Nail Candy "Love Letter"

Press Sample

If you've been reading PolishGalore for awhile, you know how bad I am at nail art, or more specifically nail pens. So when Nail Candy asked if I wanted to review their Love Letter collection, I did it more so I could see if the pens were going to be easier to work with than the others I've tried.

Nail Candy says they are unique because the polish is salon quality, and unlike others I've seen - has two ways to apply.  The first is their patented Micro-Tip and the second is a normal nail polish brush in case you want to use the color as a base. They are attached with a small ring and come with a cleaning pin for the micro-tip.

The colors don't have actual names but this collection had a white with hot pink, and a red with a Barbie pink. Unfortunately, this collection is no longer available on their website.

So the Micro-Tip is small - about the thickness of a business card.

Meanwhile the brush is a normal nail polish brush.

I decided to use the red/pink combo to draw a bit.

The trick is to squeeze the bottle instead of trying to push down on the pin tip. You can see that it drew very thin lines when needed (even if my hands are a little shaky. If you're into nail art, this is a pretty easy and simple way to get the look you want to achieve.

Nail Candy [Website | Facebook | Twitter] can be purchased on their website for $10 for 2 colors.

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

Minx and Beauty Collection

Have you heard of the Beauty Collection before?

They have paired up with Minx nail decals for their grand opening of the Corona Del Mar Plaza location - the brackets on the nail decals are metallic and a part of the Beauty Collection logo.

Beauty Collection Expands with New Store in Southern California 

Calling all Californian beauty junkies— Newport Beach Location Opens in April!

This April, Beauty Collection, Southern California's premier retailer of prestige beauty products, will open of its fourth location. 

The Beauty Collection boutiques have long been beauty hotspots for Californians, making products available for every person, regardless of budget or skin type. Newport Beach will be no exception: With extensively trained staff, makeup artists, stylists, and aestheticians, expect nothing but a wide variety of brands, makeup tips and superior spa treatments. 

The new store will be located at: 

Corona Del Mar Plaza

932 Avocado Avenue

Newport Beach, CA 

Beauty Collection began as a family business more than 20 years ago, and has since evolved into one of the top prestige beauty retailers in the world, selling more than 200 brands. Focus on product selection as well as exceptional customer service distinguishes Beauty Collection from other retailers. It invests heavily in training its beauty consultants to ensure they can deliver on customer expectations and on the company's brand promise: "Curators in the Art of Beautiful."

For more information on Beauty Collection and to shop online, visit beautycollection.com. To connect with Beauty Collection - Facebook: BCCurator | Twitter: BeautyCurator | Pinterest: BCCurator | Instagram: BeautyCurator.

Digital Nails - Brand Overview

Earlier this month, I was wandering Etsy and found a new shop that I'm now obsessed with. Now, it's partly because her labels are ridiculously cute, she's a fellow Texan, and her polishes are fantastic.  Her name is Raphaelle and the shop is called Digital Nails.

Here's a little more about her:

Digital Nails was founded in January of 2012 in Austin TX, after spending months creating custom polishes for myself and friends. I really got into nail polish a few years prior, and was extremely frustrated that a lot of the polishes I loved the most were either discontinued or perpetually sold out. Having a background in art & a passion for learning, I ordered some supplies and spent all of my free time creating what I couldn't purchase, eventually leading to creating brand new polishes that were expressions or literal translations of things that I love. I wanted to translate the geek cultures that I most identified with into a physical thing that I could wear, expressing my enthusiasm in a way that I could share with others. My experience as an artist taught me that it's not about throwing a bunch of pretty glitters together in a bottle, It's about expressing emotion through the use of color and light. - Raphaelle Yax

I immediately bought Spectraflair Linear Holographic Topcoat, CTRL Z all natural cuticle oil, Serenity, Double Rainbow and Convergent.  Raphaelle threw in Sorry I'm Not Made of Sugar for fun.

Her polishes range in the $10-$13 price except for the cuticle oil which was only $5.50.

The polishes come in 15 ml bottles (same as China Glaze) and are big 3 free.

Plus, how awesome is it that she packs her boxes with crinkle cut paper?  (And the Yay, glitter! on the package cracks me up.)

Do go to her shop and look around. I'm already planning my second purchase!

Digital Nails [Facebook | Twitter] is sold exclusively on Etsy. 

2013 Zoya Nail Polish Exchange

The rumors are true! Zoya Nail Polish will be having another "Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange" where you can send in your old, unwanted polish and receive brand new Zoya at half price. Please read below for instructions.

Hooray for Earth Day! Once again, Zoya is helping you do a little spring cleaning with the return of the Earth Day Zoya Nail Polish Exchange* for 2013. Clean out your nail polish wardrobe and get rid of old nail polish that may not be BIG5FREE (Free of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, DBP and Camphor) and exchange it for a greener alternative - long lasting, award winning, healthy Zoya Nail Polish bottles! 

Now's the perfect time to make the switch to an eco-chic beauty routine! From April 19, 2013 - April 26, 2013 (11:59PM EST), exchange your old, unwanted nail color for toxin-free ZOYA Nail Polish for only $4 per bottle plus shipping and handling fees. Rest assured - ZOYA will properly dispose of your old polish. 

Here's all you need to do! 

1. Go to www.zoya.com and pick out the polishes you would like (excludes all Zoya PixieDust™ Collection shades) and add them to your cart. You must select at least 6 bottles and no more than 24 bottles of polish (Salon accounts minimum 12 maximum 48 bottles.) 

2. Apply the code (copy and paste for best results): ZOYAEARTH2013 

3. Your order value will be adjusted to reflect a 50% discount (we use these funds to properly dispose of the old nail polish). 

4. SUBMIT your order!

Then Zoya will ship out your NEW polish! HOORAY! This is how your order should look like...

Once you get your order 
Here's where the exchanging* happens... 

1. Ship back the equivalent number of bottles you received to the return address below (ie. If you ordered 6 bottles of Zoya – you would send us 6 NON-ZOYA polishes). Please check with your carrier on the proper way to ship nail polish. 
2. Include a copy of your order. To clarify the exchange: You do not have to send us the exact amount of bottles that you are ordering. You can send any quantity up to that amount. You can also donate. If you decide you don't want to do either, it's ok "Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish" we will still love you and will send the Zoya polishes... we'll just send you on a guilt trip for a while :) 

Ship Your Old Nail Polish To: 
Art of Beauty, Inc. c/o Polish Exchange 
5060 Taylor Rd, Unit D 
Cleveland, Ohio, 44128, USA 

Once we receive your polish, we do the rest! It’s that simple! 

IMPORTANT! 
The bottles you send in cannot be Zoya, Qtica or Nocti polishes (but they can be any other brand). We are using the honor code here folks! We want to make sure you get your Zoya Nail Polish! We send you the polish first then you send your old polish back to us! If you do choose to send us your old polish we promise to properly dispose of it according to EPA guidelines. This offer is only good for 1 week so hurry – Don’t Wait! 

*Offer valid online at www.zoya.com only. Offer expires on 4/26/2012 at 11:59PM EST. Continental US ONLY. Not valid with any other codes, coupons or promotions. Shipping and handling fees apply. Consumer accounts must exchange a minimum of 6 polishes with a 24 bottle maximum. Salon accounts must exchange at least 12 with a maximum of 48 bottles. Polish can be from any brand EXCEPT Zoya, Qtica or Nocti and can be exchanged for in-stock .5oz Zoya Nail Polish. Excludes all Zoya PixieDust™ Collection shades. Offer is not contingent on customer returning polish. Zoya Exchange code is unique and non-transferable. One code per account. Art of Beauty is not responsible for incorrect addresses, credit card entry errors or errors associated with declined credit cards. Please allow standard time for processing and shipping, however if volume is higher than expected please allow up to 6 weeks for shipping and processing. Art of Beauty, Inc. reserves the right to remove any polish that is out of stock from your order. You will not be charged for this polish. Backordered polish is not included in this promotion. 

________________ 
CONNECT WITH ZOYA: Make sure to tagTwitter, Instagram and Pinterest posts with @ZoyaNailPolish and hashtag posts with #ZoyaNailPolish and #ZoyaEarthDay. Website, Blog and YouTube links can be shared on our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/zoyanailpolish).

Mario Lopez Named NAHA 2013 Host & PBA Beautiful Humanitarian Honoree

Let's just say I will NOT miss NAHA this year.

­Mario Lopez to Host the 2013 North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) and Receive the PBA Beautiful Humanitarian Award NAHA 2013 Awards Ceremony | July 14, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nevada

Phoenix, AZ (March 15, 2013) - The Professional Beauty Association (PBA), producer of the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA), is proud to announce renowned actor, author, entertainment journalist, producer and father Mario Lopez as the host of the 2013 NAHA Awards Ceremony. In addition, Lopez will receive the 2013 PBA Beautiful Humanitarian Award during the Ceremony for his work with a variety of charitable initiatives. Lopez works to raise awareness and funds for many causes that support the positive and healthy development of children and young adults. A champion of many causes, Lopez's work as an Alumni Ambassador of Fitness with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), and as part of the organization's BE GREAT campaign, has continually helped bring to light the major issues affecting today's young people, including the importance of graduating from high school and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In addition to his work with BGCA, Lopez is a passionate supporter of other organizations, including Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Community Youth Athletic Center of Chula Vista, Jameson's Army, and Padres Contra el Cancer. "It is my honor to be able to host the 2013 North American Hairstyling Awards, and I am very humbled to receive the Professional Beauty Association's Beautiful Humanitarian Award. Beauty professionals help others to look and feel their best, and I applaud their work and talents," states Lopez.   A man of many trades, Lopez is passionate about staying active and engaged with his fans and followers. He is the host of the nationally syndicated daily show EXTRA. Concurrently, Lopez continues his hosting duties on Fox's hit music series The X Factor. He is also the host of the soon to be nationwide Clear Channel radio show "On with Mario Lopez."  Not only does Lopez have a proclivity for the entertainment industry, he is also an avid sports fan. He has taken his love for sports, specifically boxing, to the next level as a recurring commentator on HBO Boxing, and recently produced a documentary based on the sport. Lopez is a New York Times bestselling author for his healthy eating guide Extra Lean. In May 2011, he released the follow up to Extra Lean entitled Extra Lean Family. This new book features recipes and tips that are beneficial to the entire family. Additionally, Lopez penned Mario Lopez's Knockout Fitness, a bestselling fitness book that offers readers a look into his impressive workout regime, and Mud Tacos, a vibrant children's book he co-authored with his sister Marissa. As a follow up to Mud Tacos, Lopez released Mario & Baby Gia, a children's book he wrote for his daughter, Gia.             As the professional beauty industry's top honor, a NAHA is the pinnacle award to win, and the NAHA Awards Ceremony is the event of the year. Lopez, who is a part of most every red carpet, mega-event in the entertainment industry and has co-hosted such events as the Miss America pageant, will no doubt lend his experience, charm and wit to this year's event.   The NAHA 2013 finalists will be released on April 30, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. EST via facebook.com/pbabeautyweek. For complete NAHA coverage, including finalists photos when announced, please visit probeauty.org/naha.  The 2013 NAHA Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday, July 14, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, NV. The event can also be seen live via streaming video at www.modernsalon.com. NAHA is part of PBA Beauty Week, North America's largest, most inclusive beauty event, offering unlimited networking, educational, and professional growth opportunities to all sectors of the beauty industry. PBA Beauty Week is produced by the Professional Beauty Association and is hosted by Cosmoprof North America. For more information, please visit probeauty.org/beautyweek / facebook.com/pbabeautyweek.  PBA Events The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) is a leading producer of industry trade events and competitions. Our renowned events are a catalyst for forging industry relations and advancing beauty careers. Along with our Signature Events, PBA provides our members with Education, Government Advocacy, Charitable Outreach, Research and Business Resources. Visit probeauty.org for more information.