So, what’s hot for Halloween nails?

Sephora

The easiest thing, obviously, is to, well, fake it. Dashing Diva’s Design Nails on the Go, available at Sephora, are TOTALLY cute – as in black with skulls! – but are natural-looking press-ons, meaning you don’t have to commit to them, at all. (And can have them even i you have short stubby nails.)

Of course, something to remember…if you are going for a non-skull-sympathetic costume (like, say, a nun) – you won’t want to choose this design.

I’m going to be Glenda the Good tomorrow, and I’m aiming for a shimmery pink – last year, I was more of a castaway starlet, and went for the palest peach. Your nails should reflect the rest of your look, or it’d just look like a…costume. And a not very good one at that.

We can’t have that, now, can we?

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This weekend, the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve was also seen bright purple polish on her nails in all her scenes of the hit film “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

Gigi, played by Ginnifer Goodwin, a self-professed fan of purple and blue lacquers in real life, sports a few different versions of the regal color as she looks for romance. This made me an instant fan: I, myself, wear purple nail polish all the time, and like to think I may have started a bit of a trend of it locally. (OK, maybe not, but the girl at my nail salon said I had really awesome taste.)

In the movie, a bright grape-y hue alternates with a romantic mauve to compliment Gigi’s wardrobe of short plaid coats, strapless dresses and black tights. And what better way to wield the lilac-pink trimline phone she practically wills to ring, or the promotional pen that becomes an unlikely token of courtship in the story?

If you are looking to emulate her look (if not  her romanticized view of life) Nailtini offers a virtual bouquet pretty purples including Parfait Amour, Grappa, and Pink Lady.

Image: Nailtini

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STEP 1: Use a non-acetone/natural nail polish remover such as ORLY’s Gentle Formula Nail Polish Remover to remove any existing lacquer from nails. File nails with a glass file as this expertly and gently shapes while preparing the nail for polish.

STEP 2: Soak feet in a tub of hot, soapy water and add ORLY’s Refreshing Citrus Foot Soak – soak feet for at least 10 minutes. Using ORLY’s Pearl Silk Sugarcane Foot & Leg Scrub, scrub feet lightly to remove rough areas and/or calluses. Wipe feet dry with a soft cotton towel, but make sure to leave cuticles moist.

STEP 3: Apply a generous amount of ORLY’s Island Balm Ultimate Strength Foot Crème a few inches above the ankles and massage into feet – concentrating on heels and any other problem areas.

STEP 4: Use ORLY’s Cuticle Therapy Creme on cuticles to condition and moisturize. Gently push the cuticles back with a cotton-wrapped cuticle pusher or orange stick and be sure to wipe excess oil or cream off the nails with non-acetone nail polish remover.

STEP 5: Use 3 Free formulas (meaning free of DBP and all traces of Toluene and Formaldehyde) to protect nails from harmful, damaging chemicals. Base coats and top coats are crucial in ensuring long-lasting results. Start with ORLY’s Bonder as a base coat to prep the nails for polish, after the base coat has dried, apply two thin coats of the lacquer and finish with ORLY’s Sec ‘N Dry top coat. A few days later, apply ORLY’s Glosser to nails to add shine and longevity to the color.

HIPP TIP: Keep a bottle of ORLY’s Cuticle Oil + with you at all times – especially in the car. Women tend to notice their nail condition/cuticle dryness when their hands are on the wheel. Healthy, moisturized cuticles immediately make nails look more beautiful!

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The HandSpa is designed exclusively to plump up hands and diminish fine lines and the appearance of veins on the backs of hands.

It looks like a nail dryer and emits red and amber lights to combat aging skin and uses Revitalight’s world-renowned intense LED photopulsation.

Used by itself or in conjunction with creams or serums, it helps reduce wrinkles and smoothes skin, producing more youthful hands after only a few 10 minute sessions.

A girl can never be too prepared…so I’m going to attempt a few test sessions and see what happens. What do you all think of this?

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As I was growing up, one of my mom’s and mine favorite weekend activities was getting our nails done together. Now that geography and schedule doesn’t allow this to happen very often, it has become a rare treat – but I still go to have my own done as often as I can. (i.e.: Last week, before leaving for my press trip, I chose a mani and pedi over packing, doing my work, or cooking dinner.)

As we get closer to the holiday season, having picture-perfect nails is even more important. Dashing Diva’s renowned nail tech Alisha Rimando, who has won several US awards for her professional nail creations has some tips to get us started.

Add a sizzling affect to any party ready manicure by applying 2 coats of either of chic black or winter white and then use a silver or gold polish for a festive accent. See below Alisha’s three favorite holiday nail looks:

Black Polish with Faded Gold French

How to apply: For this dramatic faded look, use the silver or gold polish sparingly half way down the nail to the tip. Wait to dry, then apply another coat just to the tip of the nail.

White Polish with Gold French

How to apply: Create a shimmering French by creating a soft, thin smile line at the tip of a black or white nail with a silver or gold finish.

Black Polish with Silver Racer Stripe

How to apply: For a subtle metallic affect, just polish one perfect stripe of gold or silver down the center of each nail to add definition and makes the nails appear longer.

What to do to avoid Smudges or Streaks?

Alisha Rimando from Dashing Diva says to avoid streaks, use a light hand when applying polish and let each coat dry for at least 5 minutes before applying another. If you can cover the nail in 3-5 strokes even better. Fewer strokes, fewer streaks! To avoid smudges, let each coat dry for one minute before applying the next coat. This lets the solvents from the polish evaporate creating a hard coating of color. Plus, apply a drop of Dashing Diva Flash Drip (or a quick dry silicone/oil solvent) after the top coat to provide a protective barrier to help prevent smudging. If you do smudge, apply a liberal amount of polish remover to your finger and lightly rub the top of the nail to smooth out the crease or smudge, let dry and the re-apply a top coat if needed.

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This pink is to die for.  Yellow, while not a color I can wear, if you can wear it, its gorgeous and super current. 

Chanel polish retails for $25, and is available at your nearest Chanel boutique or online at Chanel.com.

BTW, what I *don’t* like about Chanel polish can be pretty easily remedied.  After a few uses, the polish thickens up to the point where it applies poorly and chips easier.  Try one or more of these tips to keep your polish in the best shape you can:

1.  To remedy thick polish – add a little bit of base coat to the polish, shake, and you should be in good shape. 

2.  Always clean the neck of your bottle after each use with polish remover – this will keep air out which will cause the solvents in your polish to evaporate and thicken.

3.  One more thing you can do, which isn’t necessarily practical with Chanel or other expensive brands (unless you are totally hooked on the color), is buy two bottles.  Keep one as a refill bottle, and keep the working bottle always filled.  Again, this keeps air out of the bottle, keeping your polish fresh and thin.

Image: Chanel

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My Beauty Secrets (this is old news to you guys):

My Foundation: bareMinerals, baby.  I have branched back into liquid a bit, and I adore the youthful look that Elizabeth Arden’s Intervene gives me. 

My Mascara: Oy – I have a ton of mascaras that I have been using – right now my fave is Lancome’s Courbe Virtuose – gives amazing lash with no flaking or smudging, and it is easy to apply.

My Blush:  3 Custom Color Specialists cool bronzer.  Perfection.

My Eye Shadow:  Eye shadow is ALWAYS MAC.  Always.  Nothing else compares.

My Day Cream: This is one that I don’t really have a favorite for.  Right now I am using Eve Lom, and really do like it.  More about that later.

My Lipstick:  Again MAC.  Any of the cool Viva Glam shades and glosses.  Delish.  And good for the world.

My Beauty Product Brand:  Again, MAC.  If I only could wear one brand, this would be it.

My Essential Beauty Product:  Definitely the Clairsonic skin care brush.  I will never be without this again if I can help it.

My Favorite Makeup Product:  This is hard.  Probably mascara – just don’t make me commit to one.

My Perfume: I have to stick with my favorite classic – Calvin Klein Eternity.  It is so me.  But I love to experiment.

My Nails:  I love all OPI polishes, Chanel colors (even though the polish quality leaves something to be desired), and Nailtiques treatments.

My Feet:  Zims Crack Creme (this stuff is amazing) and good old fashioned Cetaphil cream – in the tub.  Again, truly awesome.

My Hands: Again, you can’t hardly beat the Cetaphil cream in the tub.  Good for everything that ails (drys) you.

Three Products to bring on a deserted island:  Gobs of bareMinerals foundation (for sunscreen AND beauty), Paul Mitchell Hair Repair, and toothpaste. 

Woman I admire for their beauty:  Anyone in Hollywood brave enough to age gracefully, without making their face look like an overstuffed sofa.  Helen Mirran.  Gorgeous.

Woman with the Best Sense of Style: Why is this a hard question?  Uh – Angelina Jolie.  She sure knows how to properly style her arm candy.

My Ultimate Dream (but I do not believe in selling my soul to the devil for it):  I already have it – An amazing hubby, amazing kids and an amazing job that I truly love doing.  I couldn’t ask for anything more.  Well, maybe to not have to pay taxes.  But I would have to sell my soul for that one.

How Do I Define Womanhood:  Good heavens.  Women do everything.  EVERYTHING.  So Womanhood is EVERYTHING.

My Favorite Fashion Publication:   Vogue, all the way. 

Holy samoleans – I have to torture 5 other people with this? 

Lianne, Elke, Amber, Patrice, and Pascalle

And a special happy blogiversary to Lianne at The Makeup Girl!  {{hugs}}  Heres a martini and a sake just for you, my friend! xox

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Napoleon Perdis is a relative newcomer to the American cosmetic marketplace, although he has had a multitude of stores and counters in his homeland of Australia, for a good long time now.  His full line is something that is very high up on my “try me” list, but it looks like the nail polish is going to be the catalyst to get me there quickly.  I really don’t think I can pass this up.

He has a full line of cosmetics, skin care and tools and brushes – of which I have heard great things already, at least enough to pique my interest.   Most of his line is available at Sephora, but I cannot find the nail color there (might possibly just be me…lol), so order straight from Napoleon Perdis here. 

Have you tried this line?  I would surely love to hear your opinions and your favorite products, so, as always – speak up!

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How cute are these? These are PediSavers – designed to be put on before you polish – keeps your freshly pedicured feet clean and, most importantly in the winter, WARM. They also are a little thicker knit between the toes, so they act as toe separators. Slip them on before you polish, and don’t be tempted to put your shoes on before your toenails are dry. FYI, give them at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) before you even think about putting shoes, socks, or god-forbid, hoisery on over freshly polished toenails.

You can find Pedisavers in salons, spas, or you can order by calling 877-743-0253. They are $16-20, they come in ankle or knee length (ankle shown above) and in black, white and pink (pink is limited edition, proceeds benefit Breast Cancer Awareness). Always good stuff. And did I mention they are super cute??

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Essie is hands down, one of the finest lines of nail polish on the market. The price is very reasonable, and the fact that most professionals use Essie should speak highly of its quality. Essie’s Winter 07 collection is in salons now, and is a beautiful collection of silvers, plums and festive reds!

From now until December 16th, you can get 10% off your purchases (of $40 or more) at essie.com by using the discount code BLG8, so pick up some stocking stuffers, or some beautiful holiday colors for yourself!

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