Cuttin' a Rug

Phew. Long night tonight! I've been preparing for tomorrow's 'Martinis and Manicures' event at Beauty Bar all night! I'm super excited (but a tad nervous too!!). Today's manicure was inspired by a rug pattern I saw a while back. I loved the color combination, and the graphic nature of it, so I thought I'd try it as a manicure. Sorry for the middle finger's roughness, still patched that one.

From The Daily Nail

I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with Color Club High Society for the lines, Essie Mink Muffs for the darker brown, and a mixture of Essie Vermillionaire and Essie Tart Deco for the corally color. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Wish me luck tomorrow night!! :)

Kitty Glitter

I'm running out of animal prints to do in glitter! :-P I totally love this manicure, and it's one that I kinda want to keep for more than a day... I may, I may not. :-D Nubar makes the best glitters out of any polish brand I've used, They're freaking awesome, and glitter packed!

I used Nubar Petunia Sparkle as a base, with Nubar Violet Sparkle for the spots, outlined in American Apparel Hassid. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

RAWR!!

Beauty Bar Ladies Night Manicure Event! :)

I've had so many people asking about the event Wednesday night that it was hard to respond to everyone in a timely manner, so here is the info you've been waiting for!!

Come get your nails painted by me! :) (I really want a ginormous turnout!!)

Wednesday Ladies Night

Where: Beauty Bar Las Vegas,

              517 Fremont St # 150

              Las Vegas, NV 89101

When: December 1, 2010, Doors open at 9pm

What: Open Bar for ladies 9pm - 10pm

DJ Stabb

$1 wells / $2 call drinks for ladies 'til midnight

Nail Polish changes and nail art by Melissa Osburn of The Daily Nail

Free!

Disco Animal

Getting so excited, I started painting nail wheels tonight in preparation for the event Wednesday at Beauty Bar! Tonight I wanted to use a polish that I've had since April, but haven't used yet- a Nubar Glitter that is super sparkly and pretty!

I used Nubar Green Silver Glitter as a base, with MAC Deep, Dark, Delicious for the zebra stripes. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Also, if you follow me on twitter, I mentioned being excited for an amazing 6-course meal that was upcoming. Today, I have the pics from the photoshoot! The food was created by Chef Frank Otte, an AMAZING chef who creates Haute Cuisine. Saturday night, he prepared the absolute best meal that has ever passed my lips. I don't say this lightly, he was so amazing at his craft that he managed to take items that I generally will NOT eat, (beets, brussel sprouts, peas) and transformed them into something that created nothing short of an 'o' face. He introduced me to foods I've never tried before (swordfish, juniper oil, creamy sauerkraut), which I will forever be grateful for. Seriously, how did I LIVE before creamy sauerkraut? Really? Anyway. Check out his website, Chef Frank Otte - Haute Cuisine, you won't regret it. (well, after seeing the photos you may, they're drool-inducing)

To the menu!

Course 1: Salad of micro greens, roasted beets, avocado, pear with toasted walnuts, shower of goat cheese, and balsamic beet reduction.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 2: Celery root soup with petit brioche croutons and scallion oil.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 3: Tar tar of wild Scottish salmon with basil and coriander, Persion cucumber carpaccio, Greek yogurt, dill oil, and avocado mousse.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 4: Sage and prosciutto wrapped Atlantic Swordfish "saltimbocca", with creamy sauerkraut, thyme roasted apple, and fingerling potatoes in Juniper oil.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 5: Roasted crepinette of game hen breast with herbs, cauliflower ragout, brussel sprouts, and pomegranate gastrique.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 6: Cabernet braised short ribs with handmade carrot gnocchi, English peas and gorgonzola sauce.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Dessert: Caramelized puff pastry "mille fuille" with chestnut pureé, fresh clementines, pomegranate syrup, and vanilla sauce.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

I ate everything except one piece of the crepinette of game hen (not because I didn't like it, but because I was to the gills at that point! lol), and most of the peas. I was sooooo full I was in pain, but it was a good pain. lol My favorite dish was the Swordfish, it was beyond incredible. *yum*

Sparkle Sparkle

Today's manicure is simple, still recovering from yesterday I think, but I'm totally worn down and just blah in general. I did a different take on a sponged gradient, sponging at the cuticle edge instead of the tip edge.

I used Essie Vermillionaire as a base for the orange nails, Zoya Yummy for the ring finger, with Absolutely Alice sponged on the blue nail, and Extravaganza! on the orange nails. Topped all nails off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

See you tomorrow!

Right on Target!

Midnight in Las Vegas, 27°F, a long-sleeved t-shirt, hoodie, zippered fleece jacket, ankle-length 'bag lady' plaid jacket, hand-crocheted slouchy hat, skull scarf, borrowed magic stretch gloves, shearling lined suede VANS, knee socks, jeans, double layered blanket. Yep, that was me...outside of TARGET. I'm one of the crazies that LOVES Black Friday. LOVE it. By nature I'm a deal hunter, and rarely pay full price for anything, but Black Friday is the high holy day of shoppers... myself included. Four of us went together, my roommate, Maris, two friends, Dallas and Greta, and of course, me. We had our divide and conquer plan all figured out... Dallas is the tallest and strongest, her job was to get the 40" HD 1080P flatscreen for $298. (she did) Greta and I were to go to Electronics and get the camera, hard drive, digital picture keychains, iTunes Gift Cards, and video games. (we did) Maris was to get the DVDs, housewares, etc. (she did). We left poor and happy, and saved over $1,000 between us. We also were approached to be on the local news, which was doing live coverage of the crazies like us. (Was anyone awake at 6:30 am to see it? <---Channel 13, Las Vegas.

 Anyway, since Target was the main stop of our shopping morning (yes, we went to the mall after that!!), I decided to do Black Friday Target nails! :)

 I used Nubar Sexy Red as a base for the red nails, American Apparel Hassid for the ring finger, and Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the white. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

What deals did YOU get?

Also, sorry for the 2-day hiatus... I was preparing a HUGE Thanksgiving day dinner for 8 people!

This was a difficult Thanksgiving for me, it was the first Thanksgiving that I haven't spent with my family in my 29 years. Because of this, I decided to host a Thanksgiving for my 'orphan' (because of distance) friends that live out here that are also from Michigan...

I brined my turkey for the first time ever and it was incredible. It looked like Martha Stewart herself made it, and I've never tasted white meat that was so juicy! I made pumpkin pie and muffins from scratch (read: actual pumpkins, no canned here!!), mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, I baked rolls, made homemade vanilla bean ice cream, corn, broccoli, cranberry sauce, and a ton of other stuff. It was amazing, AMAZING. lol I love Thanksgiving SO much!!  I hope that your Thanksgiving was incredible!! :)

Rise and Shine!

This morning I was up bright and early, 5 a.m. to be exact! :-D Mind you, I'm not up that early usually, but this morning I got a call from Pakistan!! A while back, VJ Sehrish, a lovely woman who hosts a show on Pakistani TV network ARY Musik, called 'Girls Rupublic', contacted me about being a guest (via phone) on her show. Of COURSE I said yes, I mean, how cool is that?! It still amazes me that people from so far away follow my blog...and like it! :-P So anyway, in honor of my phone chat with VJ Sehrish on her show, I did Girls Republic nails! On the Thumb is the Girls Republic logo, on the index and pinky finger I did super glittery pink nails, on the middle finger nail, is (obviously) the American flag (to represent me), and the flag of Pakistan on the ring finger (to represent Sehrish!) :).

I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud as a base for the thumb and middle fingers, butter LONDON Rosie Lee as a base for the index and pinky fingers, and CND Green Scene for the ring finger. For the crescent and star on the ring finger, I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud, for the American flag, I used Nubar Sexy Red for the stripes, ALDO Sea You in Ibiza for the blue. For the Girls Republic logo, I used American Apparel Berry for the darker berry color, and Sally Hansen Vavoom Violet Creme for the hot pink. For the darker pink glitter on the tips of the index and pinky, I used Nubar Petunia Sparkle. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Thank you VJ Sehrish!!

Stop Being So Controlling!

A while back, reader Dave R. suggested that I do an old school Nintendo controller, and what could I say? It was a bad ass idea, so I had to do it!! I'm not too proud to admit that I'm still a proud owner of an original NES in working order, with controllers, games, Duck Hunt gun, AND NES Advantage joystick. Yeah, I said it. (I even still play it!! I will SO kick anyone's ass in Dr. Mario :-P) Today's nails make me wanna play, and how freakin' rad would it be to hold the controller with THESE nails?! :-P I'm such a dork.

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with a mixture of Orly Mirror, Mirror and American Apparel California Trooper for the light grey plastic, essence Pointbreak for the darker grey, a mixture of Nubar Sexy Red and CND Electric Orange for the red buttons, shaded with that mixture and American Apparel Hassid, highlighted with that mixture and American Apparel Cotton. I also used a dab of American Apparel Cotton on the 'edge' of the button for a reflection. Topped off the matte parts with Essie Matte About You and the shiny parts with Seche Vite top coat.

Who wants to play?

Costumed Coral

Today's nail art started out being a possible holiday nail art idea, but ended up being something totally different. I liked it after I added the gold, but felt like it needed more, so I mentally scanned my nail polish collection to find a polish that would compliment both colors, and I came upon my Lotus Herbals Orange Alert, which was a gift from Chris when he came back from India, and happens to be one of my favorite polishes (and most rationed) in my entire collection. I can't get a proper picture of it, but it is the precise color of papaya flesh- that coral/orange/red combination, and I adore it. After adding the Orange Alert, it took on a look of coral and gold costume jewelry, not the original holiday look I was intending to make when I started! I actually like it better this way I think!!

I used American Apparel Berry as a base, with China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection and Lotus Herbals Orange Alert for the dots. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Anyone else getting excited for Thanksgiving?!!?!??! I'm sooooo hungry! I want to brine my turkey this year (I've never tried it before), anyone have any good brining recipes or tips?

Also- lots of people have mentioned they loved the Harry Potter shirts- email me HERE if you want one! :)

-M

Shawn Sparkles

Not quite Robin Sparkles, or Jessica Glitter, but it'll have to do...

Today's manicure utilizes a polish that I was told (by Zoya herself) that I was not allowed to wear, since it clashes with my skin tone. :-P I love this polish too much to let something like skin tone get in the way of wearing it! I wanted something simple today, for more than one reason... I fell asleep on the couch last night, which ALWAYS gives me a horrible 'crick in the neck' that lasts for a week or more, and the second reason was that I was in a hurry to get across town. Sorry for no post yesterday, I passed out on the couch after work and woke up this morning- gotta love having to work the day after midnight movie showings. :-P I got 3 hours of sleep. AWESOME. Anyway, to the manicure, I used one of the new OPI Burlesque glitters, ack!! THey're so sparkly. This pic doesn't show any of the glitz! (even though I added a blurry pic to sort of show the sparkle!) Also, ignore the middle finger, I broke it, and I had to mend it, so it's wonky looking.

I used Zoya Shawn as a base, with OPI Glow Up Already sponged on the tip. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite Top Coat.

Let's go to the mall!

Baking Day: Montbazillac Jelly With Berries

Forget wobbly bunnies and jelly teddies - this is an elegant pudding for gourmet grown-ups from Eric Lanlard's show Glamour Puds.

"Jellies were always an important part of a beautiful dessert display in French society.
Elaborate copper moulds were used to set the desserts, but this one uses a rectangular terrine shape, so it can be sliced and served with beautiful red berries."

Eric

Mine turned out gorgeous!

*Ingredients :
5 leaves of gelatine, soaked in 75ml of cold water
425 ml Montbazilliac wine/ or another sweet wine
1 lemon
1 vanilla pod

*For the fruit:
200g of small strawberries
225g of raspberries
200g of redcurrants, blackcurrants or whitecurrants, left on the stem
100g blueberries

Method:
1. First wash and prepare the berries.
2. In a saucepan place the soaked gelatine leaves, along with the water and heat until the gelatine has dissolved. Then whisk this into the Montbazillac wine, along with the juice of a lemon and the seeds from a vanilla pod.
3. Pour the liquid into a jug and allow it to cool ~ while it cools, arrange a layer of mixed berries on the bottom of a terrine mould, then cover with about half of the wine mixture so that the berries are just covered with the liquid. Place in the fridge and leave to set for about 45 minutes.
4. Once the jelly has set, add the remaining fruits on top of this set jelly layer and pour on the remaining Montbazillac mixture. Place again in the fridge and leave to set.
5. When you are ready to serve, turn out the terrine by dipping the mould very briefly in warm water and inverting it on to a serving dish. Use a very sharp knife (also dipped first into hot water) to cut the jelly into slices. Serve with extra berries.

I Feel so 'Hallow' Inside

Yes, I am one of those dorks that waits in line for the midnight showings of the Harry Potter movies... and books. :-D In fact, tonight we're going to go get in line at 9 pm!! I'm soooo excited. I even screen printed t-shirts!! On the front, they have a drawing of Harry's infamous round spectacles, and on the back, it says 'In Memoriam' with a list of all the good guys that were killed over the course of the books, I even included Richard Harris, the original Dumbledore, who died after making the second movie. (he counts!) Under the list, there is a skull and crossed wands, for which I used Voldemort's wand, and Harry's wand to make the 'crossbones'. I'm so beyond excited for tonight's showing, and hope that it's better and truer to the book than the last one.

I have had a Harry Potter manicure on the list since the very beginning of the blog, but couldn't bring myself to do it until now- when the movie is a mere 4.5 hours away!! I did the HP logo on the thumb, the icon of the Deathly Hallows on the index finger, the golden snitch is flying across my middle finger, and the ring and pinky feature Harry's hand and Quidditch robe sleeve reaching to catch it! (yes, I know that Harry doesn't play Quidditch in the last book/movie, but I felt that it was important over the course of the books, so I added it!)

Don't forget to check out my blog sale! :)

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection for the HP logo, the Deathly Hallows icon, and golden snitch. For the hand, I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with a mixture of American Apparel Palm Springs and Zoya Alluria for the flesh tone, shaded with the flesh mixture mixed with MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious, and highlighted with the flesh mixture mixed with American Apparel Cotton. For the robe, I used a mix of Nubar Sexy Red mixed with MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious, then American Apparel Manila for the stripes. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

The shirts:

Finite incantatem!

BLOG SALE!!

The nail polish collection is getting out of control, and there are so many colors that I don't use, have never used, some HTF colors, and some I bought duplicates of, so I'm having a blog sale!! There are also going to be other things, like purses, jeans, some LE MAC items, and other random things that will be added periodically, so check back! The sale will always be listed on a separate page which can be reached by clicking the 'The Daily Nail: Sales!" link that is located directly under the logo header! :)

You can also reach it by going HERE.

Thanks!! ;)

Forever living on the Wild Side

 In Case you thought your outfit was a bit over the top 

OR

 you had on too much jewelry

 OR

 long, oval & turquoise nails wouldn't match anything in your wardrobe

OR

that suit was a bit too wild for work

OR 

braids and beads are so nineties

RATHER JUST IMAGINE YOU

 live in an exotic jungle tribe where you wear armor on your shoulders, feathers in your hair, rings on every finger and Jean Paul Gaultier is your chief!

(pictures courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2010 Couture - Vogue)

Who You Gonna Call?

Growing up in the 80s, I was destined to love the movie Ghostbusters. (is it possible to NOT love this movie?!) It has everything...ghosts, laughs, Bill Murray?! I'll be honest though, since I was born just 3 years before it came out, I'm far more familiar with Ghostbusters II, with Vigo as the bad guy! Can't forget Slimer or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man either! :) Anyway, at the recommendation of Chris, I did Ghostbuster nails today!!

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud as a base for the logo, Nubar Sexy Red for the 'no' circle, and OPI Who the Shrek Are You? for the slime that Slimer left behind on the ring finger. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat!

I am the keymaster.

What is true beauty??

I wanted to dedicate this post to one of my favorite verses - 1 Samuel 16:7.

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

I also really like it in "The Message" version: (above was the New American Standard)

But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." 

Too  many girls my age are falling in to the trap of lies about being pretty and beautiful on the outside. Especially with my nail blog and youtube and kinda seems like that's what I stand for, but that's exactly opposite. Sure, I do want to look pretty on the outside, I think we all do, but that's not my main focus. Painting your nails is something to make you look more pretty on the outside but it means absolutely nothing if what's on the inside is nasty and ugly.

I think sometimes we all can get sucked in to the devils lies that tell us we are ugly on the outside and so we start primping more on the outside, and we lose sight that it's what's on the inside that counts. I know that in this day and age looking beautiful on the inside is not something that's taken seriously and people are more worried about their physical appearance. Here's a video I saw on one of my friends blog that I got permission to post on my blog. I watched this video like 14 times (hehe) because I love the message it conveys! Too many girls are doing all these things to make them look like the people in magazines and TV and all media. Here's a video though showing you what they do to the models in those magazines and on TV and in the movies.




Even after putting about 5 pounds of makeup on, they photoshopped her and made her neck slimmer and taller, made her eyes brighter and bigger, made her lips more plump, made her nose smaller and her hair bigger...

I love what it says at the end 'No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.' It's very true. Hardly anyone can look that great without doing something to themselves to make them look better. She was a totally different women when they were done with her! I wouldn't even call her the same person. (Btw, I think she was very pretty before they did all that to her.)

We are all so focused on being beautiful on the outside that we totally forget and we don't see how ugly we are on the inside. I must admit, I sometimes get caught up in the worlds lies of being only beautiful on the outside... it's pretty easy to do.

I know it probably seems to a lot of people who don't really know who I am or what I stand for or anything, they just know I make nail art tutorials, that all I worry about is being beautiful on the outside. Just always remember that being beautiful on the outside means absolutely nothing if your not beautiful on the inside. (:

I'm a teenager, and I know how hard it is to do that - to stay true and be beautiful on the inside when the world is telling you to do drugs and alcohol and to be fake. How 1 Samuel 16:7 puts it - man looks on the outside. We judge people by how they look. Our natural instinct is to think that people who look not "normal" and how everyone else looks, we automatically opt them out and think they're weird. But God doesn't see what we look like on the outside. He doesn't opt out people who look weird. (As a matter of fact, He doesn't opt out anybody.) But He looks on the inside. That's why we need to be beautiful on the inside. If that's the part God (who is King of all kings, Lord of all lords, creator and maker of everything) sees in us, then we want that to be the best part of us, right? After all, He is the one who is going to judge us on judgment day. If we choose Him to be in our hearts and decide to be beautiful on the inside, then we will go to heaven to live with God.

One of my friend's (who I got the video from) has a modesty blog that talks a lot about being beautiful on the inside, and she does also talk about being beautiful on the outside, too. It's a really great blog and it really encourages me to remember that inside beauty is much more important than outside beauty.

http://theblondstyleblog.blogspot.com/

Want to Get Your Nails Painted by Me?

Want to get your nails painted by me?

Will you be in Las Vegas on December 1?

Let me know! I'll be doing a night of manicures at a local hotspot! We need to get the word out so it's jam-packed busy, because if it is, this won't just be a one-time thing!! :) There will be super-cheap drink specials for the ladies, a DJ, and polish changes by me! (and yes, that includes nail art!)

Send me an email at thedailynail@gmail.com if you're interested in coming, and I'll make sure you get the details first about when, where, and what time! :)

XOXO
-M

If You Got the Bullets, I Got the Time

If you've read the blog for any length of time, you've probably gotten the idea that I am a nerd, and I love nerd manicures... Today's manicure features a bad guy from the Nintendo arsenal of villains, Bullet Bill! I remember many an afternoon spent with these dudes in front of my TV with my NES Advantage Joystick and ginormous box of Goldfish crackers. *sigh* Those were the days...

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with a mixture of American Apparel Hassid and Orly Mirror, Mirror to highlight, then another layer of just Orly Mirror, Mirror to highlight even more. I also used Orly Mirror, Mirror around the arms, and to shade the arms. I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the eyes and for the arms, and American Apparel Hassid for the pupils. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

I love the fishes, 'cause they're sooooo delicious! Gone goldfishin'!

"I try not judge my doctors by the art work in their waiting rooms."

A Deadly Misdiagnosis: Can Millions be Saved from TB?

Patients queuing for treatment in a TB clinic.

Medicine rarely provides magic bullets, but, for the first time, a technology has been developed that might help countries like India (and our own South Africa) escape the endless cycle of mistaken diagnoses and haphazard treatment.

A company called Cepheid, based in Sunnyvale, California, now makes a device, called a GeneXpert, that allows doctors to diagnose TB in under two hours—without error or doubt. “The machine is so powerful that it could help end tuberculosis and I don’t think that is an exaggeration.’’

 An editorial three months ago in the New England Journal of Medicine also raised the possibility that, with proper use of this device, tuberculosis—a disease that has been around since the days of the Pharaohs—could be eliminated...

... Because the test looks for the TB bacterium itself, rather than for antibodies, latent infections don’t confuse the GeneXpert as they do blood test.

 “It is a system that removes the guesswork from one of our most deadly diseases.’’ Unlike the sputum technique, the molecular approach is straightforward: a patient spits into a cup, and the sample is placed in a cartridge that looks much like the pods used in many espresso machines. A computer examines the sample’s DNA to see if it contains the genetic signature of TB. Results are available within hours.

The GeneXpert can even determine whether the bacteria are resistant to rifampicin, the most effective and widely used component of the four-drug cocktail commonly prescribed for TB."

 The best part: “As long as there is electricity, the tests could be carried out by unskilled workers in any village."

Read more

**Felt so strange putting up this article & the picture shortly after posting on affluent Milanese woman and polka dots. I love the art of fashion and I love Medicine - I look after the sick because I can't bear to see them sick; and I do think it's possible to balance the two. German designer, Karl Lagerfeld thinks intellectuals have let sartorial standards slip and now dress like 'slobs,' so I try dress well to show I honor and respect my profession. 

What do you think?

Ah Milano... Kitten Crazy On The Street

Love those Valentino kitten heels shoes so much I even tweeted about them a while ago.

GREAT MIX OF PRINTS:

Mui Mui kitty print shirt & diamond polka dots...

 leopard ('kitten print' again) & polka dots

(saw a pair of shoes exactly like these on sale the other day and now kicking myself I responsibly saved the money for petrol instead, argh!)

*Wish List: those amber link bracelets!

My bff is going to be obsessed with these polka dots if I know her...

(pictures courtesy of The Sartorialist)

Bring on the Bleach Baby

"I’ve got the impression that the following months are going to be washed out. Everything comes out in the wash. And I’m not talking about ... hair. The jeans are a sky blue of years passed, the pinks are pale, the greys are pearl and let’s not even talk about beiges or khakis who are going to invade this entire blog so that you’ll beg me to find a more lively color to wave in front of you."

Garanace

So I've gone a little wash-out obsessed, I've even washed out/varnished my hair and lightened the tips (thanx to Lauren Conrad inspiration as usual).

I think my hairdressers (yes there are more than one) must find me unbearable, because I often come in with a portfolio of pictures of the look and colour I want (blame Medical School & our deeply ingrained OCD mantra) and I've been cheating on my stylist! In fact I'm scared to go back because he's going to see the colour on my tips and know it's not his work.... Ahhh!!! But I need him to do my roots and trim -he's the best with a pair of scissors... Such a dresser debacle!

Faded... Like a pair of old jeans that have been washed, worn and left in the sun to dry. 
It's...

 Wonderful! I love it so much I had to post a pic! And I love my hairdresser! I mean hairdressers! 

*I do get really embarrassed to put up pics of myself but it seems lots of blogs do it so I'm going to try personalize a bit more.

Go With the Flow-er

Man, I feel like I've lost my mojo. I hate 90% of the designs I've done lately, and that makes me SO sad. I'm not saying this to solicit sympathy, I'm saying it because I'm genuinely worried. lol  Designs that should be/usually are easy end up taking forever and looking like crapola. Anyway, today's nail art is simple, and was inspired by the cover of the journal/notebook that I write ideas and jot down my wish list, amongst other things.

I used Nubar Sexy Red as a base, with a mix of Orly Mirror, Mirror and American Apparel Hassid for the dark grey, and Orly Gumdrop for the flower's aqua center. For the white lines, I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

American Apparel launches 12 new colors!! PREVIEW

I've made no secret of my love for American Apparel's polish line. I use some of their colors almost daily, and I love their consistency, colors, and opacity. Imagine my excitement to read my email today and see this:

Yep, seriously dying over here. I cannot wait to get my hands on these. 

From American Apparel:

LOS ANGELES -- American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, is announcing the addition of twelve new colors to its successful line of nail polish.


The company's Made in the USA nail lacquer is now available in 48 colors. The 12 new shades take inspiration from simple and straightforward elements of both Angeleno and global culture, reflecting the ubiquitous nature of the T-shirt on which American Apparel built its brand. Echo Park, a new shade of concrete grey, and MacArthur Park, a muted mossy yellow, both reference neighborhoods where the company first opened stores and where many of its employees live. Others, like Trenchcoat and Army Jacket, are nods to iconic garments and their evocative, eponymous tones.


"Nail polish is our favorite category for exploring color. We planned on releasing only six new shades, but we felt so strongly about all of these that we decided to release a full dozen. Its difficult to pick a favorite--they all compliment wardrobes in different ways. We can't wait to see the looks people create with them," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.


American Apparel Nail Lacquer has become one of the company's fastest-moving products. The two previous launches of colors quickly sold out worldwide. The consistency and quality of the polish has been universally noted in the reviews of the product and the company diligently oversaw the production process to ensure this standard again.


American Apparel Nail Lacquer is priced at $6 per bottle and is available in a 3-pack for $15 and 7-pack for $32. It is sold at American Apparel stores worldwide as well as online. The nail polish is DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free. For a full view of color range, ingredients, swatches and photographs, please visit our online store.

Blinged Out Bursts

As you make-up diehards may know, Nov 11-15, Sephora gave a 20% discount to their VIB customers. I went to the first night of the 'sale' for their shopping event. I'll be honest, since I'm broke, it was mostly to get the freebies, but when I saw this polish, I totally couldn't resist it, and at 20% off, what better time?! The color I'm talking about is part of their Holiday collection, and it's called 212 Sephora, which is a soft black with iridescent glitter, as well as gold glitter, and copper flakies!! It's seriously AMAZING. For today's design, I really wanted to use it, but I didn't want to cover it up, so I chose to do a simple burst in an olive color in the upper corner of the nail.

A different angle to show off the glitter better

I used OPI for Sephora 212 Sephora as a base, with Rescue Beauty No More War for the burst. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly!

No, this isn't a Christmas manicure... and if it were, it'd be a totally morbid holiday manicure! Oh, wait, I DID do a skully christmas manicure last year. Oops. :-D Today's nail art is in honor of Robert Louis Stevenson's 160th birthday, which is today! :) As you may know, one of his famous works of literature is 'Treasure Island', a tale of pirates and buried gold. In reference to that, I chose to do Jolly Roger nail art today! (as if I needed a reason to do pirate nails :-P)

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the skull and crossbones. Topped it off with my still-fresh and amazingly well applying Seche Vite top coat. lol

YARRRRR!