my new nail obsession and polished my nails with OPI polish in Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow a new shade from their new Espanol collection. Check it out!
With flash (sorry its a little blurry!). You can see the glossy green goodness of it all!
Without flash. Looks a little darker, almost can't distinguish that it's green.What do we think?
Fall Beauty Trends: Nail Polish Trends
Hey Bombshells!
Summer is coming to a close and I couldn't be more excited! Don't get me wrong, summer is great (and I've had a fab one!), but Fall is my favorite time of year! As a school girl, that meant new school supplies and a new back-to-school wardrobe. Now that I'm all grown up, Fall is a time to start fresh and reinvent your self!
Not only should your wardrobe get an overhaul, but you beauty loot needs a fresh start too!Adding a few hot, new beauty items can be a easy, inexpensive way to update your look. So, this week, I'll be highlighting the top Fall beauty trend for 2009!
Today is all about nails, nails, nails! There are two really HOT trends for nails this season, and trying them out can easily up your style quotient, so lets take a look!
I had a hunch that green nail polish would be THE look for nails this fall, and practically every brand you can think of is debuting a shade of green this Fall.
What shade of green is hottest? In the words of T.I., you can have whatever you like! From pastel greens to emerald greens, to deep, dark greens, anything goes!
Here are some of the hottest, most coveted greens for fall. You'd better scoop these babies up fast, because they're all limited edition!
1) MAC in Dry Martini, $12. 2) OPI in Damone Roberts 1968, $9 contact the Damone Roberts Salon for purchase. 3) Chanel in Jade, $25, in stores in October. 4) Orly in Enchanted Forest, $7.50, in stores and online in September. 5) OPI in Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow, $8.
The other hot trend in nails is matte polish. This is a love it or hate it kind of thing. Some people love the look of matte nails, while others live for a shiny finish. Instead of buying a whole bottle of matte polish, try a matte top coat so you can play around with shades you already own. Here are the best matte polishes. The Essie and Rescue top coats are the most matte, while the Nubar and Orly give more of a buffed finished, which is great for the matte shy!
1. Essie Matte About You, $10.
2. Rescue Beauty Lounge Matte Top Coat, $18.
3. Nubar V For Men Matte Finish Nail Protector, $9
4. Orly Matte Top, $5 Limited Quantities!
How many of these trends will you be trying? Both, one or neither? Let us know!
OPI España Collection
I happened across the new OPI España collection in the store yesterday (it's release day) and just had to post them for you to see!
Top Row: Barefoot in Barcelona, Can You Tapas This?, Give Me Moor!, Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow, and Manicurist of Seville
Bottom Row: Pink Flamenco, No Spain No Gain, Ate Berries in the Canaries, Pamplona Purple, Conquistadorable Color, and Bullish on OPI
Check out the pics I snapped:.jpg)
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What do 'ya think? Is it Brown Bombshell worthy?Polish of the Moment: Sephora by OPI in Access 24/7
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I am obsessed with nail polish and love to keep up with all the latest, on-trend colors. So, I've decided to share my polish obsession with all of you in a new feature called Polish of the Moment! Once or twice a week I'll feature whatever nail color I'm wearing at the moment so you'll be able to try before you buy, so to speak.
I purchased several OPI by Sephora polishes in hot summer shades, so I'll be featuring those in the coming days. Our first Polish of the Moment color is Sephora by OPI in Access 24/7, $9.
I apologize for the crappy iPhone pic (get it together, Steve Jobs!). Access 24/7 is a creamy hot pink that looks great on brown skin!
What do you think? Are hot pink tips in your future?
Jin Soon for MAC Fall 2009
MAC is really killing it with their collections lately. This fall they're upping their nail polish game and are releasing a collection of polishes created by nail guru Jin Soon Choi.
Jin Soon's lush nail spa is located in NYC's West Village, and is frequented by celebs and chic Manhattanites alike (Sarah Jessica Parker, anyone?). Jin Soon can also be seen season after season, polishing the tips of models before they strut down the runway at NYC Fashion Week. Needless to say, she's the right woman to create a slick and trendy line of lacquers for MAC.
The collection consists of six shades, and will be released August 27th in the States, and in 
September internationally. Check it out (I'm all over Dry Martini!)!
Source: Temptalia
Beauty Review: Kiss Everlasting French Nails
So, I've been trying different ways to do my nails at home, because maintaining my gel overlays was costing me a small fortune.
Like me, you've probably seen those Kiss Everlasting French commercials on TV more than a few times (I swear I can't get that song out of my head!). Well, that clever jingle got to me and I decided to try out some of these "ever glam, ever easy, ever natural" nails!
I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! Now, I am not one for french tips (they're not the most natural-looking style out there), but I was game to try them out.
They were super easy to apply, but the key to getting the most natural
appearance is in the application of the glue. I found that if you apply exactly one drop in the center of the Kiss nail, and one drop in the center of your nail, the glue will spread evenly.
I can be pretty tough on my nails, but these tips hung in there for a whole week (Kiss recommends removing them after 7 days)! Only one nail started to lift on the 7th day, so I would definitely give these a A for wear and durability!
I got so many compliments on my nails, people had no idea I was wearing glue-on nails! When I divulged to a co-worker that I was wearing drugstore nails, she couldn't believe it. And, quite frankly, neither could I! I was so impressed I went out and bought some other Kiss nails to try.
If you love salon nails, but are looking to save some cash, give these a try. They look fantastic, the price is right, and the quality is phenomenal!
Would You Use This? Sula Peelable Polish
Okay. So today is clearly nail polish day. Sue me, I've got polish on the brain!
Anywho, when I first heard about there being a line of cosmetics named Sula, my first thought was "Lord, please don't let it have something to do with the Toni Morrison character...". Hey! You never know!
This quirkly little line (with super adorable packaging!) is made up of water-based nail polishes in cute colors that you can peel of when you're ready for a change. No polish remover required! I seem to remember having something like this when I was a little girl, and if my memory serves me correctly, it didn't work too well. Hmmm...
At any rate, would you try this (I'm super tempted)? Did you have peelable polish as a kid?
Zoya Fall Collection 2009
If you've been following my Twitter then you know that I'm totally obsessed with Zoya nail polish. Not only are they "Big 3" free (Toulene, Formaldehyde and DBP), but they come in a ton of fabulous shades.
Amber, my name twin over at Beauty Junkies Unite had the scoop on the new fall collections from Zoya. Out July 15th, the Fall shades are comprised of two collections: Truth and Dare. The Truth collection is made of bright, metallic shades, while the Dare collection is made up of dark, creamy shades.
Check 'em out:
What do you think? Which shades would you try?
Crazy for Nars
I'm crazy for nail polish and these vintage shades recenty re-released from Nars are my latest nail obsession. I'm dying to get my hands on Hunger (a creamy orange red) and Cha Cha Cha (a citrusy gold).
Pretty fab, huh?
-- Sent From My iPhone
Revlon Fruitful Temptations Scented Nail Polish
Hey ladies! I picked up Revlon's new Fruitful Temptations Nail Polish in Passionate Fruit over the weekend and gave myself a manicure. I have to say I am loving this nail polish!
I'm typically an OPI loyalist, and dabble in shades from Essie from time and time, but Revlon often turns out shades that catch my eye, and this is one of them! Passionate Fruit is the perfect transitional shade going into spring. It gives brown skin a nice punch of color without going over the deep end into super-bright summer shades (check out the pic below).
The wildest thing about this new collection is that it's scented! Its been three days since I applied Passionate Fruit and it still has a faint sweet, berry scent. Trust me, its very subtle, and makes for a more enjoyable manicure.
I'm going to pick up one of the coral shades next, and you should definitely give these a shot!
DIY Beauty! Part I: Custom Nail Polish
With the economy in limbo, it can seem pretty frivolous dropping loads of cash on beauty treatments. But you can't let your looks go, can you? No! So, I've searched high and low for some Do-It-Yourself alternatives to those pricey treatments you get in salons and spas, and I'll be posting them here for the next week. Here we go!
Nails
Who needs $23 Chanel nail polish when you can create your own custom nail polish at home? After all, custom cosmetics are the ultimate beauty luxury. There's just something about knowing that no one else is wearing the same shade as you! Well, you can treat your nails this exclusivity by creating your own nail polish on the cheap with this recipe I found over at Spa Girls Guide. Here's what you'll need:
- 1 paper envelope
- 1 bottle of white nail polish. Try N.Y.C. Quick Dry Nail Polish in Little Italy, $2.
- Eyeshadow (try a cheap brand from the drugstore or an old shade you don't wear anymore)
- Crumble some or all of the eyeshadow into the envelope. Make sure there are no lumps!
- Snip a corner off the envelope to make a tiny funnel.
- Slowly pour the powdered eyeshadow into the nail and stir until you reach your desired color.
- Though I'm normally against shaking polish (It creates bubbles, so its better to roll the bottle between your palms), you may want to shake in this case to make sure the color is distributed evenly.
- Paint your nails as usual!
Beauty News: Mani-Pedi Meltdown
The NY Times recently reported the lengths women are going to stretch out their manicures. Some are switching from acrylics and other artificial nails to cheaper, regular manicures, while others are opting for lighter shades of polish that show less chips, allowing them to go longer between touch ups. While these budget-savvy beauties are finding ways to afford their trips to the nail salon, salon owners are none to happy about the hit to their bottom line. Check the article out here.
I've resisted regular manicures at salons for the longest. I spend more on top notch products, but I save more on the service by doing my nails at home. Have you had to cut back on your mani-pedi's during this economic downturn?
P.S. For some mani-pedi myth busting from the NY Times, click here.
Beverly Hills, Here I Come!
I saw the most gorgeous shade of nail polish while in Beauty Brands the other day. I was headed for the flat irons, but Essie Nail Polish in Love, Beverly Hills stopped me dead in my tracks. It's the most amazing shade of luscious candy-apple red with the perfect hints of gold to look stunning on brown skin. The picture just doesn't do it justice! It so happens that the gold undertones come from the 24Karat gold the polish is infused with. At $18 it's double the normal price of Essie polish, so I left it there without hesitation. But it's just too good to pass up! I think I'll be going back to pick this up(I may post some swatches of it to the blog over the weekend).
