Tuesday, April 20, 2010

ABOVE THE CLOUDS...





above the clouds/above the clouds/where sounds are original

infinate skills create miracles

warrior spiritual - above the clouds

reigning(raining) down/holdin it down






A break from usual trivial beauty bull-ish here to honour one of the best that ever did it for my one and only true love, Hip Hop.

Breaking news is that Guru, MC of legendary hiphop duo, Gang starr has just lost his battle with cancer.

This has been a dramatic situation for a minute with his manager having power of attorney over his health matters and stopping any member of Guru's family (blood and otherwise) from being able to see him in his critical and deteriorating state over these last months.

His family and so many of his peers and fans have had to pray from afar for his recovery - this is truly a tragic outcome.

There will surely be more b.s. emerging as the scenario now plays out between Solar (manager) and Guru's family.
Prayers go out to all Guru's surviving loved ones. (love and respect to Premo).
Rest in peace (finally), Keith Elam.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

JUST STOP.


Kids, don't let your limited handle on spelling ever get in the way of making large hot-pink-on-black moves in this world....


As Fresh (http://www.crunktastical.net/) is often fond of noting - the jokes write themselves -
and she doesn't mess with crazy white folks much, so I'm taking up the slack.
You know as soon as you see the words 'Lindsay Lohan' and 'tanning', it's gonna be a good show.


You may remember, I brought this situation to your attention via the blogspot ('PUT THE SOLUTION DOWN' - Archives Dec 2009).
So here's where it's at.
Someone decided it would be a good move for their business to get Lundzay onboard to be a 'co-developer' and spokeswoman for their tanning solution (could this be the equivalent of Mary-Kate Olsen hawking for WeightWatchers or Britney for Triumph brassieres or Tiger for monogamy...ummm).


But wait.


...promo blurb states "infused with Goji Berry extract and Chardonnay extracts to help keep the skin hydrated..." (if you do not believe me, here is the full article - http://www.azfamily.com/good-morning-arizona/Sevin-Nyne-spray-tanning-mist-89526967.html)


This individual periodically vacays in the real world from rehab for (what else??) ALCOHOLISM.


BUT WAIT.


Way to back yourself, turning up to your heavily-anticipated, much-publicised tanning product launch with clearly not a spritz of said product anywhere on your person, looking paler than the white dress you're wearing.


Wow.


Please bask in the stank irony of this whole hot mess (...guaranteed to beat the nacho-cheese-corn-chip aroma of any rotten spraytan - oh yes!). Alanis Morissette got nothin on this b.....

Friday, April 16, 2010

IT'S CRACK!


Now this is dope.


And what's more, BYS is an Australian company/brand.


I've been using BYS for a minute now and I LOVE their range - the colours are onpoint, consistency is extremely workable AND they retail for $4 a bottle.


Get into this concept. You paint a base colour (hot pink in this set) and then follow it with the special black varnish designed to crack and show the pink through it.
There are 3 sets in this collection all with varying base and cracking polish colours.

THE HY(PE)-BRID ISH...


Creative Nail Design (CND) would really have to reach with something ridiculously impressive to get me back onboard after the decision to abolish their whole polish range to make way for their new, convoluted '50 colours, 15 effects' concept. (fail, btw...)


Apparently this is it.


It is an unprecedented product that lands somewhere between a polish and a gel overlay - a hybrid, if you will. It's been in superduper secret undercover development and production for the last couple of years and initial unsolicited reports are saying it lives up to the hype.
It is for the manicure (not enhancement) client that wishes their polish would last for weeks instead of days.


ALL LACQUERED UP sampled it and broke it down over 2 weeks and the photos are actually impressive.

See for yourself - http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2010/03/introducing-cnd-shellac-hybrid-nail-color.html

For natural nails only, it still won't help me and 97% of my clientbase get over the frustration of some of the best polishes (quality and colour range) being wiped off the market for good.
('Burn', 'Trophy', 'Tickles' and 'Grapeade' (just to begin with) need to be inducted into some Hall of Polish fame - for real).
SHELLAC launches May 2010.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

REALLY, THOUGH?


Julep (attempt to) cash in.

A 'Sex and The City' inspired line of polishes (each one name for each of the 4 lead characters).
Okay... I guess.
If I was Stanford Blatch, I'd be coming for mine (...although, he could be happy to sit this one out...)
Image courtesy of honeymag.com

GET ME BODIED.




Don't hate me 'cause I stan.

In line with my obsession with all things Sophy Robson-related, I (re-)present the latest polish offerings from dope cosmetics beast, Illamasqua.
The collection is aptly named 'Body Electrics' and this just reiterates that I really need to get into some online ordering.


Images courtesy of alllacqueredup.com

GETTIN THAT VISUAL??




Them jokesters over at Bleach Black have done it again with the release of their latest polish colour.


Described as a 'pearlescent, milky white' - it's been crowned 'Jizz'.


Hilarious.


...You may have heard of Bleach Black before, due to their attention-grabbing debut polish colour around Christmas time - a deep, metallic teal, entitled 'Dickweed'.
I love these girls.
These articles are equally bemused -


Images courtesy of refinery29.com

COLLABO


MAC have gotten Alice + Olivia onboard with a range that I can get with.


Not sure when Oz will see it (we're just getting the Liberty of London collection right now.... )


Anyway - pics are pretty.




Image courtesy of nbcnewyork.com

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

GREAT MINDS...



Some people (alot, infact) initially didn't quite get the point of the BRONZ'D for Minx Nails launch at Laruche a couple of weeks ago.
Just to reiterate - if you have or express a creative idea or notion, don't let the naysayers knock your momentum. Keep on pushing.
Tracey Lee (dope NY nail tech) is currently doing Minx Nails launches at the ACE Hotel (New York City) each Saturday.

ACE hotel is fresh.
I have the excellent fortune of having a BF who's close association makes me seem like I constantly have a clue - and because of her influence I happened to stay (with her) at ACE hotel last July when the hotel was just 2 months past it's extensive refurbishment.
As you can see from the images above, it's an amazing space.
Let me just say this - ACE+TraceyLee+MinxNails = GOOD LOOK.
I knew I was on the right track...

Monday, April 12, 2010

SHANGHAI SURPRISE


Following hot on the heels of that last dis - I will (and must) acquiesce just this once.


My faith has been temporarily restored. This is beautiful.


Thanks for bringing it back (finally!), KL.




Image courtesy of nymag.com

PARTICULIERE-LY (NOT QUITE RIGHT)


If you're a regular reader, you'll already know how I generally feel about Chanel polishes (which, incidentally, happens to be the complete opposite of how I feel about Chanel handbags and Mr Lagerfeld - but, I digress....)


So, here's a professional's professional opinion...


If you feel some uncontrollable compulsion to aquire Chanel's current (yet, almost-out-of-favour, as May (and therefore 'Nouvelle Vague') approaches) varnish, 'Particuliere' - I urge you instead to do yourself one large and divert to O.P.I.'s 'You Don't Know Jacques!' or 'Over the Taupe', which is almost a dead ringer for 'Particuliere'.
I took Particuliere off a client the other day. It looks brown in the bottle, ugly khaki out of the bottle and baby-dodo yellow when it's coming off onto a cotton swab. I'm seriously starting to think Karl is playing us with these colours. For real.
Half the $$'s, O.P.I.'s consistency and wearability is infallible (and the same cannot be said for Chanel).
There. I said it.
P.s. Thank you, Vogue Australia - who, it looks, agree with me - with their first suggestion for this nail trend being 'Over the Taupe'. http://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/trends/taupe+trend,2857


Image courtesy of http://www.elle.com/

Check the link for the full story on brown varnish nail trends - http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Makeup-Skin-Care/Nail-Trends-Spring-2010-Shades-of-Brown

RECESSION PROOF


It's official. Nail polish is no joke in the serious growth sector of business during the recession period.

Seems it's been the top choice to stay pretty whilst relieving the GFC blues.
Please check this article by the Financial Times, that Elle could probably recycle as a beauty trending article... http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d041dd54-3cf8-11df-bbcf-00144feabdc0.html

As it turns out, in past recessions other beauty staples came out on top - but this time around nail varnish hit out as the savvy and extremely affordable way to keep up with dizzying rotation of fashion trends - possibly taking over actual accessories to become the must-have addition to the lastest outfit/look.

"...with sales reaching $35.5 billion at a manufacturing level."

At a manufacturing level.


In my experience, at least quadruple that figure for a final retail sales figure. So much for being trivial...


With everyone and their fav disposable-fashion outlet releasing their 'own' polish range - seems like the whole globe is attempting to cash in on this swing in consumer choice and momentum. (Aldo Shoes is the latest in a long line of retailers to launch a polish collection).


I know to me, it feels like everywhere I look it's nothing BUT polish - so this swelling trend doesn't surprise me at all.


It's a proud moment for the humble nail tech/manicurist.


For the full report and stats, get into ... http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neither-lipstick-nor-face-makeup-this-time-women-turned-to-nail-polish-during-the-recession-according-to-kline-90083672.html


Image courtesy of http://www.illamasqua.com/

WELCOME BACK

Grazia Australia March 1, 2010









Vogue Australia May 2010





I, for one, (obviously) am hyped to see tanning coming back into high fashion photo shoots - and I am not talking about new season bags and shoes.

THIS is what an official spray tan looks like. Act like you (cottdamm) know.

And the Vogue Oz shoot is precisely why (spray) tanning should be perennial. I do not care if you can only see my face in winter - seeing ANY skin is reason enough, thank you very much.
Holla if ya hear me.

Images courtesy of Grazia Australia and Vogue Australia.
P.s. Would take any, and all, of these garments.... Ridiculous.

Monday, April 5, 2010

BRONZ'D+MINX+LARUCHE=HOT









BRONZ'D did it up for Minx Nails at Laruche bar and supperclub on Wednesday night and.... it was official.
All the freshest came out to celebrate Bronz'd tanning+nails' foray into the Minx phenomenom.

There were models dressed by Project Runway's Juli Grbac and BO+ARRO boutique, Tracey Gillinder witnessed ...and then documented for Diary of a Shoe Addict


Angela Taylor, Chief Minx Master for Australia manned the pop-up nail bar and kept all the guests laced with a sneaky taster of what is to come at their next nail appointment and Brisbane's own Sunday Mail showed up to get in on the action


Amber Long gave an extremely generous gift of a Jean Brown Gallery voucher as the lucky door prize and everyone left with swag bags stashed with serious goodies including Sara Happ cinnamon lip scrubs, cupcakes by Vas and complimentary Pilates sessions by Tina Gilbert.

Special thanks to Minx Australia, Sandra Robbins, Jessica Bruton and every single person that contributed to the success of this launch - it was literally a team effort - it would not have happened without all of you.

Onto the next one!

All images courtesy of Callie Marshall http://www.calliemarshall.com/