Barielle Do Unto Others and Buddha-ful

I was honored to be one of the bloggers chosen to review selections from Barielle's Summer 2011 Karma Kollection of Shades as well as their Nail Strengthener Cream. I was able to select three polishes from the collection and I chose *Do Unto Others, which they describe as a "blue/green jelly cream", *Buddha-ful, a "beige with soft baby pink, blue and light gray foil" and Positive ZEN-ergy, a "warm mossy green with silver shimmer." Today I will be featuring the first two colors (*Positive ZEN-ergy and *Nail Strengthener Cream reviews will be coming soon). I began by applying a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote. Next, I applied two coats of Do Unto Others. Here it is indoors with flash:

and outdoors:

Next, I applied a coat of Buddha-ful to my thumb. I guess I expected it to be more sheer than it was but it was exactly as described, definitely a strong beige. I removed Do Unto Others from my ring finger, re-applied the Rejuvacote, and followed with three coats of Buddha-ful. Here you can see how it looks layered over my thumb and by itself over my ring finger both indoors:

and outdoors:

This was my first experience with Barielle and I found the formulas easy to work with. As I said, I used two coats of Do Unto Others, which was plenty for nice opacity, and three coats of Buddha-ful, which is much more sheer, though certainly pigmented. I know I will wear the heck out of Do Unto Others. It's SO my style, being a huge fan of blues and greens. I definitely would NOT categorize it as a jelly though. For me, this is a true cream. I really love it! Buddha-ful, on the other hand, is quite lovely but I'm not particularly a "neutral" kind of girl where polish is concerned. I can see others loving it, though. This was also my first experience with a flakie and I can see why so many people love them. I just wish the "flakiness" read better on camera. (My photography skills WILL improve, I hope.) I'm really looking forward to reviewing Positive ZEN-ergy and the Nail Strengthener Cream in the days to come and, of course, trying more Barielle goodies.

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

Press Release - Color Club PRIDE Collection

COLOR CLUB LAUNCHES PRIDE: Raise Your Hand if You Believe in Life in Color

New York, NY – July 2011 - What makes us proud: Being bold. Making a statement. Living life to the fullest. Equality for all. From New York-based Color Club, the new PRIDE Collection—vibrant polishes in every color of the rainbow, from red to violet—captures what it means to live your life in color and express your true self (or just your mood du jour). Seven formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, and paraben-free shades celebrate equality with cheeky names like “Not Just for Kelly, Green” and “Boys Wear Blue,” while a portion of proceeds from the sale of the collection benefit New York-based AIDS-related charities. Life comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and preferences. At the very least, shouldn’t your nail polish?

From left to right: P is for Pride, Polish For All, Dress For The Parade, Not Just For Kelly, Green, Boys Wear Blue, Express Yourself, 0-60 Speedy Topcoat

Ready for the most spirited manicure in town? The PRIDE Collection is available at shopcolorclub.com.

ABOUT COLOR CLUB

Color Club is a nail polish brand developed by Forsythe Cosmetic Group.  Founded in 1979, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group is a New York-based cosmetic company widely regarded worldwide as a pioneer within the professional beauty industry. A global brand with products represented in more than 95 countries, Forsythe was one of the first companies to recognize and address the needs of the professional nail salon, a new phenomenon at the time. Rather quickly, the Forsythe name became synonymous with excellent, performance-proven products available in a diverse range of eye-catching shades. Today, more than three decades later, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group remains a vanguard in the beauty business by constantly introducing new concepts and elevating industry standards. Forsythe manufactures every product it offers, a practice that ensures superior color-matching quality control and the ability to respond quickly to consumer demands for the latest and most exciting trends in nail color, nail treatments and lip color. Color Club products are available at www.shopcolorclub.com

Buy “Pride” collection here

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I am so excited about this collection!  In case you hadn't gathered by now, I am always in favor of companies supporting charitable causes and I am absolutely in favor of equality.  Love is love, baby!

Press Release - Color Club OCRF Limited Edition Collection

*COLOR CLUB DEBUTS LIMITED EDITION NAIL POLISH COLLECTION FOR OCRF*

OCRF and Super Saturday Teal to Benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

New York, NY – July 2011 Color Club, a New York based cosmetic brand specializing in nail and lip products announced today a limited edition nail polish collection developed exclusively for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF).  The new shades – OCRF and Super Saturday Teal – are sophisticated yet playful teal blue shades created exclusively for OCRF and Super Saturday 14. The polishes will be available beginning in July 2011 as part of the OCRF Super Saturday 14 event and sold though September 2011, which is Ovarian Cancer Research month. The polishes are available on www.shopcolorclub.com and 10% of all proceeds will benefit OCRF. Color Club is also the official nail sponsor of Super Saturday 14 and will be offering manicures and nail art at the event on July 30, 2011 in the Hamptons.

Color Club is renowned for its high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. All nail colors are vegan, Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben-free - and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials. Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com.

Super Saturday Teal (right)

OCRF Teal (left)

ABOUT COLOR CLUB

Color Club is a nail polish brand developed by Forsythe Cosmetic Group.  Founded in 1979, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group is a New York-based cosmetic company widely regarded worldwide as a pioneer within the professional beauty industry. A global brand with products represented in more than 95 countries, Forsythe was one of the first companies to recognize and address the needs of the professional nail salon, a new phenomenon at the time. Rather quickly, the Forsythe name became synonymous with excellent, performance-proven products available in a diverse range of eye-catching shades. Today, more than three decades later, the Forsythe Cosmetic Group remains a vanguard in the beauty business by constantly introducing new concepts and elevating industry standards. Forsythe manufactures every product it offers, a practice that ensures superior color-matching quality control and the ability to respond quickly to consumer demands for the latest and most exciting trends in nail color, nail treatments and lip color.

Purchase Super Saturday colors to benefit OCRF here

For additional information on OCRF please visit OCRF.org

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Press Release - Lex Cosmetics

Lucky Girls, a campaign that utilizes film and social media to raise funds and awareness for the Theotokos Girl's Orphanage in India, and Lex Cosmetics, a crowd-sourcing based cosmetics company, are teaming up to release a new nail polish color that will benefit the Theotokos Girl's Orphanage. Lex Cosmetics will donate up to $3 from each bottle sold to the orphanage.

"I would have never put nail polish and philanthropy in the same sentence until I heard about Lex Cosmetics and their wonderful philosophy of giving back! Approximately $3 can support one girl daily at the orphanage, so just one bottle can make a huge impact on our girls," say Christiana Thanos, the leader of the Lucky Girls campaign and producer of the Lucky Girls movie (www.theluckygirlsmovie.com)
"Christiana has done tremendous work for the Theotokos Girl's Orphanage. Her use of media and her cause are so well-aligned with Lex Cosmetics, there was no question that we should work together."

You can purchase "Lucky Girls" nail polish at www.lexcosmetics.com

I love the idea of combining polish with charitable endeavors! Yay!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects - Review

The kind folks at Sally Hansen sent me some of their Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips to review for you. This particular design is called *Check, Please!, and my eye gravitated towards it immediately as my hubby, a born and bred California boy, is a lifelong fan of Vans checked sneakers. (In fact, he even wore a pair to our wedding. But I digress.) The strips come 16 to a pack and are packaged with a wooden cuticle stick and a mini combination nail file/buffer and, of course, detailed instructions. They suggest you begin with prep, which consists of the the basics, make sure your nails are completely free of polish, clean and dry, filed, buffed, etc.

I followed these instructions to the letter and here are my nails as they appeared prior to application (please forgive me, they're awfully yellow. In fact, you're lucky I'm even showing you this. I'm pretty embarrassed, lol.)

Okay, now that that ugliness is over, on to the actual application. The strips come in a variety of sizes, ideally designed to provide the optimal fit for every nail, but more about that later. They come with clear plastic coverings, which you remove, then you peel the actual strip from the backing paper to apply. I found it really challenging to find the "perfect" size for each nail which, I'd imagine, is to be expected. There is NO way they could make the perfect out of the box size for everyone. I suppose I could have trimmed some before peeling off the protective covering but honestly, when I eyeballed them, I thought the sizes I matched up to each nail would be just right. Alas, I was wrong. I found a few ended up being a bit too narrow for my nails so you can see a bit of bare nail on the side. That is my fault completely but it is frustrating. I also had a difficult time lining up the strips exactly in the center of my nails. I found them a bit challenging to work with (particularly when using my non-dominant left hand to apply to my right) and a few of my strips ended up with small creases. I tried SO hard to be meticulous with my application and it took me about an hour to get all ten nails prepped and stripped, for lack of a better word, but I had a tough time with them. Here is a shot of all my completed left hand nails:

You can probably see on my index finger where the strip creased a little and on my middle finger where the strip tore a bit. Here's another shot where you can see that the pinky finger strip was a bit too narrow for my nail (again, my fault, but it LOOKED like it would fit. It's hard to judge when you can't completely wrap the strip around the nail before applying.)

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not panning these strips. I'm just relaying my own personal experience with them. They, like everything else, have their pros and cons and I would imagine, with practice, application would become easier. Overall, here are my thoughts:
PROS: great designs, a nice alternative for folks who (like me) have a difficult time with nail art, long-lasting. I used these as directed, without topcoat, and they lasted a full week with only minor cracking and one small chip. (The packaging indicates that they are designed to last up to 10 days and very well might.)
CONS: challenging to center, crease easily
I'm certainly willing to give these another try in the future. Again, as is the case with most things, one's abilities improve with practice and I'm sure that will be the case for me, too. Plus, once you do get them on, they look REALLY cool!  If you have tried this product, do let me know what you think.

UPDATE:  As of today, July 27, the strips are holding up quite well.  I have fine thin "cracks" in two nails but honestly, I showed my nails to my husband and he couldn't even see them.  :)

UPDATE:  Aside from some more hairline cracks and a small chip in one nail, these strips are STILL looking good as of today, July 30.  I will be removing them (as directed, with regular nail polish remover) either today or tomorrow, not because they don't still look great, not because I'm sick of them, simply because I have SO many other polishes I'm eager to show you.  I am definitely more impressed with this product than I initially thought and honestly, I think that any "negative" thoughts would be remedied by my improved abilities with application.  Here's a shot of them today:

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

So...About That Kitten Thing...

I kept waiting for someone to ask why I refer to you as "kittens" but, alas, nobody has.  I am certainly one for the theory that, as the brilliant Carrie Fisher once wrote, "Instant gratification takes too long."  Therefore, I'm going to tell you, anyway.  I am a cat lover.  The only pets I have ever had (aside from a random fish or hermit crab, sadly, never long for this world in my care), have been cats.  We got our first when I was 12, an orange tabby that we, oh so creatively, named Garfield.

We lost him, under awful circumstances, when I was 18 and for many years after, we never had another cat.  Then, when I went through what was, at the time, my worst life experience, the break up of my engagement and first relationship EVER, I spiraled into a depression that was especially deep for me (and considering that I am at a baseline level of depression every day, this was bad).  At that point in time, I KNEW I needed an animal in my life again and decided on April 4, Easter Sunday, of 1999 that come hell or high water, I was going to find my new best friend that very day and I did.  Through a series of challenging circumstances, that was the day I met the next love of my life, a furry gray, black and white tabby I named Spencer.  

Sydney joined my family in December of 2004 and what a difference 5 years make.  By that point, my husband (yeah, can you believe it) and I had re-located to Florida and Spencer was remaining in New York with my mom for the time being.  We drove, three of us (hubby, Mom and I) in a completely packed Toyota Camry from New York to Florida and thought it best not to subject my sweet and very sensitive Spencer to two days in the car.  Mom was planning to fly down in March for a visit and we thought it best that Spencer fly down with her.  But, in the meantime, I was longing for furry love.  Thus, we went over to the Humane Society and Sydney chose us.  My hubby was actually leaning more towards a sweet and very loving female cat but me being me, even though I was DESPERATE for a "lap cat" (which I had never had), I said no, we had to take the rambunctious orange tabby (that I suppose, even then, reminded me of my Garfield).  Don't get me wrong, Sydney is TOTALLY his own man.  Curious and frisky (not unlike his namesake, Sydney Bristow, Jennifer Garner's Alias character) but the more time I know him, the more I see similarities to his long lost big brother.  

But I digress (do I ever).  Back to the "kitten" thing.

As I said, I love cats.   But "Kari's Cats" would have been a partial fail, alliteration-wise.  Sure, it would have SOUNDED fine but it wouldn't have LOOKED nearly as cute as "Kari's Kittens" and, for a change, I wanted my ego to rule the day.  However, it also works on other levels.  Kittens are adorable, let's face it.  Even those who are not "cat people" (do such people REALLY exist), like kittens.  Kittens are adorable, playful, frisky, open to new experiences and constantly learning.  I guess that sort of fits how I see us, all passengers on this journey through polish, having fun and learning from each other.  So, please know that when I refer to you as "kittens", these are the sorts of things I have in mind.  Without you, this blog wouldn't mean a whole heck of a lot.  Would I continue to write it?  Probably.  Its been a great cathartic release for me and brings me great joy.  To be perfectly honest, I would likely continue to write it even if nobody read it but me.  But does it matter that you DO read it?  More than you can possibly know.  As a "kid with issues", perhaps most-deeply ingrained being the idea that "nobody likes me", having you wonderful people actually give a damn what I have to say, for whatever reason, is one of the greatest affirmations I have ever received.  It matters, YOU matter, a great deal and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for embarking on, continuing with and, hopefully, enjoying the hell out of the journey we are taking together.  Meow, kittens.  xoxo

Sky Blue Mani - For Eli

Today's mani is, once again, in support of a friend in memory of her son, Eli, who tragically passed away during his infancy. Her sweet boy would have been six months old today and several of her friends and I are showing our love and respect by doing sky blue manis. For my mani, I began with two coats of OPI What's With the Cattitude.

I followed up with a topcoat made by a fellow member of several of my polish groups on Facebook, Lori. Her friends have dubbed it the gLORIous topcoat and she made it by mixing SpectraFlair powder with a Wet n Wild clear topcoat to make a stunning holo topcoat. Here it is indoors:

and outdoors:

This goes out to baby Eli and his mama, with love. xoxo

Scherer Chameleon Blue Sky

I am seriously bummed with this polish.  I found it at Rite Aid during my recent visit to New York (there are, sadly, NO Rite Aids in the entire state of Florida) and  I was overjoyed.  I adore blue and this duochrome blue was absolutely SCREAMING my name when I saw it on the shelf.  This was the first and, to date, only time I've ever seen this brand so it flew into my hand and I took it right home with me (well, I paid for it first, lol).  Here is how it looked after two coats:

Pretty enough, right? Unfortunately, it was really challenging to work with. It was clumpy and thick and quite hard to apply. It took me a while to get a semblance of two nice coats on. I started out with base coat on my thumb, then applied the polish and it was SUPER clumpy. So I took the base off all ten nails and started again. It was still thick, though. Perhaps I got a wonky bottle, anything is possible, but regardless, I was bummed. Sadly, it also began chipping just 12 hours later. Here is a shot of my hand the morning after polishing:

Aside from the chip on my pinky finger, the thumbnail of my right hand had a chip as well. This was after top coating, too. So, yeah, I was disappointed with my first Chameleon experience. I'm not one to throw the baby out with the bath water and I would certainly be willing to try this product again in the future if the opportunity arises for me to find it anywhere since I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to ANY product. It's always possible for one to get the random "dud" bottle. If you have any experience with this brand, do let me know how things went for you!

China Glaze Swing Baby!

Here's a quickie review and pic for you. I was excited to receive *China Glaze Swing Baby several weeks ago and I kept meaning to get it swatched and reviewed for you but just never found an opportunity. A few nights ago, I decided to swatch like crazy and finally got a chance to try this little beauty.
This color is actually sort of hard to describe. It is metallic and falls somewhere in the vague place between gold and copper, maybe with a little bit of bronze thrown in for good measure. I applied two coats and was really pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this color. I tend to shy away from metallic shades other than silver, fearing that they won't work well with my cool skin tone. However, this color was a true winner for me. It's like a cool-toned copper, maybe? I am truly at a loss. Suffice it to say, I love this color and can't wait to wear it again! This was two coats and application was easy as pie, which has consistently been my experience with China Glaze, lately, so yay for that!

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

More Fruit Sprinkles!

So, I decided to venture out of my apartment yesterday (a feat in itself, lately, but that's another story) and decided to take a peek at Walgreens.  As you may or may not know, I've been on a self-imposed polish no-buy for several weeks and have been doing quite well with it.  I've purchased two or three "top coats" but that's about it.  However, I had heard through the polish grapevine that some stores were selling Wet n Wild two-packs featuring one of the "TV Collection", for lack of a better term, polishes along with a free clear top coat.  As you may have read HERE, I've been having some fun making what I call "Fruit Sprinkles" frankens using Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters, clear coats, a bit of white polish and different colored polishes.  I figured if it was a bogo AND I needed both items to franken with, I could justify spending $1.98 on the twin pack, assuming I could find it, which led me to Walgreens.  I looked ALL over in the usual places and was about to give up in defeat when I ventured away from the cosmetics department and found the free-standing display an aisle away.  Woo hoo!  So, I picked up one twin pack and tonight, I decided to create what I call "Grape Sprinkles" to join the rest of the Fruit Sprinkles family.  Here she is with the rest of her fruity clan.

From thumb to pinky they are Strawberry Sprinkles, Lemon Sprinkles, Kiwi Sprinkles, Blueberry Sprinkles and the new baby, Grape Sprinkles. Let me tell you right now, based on my experience with my previous Blueberry Sprinkles mani, these are AWFUL to remove. The chunky glitter will definitely put your polish-removing implement of choice to the test but I think they look so cute that the misery is worth it. This is three coats of each color.

Thanks for peeking and do feel free to comment and share your frankening experiences. I love to hear from all of you!

xoxo

Sally Hansen Reviews

I decided to compile several Sally Hansen swatches and reviews into one post since I was in a swatching frenzy tonight. First up, we have *Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure (SHCSM) in Casting Call. This was two coats. As I've stated before (or, at least, I think I have), SHCSM has my FAVORITE brush to work with. It is wide and rather flat and makes application a breeze. This color is slightly lighter than *Coral Fever (which you'll get a peek at shortly) and it's just a fun peachy color, perfect for the dog days of summer.

Next up, *SHCSM in Paparazzi. As always, it applied smoothly and easily. However, this color was quite sheer after two coats, revealing lots of vnl. I would apply at least one more coat, possibly two, if wearing alone. I think it would give a nice shimmer to other colors if layered and, to be honest, that is more than likely how I will wear it in the future.

As promised, here is *SHCSM in Coral Fever along with *SHCSM Model Behavior. I reviewed these colors previously HERE. However, I wanted to show them when applied alone (two coats) in preparation for how they look beneath one coat of *Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat in Fractured Foil: I am quite a fan of Sally Hansen's Crackles. I find their thin formula quite easy to work with (though, in a perfect world, their brush would be less "traditional" and more wide and flat like their Complete Salon Manicure brushes) and this silver one is definitely my favorite of the three I have tried. I think it looks great over both of these colors and I am really excited to try it over black!

I hope you enjoyed these swatches and reviews. If you have tried any of these products (or plan to), I'd love to hear your opinions of them. Thanks, as always, for reading!

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

Dr.'s REMEDY Summer 2011 Collection

Hi ho, kittens. I am proud to present the *Dr.'s REMEDY 2011 Summer Collection. It consists of five shades, each of which I swatched on one finger for you (as I couldn't decide which one to use first). Starting with the pinky and working left to right, they are *GLEE Gold, *NURTURE Nude Pink, *BOLD Baby Blue, *TRANQUIL Tangerine and *LOVELY Lavender (pictured separately). I would classify each of these shades as "shimmer" with the exception of LOVELY Lavender, which is a true cream. First, the four "shimmer" shades:

Not surprisingly, if you know me at all, BOLD Baby Blue is my favorite of these four. (I am a sucker for all things blue, as I've mentioned throughout this blog, ad nauseum.) It also happens to be the most opaque of the shimmer shades. I applied two coats of each color and the other three would definitely require at least a third coat to achieve true opacity. However, the formula on each was quite thin, which I, personally, LOVE as it makes application SO much easier. NURTURE Nude Pink was less shimmery than the other three but is quite lovely, though quite sheer. As for TRANQUIL Tangerine, to be quite honest, I'm not a huge fan of orange in general but if you are, I'm sure you'd be quite happy with this fun summery shade. As for GLEE Gold, it is definitely out of my color comfort zone but I think it will be fun to use either layered over another color or by itself with an additional coat or two.

LOVELY Lavender is just that, lovely. It is the one cream in this collection and was perfectly opaque in two coats. Again, it was a thin easy-to-work-with formula. It reminds me a bit of Zoya Caitlin, though, perhaps her slightly darker cousin. I know I will use the heck out of this polish as it suits my skin-tone quite well, I think, and it falls into the family of the blue-ish, purple-ish, almost dark periwinkle tones that I've grown quite fond of. It's a great color and ties with BOLD Baby Blue as my favorite in the collection.

I also have to applaud the fact that this brand makes a true concerted effort to keep health in mind in the creation of their polishes. As it says on each bottle: "Take comfort in knowing you no longer have to sacrifice beauty for health and well-being." Who can't stand behind that?

Do let me know what you think of these colors. Which one(s) do you like best?

If you wish, you may "like" Dr.'s REMEDY on Facebook by clicking HERE.

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

Kari Cares - MADD Mani

This will be my second mani for a cause, my first being last month's LGBT mani, which you can view HERE if you so desire. Several friends and I were talking in our polish group about causes and which one we would like to spotlight next. At this time, my new friend, Brittany, suggested the idea of doing manis in support of MADD (Mother's Against Drunk Driving) and shared her own personal story of how a drunk driver impacted her life and the lives of people she loved. Please click HERE if you would like to view her touching video on the subject. Drunk driving has personally impacted my life as well as my husband's mother and brother were tragically killed by a drunk driver over a decade ago. I never had the chance to know them as they were killed before my husband and I met and this is something I will always deeply regret.

My friend, Jeanie, brought the following information to my attention:

**"On July 14, 1984, Congress and President Ronald Reagan enacted legislation that set the national minimum legal drinking age at 21. This year, we celebrate the 27th anniversary of the passage of that lifesaving law.

The 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) has contributed to significant declines in fatalities on and off the road. Nearly 1,000 lives are saved each year by this legislation.

The law has also had an impact on underage drinking, the number one youth drug problem in the United States. Compared to those who wait until age 21, youth who start drinking before age 15 are twelve times more likely to be unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol, seven times more likely to be in a motor vehicle crash after drinking, and ten times more likely to be in a physical fight after drinking."

Therefore, several of us have decided to polish our nails red to show our support of MADD and the hard work they do to prevent drunk driving. For this manicure, I chose to use *China Glaze Phat Santa. This color had been eagerly awaiting review and I thought that it now would be the perfect time to try it. I applied base followed by two coats of Phat Santa, as you can see here: I was very pleased with the smooth application of this lovely deep red shade. This color is quite opaque and shiny and definitely reads darker than your average candy-apple red. The formula was very easy to work with.

I was given a lanyard on my recent trip to NY and I included it in the next shot. It pretty much speaks for itself.

Though polishing one's nails is a small thing, if it makes even one person think about a cause or, even better, keeps someone who has been drinking from getting behind the wheel of a car, it CAN make a difference.
*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

**Information from MADD's website. For more information, visit MADD.

Press Release - Deborah Lippmann - Fall 2011

WARM UP WITH DEBORAH LIPPMANN’S FALL 2011 SHADES

I have worked directly with some of the world’s top fashion designers on everything from ad campaigns to fashion shows. When I set out to select nail looks for the fall 2011 collections, I noticed a common theme among all of my collaborators: warmth. The clothes featured vivid, lush earth tones—think lush greens, rich reds and intense golds.

I wanted to capture a similar heat and earthiness in the accompanying polishes, but with an added punch. BILLIONAIRE, a moody hunter green, BRICK HOUSE, a shimmering rust, and SINGLE LADIES, a flirtatious red, all have warm undertones, which give them a beautiful intensity, but also have a jewel-like quality so they really make nails pop.

SHADE DESCRIPTIONS
Billionaire: moody hunter green (creme)

Brick House: shimmering rust (shimmer)

Single Ladies: flirtatious red (creme)

XOXO,

Deborah

WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com

SpaRitual In Pink Collection

Please meet the lovely ladies of the *SpaRitual In Pink collection for fall 2011. They are *Strength (Diamond Shimmer), *Knowledge (Diamond Glitter) and *Clarity (Diamond Glitter). For my mani, I began with base and added two coats of Strength, as you can see here:

This color is a lovely pink with golden shimmer and is definitely unlike any other polish I own. Not that I wasn't thrilled with this color alone but I was eager to try out the rest of the collection so I added a coat of Knowledge to my thumb, middle finger and pinky and a coat of Clarity to my index and ring fingers, as seen here: Knowledge is a beautiful holo(!) glitter and Clarity is a true pink glitter. Both are stunning. I wouldn't necessarily suggest wearing them alone, though you could, but their bases are clear so I will definitely be using them more as toppers for other colors. (I cannot WAIT to try them over black!) Here is a shot of all the SpaRitual fall collection colors on my nail wheel (the In Pink collection is on the right): Overall, I am not only delighted with the beauty of these colors but I am overjoyed to know that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these colors will be donated to Cancer Schmancer, a charity created by actress Fran Drescher to benefit breast cancer causes. Breast cancer is a cause close to my heart as several of my family members have been affected by it. I take part in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, run by the American Cancer Society, every fall and have for over a decade. Knowing that this company supports such a worthy charity makes me love these colors all the more. Please, let me know your thoughts.

*Disclosure: Where indicated by an asterisk, the product(s) in this post were provided to me by the company for review. Please click HERE for further information.

Press Release - China Glaze Metro Collection

URBAN EDGINESS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

China Glaze Introduces 12 New Purely Pigmented Crèmes, High Coverage Glitters and Intense Shine Shimmers for Fall 2011

Los Angeles, CA – (April 2011): City living boasts excitement, a cool, edginess and confidence that oozes from fashion forward women like none other. City loving celebs like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ivanka Trump, Rosario Dawson and Jaime King have style to spare and their fashion sense trickles down to everyone from working women to college kids. This Fall, China Glaze has captured the big city feel in 12 sexy, sophisticated shades that are on trend, exciting and will be on every fashion maven’s “must have” list. Whether you prefer downtown funk or uptown class, China Glaze’s METRO collection pulls together ensembles and will undoubtedly make heads turn! Colors in this collection include:

· Skyscraper: A sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of the sky over the city.
· CG in the City: Glittering dusty purple, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter, perfect for a pop of edge from West side to East side.

· Urban-Night: Exactly what you need for a night on the town – rich purple crème.
· Traffic Jam: Stop traffic with a breathtaking, raspberry pink crème.

· City Siren: The perfect deep, red crème to match any outfit.
· Loft-y Ambitions: Burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour – nothing better.
· Brownstone: Burnt terracotta crème mirrors the quaint townhouses of the city.
· Midtown Magic: Burgundy base with flecks of gold shimmer captures the latest fashion trend.
· Street Chic: This gorgeous beige crème is the perfect go to shade letting your clothes do the talking.
· Concrete Catwalk: Steel grey crème is amazing for a chic mani.
· Westside Warrior: For the trendsetting woman this camo green crème is to die for.
· Trendsetter: Mustard yellow shimmer translates beautifully from hot dogs to nails.

Fall in the City is a magnificent time and China Glaze has interpreted the hues of the urban jungle into their limited edition METRO collection. Escape your everyday and indulge in the city life!

The China Glaze METRO collection will be available in a “Downtown” 6 piece box collection (includes Skyscraper, Concrete Catwalk, Westside Warrior, Trendsetter, Loft-y Ambitions and Midtown Magic), an “Uptown” 6 piece box collection (includes CG in the City, Urban-Night, Traffic Jam, City Siren and Street Chic and Brownstone), a brand new, amazing 3D 12 piece counter display, a 36 piece rack display, and as open stock colors.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women. Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.