Nail Files "Walter's Nominated for a Grammy!" Breakdown

Image from TV Guide Network's Facebook Page

Episode 3 aired tonight, and after the premier and 2nd episode last week, I read a lot of reviews, both good and bad.  This is reality TV and while the cameras are filming a TON of footage (multiple camera angles, multiple shots, etc), they have to cut it way down to 30 minutes.  They are going to show a lot of drama filled moments and out of sequence moments.  They have to make this entertaining you know!  I don't think one person is really thinking that all nail salons in America are run this way, and likewise, not all things that Katie does are "that" over the top.  Melissa from the Daily Nail got the opportunity to meet up with Katie last week and had nothing but great things to say.  Check it out here!

Walter, Katie's fiancé starts off bringing Katie some coffee in bed.  Hello, I want one of those.  :]  So Walter is nominated for a Grammy for his work on Kenny G's album (wonder if he helped out with Uncle Kenny's cameo with Katy Perry's T.G.I.F. video).  Katie heads over to the salon and informs everyone that Becky quit before going over to get a dress made for the Grammys.

With a $12k sticker shock, Katie is able to get the designers to loan her a dress for the red carpet.  It's definitely a lot about who you know in this business, and she definitely knows some good people.

Back in the Painted Nail, no one can find anything now that Becky is gone.  Are you surprised?  I really do hate how Becky left without any kind of notice or warning... it definitely puts everyone in a sore spot.  Note to all, never leave a job that unprofessionally but especially tend to avoid it when you're on national television.

Katie ends up hiring an organizer (and randomly finding a hammer in a drawer) to help get everything in order.  I was seriously about to make a joke about Hoarders before Katie just did.  I was pretty happy about her until she mentioned LifeLock.  Now, I'm not a fan of LifeLock (you can check out some information on Wikipedia here) but hey, if it works for her, yay.  (For the record, I use Citi IdentityMonitor.)  However, Katrina (the organizer) has done a great job at labeling everything and putting everything in color coded bins, boxes and folders, so despite me not liking her choice of fraud monitoring, she's done a good job.

While Katrina was organizing her heart out, Katie went to Martin Katz, the jeweler to the stars, so Katie could borrow some jewelry.  Holy cow, can I tell you how amazingly beautiful all the items were?  Her bracelet was almost the price of my house (as she also mentioned), so yeah - kinda cra cra.

Grammy Day!  Katie apparently isn't the most timely person (and especially with an entire television crew behind you).  She gets her hair and makeup done (and another crack about being on the Jersey Shore) and then forgets her nails.   She uses a machine that prints an image ONTO her nails.  Okay, so Barbie makes a version of this for $150, but I have got to know what she has!

Katie gets her dress, puts on her shoes, gets her purse, brushes her teeth, oh yeah and the limo is honking away (and can't make it up her driveway, go figure) while Walter is calming saying "let's GO."  By the way, Walter has dropped 45 pounds - which is awesome!

I've been in a limo once in my life, but mine didn't have a bottle of champagne.  Katie's does!  A-List stars are all over (remember Gaga in that egg?) and Katie is in Heaven.  This is what she was hoping for at Sundance so I'm glad she finally got it.

By the way, did you see who was interviewing Katie and Walter for TV Guide?  Oh yes, it was runner up from the 1st American Idol - Justin Guarini.  How's that for obscure reference?  I felt like an episode of Family Guy.

So sadly, Walter didn't win, but hey he's got 2 Grammys sitting at the house - pssh.  I can totally relate to Katie's excitement.  One day, I'll get to watch myself on TV, I'm sure of it, and you better believe I'll be just as freaking excited.

Coming up - the Jersey Shores girls will be coming in, a Traditional Russian Gypsy, dogs pooing on the floor (and doing it?), more drama and problems, OSCARS!  For a reality show junkie, this is a great fit into my routine. 

Nail Files airs on the TV Guide Network Tuesdays at 10/9c.

China Glaze Platinum Pieces

It's another crackle post!  This is the year of the crackle.  I really hoped it would be the year of the holographic polish but hey, maybe next year.  This is from the upcoming Metallic Crackle collection from China Glaze - the silver Platinum Pieces crackle.  I decided to use it over my existing Redy to Runaway Love? manicure.  One coat of Platinum Pieces topped with Seche Vite.

I think the red may have been to bold to really see the silver shine through here.  I'm definitely wanting to play more and do a comparison to OPI's Silver Shatter (which is still on my shelf but has been worn a few times).  As mentioned before, China Glaze's metallics seem to be much thinner in consistency and doesn't gum up around the bottle neck like OPI's crackles do or the first batch of Crackle Glaze from China Glaze.  Granted, you can add nail polish thinner to crackle polishes to bring them back to a thin consistency, but it's nice not to have to do that.

You can see the crackle coat better in the shade - partly because the camera doesn't go crazy over all the sparkling foil of this polish.

Indoors with the flash - the bottle picture looks a lot like the China Glaze Cheers To You a bit but again - it's a crackle!  I like that they have a different logo instead of a different cap, although I like the different caps as well.

China Glaze [official website] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty [official website], Sally's Beauty Supply [official website] as well asTransDesign [official website].

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

Nicole by OPI Redy to Runaway Love?

OPI is no stranger to having interesting twists on their polish names but I had to admit, I was confused by Redy to Runaway Love? until I realized hello - these are all takes on Justin Bieber songs and he does have one called "Runaway Love" and then this is a red polish... Ta da.


This is a very bold red creme - not necessarily unique, but very bold.  I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of Redy to Runaway Love? (the question mark is part of the name) and a top of OPI Top Coat.  The formula was nice and smooth.

No, that's not lens flare, it's actually sunlight reflecting off this shiny and smooth surface.  A very in your face red without being neon or having any other colors in the mix (like a brown red or a blue red).

I really need to work on my cuticles of my middle finger but you can see how well this color wears - totally opaque and smooth.

Finally indoors with the flash and not much else to say.  It's definitely a bold and nice color.  Eventually I'll get back to comparisons, promise!


Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle.  For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.

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

OPI White Shatter

Hey it's time for more crackle polish! OPI White Shatter comes as part of the Serena Williams Glam Slam! Collection, currently partnered with Spark de Triomphe but I decided to check it out of my e.l.f. Black for a classic black and white look.  This is one coat of Shatter followed by a top of Seche Vite.

This crackled pretty well!  I know a lot of people had issues with China Glaze Lightning Bolt not crackling "enough" and being rather stringy (I didn't really have that problem) but this is definitely a nice bold crackling polish and a very nice white I might add!  I'm still on the search for a perfect one coat white creme - wish this was it!

Not much to say in the shade - I'm still giggling how it tends to give a horizontal crack at the smile line (not on my pinkie though).  I wonder if that has anything to do with body heat?

Indoors with the flash - I'm in love with how clean this white is!


OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].  

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

e.l.f. Black

I still haven't splurged on another bottle of CND Blackjack, which is my absolute favorite one coat black creme so today I decided to check out my bottle of e.l.f. Black, that I purchased last year off their website during a sale.  At only $1 a bottle and with constant sales including a lot of free shipping with orders of x amount (right now it's with orders over $25), this is definitely a much cheaper alternative.  But does it work as well?  I also have to mention that the bottles are slightly smaller at only 0.35 oz instead of a China Glaze bottle at 0.50 oz.


I used a base coat of Seche Natural, ONE COAT of Black and a top of Seche Vite.  I do hate that the bottle top is rectangular so it never lines up properly with the bottle.

In the sun it looks a little streaky.  If I was wearing this as its own color (and not a base for something else) I'd probably use at least 2 coats. 

In the shade however, the color looks more opaque.  As I said, I'm mainly just using this as a base for other colors (sheer ones, glitter or shatters) so it works well for me.

Indoors with the flash and again you can see that the pinkie is a little streaky but really, for a dollar?  I'm not really complaining.  Currently this and many of their other colors are sold out, but they might be restocking soon?


You can purchase e.l.f. on their website.  You can like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, be their friend on MySpace and subscribe to their YouTube videos.