'Daily' Grind

Yeah, I totally went there. I knew at some point that I HAD to do the Daily Nail logo on my nails, it's pretty much a given. :-D Tonight I get to go to Frank Caliendo's show, should be a good time!! (plus, it's free, so it's a billion times better!)

I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with A Beautiful Life Poison for the logo. :-D I then sponged a tiny bit more of American Apparel California Trooper to give the speckled look of a stamp on paper. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Alessandro Go Magic!Twist

Remember those L'Oreal Star Magnet polishes? If I'm correct those are long gone and discontinued, but they still hold a special place in many nail polish fanatic's hearts. European brand Allesandro now hits the market with a similar concept.

Like the L'Oreal Star Magnets, The Allesandro Go Magic!Twist is a nail polish with a metallic finish that comes with a magnet. After you you applied your nail polish you take the magnet and hold if for 10-15 seconds over the still wet polish and a super fun effect is created. How cool is that!

Click here for a larger picture

The Allesandro Go Magic!Twist come in four shades:

• Bombastic Brown
• Blue Chip
• Wild Purple
• Queensberry

Alessandro Magic Twist Set costs € 15.95, available from October 2010

I'm pretty sure we'll struggle a bit to get our hands on these, I don't know which countries sell this brand but I've seen them mainly in Germany and Austria, and a smaller selection in The Netherlands. If you know more countries that sell this brand, please let me know!

Source: PinkMelon

Let's Go Disco!

In today's mail, I got some killer new polishes from the Twilight Beauty polish line. I'll be posting more about them on the Daily Nail: Reviews site tomorrow or the next day. They're really great polishes, honestly I was a tad surprised. For today's manicure, I used one of the polishes from the line, Nox Twilight Disco Darling, which is a holographic glitter polish.

and the obligatory blurred sparkle shot:

I used Nox Twilight Disco Darling as a base, with China Glaze DV8 sponged on the tips of the blue nails, and China Glaze TMI for the ring finger. I used Konad Plate m64 to apply American Apparel Hassid, then topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Ok, I'm off to bed, spent 4 hours at the taping of a 3-D commercial for Cirque du Soleil The Beatles LOVE tonight, then about 20 minutes in the Mirage parking ramp going absolutely nowhere because the cars weren't moving, with no air conditioning on in my car because the needle was below empty on the fuel gauge. :) I finally made it home though. :-D (obviously) On the bright side? I met a couple cool new people, and it was fun chatting and laughing with them while we all waited for the stage to be set, then performed, then reset, re-filmed, taken down, set with new stage etc... lol

How To: Feed your Nails

Hi guys! A lot of people ask about how to keep nails long and strong and I decided to do a little write up on the matter. There are many many products claiming obscene nail growth and strength but you can make a difference just by looking at your lifestyle.

When I had my last nail break I tried a product by Herome: Nail Growth Explosion. I went as far as measuring the nails, applying it daily on the sad short nail. After 2 weeks I checked, and all nails gained the same amount of length! So it did absolutely nothing. Maybe it's because my nails are strong and already growing fast as it is, but most products like these have little to no effect on me.

A lot of people forget that a good diet is essential for overall (nail) health. A lot comes from within really. Biotin-rich foods can be really helpful if you want your nails to be in good shape.

Biotin

Biotin or vitamin H is part of the B-vitamin complex, and helps you metabolize fats and carbohydrates and is essential for healthy growth. The best food sources of Biotin are liver, egg yolk, yeast, nuts and beans. You can also take Biotin supplements, but be sure to do some research on this first, as it caused my skin to break out! On this note, just minutes ago Dermelect announced on Twitter they're working on an alternative for Biotin with less side effects, definitely interesting!
Foods rich in sulphur minerals like apples, cucumbers, grapes, garlic, asparagus and onions have a positive effect on your nails as well.

I'm not claiming to be a nutritional know-it-all, but I've read more than once that nails and hair are often a reflection of our overall health. According to Ezinearticles, these are some ways to listen to what your nails are telling you:

symptom	cause
brittle, concave, ridged, white half moons	iron / protein / calcium deficiency
separation of the nail bed	nervousness / hyper thyroid
bluish discoloration	respiratory difficulties
yellowish discoloration	bronchial difficulties (or a sucky base coat ;-) )
pale nail beds	anemia
peeling nails	vitamin A deficiency, dehydration of nails caused by wrong products
poor nail growth	zinc deficiency
thin, brittle nails	vegetable quality oils deficiency
washboard ridges	consumption extremes in diet (especially meats and refined foods)

So, if you're having some nail problems, it might be a good idea to look into this before spending $$$ on treatments that might not even work! Hope this was helpful..

With love,
Michèle

Ezinearticles and the book "Nutrition for Dummies"

I am the Last Barman Poet

I am the last barman poet.

I see America drinking

the fabulous cocktails I make,

Americans getting stinky

on something I stir or shake.

The Sex on the Beach,

the schnapps made from peach,

the Velvet Hammer,

the Alabama Slammer!

I make things with juice and froth,

the Pink Squirrel,

the three-toed sloth.

I make drinks so sweet and snazzy,

the Iced Tea, the Kamikaze,

the Orgasm, the Death Spasm,

the Singapore Sling,

the Ding-a-ling.

America, you've just been devoted

to every flavor I've got.

But if you want to get loaded,

why don't you just order a shot?!

Bar is OPEN.

-Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise- Cocktail, 1988)

I LOVE this movie, and I think it's part to blame for my stint as a bartender (which I miss). Anyway, I saw it on TV today, and of course I stopped everything I was doing to be sucked into the horrible mess that is Cocktail. (such a sweet, sweet mess) Seriously, who can resist godawful lines like 'Champagne, perfume going in, sewage coming out'? It's a movie that you hate to love, or love to hate. :-D Today's nails are dedicated to this gem of a movie, specifically the poem he recites in the 'Cell Block' scene. I had that stupid poem memorized at one point, and no, I'm not ashamed to admit it. ;) I did the Cocktail logo, an Alabama Slammer, a Velvet Hammer, a Sex on the Beach, and a shot (of Jack). 

I used:

Thumb: Cocktail sign

Eyeko Indigo Polish for Sultry Nails as a base, with Essie Foot Loose for the logo.

Index: Alabama Slammer

Revlon Mad About Mango as a base, then mixed with American Apparel Summer Peach for the froth. Zoya Jancyn for the orange, and CND Electric Orange for the orange peel, then China Glaze Salsa for the cherry. Mixed Revlon Mad About Mango with American Apparel Pinto and American Apparel Summer Peach for the ice cube highlights and shadows, then used American Apparel Hassid for the background.

Middle: Velvet Hammer

American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with Essie Mink Muffs sponged over it. Essie Sag Harbor for the shape of the glass, and American Apparel Hassid for the background.

Ring: Sex on the Beach

Zoya Jancyn as a base, with a mixture of Zoya Jancyn and China Glaze Salsa sponged over it. For the orange, I used Zoya Jancyn, CND Electric Orange for the peel, and American Apparel Summer Peach for the pith. Again for the cherry, I used China Glaze Salsa, then I used American Apparel Hassid for the background.

Pinky: Shot of Jack Daniels

Mixture of American Apparel Manila and American Apparel Pinto for the liquor, then outlined the glass with Essie Sag Harbor. Background color was American Apparel Hassid.

Topped everything with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat

Coughlin's Law: Beer is for breakfast, 'round here, drink or be gone.



Disclosure: Eyeko Indigo Polish was sent to me for consideration by the manufacturer.

Contest Voting

Ok, due to the abnormally large number of ANONYMOUS votes, which could be the same person over and over, I am amending the voting to ONLY count votes from a non-anonymous source, meaning they have to be from a GoogleID account, or whatever you use to legitimately follow blogs on blogger.

Sorry to be a party pooper, but it's gotta be fair. If you want your friends to vote for you, they have to use their account, NOT anonymous, because I will NOT count them if they don't.

Thanks,

Melissa

In the Weeds

Tonight is the season premiere of Weeds!! I came across this show after a recommendation from a friend and was instantly hooked. So hooked, in fact, that I watched the entire first 5 seasons in less than a week. :-D It's horrible, but oh so good! :) Favorite character is Andy, with Nancy being a close second, I love her dry remarks. In honor of tonight, I did a Weeds manicure!  Guess what else today is?!  My sister's BIRTHDAY!!  I would love it if everyone wished her a super happy birthday!!! :)

I used L.A. Girl Army Green as a base, with Nubar Forest for the logo and with Bundle Monster plate BM07. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Another fun thing today is that I got to meet Keri B., one of the MAC Sr. Artists! :) She was in Las Vegas teaching an airbrush class, so I met up with her after she was done! She was super nice, and it was fun to meet another twitter friend!! :) I think we need to all do a Nail tweetup... in Vegas? lol :-D

Keri and I:

Photo courtesy of Keri B.

My eyeballs of the day: 

I used MAC Chrome Yellow, MAC Orange pigment, and MAC Basic Red pigment with MAC blacktrack to line. 

and lastly, my 'niece' Mira, and my 'nephew' Yukon, he is barking because he wants the frisbee! :)

Photo courtesy of Stacey Osburn

If She Doesn't Scare You...

...no evil thing will.

I've had this idea on my list for ages, and thought with the chatter about MAC's upcoming collection Venomous Villains, that it'd be a great time to do Cruella nails. :) I must say, I LOVE the packaging (read: boxes, not compacts) for this collection- with the sketchy one-color drawing of each villain. I guess I like the compacts, tubes, etc. too, but not as much as the boxes. I hope I can snag some of this collection when it comes out! :)

I used Essie Bone Chilling White as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the spots, Nubar Sexy Red for the red of the collar and her lips, A Beautiful Life Poison to shade the collar. For the dog tag, I used China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection, and mixed it with American Apparel Hassid to paint the '101' on it. For Cruella, I used Eyeko Nude Polish for Perfect Nails for her face/neck, with Pure Ice Wild Thing for her green eyeshadow, China Glaze Flyin' High for her earring, a mix of American Apparel Manila and American Apparel California Trooper for her coat, and American Apparel Hassid to outline everything. For the background, I used Nubar Sexy Red. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

And my eye's from my roommate's birthday party last night. I had a goofy look on my face and my eyes are huge, but it showed off the makeup the best. :-P

There's No Place Like Home!--->the VOTE!

Ok, there are a LOT of entries- in the 40-50 range, but I'm letting YOU guys pick who wins!! All you have to do is comment with whose design you like the best!! :)

Andrea Camarena- Places that significant family events happened: Disneyland, Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood, the beach, and the state of California.

Annette Borg- Her childhood home, her dog, the local personality 'The T-shirt lady' who wears only a t-shirt and flip flops, a cigarette butt for the local smoking ban, and the path she's traveled from northern to southern California.

Areshu- Her mother's food (from thumb- pinky: hamburger with tomato, eggplant, mac and cheese, strawberry, and blueberries)

Art of Nail

Ashlee- because her father was a police officer

Ashley Rautenstrauch- the silhouette of Buffalo, her hometown, the the Buffalo Sabres game chant

Becky-  bad/cloudy weather

BoonDY- Her mother's favorite flowers, Sunflowers

Cherie_Jayla- drawing funny faces on paper in her kitchen to make her two year old laugh

Jackie L- her family, (l to r; her sister, her, her dad, and her mom)

Coresdaju- her room, so she did the wallpaper pattern

Courtney - Philidelphia Flyers logo

Debbie- all the Philidelphia teams, plus the LOVE park statue

dr4g0nf1y- sitting on the lawn looking at her mother's flowers

Duyen- home means the world to her, with Miami beach, the blue driveway that greets everyone to her home, sleeping in her bed, and her dog who greets her when she gets home.

Gabriella

Isadora- home for her is wearing her Haviaianas! :)

Amoeba- memories of eating fresh fruit while sitting on the porch with her parents

jmlopez95- watching Sesame Street when she was younger and carefree

Kim S- (thumb-pinky: the Wizard of oz, spending time with loved ones, being happy at home, her dog, and picking strawberries with her mom. 

Kathryn- rooting for the home team- the Seattle Mariners

ladyninja333- the mountains of New Mexico, the eternal question: red chilies or green chilies? and the NM state flag.

Larissa [pinck]- marine life near her home

Lauren- Home is where the heart is.

Lindsey- home makes her think of milk and cookies!  (yum!)

Lunuland- JERSEY SHORE! GTL - (t-p: laundry, I<3 NJ, tanning, GTL, and barbells)

Megan S- home makes her think of LOVE. :)

MaRyya- Looking at her father's flower garden

Meg- the beach because her family goes there in the summer

Memerrill007- the ditch that used to run through the property when she was younger, and the times she spent enjoying its bounty

MJ- her bedroom (t-p: the glow in the dark stars on her white ceiling, a pillow on her bed, sleeping in her bed, her bedspread/comforter, and her pink iPod that she always listens to in her room)

naluma- music, family, her cat leo, love, and dreams of motherhood

Nicole M.- (t-p: Georgia peach logo, her son's baby footprint, lace from her wedding dress, high school class colors and class of '07, and love)

ocjbeachbum21- wizard of oz

Phoebe- rural area

Pretty- Bay area  rainbow, Golden Gate bridge and fog. 

princess_bernadette- the unique yellow buses around her house that let her know she's home

shinylittlestar- the rug that her parents bought her

Simply Rins- the colors represent her family, yellow- dog, blue- dad, green- mom, red- her, and pink-her sister.

Soffio di Dea- the scenery near her home

Sonoma Bento - wind country with the vineyards and grapes!!

Swaafie- love, the country roads near her house, her parents' house, and the garden of daisies

Teresia- beach/water theme, because she spent most of her childhood in the water during her summers by the sea, and feels at home in the water no matter where she is

Tara F- the rich, bold colors of her dad's house that make her think of home, classy and classic.

Thifa- the Brazilian flag, and a beach scene.

Thriszha- a hot air balloon event that she went to with her family 

That's all folks!!  Voting ends Wed, August 18, at 11:59 PST