NARS Purple Rain Nail Polish! Purple Rain...Purple Rain

Hello Divas!

I heard a powerful message last week that I want to share.  If you focus on being thankful for all of your blessings, you will not have time to be envious of others. Wow! So be thankful!

I opened my email the other day and received my weekly email from one of my favorite brands, NARS.  And look what popped up:

 

Love love love it! NARS describes this color as an "intensely gothic purple."  I love the color.  Plus it has tiny sparkles.  This is a beautiful shade for Spring and Summer. I can't wait to get my hands on this color.  If I did not have to go into the office everyday, I would so rock this color on my nails around the clock.  But for now, I will just settle for my toes and on a much needed vacay! 

Toodles!

Polished Beauty Lounge: Affordable Luxe!

Hello Divas!

I hope your weekend was truly wonderful! It was a bit rainy in Atlanta, but I did get an opportunity to sleep and pamper myself a wee bit.

Yesterday, a bunch of my friends gathered at Polished Beauty Lounge to get manis/pedis and celebrate my friend Christin's impending birth.  I have been to Polished several times and I just love love this nail salon.  What I love most is the sanitary bowls, decor, and great customer service!

 

This place is so cute right?  The salon offers manicure and pedicure services; facials; and hair removal services.  There are also tons of cute accessories for purchase.  These accessories include funky jewelry, special undergarments, and foot petals!  The staff is super friendly and efficient.  I have had their basic pedicure, the Stylish ($24) and the Barefoot at the Beach to Island Goddess pedicure.  Both are great, but the Barefoot at the Beach to Island Goddess Pedicure is heavenly.  It includes a papaya healing exfoliation scrub or lavender soothing sea salt scrub.  This is followed by a rejuvenating mineral mask for the feet and moisturizing peach paraffin for the hands.  It is finished off with hot towels and a relaxing massage. It is only $35 and worth every penny!

Polished is located at 4500 West Village Place, ste, Smyrna, GA 30080.  They also offer gift certificates.  A Polished gift certificate is a great Valentine's Day gift!


Toodles! 

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Trim's Neat Feet Portable Pedicure System

Hello Divas!

I hope your Wednesday is Fantabulous!

While in Hilton Head, I needed a pedicure in the worst way. Since I have been so busy, I did not have time to go to the nail salon to get a pedicure. I figured, I would just get one when I arrived. But I found it difficult to locate a nail salon near the beach! So I went to a CVS to find a pumice stone and other tools to do my own pedicure before hanging out on the beach all day. Crusty feet and the beach don't mix! LOL!

Well I found this cute little portable pedicure system by Trim. I was intrigued because this pedicure system looks like a mini Clarisonic and you Divas know how bad I want a Clarisonic. I digress.... The system is a mini power tool with four different heads to give your feet a nice pedicure. How neat???!!

There is a pumice head that smooths rough areas; a brush that cleans feet; a sponge that is used to apply lotion or your favorite foot cream; and a small file to give your feet a final once over. The portable pedicure system also comes with a drawstring bag for easy storage. Plus it fits perfectly in my beauty case. I love products that I can easily transport!

I soaked my feet and used the pumice head to smooth my rough feet. The power tool moves in a circular motion. I applied it to my feet and it removed most of the rough areas. I would have liked it to remove more dead skin, but my feet were smooth enough to present in public! I then applied a nice foot cleanser and used the brush to clean my feet. The motion was very soothing. I think I like this brush the best..it was like a mini-massage. I didn't use the sponge to apply lotion, but I did use the file to give my feet a final once over. The file did not make much of a difference, but it is a nice concept.

Overall the tool gave me a decent pedicure. I loved that I did not have to use a lot of energy giving myself a pedicure because the power tool does it for you. Now that is genius! I do think it could be a little more powerful, but for $10 it was definitely worth the purchase. You can purchase this portable pedicure system from any CVS or Target.

Toodles!

N.Y.C. Nail Polish: Is it Worth Buying?

Hello Divas!

I hope your Wednesday is awesome!

Well it is official. Summer is here! This is the time to get regular manis and pedis and experiment with nail color. Of course, bright colors are always hot in the summer. This is why I decided to try N.Y.C. Nail Colors. I was looking for a nice yellow to wear when I am relaxing and not working! They had a great yellow and a host of other bright and funky colors. So I gave it a try.

First, the price point is great! Who can beat nail polish at 99 cents? However, the formula is very thin. I had to apply 4 coats to achieve the yellow color in the bottle. Next, the polish constantly streaked while applying. Even after applying 4 coats and drying, I never achieved a smooth finish. Just streaks, streaks, streaks! Not good. The one thing I did like about this polish is that it drys very quickly. Now that was impressive. How does it compare to Wet n' Wild's nail polish? Wet n' Wild is crushing N.Y.C. I previously blogged about the fabulousness of Wet n' Wild's Nail Polish here. Plus Wet n' Wild is also 99 cents.

Toodles!

Ped Egg: My Review!

Hello Divas!

I hope your Tuesday is fabulous! A couple of weeks ago I read Funkidivagirl's post on her experience using the Ped Egg foot file. She loved it! In addition, I have consistently read rave reviews about this product so I had to try it. Last night, I gave myself a pedicure and I used the Ped Egg. When I first started using the Ped Egg I was not sure it was working. I initially expected huge amounts of dead skin to slough off immediately. But the Ped Egg does not work that way. The Ped Egg gently and methodically sloughs off dead skin. Actually, it was quite therapeutic. It took about 30 minutes to completely remove all the dead skin. When I was done my feet were baby smooth. I am in love with this product! Plus I love that the Ped Egg includes an emery buffing pad to smooth out your feet after using the foot file. How fabulous is that?!!! The Ped Egg retails for $10.00 and you can purchase it at Target or online here.

Beauty Etiquette: Tipping for Beauty Servies

Hello Divas!

I hope you are having an awesome day! I attended a Bridal Shower at a spa this weekend and it was pretty nice. However, my friends and I had a discussion about what is the appropriate tip to give to your service provider when receiving beauty services. These services include hair care, spa treatments, threading, waxing, and nail services. As a general rule, when receiving beauty services the standard tip is 20%. Especially if the service is excellent and you have no complaints. Also if you are a frequent visitor to the salon or spa, giving a standard 20% tip builds good will and perks. So if need to be squeezed in for an appointment, the salon or spa is more likely to fit you in. In addition, your masseuse may give you an extra 5-10 minutes on a massage if you regularly tip 20%. Some people like to leave 18%, which is not standard, but a salon or spa should not put you on the black list for it! lol! Now if the service was just okay or border line so-so, I would tip 15%. No need to tip 20% if you are not thrilled with the service. If you are totally unhappy with the service, then tip 10%. This is generally my rule when tipping. I just hate to not leave anything, even though I am not happy. I figure if I leave 10%, then the service provider knows that I am not happy with the service. However, it is also acceptable not to leave any tip if you are totally unhappy. Just let the owner or manager of the salon or spa know why you are unhappy and did not leave a tip. Lastly, if you are not sure about what amount is appropriate when tipping, discreetly ask the owner or manager of the spa or salon. This will save both you and the beauty establishment awkwardness and embarrassment.

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Wet N' Wild's Wild Shine Nail Polish in Lavender Creme

Hello Divas!

I hope your week is going great! My hot drugstore find of the week is Wet n' Wild's Wild Shine Nail Polish in Lavender Creme. Lavender Creme is a gorgeous hot pink color and it looks great on my toes! I must confess that I am not the one to do my own mani/pedi. However, I was inspired by Mischo of Mischo Beauty to give it a try. Mischo is a licensed cosmetologist, an esthetician, and a chemist! She is just too fab! Her blog focuses on the proper care of hair, skin, and nails. She always features nail polish in beautiful colors. Check out one of my favs here. I decided to give myself a pedicure and I went to CVS to check out nail polish. I chose Wet n' Wild because it is so affordable. I brought this polish for only 99 cents! So if I did not like it, I would not feel like I wasted any money. I was also motivated by the fact that this nail polish is toluene, formaldehyde & phthalate free! I applied two coats and Wet n' Wild's MegaLast Quick Dry Ultra Gloss Top Coat, and my toes are just too pretty. I have been wearing this color for a week and I have not experienced any chipping. I love it! Wet n' Wild has several beautiful colors to choose from. The top coat retails for $1.99. You can purchase Wet n' Wild at CVS or online here.

Toodles!