25 November, 2010 - What's the most you'd pay for nail polish? $40 for the latest Chanel number? Or do you draw the line at twenty bucks? How about $133,130? That's about what this Models Own Gold Rush bottle costs.The shimmering metallic shade doesn't have actual gold in the formula, but the outside is dripping with the real thing—along with 1,118 inlaid diamonds, too. Depending on your preferences, you'll find it either gorgeous or gaudy. We're not sure what team we're on. But, back to the cost.

The £83,000 bottle is available at British jeweller Frost of London, but a £5 "ready to wear" version of the polish launches in December. Which would you prefer: the couture or RTW polish? Check out these other gold picks, too.



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I've put off doing this blog due to the wacky weather we've been having in California.
I've been trying to hold on to this second chance of summer we were given. However as it was raining cats and dogs last night I put that aside and decided to finally embrace fall. However, I did just get my hands on Essie's Sew Psyched, so that should be a great transition. So here are three of the hottest nail trends for fall, and some nail polish options that won't chip away at your bank account.

Glitters & Metallics:

Other great colors would be glitter golds and silvers. Also try throwing on a coat of glitter polish on top of a polish color you already own for a little more depth. It's a fun look for holiday parties.

Colors Shown: Love & Beauty Bright Lights and Desert Sunset $3 Forever21; Hard Candy Lime Glitter $5 Walmart.com


Neutrals & Earth Tones:

These colors are more my speed (I own all three and they are awesome!) Other great colors to try are tones of taupe, pale nudes and warm chocolate colors.

Colors shown: Rimmel London Steel Grey $4, any local drug store; Essie Sew Psyched $8 Essie.com; Love & Beauty Brick $3 Forever21.com


Jewel Tones:


These colors bring the drama. These rich bold colors are a great break from the neon colors of summer but still offer that pop of color. Other great shades to try are purple hues and teals and firey oranges.


Colors shown: Love & Beauty Midnight Sky $3 Forever21, China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald, $6 Ulta.com, Revlon Plum Seduction $4 any local drugstore.

What are some of your favorite nail colors for this season??

Nov 24 2010 - Avoid the stew of toxic stuff in conventional nail polish, and try a new, water-based product that gives you color without the worrying chemicals. Many health-conscious environmentalists go out of their way to avoid chemicals like BPA — but still apply hazardous chemicals directly onto their bodies. Yes, I’m talking about nail polish. Though many companies have taken the worst three ingredients — formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) — out of their formulations, the remaining stew of chemicals in the bottles are still dangerous enough that cities collect nail polish at household hazardous waste sites.

But nail polish that really is safer for you is on the market. On the heels of Acquarella comes another water-based nail polish line: Scotch Naturals. The adult version of Hopscotch Kids, the non-toxic nail polish for children, Scotch nail polishes rank a “low risk” 1-2 on Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic safety database Skin Deep.

Though Scotch nail polishes really don’t look any different, you’ll actually be able to tell Scotch is not like conventional nail polishes as soon as you crack open the bottle — because you won’t be greeted with the stench of chemicals. Instead, the polish, if sniffed up close, smells a bit like crayons!

And the nail polish looks great too. I’ve long since quit painting my fingernails — The almost instantaneous chipping that begins after a manicure completely defeats the purpose of trying to pretty up the nails with polish in the first place — but I usually keep my toenails polished, and Scotch does the job well.

Scotch nail polish, in liquid form, is a little thinner than those of conventional brands — so make sure you don’t have too much polish on the brush when you give yourself a mani-pedi. The thin liquid’s full of fun color though! The usual two coats will give your nails full color coverage — with a little shine to boot.

The only minor inconvenience of using Scotch nail polish is that the stuff takes a little longer to take off. Scotch makes its own, better-for-your-health nail polish remover, which is great because it too won’t assault your nose with chemicals, but which works a bit slower. Oddly, the remover actually foams a little when I try to use it, which makes it difficult for the cotton ball to soak up all the used-up nail polish. It’s a small price to pay for green beauty though. Expect a 5-minute clean-up job for all 10 nails.

Want pretty polish for the holidays? Scotch has a 3-pack deal going on. Three colors of your choice, a bottle of remover, and a nail buffer can be yours for $47.99. IMHO, that should be enough polish to get you through all of 2011.
source: www.mnn.com

A mani-pedi always sounds like a good idea. But how can you be sure that your nail salon is a safe and sanitary place—both to work and to be pampered?

Well, if you live in beautiful San Francisco, you’re in luck: last month the city’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the first healthy nail salon recognition ordinance. According to the statute, the city will publicly commend salons that volunteer to stop using nail polish containing the toxins DBP, formaldehyde and toluene.

These hazardous chemicals, known as the Toxic Trio, are closely associated with cancer, birth defects and asthma, which is why you may have heard it’s best to skip manicures altogether when you’re pregnant.

But what about salon employees who are exposed to these scary chemicals day after day, year after year?

Fortunately, 74 percent of polishes on the market are already made without the Toxic Trio; they’re often advertised as “three-free.” Some of the bigger “three-free” manufacturers include Hard Candy, Sally Hansen, OPI, Revlon, and Chanel. The popular Essie brand is a notable exception: its polishes still include all three nasty chemicals. Download a complete list of which brands are “three-free” and which aren’t.

The ordinance hasn’t yet gone into effect; in the meantime, San Francisco locals should check out Nova Nail Spa, one of the city’s first green salons. According to Nova's website, every aspect of the spa’s design “from the insulation to the flooring materials to the pedicure seats to the plaster on the walls to the lighting is either non-toxic, energy efficient, rapidly renewable or recycled.” Naturally, all of their treatments and products are 100 percent natural, too.

The rest of us, who don’t call the Bay Area home, can still get green nails with an at-home manicure. In addition to choosing a nontoxic nail polish, look for a paraben-free lotion and soy-based polish remover, all of which are available at most drug stores (Whole Foods and other natural food shops will carry a larger selection).