Showing posts with label CND. Show all posts

CND Creative Play Dazzleberry

Press Sample

 I was first introduced to CND back when the colours/effects line of polish were popular with their matchy bottles. I was so sad when they were discontinued, especially Blackjack, as it was my GO TO black creme. Then Shellac came out, and next was it's middle sister, Vinylux. Today I have the "little sister" in the line, Creative Play and that amazing bottle up there is called Dazzleberry.

 Creative Play is a traditional three-step nail lacquer system (base, color, top coat) that comes in over 80 colors with 10 different finishes. They are 7-free and can be purchased in select salons worldwide. Also, check with your favorite manicurist, and they may offer Creative Play as one of their in-salon services. Prices vary, so unfortunately, I cannot give out accurate pricing as of press time.

 For this manicure, I started with the CND Creative Play Base Coat. The base coat is creme in color but goes on the nail clear, and give almost a matte look to the nail. Then the color. I used 3 coats of Dazzleberry. The first coat was super sheer, almost a jelly. The second coat brought out more of the glitter and base color and I ended up doing a third thin coat to make sure I had complete opacity. I finished with CND Creative Play Top Coat which does NOT appear to be a quick dry top coat, so plan accordingly. Additionally, this polish dried a little bumpy (not gritty, not textured, just not smooth as glass) so I used two coats of top coat.
CND calls this color a microglitter which is pretty accurate. The base color is a fuchsia pink/purple combination and there is different quite a bit of blue microglitter to give a shimmer effect as well as some rainbow reflecting/holographic microglitters for extra shine. Granted, you won't be able to pick up every single color from the bottle on the nail but all that added in give this polish a unique dynamic.

 Overall, I'm happy that CND brought back this "type" of nail products back for people like me who don't wear their polish longer than their work week. Vinylux is great for my super busy weeks where I can't change my polish as much as I want, and Shellac is fantastic for vacation when I know I can't change my polish when I want but Creative Play is where I will play (hah) the most.

Join CND via their social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and on YouTube.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.
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Best lil' Nail Show Texas 2016

Nothing To Disclose

 Last month, the Best lil' Nail Show Texas kicked off in Humble, Texas - just north of Houston. I first got wind of the show on social media and found their Facebook page. I asked if I could cover the show as press, and they allowed me to. Now this was a Pro Only - Cash & Carry type show which meant you had to be a licensed professional to get in, but you could buy from any of the booths available and most were offering deep discounts on their products. As media, I got a black band (no jokes on being black listed please) which signified that I could not buy product. My wallet rejoiced, my fingers did not but that's the life of an unlicensed "slightly obsessed with nail polish" blogger sometimes. I have worked with pro-only brands here on PolishGalore but we could talk all day about that topic.
We live about 4 hours south of Houston, so we drove up the day before and spend the night in Houston. Humble is a straight shot north, very easy to get to. When I got there, I had a surprise right at the door!

A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on

Yep that's Andrea from Chickettes and Kim from Ten Little Canvases! I met Andrea at Cosmoprof back in 2014 but this was my first time meeting Kim, who lives in Texas! It's always nice to put real faces to the blog.
We were allowed to go in the back door (and skip the crazy long line!) which opened directly to one of my favorites, CND! Y'all know that I have some love for Jan Arnold - she's always been so nice to me, despite the fact that I'm not a licensed professional. But what I was really excited about was the ridiculously crazy display of Creative Play.
That's 80 shades of brand new goodness - think of it as the little sister to Shellac. So you have Big Sister Shellac... 14 days wear, cure with a lamp, soak off. Then you have middle sister Vinylux - 7 days wear, air cure with sunlight, remove with polish remover. This is little sister Creative Play - less than weekly wear, good for retail, no curing, great for changing your polish every few days. Now, don't think that it ONLY lasts a few days - it does last as well as you keep it, but the price point is such that you can buy many bottles at once. The formula is also a little different, but more on that because I got some straight from CND (not from the show!) to play with. The bottom row also has CND's Creative Play Base Coat and Top Coat.
Drool - just shelves of Vinylux to play in.
These were the looks created with the CND Summer 2016 Flirtation collection.
Jan Arnold's look for the show created with AthenA Rocks. The hand showing off the look is from Heather Davis, CND Educator - Heather and Shelena Robinson (another CND Educator) created this look dubbed a #Janicure. More on what Heather had in another blog posting.
So the big excitement at the show was CND's #CutTheCord - they had over 800 lamps ready to give away and it went pretty well. Of course, some people cheated the system, and were caught, but overall it was very civil and people behaved. Now, I assumed this is in response to the Preen.me incident that happened... If you don't know what I'm talking about, Manic Talons had a very extensive write up here.
Being that this was a Pro-Only, Cash & Carry show, there was a lot of things that I wasn't able to fully partake in. Some of the booths were ridiculously busy, and didn't have a media representative to talk to me. Other booths didn't really know how to work around me, as they were helping paying clients. This is much different than Cosmoprof North America - which is a business to business show, no purchasing (although that in itself has evolved too), and media plays a larger role. I hate that I didn't get to talk to some of the bigger brands there like Tammy Taylor or ORLY, but it helps me with a game plan for 2017, if I'm able to return.

 I did try to start at the front of the show, and make my way down the aisles. Around 1100 people showed up to the ballroom on Sunday - the other show days were filled with technical classes for the licensed professionals, which from what I can see on Instagram, were amazing.
At the front of the show was amazing nail creations in a contest sponsored by 3D Fanatics - a group of Licensed Nail Technicians on Facebook who share their love of 3D Nail Art, founded by Nail Tech Kimberly Harr who was on site judging the creations. The prompt "Stars of Texas" was given, and there were two types of entries - OT were for those who had won 1st Place in the past and GH were the newbies who may have won other places in competitions but never first. I really liked this set about Miranda Lambert which ended up winning 1st Place in the GH (Green Horn) category.

 SO SMALL WORLD MADE SMALLER. This set belongs to fellow blogger & licensed tech Amber Dunson from AmberDidIt! Amber and I have a mutual friend - Destany from Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom - and Amber found me as I was getting ready to leave the show so we had to take a photo.
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The next booth had some celebrities up in the house - don't you dare mess with these nails! It's the Real Nail Qweenz of Texas. These ladies were Fierce, but also very down to earth and lovely. Lena Cole (top), Edith Graham (middle two) and Ayanna Williams gracefully posed for photos for me.






Next on my journey was Bodipure. These single use, waterless, all in one and one time use gloves and socks are enriched with anti-fungal Copaiba Oil, strengthening Keratin, Anti-aging Vitamin E, hydrating Urea and UV protection with Lipex PreAct. They are also "touch screen friendly" so in the salon, you're able to still use your iPhone while wearing the gloves. I think this would be a great product for my nail technician to use because it's a small expense but offers clients a large upgrade in their service.


I also got to see Exclusive Nail Couture by Max Estrada, a professional line of products ranging from gel, powders, removers, lamps, accessories, and equipment. For starters, it's a lot of pink up front, but there's some really neat elements to it as well like the Cotton Candy scented Monomer. This was a pretty busy booth when I went by it but was able to watch a demonstration of the gel - it's a 1 coat system but to show how effective the 1 coat was, 2 coats was used to show that the opacity really was there with just the 1st coat. 


At the front doors, I spied Social Claws who had an super blinged out amazing display of SUGAR - these ridiculously sparkly conflict-free nano crystal caviar. She had 3 lab-grown colors available at the show (and on her website) - Pink Aurora, Black Star and White Fire. They are reusable, cleanable, and shine super bright. It was hard to get the bling on camera - seriously. Best part of their company for me? She brings awareness on her Instagram to adoptable animals.
At the next aisle, I was able to speak to proTIPCLIPS, an easy removal system for all types of nail enhancements. Now the big plus here is that the stainless steel and high grade plastic can be cleaned in an autoclave, which is required by some states for salons to use for sanitation of equipment. Kick the foil system to the curb. Now, y'all know I love my Steam Off for my nails, but I couldn't use it on toes so this is where proTIPCLIPS really sold me - there's a set for nails and a separate set for toes that are slimmer and shorter. I know of a few people who would buy these without a second thought. I'm also a sucker for a story and the master nail tech, educator and veteran salon owner, Angela Blaisdell created this product after going through hundreds of dollars in foil wraps for her clients. She tested the final product for over a year before selling to the public and she was busy every time I walked by.

I had a fan girl moment at Crystal Ninja. I've been drooling over Kellie's items since I saw her at Cosmoprof North America last year and she handed me her flip book of products. She is a Swarovski Authorized Instructor and I'm a Swarovski Christmas Ornament Super Fan and just lover of all things sparkly. (Seriously, I'm only missing 3 of the original ornaments but have the rest carefully stored in my house.) I want to buy her Crystal Katana (Mixed Media Pick Up Tool) for my crafty items here at home but as a nail tech? Man, I'm not sure I could do crystal, rhinestone, gemstone placement without one.

I swiveled around the aisle to see Dazzle Dry in action doing a manicure on a woman who looked familiar but I couldn't place her right off.

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No big deal, just the NAILS Magazine publisher, Michelle Mullen. But I didn't know that at the time - I started chatting with her and Dazzle Dry about bloggers which led into well, another blog post to come, but overall it was one of those chance meetings where you're just on cloud 9 because you're talking to awesome people about awesome stuff and AWESOME. (Yes, I'm a child of the 80s and 90s,)

So Dazzle Dry - I've seen it advertised in NAILS magazine but I haven't really seen the product before. Turns out it's a very salon prestigious company, with 196 core and 4 seasonal collections (6 piece sets). The shimmers are made with pigments because this is a 6 free, non-yellowing, vegan, no animal testing, YOU NAME IT line. For Dazzle Dry, it's all about science, quality control, and care - care for the product, care for the consumer, care for the earth. They have a great lemongrass remover enhanced with essential oils but wait, there's also a non-acetone version called Vivo'Sol that has spearmint and eucalyptus oils. Their Nail Prep is not dehydrating. They say their top coat is 5 minutes to totally dry. I can literally go on and on.

 But what really had me excited were these Mini Kits that were available. A great stocking stuffer, Secret Santa, just all around great gift for $20 - the Mini Kit has a Nail Prep, Base Coat, Top Coat and a color. More on that to come.

 Dazzle Dry is committed to their product and while they sell to consumers on their website (YAY) and wholesale to salons and spas, you're not going to see this end up in your local drugstore or other brick and mortar store. I have a love/hate with stores because that means you have to find one to go into, but I also like holding product in my hand - like this polish.
I totally didn't get the name of this polish written down and I love it but looking on their website, I can't tell what color it is. Monitors only reflect so much, you know?

 Speaking of NAILS Magazine, I was so happy to run into Sigourney Nunez, Associate Editor. I met her a few years ago, before she got her professional license, but just hadn't had a chance since to see her. It's always so much fun to run into people who just love nails.
I was able to stop at Essie as well and talk to Gino Trunzo, Director of Education. He did two amazing things - one, he introduced me to the new Apricot Cuticle Peel, which I'm now obsessed with and want to buy immediately. And secondly, he let me try a top secret product which isn't launching for a couple of months. Now, I know that other publications have been given the green light to talk about this delightfully twisted product, but I have not, so sorry PolishGalore readers - you're kept in the dark for now until I'm given the go. Just let me say that Gino was so proud of it - 3 years in the making he said, and I was pretty happy with it too.
A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on

I also got to check out the 1000th Essie Shade from the 2016 Shimmer Brights Collection called "Aim To Misbehave". This yellow has a shimmer in it to make it more opaque (because if you read this blog, you know how much I hate yellow because it's normally a streaky mess). I may have to check it out for opaque testing.
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I stopped by China Glaze next and you KNOW they are my first love in polish but unfortunately everything was just lined up for selling and no one was really available to talk.
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Summer Favorites which still need to come home with me.
Both EverGlaze and Gelaze were available for purchase as well.

While there was still more show going on, we had to head back home and I was starting to get a nasty sinus infection, so I had to say goodbye and head out the doors. Overall, I enjoyed the show and meeting up with the different brands that I was able to, and I look forward to seeing more from the Best lil' Nail Show Texas in 2017!
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CND Fall 2015

Fall already? In the nail world, you have to be on top of the newest collections and CND just announced their Fall 2015 Contradictions Collections. 

6 New Shellac Shades

8 New Vinylux Shades

[click here, there's more!]
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Spring 2015 New York Fashion Week - CND

Continuing with my Spring 2015 coverage of New York Fashion Week was the always talented, CND! Images courtesy of CND.

[click here, there's more!]
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#IHeartCND Houston 2014


Today, CND held their "I ♥ CND" Event at Central Nails & Beauty Supply in Houston, Texas. Jan Arnold and the CND Education Ambassadors were on hand to demonstrate the CND Art Walk Summer and Fall 2014 looks featuring CND SHELLAC and VINYLUX. After the Art Walk, CND also held a SHELLAC Certification course for those looking to become a SHELLAC Certified Pro.

The CND Art Walk featured designs using the Summer 2014 "Paradise" Collection and the Fall 2014 "Modern Folklore" Collection as well as the Summer and Fall Additives.

My first two stations featured designs using the Fall 2014 Modern Folklore Collection and Additives to create regal fall nail art looks.


First, Education Ambassador Michele Huynh took me through the "Burnished Crest" nail that she created (far right nail in the above photo). She used SHELLAC but you can also use VINYLUX for this look. It includes using Additives for shimmer and small bullion beads for added flair. 
Michele Huynh

Next, Education Ambassador Shelena Robinson walked me through the incredibly beautiful and incredibly simple Modern Renaissance fall nail design (far left nail). She also used SHELLAC but again, VINYLUX could be used as well.
Shelena Robinson
Shelena is pictured here with the nails from The Blonds Fall 2014 Show that she designed. She crafted the guns from this iconic photo strictly by hand only using Retention+ Liquid and Powder. Crazy amazing.

Her own nails today were amazing too. She created a watercolor look using CND products.

Next on my Art Walk were looks created with the Summer 2014 Paradise Collection.

Educational Ambassador Heather Reynosa-Davis showed me how to create the middle nail "Blue Lagoon" using CND SHELLAC and nail foil. TIP: Allow your foil adhesive to dry to clear, then apply your foil. Apply too soon and the foil will be too wet and not apply properly.

Educational Ambassador Alfa Romero created a "Dragon Fruit" nail using Summer Additives in Sizzling Sand and Midnight Tide.

Next, Educational Ambassador Sylvia Palomino walked me through the entire LookBook, both available digitally and in hard copy, from the Fall 2014 season.

They even had the wall art that was created from the Spring 2014 season. Did you know that CND has been apart of Fashion Week for over 17 years?

Super exciting secret - I will be attending the Mercedes-Benz Spring 2015 Fashion Week next month! My schedule hasn't been finalized so I'm not sure which shows I will be covering but I do know of 2 of them and I'm super excited. (Make sure you're following my Instagram for the most up to date photos and information!)

The second to last station on the CND Art Walk was the Education Station. This one is definitely the most important because CND is all about education - both initial and continuing. Being a nail fanatic (not a professional), I'm not eligible for the perks but if you have your license or you know of a salon that wants to become SHELLAC Certified, send them to the CND website ASAP! After you take your SHELLAC Course, there are "Next Steps" to complete in order to get your Welcoming Kit.

The last station in the CND Art Walk is definitely the best. It's Jan Arnold!

This isn't my first time seeing Jan. We had a 1-1 sit down interview in 2013 and one of the first things she asked me was "Why don't you have your nail license?" Especially with the CND Nail Scholarship Program available, I don't have any good excuses. I would love to go to school so that I can have the education behind my passion but that will have to wait for another day. I also got to see Jan last month at Cosmoprof for a fleeting moment. She hugged me like I was an old friend and we talked shop then too. Jan always has the most amazing manicures, so this time I needed to see what she was sporting.

This manicure is going on TWO WEEKS. Look how incredibly shiny and amazing it looks! Jan told me that while she loves short square nails (like what I normally wear), for her, she needs a more feminine almond shape and longer length to balance her short hair. "Short hair, long nails. Always. The almond shape does for the hands what the stiletto heel does for the legs." Jan stated. A timeless but elegant look, perfect for today's event.


On my own nails, I created a sponged gradient with VINYLUX. 

I started with a base of Powder My Nose which is a cream colored creme polish, then sponged on Rapture Blue and Lilac Longing. I added a few pieces of hexagonal glitter for sparkle before finishing with CND VINYLUX Weekly Top Coat.
Bit of a rookie mistake though. Because VINYLUX is designed to harden to the polish like a gel product, it squeezes out all the air in the polish... and essentially popped my glitter off. Educational Ambassador Michele told me that the trick is to apply the VINYLUX Weekly Top Coat, let dry 8.5 minutes, then use CND Super Shiney Top Coat (purple bottle) to apply the glitter. Lesson learned.

CND holds their #IHeartCND events across the country - be sure you're following the CND social networks for locations and dates!

You can purchase CND VINYLUX for $9.90 per bottle at select salons.

Join CND via their social media channels Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.
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CND® Fall 2014: Modern Folklore Collection

It feels so wrong to be talking about fall already and yet I'm actually really feeling all the jewel tones I'm seeing coming alive from the different brands.


Please enjoy the following release from CND about their Fall 2014 Modern Folklore Collection, including new Shellac, Vinylux and CND Additives! All images courtesy of CND.

[click here, there's more!]
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July 4th Nail Art with CND VINYLUX!

For once this year, I will be out celebrating the 4th of July and so I knew that I needed some rocking nails. Because I will be out of town, I wanted something with lasting power and what better nail polish to use than long lasting CND VINYLUX Weekly Polish?

I decided to go for a water marble for my test run and the results were definitely neat. I'm my own worst enemy and I have some ideas on how to improve but for now, check out what I did!

To prep, I started with clean nails and got my supplies ready.


I have my favorite polish remover, cotton pads and clean up brush for clean up, regular petroleum jelly with cotton swabs to prep my skin with, orange sticks, glass of tap water and CND VINYLUX in Rouge Red, Cream Puff and Blue Rapture. The last bottle is the CND VINYLUX Weekly Top Coat.

To start, I applied 2 thin coats of Cream Puff. Now, you can see it's a tad streaky, and possibly a 3rd coat would even this all out but I wasn't too concerned - I just wanted a base to marble on.


Then I marbled. I tried a number of variations, including not adding white, alternating white between the red and the blue, and attempting to swirl the colors completely. What transpired was a different design on each nail.


I'm not sure which nail I love the most. They all were so unique in their own way. I was really impressed with the Top Coat, as this was my first trial run with it, and my nails were dry enough to go to bed within 30 minutes. For a long lasting product like this, I expected it to take longer to dry but CND states that the top coat dries in just 8.5 minutes. 

One mistake that I made was that I didn't cap the tips of my nails. I'm at the stage where my length is too long for typing in my day job, leading to tip wear immediately. Because of my tip wear, I had to remove my design but it all works out because I'm getting a manicure before the trip so I can water marble again.  I also got some great tips on my Facebook, including to use a smaller cup and try bottled water. I look forward to marbling again VERY soon.

You can purchase CND VINYLUX for $9.90 per bottle at select salons.

Join CND via their social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and on YouTube.

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


Press Sample 


I am habitually late. The only thing I was on time for was my own birth, and that's only because the doctor pulled me a month early. Otherwise, I'm a lost cause.  There are some things I'll be on time for - massages... I was on time for my wedding... dessert. Anyway.

I was a bit at a loss at what to get Mr. PG for Father's Day. Being a beauty blogger, you'd think I'd have some idea. It was through blogging that I learned about a sake-infused shave cream that Mr. PG was pretty obsessed with for a year. 

When I got this fantastic package in the mail last month, I was excited to give it to him for Father's Day. Instead, however, he saw it and ran away with it. Literally.

First off, it came in a camo toiletry bag "Chapter" by Herschel Supply Company. Mr. PG is former Navy, current Navy Reserves, so if it's camo, it's his. He didn't even wait to look inside and just "Ooh mine!" Now he knows how I feel when I see polish. You can get one at Nordstrom here.

Inside was this awesome treasure trove of items. Now, yes, Father's Day was yesterday, but if you're like me either you didn't get your gift out on time OR (and I swear this isn't my fault) if you're like Amazon, you didn't mail my gift out to my father-in-law. Do you see the side eye I'm giving you? (True story, I purchased through Amazon on the 10th with 2-day shipping, and it still hasn't arrived.)

SO don't wait any longer and go search for the following items to make the father in your life feel and smell good. It's so much better than another tie.
American Crew Alternator is a styling and finishing spray that uses polymer based technology for all-day control while allowing the hair to remain flexible for styling and adjusting. The unique formulation of Alternator enables men to reshape their style and control their image. Unlike gels that can dry crunchy or tacky, Alternator is a pliable product that does not dry hard. Alternator provides a natural look with medium hold and medium shine. Suitable for everyday use and washes out easily. 3.3oz/100ml: $14.95 

American Crew Post-Shave Cooling Lotion is a dual-action formula that works as a lightweight moisturizer and calming aftershave. A blend of extracts promotes healing and healthy, balanced skin, while essential fatty acids help regulate sebum production. Active minerals inhibit inflammation and soothe the skin post-shave. Antioxidants in Post-Shave Cooling Lotion work to provide a barrier for skin against environmental stressors such as pollution and harsh winds. Post-Shave Cooling Lotion works well for all skin and beard types. Suitable for everyday use. 4.2oz/125ml: $9.95


CND Cucumber Heel Therapy is an intense, refreshing moisturizing complex to help heal and repair dry, cracked skin on heels, as well as knees, elbows and other areas prone to roughness. Thoroughly rub a dime-sized amount into the heels and other areas that are in need of intense moisture.  2.6 oz jar (US$15.50/Canada $18.80) or 15 oz jar (US $45.50/Canada $54.90)


SOLAROIL™ A “Manicure-In-A-Bottle.” A cuticle and nail oil made from an exclusive blend of four naturally light oils which penetrate the skin’s pores while sealing in valuable moisture. Massage into nail and cuticle area daily. SolarOil™ can also be applied directly to rough skin on knees, elbows and feet or poured into a hot bath for all-over body moisturizing. 1/4 oz. bottle (US $7.00/Canada $9.10) or 1/2 oz. bottle (US $11.00/Canada $14.30).

Thanks again to the lovely ladies at Rpr who helped hook me up for Father's Day. Mr PG thanks you too!

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