China Glaze Summer Neons

We're already hitting triple digits here in the south, so naturally it's a perfect time to pull out your flip flops and some nice bright summer neons!  Please enjoy the following press from China Glaze.  (All images courtesy of AII)

Heat Up Your Summer with China Glaze®’s Newest Sizzling Collection

The sun has nothing on you this summer!  Rival its brightness and heat with China Glaze® Summer 2012 collection, Summer Neons.  Featuring 12 new sizzling shades perfect for surf, sand and nightlife, the all new hot hues in China Glaze® Summer Neons include:

Pink Plumeria

Light pink with gold shimmer 

Under the Boardwalk

Fluorescent raspberry 

Splish Splash

Bright sky blue shimmer

Love’s A Beach

Sizzling hot pink

Hang-Ten Toes

Bubblegum neon with iridescent purple shimmer

Beach Cruise-r

Glimmering fuchsia grape

Orange You Hot?

Bright orange with attention-grabbing gold glimmer

Surfin’ For Boys

Glistening bright coral

Flirty Tankini

Shimmery strawberry smoothie pink

Ride the Waves

Dark ocean blue

I’m With the Lifeguard

Glimmering lime green

Sun-Kissed

Hot highlighter yellow

Also available 8-piece box collection featuring Under The Boardwalk, Ride The Waves, I’m With The Lifeguard, Sun-Kissed, Orange You Hot?, Surfin’ For Boys, Flirty Tankini and Pink Plumeria.

China Glaze® Summer Neons will be available as open stock colors and 12-piece counter display.  Individual polishes retail for $7 MSRP and the 8-piece box set retails for $56.  China Glaze® Summer Neons will be available at fine salons and beauty supply stores nationwide in June 2012.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com. 

Salon Perfect Spicy Tomato

It's not a spicy meatball, no... it's a Spicy Tomato from Salon Perfect!  This is a nice orange red creme, kind of jelly like?  I used a base of Poshe, 2 coats of polish and no top coat but dude, check out the shine.

So here is this spicy color in the sun - kinda hot and out there, yes?  I loved that I didn't have application streaking or watery ickiness that you can get with reds.


This is where you'd normally see my shade picture, but my dorky self got nothing but blurry pictures.  Fantastic.

Indoors with the flash instead!  Yay!  Hot, jelly, creme, no shimmer... orange red.  The only thing I hate about this polish?  Very easy to find a duplicate, but at only $3, can't really beat the price.


Salon Perfect [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [YouTube] is a collection of professional-quality lash, brow and nail products. Available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide, Salon Perfect offers premium faux lashes in an assortment of styles.  The "Blooming With Color" collection was only available in 1,700 stores during May 2012.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

CPNALV: Focus On Social Media Democracy

Seriously people, only 39 days before I'm in Vegas, reporting to you on what's coming up for the rest of 2012 and a few sneak peeks into 2013.  Oh yes.  I'm giddy thinking about it.  Honestly, the next 60 days of my life seem to be pretty fantastic - I have a lot going on.


Today, I have a treat.  Now, this press release is from April but since then, one panel member has been replaced... by MOI.  Yes, I will be part of the following press release, with my expertise (sweet!) on social media.  


Here's my little bio that will be available to those who are attending the panel.  (Whoa, girl needs head shots... cough)

Krystal Seidel | PolishGalore | Founder/Blogger - Krystal Seidel is a working mother in South Texas who's passion for nail polish has blossomed into the nail blog Polish Galore.  She started writing about beauty and fashion as a Teen People trendspotter in 2000 and has been recently been featured in Rite Aid's Glam Camp publications.  Krystal helped create one of the first Facebook game applications, (fluff)Friends, in 2007 and utilized various social networking programs to help (fluff)Friends grow to over 10 million installs in its lifetime.


Yeah buddy.


Now for the rest of the press release.  (For those keeping score, I'm replacing Jeremy Thompson, who will be giving a different conference at the same time).  Images courtesy of Y! PR.

CPNA TO FOCUS ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA DEMOCRACY

LEARN HOW TO MANAGE FEEDBACK IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE

 

Las Vegas, NV (April 26, 2012) – Popular social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are changing the way consumers interact with brands on a daily basis. This instant, digital platform has paved the way to encourage consumers to engage and provide feedback within the online community. Although this idea might present opportunistic discussion, what happens when this open channel of communication results in less than positive feedback from the public – how should a brand respond?

Join Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) and four social media savvy influentials as they shed some light on how to handle the communication process between brands and the public, whether it is positive or negative feedback. Moderated by Brad Masterson, Vice President of Y Public Relations, the “Join the Social Media Democracy” session will be held at Cosmoprof North America on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
 

Patrick McIvor | Matrix Professional Haircare & Color | Color Director – Named the Best Hair Colorist by Allure Magazine, this tireless trendspotter is involved in social media, educational, technical and philanthropic initiatives for Matrix, which has gained more than 300,000 online followers. In addition, he is one of the hairstylist pioneers in the social media community. McIvor began sharing with fellow professionals via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube early on, and today his online connection strategies serve as the success model for both salons and individual stylists.
 

Megan Segura | DailyMakeover.com | Associate Editor – Segura is responsible for reporting on the latest beauty and hair trends, as well as managing the social media channels like Facebook and Twitter for Daily Makeover, which receives more than three million readers a month. When she isn’t covering market events, Segura helps extend Daily Makeover’s reach by working with outside beauty bloggers. From basic makeup to luxurious skin treatments, she shares her love for all with beauty junkies and product fanatics, otherwise known as the Daily Makeover community.
  

Jaime Richards | BellaSugar.com | Acting Editor – For the past four years, Richards has been writing about all-things beauty for the San Francisco based website, BellaSugar.com. BellaSugar is part of the Sugar Network, which receives an impressive 26 million visitors a month. By engaging and connecting with the ever-changing online community, Richards has experienced first-hand the direct feedback given by the readers of the site. She not only participates in the discussion, but also elicits feedback from her audience in regard to the content she posts daily.

Cosmoprof North America will take place July 22 - 24, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.  Stay tuned for regular CPNA show updates, and for more information, visit cosmoprofnorthamerica.com and Facebook.com/cosmoprofnorthamerica.

Salon Perfect Kiwi Lime

I have another Salon Perfect shade today - Kiwi Lime.  Okay, call me crazy (CALL ME MAYBE!) but this looks way more yellow than kiwi green... or lime green.  Maybe I just wish it was green?  But seriously, this is so yellow.  YELLOW.  And like a yellow, it's streaky.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 3 coats of polish and a top coat of Seche Vite.

See?  Yellow!  Now granted, it's a bit of a dirty yellow instead of like, Sharpie highlighter yellow but it's still NOT GREEN.  I think I'm just in green rage right now (Hulk out yo).

So here in the shade, it takes on a tiny bit of a greenish shade, but not by much.  

Indoors with the flash.  Hmm.  Nope, no green.  The good thing is that it doesn't look as terrible streaky as it was - and almost looks opaque here!  Granted, yellows just generally are frustrating and difficult to apply, so don't feel bad Kiwi Lime... it's not JUST you.



Salon Perfect [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [YouTube] is a collection of professional-quality lash, brow and nail products. Available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide, Salon Perfect offers premium faux lashes in an assortment of styles.  The "Blooming With Color" collection was only available in 1,700 stores during May 2012.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Pure Ice Vinyl Remix

I actually have several of the Pure Ice Vinyl Remix polishes to show you - and I promise I will soon!  Please enjoy the following release from Pure Ice!  (All images courtesy of Bari)

There is something about Pink and Black that just makes you want to shimmy!  GLAMROCK is the first duo of Vinyl Remix to seriously make your nails dance. Remix your mani by swirling your brush in a C pattern and then twirling it in an S pattern. Watch the magic happen!

Twitter @BariBeauty
Facebook http://facebook.com/baribeauty

Pure Ice is manufactured by Bari Cosmetics

Salon Perfect Plum Sorbet

So last month, I posted about Salon Perfect, the Wal-Mart exclusive line of nail polish that was only available during May.  Salon Perfect is more of a lashes brand but sometimes they put out nail collections, and this was their big "test" of how Salon Perfect nail polish would go.  These bottles are 3.3mL (0.3 fl oz) and sold for ~$3.


Today I have Plum Sorbet, a "magenta with purple shimmer" from the Blooming with Color collection.  Yes, you've seen this same color before with Color Club Mrs. Robinson or China Glaze Purple Panic for the most part... This is a non-neon version for sure.


I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of Seche Vite.  The formula was pretty spot on.  Salon Perfect is also produced by A.I.I., the company who owns China Glaze.

Here in the sun, you can see that this is fully opaque polish, in just 2 coats!  The purple shimmer isn't as pronounced as I had hoped - I was looking for more of a duochrome effect, but it's just not there.

Here in the shade, this color really stands out against my skin, which I really like!  I had let my nails grow a bit since my last posting (as you can tell)... I hate having unshaped nubbins now - looks so unprofessional to me!  I actually had tried squaring off my nails myself, but I still need help (as you can see on my pinky).

Indoors with the flash - again, the shimmer isn't completely there, but you can see it a bit on the middle finger.  For $3, this was a great polish!  It's a little on the smaller size, but still fits comfortable on the hand.


The black cap is plastic, and actually a false cap (like many others in this style) but I don't recommend taking it off to polish - the cap that holds the brush is no wider than your finger width, and makes it awkward to hold during polishing.  So, keep the black cap on!


Because this was an exclusive line, it's going to be hard to find these for sale now.  You can see if there are any on a shelf in your Wal-Mart, but they were only in 1,700 stores and only during May.


Salon Perfect [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [YouTube] is a collection of professional-quality lash, brow and nail products. Available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide, Salon Perfect offers premium faux lashes in an assortment of styles.  The "Blooming With Color" collection was only available in 1,700 stores during May 2012.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

CPNALV: Spotlights Program 2012

45 days left! Please enjoy the following release regarding Cosmoprof North America Las Vegas. (All images courtesy of Y! PR)  


PS: The brands have not been released yet, but when they are, I will be sure to let you know!

CPNA INTRODUCES SPOTLIGHTS PROGRAM 2012

A NEW, EXCLUSIVE INITIATIVE TARGETING SMALL BRANDS

 

This year, Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) introduces SPOTLIGHTS, an exclusive initiative within the Discover Beauty program. This new exhibit space will allow smaller companies that are big on creativity but tight on budget the opportunity to showcase their products at CPNA, the premier B2B event.

Every year, CPNA attracts various indie boutique retail store owners, major salon and spa owners and international buyers from more than 100 countries who come to scout and find new resources to launch in their establishments. The SPOTLIGHTS program will house small artisan labels that are a prime fit for high-end retail stores, boutiques, salons and spas.

The intimate SPOTLIGHTS section will have a clean, minimal, department store-like setting within an open lounge in the Discover Beauty section, inside Pavilion A dedicated to the Cosmetics & Personal Care sector. Brands will display their products on small white countertops to allow all show attendees to see these brands.

China Glaze Concrete Catwalk

While I'm still on my hunt for the perfect grey, Concrete Catwalk seemed like a logical choice to check.  This is also from the 2011 fall collection "Metro".  This whole collection screams NYC to me, but that may be the Glee-episode in me talking...  Or something.  Sadly, I don't recall which base and top coat I used and I believe this was 2 coats.


Also, I suffered a devastating loss - goodbye nails, hello nubbins.

So, not my perfect grey - this one has too much of a dark presence for me.  I do like it much better on nubbins that on long nails though, so I'm sure I'll wear it again, especially in the long winter months.

In the shade this almost has a blue tone to it, but I do believe it's just bad lighting.  Bad blogger too.

Finally indoors with the flash - and some bad focus.  You can see a little bit of patchiness on my pinkie fingers.  You'll notice that on the last post too - you need to make sure to cover the whole nail surface with the polish so you don't end up with patchy spots.




China Glaze [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply as well as TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

CPNALV: Legislative Update

46 days left!!! Please enjoy the following release regarding Cosmoprof North America Las Vegas. (All images courtesy of Y! PR)

It's All In The Details: The Legislative Update At CPNA

Learn How To Protect Your Business And Our Industry

Making a return to Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) this year, the Legislative Update conference will feature the industry’s top three beauty associations focusing on the Safe Cosmetic Alliance and how this group helps to protect the beauty industry as a whole.

Introduced last September, the Safe Cosmetic Alliance is a diverse coalition of industry professionals that support science-based federal legislation designed to strengthen U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of the industry, increase transparency and enhance existing consumer safeguards. The Alliance includes professionals from the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD), Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), Professional Beauty Association (PBA) as well as the Direct Selling Association (DSA) and the International Fragrance Association North America (IFRANA). The proactive Alliance represents every sector of the beauty and personal care industry such as local salon and spa owners, retail employees, and licensed beauty professionals.

Join members from the Safe Cosmetic Alliance as they discuss pending legislation on proposed regulatory bills impacting the beauty industry and modernizing the current laws. In addition, the group will highlight recent issues affecting certain ingredients and the overall safety of consumer products. The “It’s All In The Details: The Legislative Update” session will be held at CPNA on Monday, July 23, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Pavilion D. Leaders of the top three beauty associations will participate in this not-to-be-missed conference, featuring:
 

Personal Care Products Council: Lezlee Westine, President and CEO – Covering the political dynamics in Washington, Westine will highlight how Washington works, how those dynamics are affecting the industry and what the Council is doing on behalf of the industry to advance issues in Congress.

  

Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors: Pam Busiek, President and CEO – Reviewing what is currently happening in the industry and cover new developments in proposed federal legislation which has industry support.  She will discuss the need for modernization of existing cosmetic regulations.  Busiek will also update attendees on new trends and initiatives that will affect their businesses.

Professional Beauty Association: Steve Sleeper, Executive Director – Providing clarity on cosmetic ingredients to proactively working toward a fair taxation of the salon industry, PBA’s government advocacy efforts is extensive. Sleeper will provide an overview of current pressing issues such as, tax/tip legislation and grassroots legislative campaigns.

This session is complimentary to all CPNA show attendees.

Cosmoprof North America will take place July 22 - 24, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.  Stay tuned for regular CPNA show updates, and for more information, visit cosmoprofnorthamerica.com and Facebook.com/cosmoprofnorthamerica. 

China Glaze Urban-Night

Yes, I know it's June but this is a fall color.  I'm a rebel.  Rawr.  Urban-Night is from the China Glaze Metro 2011 Fall Collection.  It's a simple red plum creme that isn't super fancy, but does the job on the nail.  Good bottle of polish.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 2 coats of color and a top of nubar diamont.

So I'm still trying to rock dark colors on long nails.  I just don't feel like I have the personality to go with it.  Then again, how many people wear dark purple on a regular basis anyway?  Be a rock star.  You can see that the color looks a little sheer near my cuticle... you do have to make sure you apply the color fully since the first coat was just a tiny bit sheer but two coats made it nice and opaque.

Now, I do love this color in the shade even more than in the sun.  The vampy purple is up my alley, despite my normal loathing of fall colors.

Indoors with the flash - you can see that it's definitely opaque.  Despite the bleeding into my cuticles, this wasn't a bad formula, and it didn't stain my nails, so win win!


China Glaze [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply as well as TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Safety facts about UV Nail Lamps

Okay, ladies (and the occasional gentleman who wanders this way).  I'm a little tired of all the negative backlash about UV lamps.  No, we don't need to go looking like Tan Mom but at the same time, we can't just let some snippet in a magazine or blurb on the news scare us from things like gel manicures.

Image via HLNTV

Good Morning America aired a segment in April about gel manicures and UV nail lamps.  Unfortunately, I was not able to watch it (silly work), but I wanted to share the information that CND sent out.  You can also read more here and if you have any questions, ask in the comments!  I am not a nail technician but CND has extended an invitation to PolishGalore readers to ask questions and they will help me get you the right answer.  :]

UV Nail Lamp Safety Information

 As of April 11, 2012

• According to Dr. Robert M. Sayre, Ph.D., of Rapid Precision Testing Laboratories one of the creators of the SPF rating system: “UV Nail Lamps are safer than natural sunlight or sunlamps.”

• Dr. David Valia, Director of Research and Development for CND, compares the exposure from a UV lamp to that of indoor fluorescent lighting. He explains, “The amount of energy from a UV lamp during a nail service would be roughly equivalent to the amount of UV exposure one would experience during a typical day of exposure in indoor fluorescent lighting.”

• According to Dr. Sayre:  “People who are indoors have little to no skin risk due to long term exposure to fluorescent lighting. People who sunbathe or work outdoors have real risks of excessive UV exposure, the cause of sunburn and skin cancer.”

• “The CND UV Nail Lamp bulb emits almost exclusively (more than 99%) UVA-1, the safest part of the ultraviolet spectrum,” says Dr. Sayre.  

• The exposure from a bi-weekly UV manicure is equivalent to “an extra 1-2 minutes in daylight each day between salon visits,” says Doug Schoon, CND’s Chief Scientific Advisor and author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry.

• Although hands are the most exposed, they’re also the least susceptible to UV sensitivity. According to Dr. Sayre, “It would take 6 – 10x more exposure to your hands to produce mild sunburn than it would to produce a burn on your face, abdomen or back. UV Nail Lamps are used on one of the least susceptible parts of your body.”

• Hands get more UV exposure holding the steering wheel of a car or talking on a cell phone outside than they do from the use of UV nail lamps.

• UV nail lamps have been on the market for over 30 years and there have been no proven reports linking them to premature aging or skin cancer.

• Just like you put sunscreen on your face, we recommend putting sunscreen on your hands throughout the day, especially after washing them.

NCLA Eight Days A Week

So yesterday was the Texas Primary Election, and as I have mentioned a few times on Twitter, I'm running for local office.  Well, I was also running unopposed in my party so YAY I WON!  The real test will be Tuesday, 6 November 2012 when I go against the incumbent.  So in a small victory dance, I'm wearing NCLA Eight Days A Week and singing the song loudly... in my head at least.  This is a beautiful cornflower/powder blue that has a hit of dusty lavender in it.  It's a great creme that was opaque in just 2 coats.  I use a base of Poshe, 2 coats of polish and a top of nubar Diamont.  This is also from the "Summer of 69" collection.

Look how vibrant this color is!  I also love that it's not too warm for my hands... or too cool - it's just the right shade.

Even in the shade, this color truly pops.  I really want to use it and dot against it with white or purple.  OR ADD SPECTRAFLAIR.  Or even some Connect the Dots...

Now, inside with the flash, this color does look a bit harsh, but still vibrant and opaque and that to me says "GOOD POLISH."  I'm about to go crazy, weeding down some of my collection to send to my dear Destany along with some other goodies that are overdue for her...  but watery layer polishes are not my favorite and this is definitely not one of those!  YOU STAY.  Good polish.  *pat*


NCLA [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Tumblr] is available on the website for $16.00 a bottle and in a variety of stores.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Color Club Take Wing

Randomly, I saw this collection out before it was supposed to be.  But now that it's officially summer 2012, be on the look out for Color Club - Take Wing!  (All images courtesy of Color Club)

Introducing the Take Wing Collection from Color Club

Color Reaches New Heights with This Enchanting Collection of Bright Shimmering Shades

December 2011 - New York, New York - Color Club, the New York based nail color company announced today the debut of Take Wing, a new nail color collection of bright, shimmer-infused shades inspired by vibrant butterflies and spring metamorphosis. Fly high with color and soar to sparkling new heights with this new collection featuring six unique shades. Aptly named WingFling, Sparkle and Soar, Metamorphosis, Fly with Me, Sky High and Daisy Does it, this new vegan, formaldehyde, toluene and DBP-free collection is a completely new way to experience the metamorphosis of Spring.

The Take Wing Collection includes (from left to right):

WingFling: Red/Pink Shimmer

Sparkle and Soar: Orange Shimmer

Sky High: Blue Shimmer

Metamorphosis: Turquoise Green Shimmer

Fly with Me: Lime Green Shimmer

Daisy Does It: Yellow Shimmer

Color Club’s Take Wing Collection will be available in April 2012. All Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com

About Color Club

A favorite of celebrity manicurists and nail color fans worldwide, Color Club is renowned for its high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. From the brightest neons, to glitter and French, all nail colors are vegan, formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP -free – and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials. -