Kari Cares - Mental Health Awareness Month 2012

I'm not sure whether or not I've ever mentioned it on this blog before but I suffer from clinical depression.  Though I was formally diagnosed at age 18, it is something that has plagued me my entire life.  It baffles me how, in 2012, there is still such a stigma attached to mental illness and I hope that this admission, in some small way, eases the burden so many face when dealing with their own mental disorders.  There should be no shame, no fear, but sadly, for many, this is still not the case.  It took me many years to come to terms with what is a constant problem in my life, something that I will never be cured from, something that haunts me every day of my life but it is something one CAN live with.  Some days are easier than others, that's for sure, and some days I really wonder if I can keep on keeping on, as they say, but I do, somehow.  That is why mental health awareness month holds such significance for me, personally.  Many of my friends and family members suffer from their own mental illnesses, to varying degrees, and it is for them, and for myself, that I share this pedi with you.

This is two coats of Nubar Reclaim, my favorite polish, in the bright sunlight, where it truly shines.

Green is the color of mental health awareness and I will try to feature some green manis this month as well.  However, I decided to start with a pedi as I find that they last much longer and I'm hoping to maintain green toenails, in some way, shape or form, all month long.  

I'll close this by saying that I really truly hope that if any of you reading this suffer from a mental illness yourselves that you have someone to share with, be that a spouse, partner, sibling, parent, friend, teacher, therapist - anyone who cares about you and can be a supportive listener.  Do not be ashamed to ask for help.  We are all worthy of at least that much.  

xoxo,

K

Kari Cares - Autism Awareness Mani

I'd like to share with you a special mani I did a few weeks ago in honor of autism awareness month.  It was entered in a contest on my friend Jessica's blog Luv My Lacquer which was judged yesterday, which is why I couldn't share it before now.  I never expected to win and I did not, but a very beautiful mani did, which you can see if you click the link above.  It was really my honor to make this small gesture for such a worthy cause and I was very happy to do it.  Here it is:

I wrote down all of the colors I used when I first did the mani but, alas, I have lost that scrap of paper (along with most of my mind but that, kittens, is another story).  I am fairly certain that the colors were all Zoyas and Sally Hansens though, for what it's worth.  This was one of those times (though, honestly, there are many) that I was THRILLED to be crazy for blue as these polishes certainly came in handy.  If I ever find that lost scrap or regain the use of my feeble brain, I will definitely update this post with that information.  I just wanted to make sure I shared it with you before autism awareness month passed us by for another year.  Of course, it's a cause we should keep dear to our hearts all year round.  Thanks for looking!

xoxo,
K

Kari Cares - Breast Cancer Awareness

Hi ho, kittens!  Here is my pink manicure for breast cancer awareness.  For this mani, I used two Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes from the limited edition fall 2011 line, *Ballet Rouges and *Courtesan.

I used two coats of Ballet Rouges on all but my ring finger and two coats of Courtesan for my ring finger accent nail.  As these are Complete Salon Manicure polishes, I did not use top or base coat.  I was quite happy with the opacity of these polishes after two coats and, as I've stated ad nauseum, I adore the CSM wide flat brushes.  For me, they make application so much quicker and easier than typical more rounded brushes.  Though, as I've also stated in previous blog entries, I am not a huge fan of pink as a general rule, I thought that these two pinks were quite lovely.  For this important cause, I was more than happy to "think pink."  

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

xoxo,

K

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

Kari Cares - Ovarian Cancer Awareness

Welcome to September which is, among other things, Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. I am proud to show my support for this worthy cause by joining many of my friends and fellow bloggers by wearing Diamond Cosmetics Don't Teal My Heart Away polish in support of the Teal Toes campaign (teal being the color for Ovarian Cancer Awareness). For more information on Teal Toes, you may click HERE to visit their facebook page. Here is a picture of the bottle, a gift from my generous friend, George, complete with teal ribbon on the neck.

I applied a base and top coat of Gelous and, in between, two coats of Don't Teal My Heart Away, as you can see here.

My intention is to keep my toes teal for the entire month of September. Aside from the cause being so important, this also happens to be a beautiful color, perfect for someone like me who adores blue and green. If this cause speaks to your heart, I'd love to hear stories of your teal toes, fingers, clothing or anything else you decide to "teal up" in support of this cause.

xoxo,
K

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.

Kari Cares - LGBT Month Rainbow Skittle Manicure

Today's mani holds a special place in my heart as it was done to show my support for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender) month. A few weeks ago, a friend pointed out that June was LGBT month and suggested that we create special manis to signify this and show our support. I immediately decided that a rainbow skittle mani would be perfect. Another friend chose today, June 17, as the date for fellow polish friends, fans and bloggers to create and share our special manis. Here is mine: From thumb to pinky I used *Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure (SHCSM) in Runway Red-y, *Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Coral Fever, China Glaze Lemon Fizz, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Mint Sprint and *Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Model Behavior. I used two coats of each color, no base or top coat, as the SHCSM polishes were designed to be used alone as they incorporate the benefits of Base Coat, Strengthener, Growth Treatment, Color and Top Coat all in one bottle. I decided to be consistent and use the other two types of polish alone as well to see how they hold up in comparison. I have to say, I was surprised initially by the unusually wide brushes in the Sally Hansen polishes and wasn't sure if I'd like them but wow, what an innovative and awesome idea. It made application really easy, basically three swipes down each nail and the color was nicely distributed. Each of the five colors I used was opaque in two coats, though the China Glaze was a little bit patchy. Lemon Fizz was, by far, the palest shade I used so that may account for the patchiness. It wasn't enough to bother me and I'm sure a third coat would have evened it out completely. Overall, I'm really pleased with each of these colors. I'm excited to see how the manicure holds up as I've been pretty religious about base and top coating lately.

As I said, this manicure is quite special to me because of what it represents. I hope it expresses, in some small way, my support for the right to love freely, safely and without fear or shame. I hope that as we as human beings evolve, we learn to embrace our differences and to love and let love. <3

*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.