Shades from Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Collection
What I’m wearing now: Sally Hensen Pedal to the Medal
Beauty Best Buy: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
Friday Night, June 47:05pm: Slip into my new Free People top and my second skin — my skinny J-brand jeans.7:10pm: Slick on hot pink lip gloss. Tonight’s is MAC LustreGlass Lip Gloss in Venetian.7:10pm and 30 seconds: Catch a glimpse of my obnoxiously peeling blue nail polish as I’m finishing my lips. Alarm! Alarm! The day got away from me, and now, in the 11th hour, I remember I forgot to get a mani. I have 10 minutes before my husband and I leave for a first date with another couple. Ah! My husband can rely on his solid handshake and eye contact to make a good first impression, but for a woman, nails are the x-factor that say it all. Chipped nails don’t exactly scream polished, put-together or stylish. My options are slim. I can either a) sit on my hands during our dinner, but that’s not going to fly being that I’m a hand talker and hungry or b) wiggle myself out of this beauty pinch pronto.7:11: I remember a PR person recently sent me a sampling of shades from the new Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure collection. The new formula is supposed to take care of all 5 steps of a manicure in one bottle (base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, color, top coat). Hoping I’m not falling prey to a marketing gimmick that exploits every woman’s weakness –time savers — I bet on Sally and hope she comes to the rescue. After quickly removing the polish remnants, I whip out my Sally lacquer in the silvery hue Pedal to the Medal.7:15: I’m not very experienced in DIY manicures and don’t have the steadiest hand, but the wide, flat brush made it so easy to apply the color to my entire nail bed in one swipe, and I never went outside the lines. All it took was two coats, and my nails are stunning in silver with 5 minutes to spare for drying time! I’m hooked on Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure! Thank you Sally for this time-saving manicure-in-a-bottle. My nails feel and look great, and this paint has definitely earned itself the title of my Product Of The Week.
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The Beauty Girl Does A Bridal Shower – Top Beauty Tips
weetheart and a sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Pretty fragrance. 
This weekend I had the pleasure of doing a Beauty Girl Party for beautiful bride Reesa and her friends and family at her bridal shower. Armed with my stash of beauty loot including cult products, my must haves and insider favorites, I shared my top makeup tips such as how to wear a red lip, beauty and fashion trends, and more. I couldn’t be at a bridal shower without revealing some tricks on how to get picture-perfect skin (remember your primer and self-tanning moisturizer or light-reflective body cream). In tune with my mantra, Beauty Shouldn’t Be A Bitch, I also talked about quick fixes like dry shampoos (Klorane and Jonathan hair powder), great drugstore beauty buys and savvy style buys.I gifted each guest a The Beauty Girl cosmetic bag, an OPI nail polish in S
Yours truly in my Target dress with the guest-of-honor Reesa.
Reesa with all her friends and fam
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Tips For Sandal-Worthy Feet
Click here to read the rest of my article and get simple solutions for cracked heels, calluses and other common foot fouls.
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Winners of Eliz Arden Red Door Spa Giveaway Announced
Congrats to Molly, Gloria and Alana — the winners of the Champagne and Rose Mani/Pedi at the Red Door spa!If you want a color recommendation, don’t go matchy-matchy. Choose a tropical punch for your toes and pair with a shiny bright that’s a shade softer for nails. Happy pampering!
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Tuesday’s Giveaway: Red Door Spa Mani & Pedi
I’m giving 3 readers the chance to indulge in the new Champagne & Rose Manicure and Pedicure at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas. This $122 spa service, created in honor of the spa’s 100 years, includes a skin-smoothing exfoliation, decadent hand and foot rub, hydrating paraffin treatment and all the mind/body benefits that come with this deserved me time. Click here to find a Red Door near you.To enter this contest, comment below and click the Twitter tab on the top left column of the page to follow me. Send me a tweet and let me know that you’ve entered! Twitter.com/NPTheBeautyGirl Comment (14)
Website Roundup: Simplify Your Beauty Buys
If you don’t feel like doing the research but you still want the best skin results, consider this new batch of beauty websites your cheat sheet. While each is unique, their unifying mission is that they do the work for you, navigating the dense product aisles and providing the necessary information along the way.
Last week, Curél debuted the Skin Advisor. You simply answer a series of questions, similar to those you’d answer in a derm’s office, and then the results are in. The Skin Advisor identifies your skin issue and provides tips and recommendations such as what to look for when choosing a product.
For anyone who has to go through airport security, 3floz.com is the ticket. Launched this month, the website is devoted to TSA friendly products (no larger than 3.4oz). Founded by two women who worked together at Archipelago Botanicals, the site features a high-end pedigree of brands including Philip B., Yes to Carrots and Dr. Hauschka that they’ll ship to you or to your hotel. Not to mention, it’s a great way to sample new products.
Theecoluxelife.com deserves mad kudos. The young site is committed to discovering the best in eco friendly beauty and even has a sampling program where you can become a member for $25 annually. In return, four times a year a package full of trial-size products will land at your doorstep.
Need help picking a moisturizer? Developed by 50 doctors and specialists, mySkin asks you questions and then uses scientific algorithms to determine which products of the 100,000 across 4500 brands in their system are right for you. In addition, you can ask other members questions, find out what products are working for people who have similar skin profiles and keep your own skin journal. To join the invite-only site, enter “beautygirl” as your invite code.
Last week, Curél debuted the Skin Advisor. You simply answer a series of questions, similar to those you’d answer in a derm’s office, and then the results are in. The Skin Advisor identifies your skin issue and provides tips and recommendations such as what to look for when choosing a product.For anyone who has to go through airport security, 3floz.com is the ticket. Launched this month, the website is devoted to TSA friendly products (no larger than 3.4oz). Founded by two women who worked together at Archipelago Botanicals, the site features a high-end pedigree of brands including Philip B., Yes to Carrots and Dr. Hauschka that they’ll ship to you or to your hotel. Not to mention, it’s a great way to sample new products.Theecoluxelife.com deserves mad kudos. The young site is committed to discovering the best in eco friendly beauty and even has a sampling program where you can become a member for $25 annually. In return, four times a year a package full of trial-size products will land at your doorstep.Need help picking a moisturizer? Developed by 50 doctors and specialists, mySkin asks you questions and then uses scientific algorithms to determine which products of the 100,000 across 4500 brands in their system are right for you. In addition, you can ask other members questions, find out what products are working for people who have similar skin profiles and keep your own skin journal. To join the invite-only site, enter “beautygirl” as your invite code. Comment (1)
Beauty Giveaway: Sally Hansen Nail Polish
Congrats to the 5 readers (you know who you are) who won the Opulent Cloud nail lacquer!
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Hot Off The Runway: Fall Beauty Trends Part Deux
Mint Green (seen at Chanel, Valentino)
Be it a purse, suit, ring or nails, this peppermint hue was everywhere on the runways. Slick the jade shade on nails and you’ll be marking your territory as the fashionista in your circle. Try N.Y.C. In A New York Color Minute Nail Enamel in East Village, an aquamarine teal that’s available at drugstores, Barry M Nail Paint in Mint Green or NailEZEE in C. Lately (call 800.684.0650 to order).Semi-matte Skin (seen at Diane Von Furstenberg, Catherine Malandrino)
Neither dewy nor flat, skin this season is clean and natural. This finish requires a sheer layer of base that will even tone and hide flaws and still allow freckles to show through. At Diane Von Furstenberg, makeup artist James Kaliardos lightly applied MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation.
Contoured Cheeks (seen at Zac Posen, Matthew Williamson)
Instead of dusting peaches and petal pinks on the apples of cheeks, the focus is on defining them. To do that, makeup artists including Lucia Pieroni, who created the above look at the Zac Posen show, accentuated the cheekbones using a taupe blush or matte bronzing powder. Copy this sculpted effect by sweeping the color underneath the cheekbones up toward the temples. Comment (2)
Pretty in Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness Beauty Products
Halloween aside, October is a great month. It’s the one time of year when people check their egos at the door, Ari Gold included. From NFL players to Yahoo!, we proudly wear pink to support the fight against breast cancer. The beauty industry, led by the influential Estee Lauder company, is at the forefront of this mission. This year, even more brands have created goodies in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Check out the highlights.
Elizabeth Hurley Lip Design Collection, $22 (the model/actress hand-picked the shades in the kit, which contains Pure Color Lipstick in Elizabeth Pink, High Gloss in Pink Lady, Artist’s Lip Pencil in Pink Writer and a Pink Case with Mirror). Estee Lauder will donate up to $500,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
OPI Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer, $8.50. Proceeds support Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
During September and October, ten percent of the sales generated by the purchase of Bubblemint flavored Orbit White gum will be donated to support Bright Pink.From Oct. 12-18, Beauty.com will donate 10 percent of all purchases made on the site to CEW’s Cancer & Careers. Click here to shop.
PurpleLab has partnered with the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation to launch SWAC “SEALED WITH A CURE,” an Echinacea-infused lip gloss with a vanilla scent and gold flecks, $18.50. Twenty Percent of the proceeds will go to the foundation.
Body Deli Special-Edition Pink Grapefruit Scrub, $32. A chemical-free exfoliator with sea salt and African Shea butter. $6 of every unit sold ($32 for a scrub) will be donated to the local California cancer charity, Gilda’s Club.
Darphin Arovita C Energic Firming Cream, $80. Darphin will donate $20 from each sale of the face cream during October to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Pink ghd IV styler, $255. $15 of each sale will be donated to the YSC. Comment (10)
Fall Nail Trend + Today’s Giveaway
For the eighth consecutive season, nail company Sally Hansen has collaborated with fashion designer Tracy Reese to create polish colors inspired by the designer’s runway collection.I always look forward to seeing the new shades, and each season “I die” over them (yes, I watch The Rachel Zoe Project, and I hope I have more lives to spare because the colors just seem to get better and better).
Tracy Reese 2009 Fall Fashion Show
BG Giveaway Want the runway look? I’m giving away 5 of the Sally Hansen High Definition polishes in Opulent Cloud. Make a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win.P.S. Wondering what’s hot for nails come Spring? The dark palette is here to stay, but vibrant shades will also enter the mix. Get ready for happy yellows, sea blues and deep pinks to make a comeback. Comment (8)
Nicole Pearl, The Beauty Girl, has written for national publications including Allure, Cosmo, Marie Claire, Self, In Style, Seventeen, and more. She appears as a beauty and style expert on TV for shows like TODAY, Windy City LIVE, and more. She's covered NYC and LA Fashion Weeks, has been a guest speaker for corporations, hosts events and offers services. The Beauty Girl blog is Nicole's exclusive insider notebook, sharing her V.I.P. access to the latest in beauty. Welcome! Still curious about Nicole? Click here.
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