This That Beauty » nail polish

ThisThatBeauty Nails It: CND Shellac is a winner!

Felicia — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:14:29 +0000

Girls, believe the hype. CND Shellac’s claim of at least two weeks of chip free, mirror-shine finish is absolutely true! I’ve been rocking my CND Shellac manicure for almost three weeks and the finish is as glossy as the day it was applied…and for the record, I am quite domestic (cook/clean regularly) and I work with my hands (makeup artist). I highly recommend CND Shellac for women who desire a long lasting manicure. Whether you’re a girl about town who wants the perfect mani, always….or a busy mom who doesn’t have time for weekly salon visits — CND Shellac is for you!

If you’re in the NYC area, visit the salon where I had my CND Shellac manicure applied:

Jin Soon Hand and Foot Spa

KO Knockout Flatte Polish

Felicia — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:01:26 +0000

I recently discovered the most unique line of flat nail polish and I have been bursting at the seams ever since, trying to find the perfect time to share my beauty booty with you. While browsing one of my favorite beauty destinations, Michael Angelo’s Wonderland Beauty Parlor, I stumbled upon KO Knockout. The line is developed by makeup artist Mike Potter…a name you probably recognize as the artist behind the hair and makeup for the stage and film versions of Hedwig & the Angry Inch. So you see, boyfriend is a visionary!

With shades like “Calamine” (it looks exactly as you would imagine), “Pool”, and “Ox” — KO Knockout offers a nail lacquer collection that fuses Rocker Chic with Victorian Style.

The flat lacquers are richly pigmented and deliver opaque color with just one coat. I encourage you to go off the beaten path and explore polishes not available in your local nail salon or Sally Beauty. KO Knockout is a fun and innovative line of high quality lacquers. ThisThatBeauty approved!

Click here for a complete list of retailers

Fridays with Felicia: Volume 2

Felicia — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:12:26 +0000

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorites from previous week.

Happy Friday folks! I hope you’re planning on a fun weekend. The weather man is predicting 80+ degrees for the east coast! If your toes aren’t quite sandal ready, fret not. Reach for Np2 professional nail lacquer, a unique two-in-one nail product that pairs nail treatment and color in one sleek package. Np2 consists of two bottles that click together. The top coat is formulated with a nail hardener and nourishing treatment that extends the life of your mani/pedi for up to two weeks! True story…up to two weeks!

Once your toes are sandal ready, I highly recommend checking out Faryl Robin shoes. You all know that I love a mean shoe game (hello small collection of Louboutins), but comfort scores big point in my book. Faryl Robin is known for pairing modern style with never-ending comfort. I recently scored two pairs of Faryl Robin wedges that have quickly become my go-to shoes. If you crave trend inspired style and cozy comfort, check out Faryl Robin.

I’m back on my MINX nail game! I had the opportunity to sit down with TracyLee Percival (@LuxebyTracyLee) at Ion Studio (41 Wooster Street, NYC) and try out a new MINX look. TracyLee never disappoints. As a freelance and editorial nail stylist, TracyLee brings fashion experience to clients through her diversification of techniques. Here’s my MINX by TracyLee. I’m killing it, right?

You all know that I’ve been hopelessly devoted to Kevyn Aucoin THE MASCARA for quite some time now. Its been my holy grail for years! Well Kevyn, there’s a new mascara in town that’s giving my lashes unprecedented lift! For the last week, Anastasia Lifting Mascara

has been giving my lashes life! Anastasia attributes the lifting effect to the formula which contains hard waxes to build lashes and synthetic polymers to give lashes body and volume. Well as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Check out my picture to the right. I chose to show my left eye which has very wimpy lashes compared to my right eye, which is a bit fuller. Look at how Anastasia Lifting Mascara plumps up my wimpy left eye lashes!

All week I’ve been trotting around town sporting the most eco-friendly/ eco-chic watch I’ve ever seen! Sprout is made of bamboo, corn resin, mineral crystal, and organic cotton. The battery is mercury free and the entire watch is completely bio degradable. How about that! Sprout retails for $30, but Savvy Frugalistas can find Sprout on sites like KOHLS.com and Sears.com for slightly less. Sprout comes in a wide range of shades. Mine is army “green”…very appropriate, no?

If you’re a lot like me and recognize the need to go green but feel overwhelmed or uncertain of where to start, I would like to suggest a book. Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty is a great education on combining style and substance. This lavishly illustrated highly informative green beauty and fashion bible explains basics like the difference between fair trade and organically grown. Style Naturally shows you how to make informed choices when shopping. Summer Rayne, the author with the most perfect name for the topic of sustainable living, highlights some of her favorite designers (Stella McCartney is one) and eco-friendly brands like Levi’s Loomstate and Aveda that have made earth-friendly materials and sustainable practices a priority. With over 300 glossy photos of products and eco-stories, I promise you will not be bored!

As I go about my daily errands, I find it particularly helpful and ecologically responsible to travel with my Oboe Bag (Oboe stands for “One Bag One Earth”). It folds up small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and can be tossed in my purse. You should see me at the cash register when its time to bag my purchases…feeling all proud and socially responsible as I tell the cashier “Oh I don’t need a bag”. Its my little way of saving the earth…one bag at a time.

Confession Time: I have formed a mild addition to Essence of Vali sleep products. For the last week the soothing blend of essences of lavender flowers, cedar wood, marjoram leaves and ylang/ylang petals have been my private night time sanctuary. A few sprays of Sleep Soothing Mist on my pillow and I’m out like a light within minutes. Such a blissful (and affordable [$7]) sensory experience…ahhhh! Sweet dreams indeed.

Happy Friday everyone!

xo,

Felicia

PS: Dont forget your chance to win tickets to the The Makeup Show and a Beauty Wardrobe from Purple Lab and Closet Couture!

ThisThatBeauty Nails It: STRANGE BEAUTIFUL

Felicia — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:06:41 +0000

I love introducing intriguing new products! STRANGE BEAUTIFUL is a most interesting line of lacquers. Unlike most polishes with catchy descriptive monikers, STRANGE BEAUTIFUL colors are deliberately nameless. Instead, creator Jane Schub believes it is more thought provoking and stimulating to remember each color by its reference or inspiration. Drawing influence from a vibrant red Olivetti Valentine typewriter designed by Ettore Sottsass and Josef Albers’ colour theory, the lacquer line blends elements of beauty and design. Every STRANGE BEAUTIFUL polish is packaged in an engraved lucite box. The innovative 220 strand brush ensures effortless pigment distribution. STRANGE BEAUTIFUL is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and DBP.

STRANGE BEAUTIFUL is available at Bergdorf Goodman and www.luckyscent.com.

ThisThatBeauty Nails It: Orly Sweet Color Collection

Felicia — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:03:32 +0000

New for Spring, french professional nail care brand Orly is set to introduce the Sweet Color Collection. This limited-edition color offering consists of six yummy candylicious inspired pastel shades. ThisThatBeauty’s fav is “Snowcone”

Pixy Stix: a coral red
Lollipop: a pastel purple
Lemonade: a sherbet lemon yellow
Gumdrop: a soft mint green
Cotton Candy: a light pink
Snowcone: an electric blue

Visit www.orlybeauty.com for further information.

Manicure Boredom

Felicia — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:49:41 +0000

Are you suffering from an acute case of “Manicure Boredom”? The term is loosely defined [by me] as the overwhelming feeling of “meh” that hits you when its time to select a polish for your weekly mani. Essie Ballet Slippers….beat it! OPI Linkin Park After Dark…so over! If you’re stuck in a mani rut, check out my montage of bad azz nail art.

May you be inspired!

ThisThatBeauty Nails It: “Re-Fresh Mint” by China Glaze

Felicia — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:27:31 +0000

It’s time for another installment of “ThisThatBeauty Nails It”.

I love how I announce the upcoming installment of “ThisThatBeauty Nails It” as if this is actually a regularly occurring series. Like I’m actually churning out lacquer reviews on a somewhat consistent basis. Shame on me. The nerve! Tis true…my lacquer lovin’ is lacking. I am seriously slackin’ on my polish pimpin’.

Dearest ThisThatBeauty readers:

It has been five months and seven days since my last installment of “ThisThatBeauty Nalis It”. Sure, I mentioned NARS Purple Rain polish as part of the Spring Collection rundown. And recently I dished colorful deets on the OPI Hong Kong Collection just last month. But much time has passed since a wrote a good old fashioned “ThisThatBeauty Nails It” lacquer review. I promise to do better!

In an effort to “do better“, I am bringing on guest blogger and lacquerholic, Aina Lee. A “lacquerholic” is not just what Aina is, it is also the name of her popular nail polish blog. I am delighted to welcome Laquerholic to ThisThatBeauty. So without further adieu, here is Lacquerholic’s review of “Re-Fresh Mint” from China Glaze Spring 2010 Collection – Up Up and Away.

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The bright and pastel polishes of the Up Up and Away collection transport me back to those carefree summer days when I played in Central Park as a kid. The youthful hued collection also makes me think of the classic song by the 5th Dimension of the same name. “Up, Up and Away in my beautiful balloon”, but I digress…

The shade “Re-Fresh Mint” is just that….a refreshing minty green pastel that is a bit lighter than Essie’s Mint Candy Apple. For the image in this post I applied three coats of polish (no top coat). The formula is somewhat off an oddity as it is thick, yet slightly runny. In terms of application method, I found that the faster I applied each coat, the better the end result. Applying the polish at a snail’s pace will result in unsightly streaks. I tried to keep the coats thin and as neat as possible. This was a bit of a challenge as I’ve never been one of those kids who could paint inside the lines!

As for the shade of the polish, I really like it. Mint green polish was never top of my list…even as the craze swept a few months back with shades like DamoneRoberts 1968 and Chanel Jade. I tend to favor dark vampy polishes. I was not sure I would like “Re-Fresh Mint” against my skin-tone, but was pleasantly surprised. I am really glad that I gave in to the craze! If you desire to go green, get “Refresh-Mint” at beauty e-tailers like Sally Beauty Supply. Get it while it’s hot!

OPI Hong Kong Collection

Felicia — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:48:32 +0000

Hong Kong, the Spring/Summer 2010 collection from OPI, showcases 12 new shades. The collection ranges from vivid hues of cobalt blues, coral oranges and berry tones to more subtle shades of glittered gold, lavender and pearl pinks.

View the complete collection:

Dim Sum Plum: berry
Jade Is The New Black: green
A Good Man-Darin Is Hard to Find: red-orange
Suzi Says Fung Shui: cobalt blue
Bling Dynasty: gold with shimmer
Pearl Of Wisdom: pearl
Red My Fortune Cookie: rich red
Panda Monium: dusty pink
Lucky Lucky Lavender: purple-pink
Hot & Spicy: coral
Meet Me On The Star Ferry: violet
Chop-Sticking To My Story: warm caramel

Hong Kong debuts in February 2010. Are you factoring this collection into your beauty budget?

ThisThatBeauty Nails It: Colour of the Week

Felicia — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:43:00 +0000

Here’s one for all you whipper snappers:

Obsessive Compulvise Cosmetics – Grandma

Just like the real Grandma, this color is adorable. OCC describes Grandma as a “bright coral”. All of OCC’s nail lacquers are of professional quality and densely pigmented…which means Grandma won’t start to chip or peel after a rousing game Bridge, Pinochle, or Gin Rummy:)