Purple Sky has a purple jelly base and is loaded with purple micro-glitter.  It has a dark and sultry feel to me.

Fluorescent Lights is very unique.  It has a clear base with iridescent flakies that have a pink/purple-toned shimmer when the light hits it.  This swatch is three coats and you can still see a bit of VNL.  I think it’s gorgeous on it’s own, but it can also be used as a glitter topper over other colors.  I couldn’t find this color on the Madam Glam site, so it may be temporarily out of stock.

Yellow Holo is just as it sounds… yellow holographic glitter suspended in a clear base.  This one only needs two coats, but three really takes it home.  I’m not sure that it looks great on my hands, but I think it would look awesome against darker skin tones.  This color may also be temporarily out of stock.

Sweet Baby… that’s what you say when you apply this color on your nails.  Sweet Baby has a rich blue base and is loaded with blue glitter of all different sizes.  This is my personal favorite of the bunch.  I wore it for a while and couldn’t stop looking at my nails.  My clients also loved it and many requested it.

This is a fun mani that I did for one of my clients.  For the accent nail I applied two coats of Sweet Baby and then applied a floral stamp (MM20) over top using a pink stamping polish.  The stamping polish color happened to match the gel polish color almost perfectly.  The pink gel polish is Madam Glam Bubble Gum.

What do you think of these glittery beauties?  I have more colors from Madam Glam to swatch and will be posting those soon… a few color changers, some creams, and a few others.  Stay tuned…  ;)

Features:

• Smart bulbs that cure both LED and UV gel products
• Four timer settings: 15s, 30s, 45s and 60s
• A display that shows the remaining time
• Touch sensor that activates the lamp
• “Kickstands” that allow you to elevate the front of the lamp
• Durable molded ABS material
• Handle for easy moving

In my experience this lamp is extremely easy to use, and is perfect for a salon setting.  The buttons and display on top are angled for the tech to read, so if you are a DIY user they will appear upside down.  It cures everything!  It’s small enough to fit on my table top without taking up too much space, and the handle makes it easy to move around when needed.

The only cons that I found with this lamp were two very minor things.  First, the buttons on top are very sensitive to touch and often times my clients will rest their hands on top and they accidentally push buttons.  Oops.  Second, some of my clients had trouble activating the touch sensor.  There’s a small learning curve – you have to show them exactly where to place their fingers.  Even then some said it wouldn’t activate, but no problem because I can still turn the light on with the press of a button.

The Pro60w LED lamp is very affordable when you consider that it’s actually two lamps in one – UV and LED!  It’s currently selling on Amazon for only $134.99!

Check out my video review below for more details and a full demo.

This is a simple nail art look that I created using gel polish and two ultrafine holographic glitters.  This was my mani for Easter this year… I figured pink was appropriate for the holiday and Spring season!

For this mani I started off with my gel base coat and two coats of color.  I applied Madam Glam Bubble Gum to three nails, and Dusty Blue to the ring finger and thumb.  I utilized the tacky layer of Dusty Blue to burnish in a champagne-colored holographic glitter called Amelia using the Magpie applicator brush.  I used the duster brush to clean off the excess glitter.

For the pink nails, I wiped off the tackiness of the gel polish and then used scotch tape to cover the areas of the nail that I wanted to keep as-is.  This left an exposed diagonal stripe down the center of each nail.  I applied a thin coat of my gel polish base coat to this area and cured it.  I then burnished a pink & purple holographic glitter called Livvi into the tackiness of the base gel.  After doing so, I carefully pulled the tape off of each nail.

A gel top coat was applied to all of the nails, and I cured them one last time.  Some loose pieces of glitter did get onto the plain pink sections of nail and I just used a small nail art brush to remove the glitter pieces and smooth out the top coat before curing.  Note that you may also need to wipe off the top coat brush with a lint-free wipe and alcohol so that you don’t get glitter in the bottle.

Using glitter with gel polish is a great way to add some sparkle, and it’s really easy to do!

Above is a photo of the glitter bottles and the two brushes.  Both brushes are perfect for their intended tasks.  I personally found the shape of the glitter bottles a little difficult to handle.  Tall, thin bottles are very easy to knock over and I had a little glitter spillage.  Oops!

The glitters were all ultrafine and burnished into gel polish really well.  They laid down nice and smooth and there weren’t any issues with bumps or jagged edges.  A jagged edge can easily just be buffed or filed off if it does occur (buff, cleanse, and apply another layer of top coat).

Here is a look at all of the beautiful colors – you can click on the image above to see more detail.  Each is applied over a black gel polish base.  Obviously changing the base color can affect the appearance of the glitter.  I love combining like colors for a vibrant pop – for example pink over pink, or blue over blue.  I’m also particularly fond of holographic glitters because of the linear shimmer effect.  Oooh!

If you want to see a quick VIDEO of my nails glistening in the sunlight, take a peek at my Instagram video post from a few days ago.

I look forward to creating more nail art looks in the future with these beauties.  Patsy and Amira are calling my name!

Check out the Magpie Beauty website and their Facebook and Instagram accounts for more examples of how to use glitter for nail art!

Spring has sprung, and Pink Gellac has launched a new collection of pretty pastels to kick off the season!  The Pink Gellac Blossom Collection consists of five, semi-sheer, soft pastel shades.  Two colors have a cream finish, and three of the colors have a slight pearl shimmer.

Each of these swatches show the colors with three coats.  I would say that these polishes have a “crelly” (creamy jelly).  They are semi-sheer, but build up to opacity with more coats if you want more coverage.  They can also be applied over a white base to really make them pop, and they’re great for pastel or watercolor-esque nail art.  I recommend giving the bottles a good shake before application to ensure the most even, pigmented coverage possible.

The Blossom Collection is now available for sale over at Chickettes Boutique!  There are some great offers that you can take advantage of…

• Buy 3, Get 1 FREE on all gel colors (use code B3G1 at checkout)
• 5 for $50 when you buy the Blossom Collection as as set
• and, get FREE SHIPPING within the US on all orders over $75!

#184 Rosy Pink is a soft pastel pink cream.  This is one of the more sheer colors in the collection.  This color would be a great base for a French Manicure with just one or two coats of color.  Many people have commented that French Pink doesn’t give enough of a pink tone for them, so this might be a great alternative!  It’s also super cute on its own as seen here.

#185 Gorgeous Green is a pale, yellow-leaning green with a very subtle pearl finish.  I love the uniqueness of this color as I haven’t seen many (or any) quite like it.

#186 Precious Lila is a pretty pastel purple with a very subtle pearl finish.  This color is the most pigmented of the collection and provided a little fuller coverage.  I love purples year-round and think this one will be a big hit!

#187 Brilliant Blue is a pale baby blue with a slight pearly shimmer.  You already know that blue is my favorite color, so of course I’m drooling over this pretty shade  ;)

#188 Charming Nude is a pastel peach-toned nude cream.  Peach is a very “in” color this season and I think this one will be a bit hit.  This color could also be used as a French base with just one or two coats, but I think it’s gorgeous all on its own.

NEW! You’ll also notice with this new collection that the caps of the bottles now have little color dots on them so that you can easily see the colors if you’re looking at the bottles from above. This is super handy if you store your polish bottles in a drawer or bin.  This feature will soon be available for all Pink Gellac colors at Chickettes Boutique.

Each of the colors in this collection also comes with a new, softer brush with a rounded tip!  This brush makes it much easier to glide the polish over the nail and get into the curve near the cuticle.  The new brushes are available for most products at the Boutique as well and will soon be standard for all colors.

Check out these blogs for more swatches of the Blossom Collection.  You can see how cameras, lighting and skin tones can make the colors appear differently.

• Love Life Lacquer
• Nail Lacquer UK

Head on over to Chickettes Boutique to shop for these gorgeous shades, and many others.  We just did a restock and have many brilliant shades for Spring & Summer!  Shop Now! »

Dancing in the Moonlight has been a popular color with my clients.  It’s a soft, shimmery pastel gel polish that shifts from light pink when warm to purple when cold.  It’s so soft and pretty!

Lucky Me is another shimmery gel color, but the shift is much more subtle than most.  It changes from light green when warm, to a darker teal-leaning green when cold.

Sweet Illusion has a jelly base and is loaded with purple microglitter.  It goes on a bit more sheer than the others.  This one shifts from a semi-sheer light purple when warm, to a darker cobalt blue when cold.  The blue tone seems to have more pigmentation and the glitter is still visible, but not as obvious.

I have more fun stuff to share with you soon, and hope to start posting on a more regular basis again. I’m in the process of setting up my own little nail studio which has taken up quite a bit of my time. I also attended the Best lil’ Nail Show Texas and will have an overview of that soon too!

I’m refreshing my inventory and have a bunch of Pink Gellac gel polish to give away in grab bag fashion! Ten (10) lucky winners will be selected… to earn entries into the drawing, please use the Rafflecopter widget below.

PRIZES:
Each winner will receive at least 6 Pink Gellac gel colors or effects (randomly selected)! Two of the color selections will be Limited Edition bottles with the Chickettes logo on them.

(Please note that most of the bottles that are going into the grab bags have the original Pink Gellac labels and brushes.)

RULES:

• The giveaway will run through May 14, 2016.
• Entries will be collected via Rafflecopter only.
• The winners will be selected via Rafflecopter on May 15, 2016 and notified via email.
• The winners will have 48 hours to claim the prizes or new winners will be selected.
• The giveaway is only open to entrants with a mailing address within the United States.
• Entries will be verified.

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Howdy y’all!  — Sorry, I had to.  :)  I attended the Best lil’ Nail Show Texas in Humble, TX a couple of weeks ago.  This was my first experience at a nails-only trade show, and this one was a cash & carry format where licensed professionals could purchase products directly from the vendors.  There were many great discounts offered at the show, which I definitely took advantage of.  It was a relatively small show, but there were many well-known brands & nail industry icons present.  There were also nail art demonstrations taking place at many of the booths.  I wish I had thought to photograph some of them, but wowza!… amazing nail art was being created everywhere.

The trade show was only one day, but the event spanned over a three-day period and included many educational courses that licensed pros could sign up for, a Tech Talk event, and Face to Face with Doug Schoon.  I unfortunately missed out on some of the festivities because I arrived at the end of the first day, but I attended the trade show and took a one-stroke nail art class with Lauren Wireman from Wildflower Academy.

CND was a huge hit at the show with their Cut the Cord Event where they gave away FREE CND LED lamps if you traded in one of your old professional lamps (one per person).  I remembered to bring a lamp and received one of the ~800 lamps that were given away.  Of course the buzz about this generated a huge line of people at the start of the show, but luckily there were enough lamps to go around and I think everyone that brought a lamp to trade in was able to receive one of the CND lamps.

Below is a photo of Jan Arnold from CND, and brand ambassador Kieu Chinh announcing the new CND Creative Play lacquer line.  Kieu Chinh is a Vietnamese-American actress, philanthropist and Lifetime Achievement Awards recipient.

Creative Play is CND’s new 7-free nail lacquer that includes 80 colors and 10 finishes.  Below is a photo of the very colorful display.

I stopped by the Tammy Taylor booth and learned a little about the Gelegance gel polish line and her new Love My Pedi foot cream.  I received a sample of the foot cream to try, but haven’t used it yet.  You’re supposed to massage it into your feed and cuticles before bedtime to rejuvinate your feet.  It has a nice subtle scent that smells like mint chocolate.

I had to visit the Belava booth to check out the Belava Embrace pedicure chair again.  I received a demo of the chair at a different show last year and fell in love with it… it’s so elegant looking, comfortable and functional.  The chair swivels to the side so that clients can get in without having to climb over the bowl, and the chair reclines back quite far so that you can also perform other services such as facials and waxing in the chair.  It massages, heats, swivels, and is fully adjustable.  I love that it doesn’t need plumbing and it’s very sanitary since you replace the liner with every use.  I ended up buying this chair in a rich, dark grey for my new studio!  I’m seriously dying of anticipation over here.

I went to the Orly booth to see what’s new.  Below is a photo of their two latest collections – Melrose (Spring), and Pacific Coast Highway (Summer).  I was informed that all current and future collections will be released in all three Orly formulas.  Orly has a lacquer line, an extended-wear lacquer line called Epix, and a gel polish line called GelFX.  I think most people love being able to match the colors if they wish to use a gel and lacquer, so that’s great news.

Bodipure gloves & socks are another product that I learned about at the show.  This is a single-use moisturizing treatment for a waterless manicure or pedicure. It was explained to me that you place the glove on your client’s hands after trimming and shaping the nails.  You allow them to rest for a few minutes and then poke the fingertips through the end of the glove and perform the rest of the manicure (cuticle clean-up, cleanse, polish, etc.) and then remove the glove at the end and massage the remaining treatment into the hands and arms.  If you have questions, visit their website and watch the short video demo.

It’s an interesting concept.  I received a sample packet and will have to try it out.  My main concern was whether the gloves/socks are biodegradable and safe for the environment, and they are.

At the Essie booth, the Director of Education, Gino Trunzo gave Krystal (of Polish Galore) and I a demonstration of their new Apricot Cuticle Peel and Cuticle Oil.  You apply a drop to the cuticle area and wait just 15 seconds before pushing and removing the dead skin.  This product can be used with a waterless manicure, but you do have to use just a dab of water after cuticle clean-up to neutralize the acid.  The demo was so impressive that I purchased a bottle to try.  So far I’ve only used it on clients with extra stubborn cuticles and it works great to soften them for easy removal.

Shimmer Brights is Essie’s latest lacquer collection.  Each of the colors has a pretty shimmer finish.  The yellow color that you see below is Essie’s 1,000th color called Aim to Misbehave.  In celebration, this color comes with a custom cap and is said to possibly become a collectors item.

Angela Zeleny from Social Claws was demoing her new product called SUGAR | ice.  These are lab-grown nano crystals that have some serious bling!  Currently SUGAR | ice is available in three colors… White Fire, Pink Aurora and Black Star (seen below).  The crystals come in an adorable triangular origami box with a little tray inside for easy pouring.  Each box contains 2,000 crystals – half of them faceted, and the other half round.  You can pour the crystals over top of a no-wipe gel coat for a full sugar nail effect, or you can place them individually for a custom look.  In certain lighting the crystals have the subtle look of sugar, and in brilliant light they sparkle like ice.  And most importantly, a portion of the proceeds goes to help kittens in need… hence, Angela’s cute kitty ears!

Angela was also my roomie on this trip, and the reason I was invited. :) I learned a lot about this product and received a few samples to try.  I hope to have more info in the future.  In the meantime, head on over to Ten Little Canvases and read Kim’s very detailed write-up of the product, and check out her amazing nails.  Drool!

Dazzle Dry is another product that I recently became familiar with.  This product dries rock hard in 5 minutes without a UV light!  Seriously – I had a chance to try it on myself about 5 weeks ago and was so impressed.  The polish on my nails lasted for several days without chipping, and I actually removed it before any signs of wear.  And I still have the same polish on my toes today (yes, I’m in desperate need of a pedi!).  I was able to put my shoes on after just a few minutes and the polish didn’t smudge at all.  Needless to say, I picked up some Dazzle Dry to use at the studio for pedicures.  :)

I stopped by the Famous Names booth and picked up some Dadi’ Oil.  I’ve heard so much about this oil in all of the different nail groups I’m in, so I had to try it.  And they had a killer deal on a large full size bottle, and 12 smaller retail-sized bottles.  (BTW, trying to fly home with those in my carry-on got me flagged for a full search! LOL).  Famous Names also carries popular products such as IBX and Cinnatize.  I also offer the IBX system at my studio and it does wonders for repairing and strengthening natural nails.  Love it!  Visit their website for more info.

I was lured into the Cuccio booth by their butters and sugar scrubs since I was in the market for some new pedi products.  I purchased several scents to try out – so far the Milk & Honey scent is my favorite.  The sugars are great because they exfoliate well without being too coarse and harsh.

At the Young Nails booth I saw their new SlickPour system.  This is similar to the acrylic dip systems that have been out for a little while, but you portion out some of the powder and pour it over the nail instead of dipping which is a little more sanitary. (BTW, you can pour the traditional dip powders in this manner as well).  Watch this video to see how SlickPour works.  This is an alternative to gel polish manicures that offers even more strength.

The Real Nails Qweenz were at the show doing photo ops.  I admit that I hadn’t heard of them before, but their nails were quite impressive and I had to ask a few questions and get my picture taken with them.  Yani (center) said that she stopped counting how long she’s been growing her nails after 20 years!  Their nails do break occasionally and they are repaired with acrylic. I know that many of you are wondering how they perform some every day functions, and you can find some of that info on their YouTube Channel.

The Wildflowers Nail Academy booth had lots of great nail art goodies such as paints, brushes, tools and glitter.  I picked up a few bottles of Lauren’s Butter Paints since I signed up for her classes and I wanted to have a few extra colors to practice with.

On the last day, I attended the 5-hour one-stroke nail art class.  It’s a much harder technique than I anticipated, but we learned many of the basic fundamentals such as how to make a wet palette to keep your paints from drying out while practicing, how to load the brush, composition, and some basic strokes.  Below you can see some of my practice strokes and the one nail that I created.  This was the first technique that we learned and it was the easiest by far.  I also loved learning a few other little tricks such as how to create a simple fern.

I also had a chance to meet a couple of blogger friends in person, which is always fun!  The evening I arrived, I had dinner with Angela from Social Claws and Kim from Ten Little Canvases.  The three of us hung out together the majority of the time, and Kim and I ran into Krystal from Polish Galore the morning of the show (pic below).  I love putting faces to the names and meeting people that I’ve talked with online.  This was my third time meeting Krystal, and it’s always a pleasure!  I hope to see them all again at future shows.

(Me, Kim & Krystal)

I also want to give a big “THANKS!” to AthenA Elliot (AthenA Rocks & Nail Talk Radio), Donna Schur, and all other volunteers who organized the show, and to Angela Zeleny (Social Claws) for inviting me and allowing me to room with her!  The turnout was great, and I’m sure the show will draw an even bigger crowd next year!

I’m super excited about the new Butterfly Collection by Pink Gellac!  The five colors in this collection are bright and fun, and they have great coverage!  I love bright shades in the Summer months, and some of these colors will definitely have you reaching for your shades.  Whether you’re going on a beach vacation or just chillin’ at home, these colors are sure to be a hit this season.

Paradise Pink is a bright neon pink with a mix of gold and iridescent microglitter throughout.  This neon pink is very similar to Pink Gellac Ibiza Pink, but is a shade lighter and has a glittery twist.  I love that the glitter is present, but isn’t overpowering – it’s the perfect subtle touch.

Secret Garden is a bright neon green cream.  This is a true green shade – not too yellow, not too blue… just right!  It provides great coverage, as do all of the colors in this collection.

Neon Flirt is a stunning neon coral!  This has been a favorite in my nail studio this past week – clients are LOVING it!  It’s such a unique shade, and is even prettier in person than in photos.  Neons can be very hard to capture on camera, but I promise that this color will not disappoint!

Blue Moon is a bright medium blue with a metallic shimmer finish. As with all frosty finishes it’s best to apply in long, even strokes from the cuticle to the tip of the nail for a perfect finish as brushstrokes will show.

Blazin Purple is a HOT neon purple with blue microglitter flecks throughout.  This is more of a red-leaning purple than it appears in pictures.  Again, the neon qualities make it somewhat difficult to photograph, but it’s a truly stunning color.  This is my personal favorite from this collection – I’ve been wearing it for the last 10 days or so and don’t want to take it off!  The blue glitter flecks are so unique and fun, but also not too overwhelming.

All of the colors in the Butterfly Collection are available for purchase at Chickettes Boutique.  For a limited time you can purchase all 5 colors for only $50!  There’s also a Buy 3, Get 1 FREE promo available on all gel colors when you use the promo code B3G1.

And of course all of the new colors are available with the new rounded brushes and the color pops on the bottle tops!

Check out more swatches of these amazing colors at these blogs: Very Emily, Beauty ILL, Love Life Lacquer.

Hello, lovely readers!  The blog has been a little quiet as of late, so I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to…

On May 1st I opened a small studio inside of Salon Lofts in Beachwood, Ohio called Chickettes Natural Nail Design Studio!  The transition to my own space was rather sudden and unexpected, but it has been an absolute blessing.  If you aren’t familiar with Salon Lofts, it’s a place where independent beauty professionals can rent space.  Essentially it’s a community of small business owners under one roof.  The Lofts are rooms that the owners can decorate and furnish to their liking, and operate their businesses as they see fit.  Salon Lofts and other similar concepts are popping up all over the country.

I’m going to take you on a little visual tour of my location… but first, here’s a quick peek at the new business cards and logo I designed for the Studio.  You’ll notice that the Studio color scheme is teal, black, white and grey (or silver).

This is a look inside my Studio from the doorway.  The cabinetry, lighting, sink and mirror were all provided in the space – all of the other furnishings and decor were provided by me.  I was allowed to choose up to two paint colors for the walls and they were painted for me.  I chose teal (my favorite color!) and a very light grey.

This is my manicure station, polish racks and refreshment station.  I picked up the acrylic nail polish racks at a local beauty supply store called Luxury – they have 7 shelves which is nice since most of the ones online only have 6 (see similar racks here).  I searched long and hard for a sturdy, yet affordable nail station… they are expensive!  In the end, I bought a Klimpen table from Ikea – it has great storage and is very sturdy.

This is my Belava Embrace pedicure chair… I love it!  I sat in this chair at Cosmoprof North America last year and knew that if I were to ever buy a pedi chair, this would be the one.  It’s comfortable, luxurious and easy to use and clean.  I don’t like chairs with the plumbing and jets for sanitation reasons, so this portable bowl with disposable liners is a great solution.  The chair reclines, heats, massages, swivels and more!  My only small complaint is that the foot rest wiggles a bit no matter how tight I screw the knob.

On the left you see a glimpse of my little pedicure cart – those are also very expensive!  I found this little cart on Amazon and it works great for my needs.

I like to sit in my pedi chair and get a little massage if I have any down time – this is the view from the chair.  :)  I setup a coffee and tea station on top of a cube storage shelf (these are the bins).  I brought my Keurig K350 and K-Cup drawer from home since they’ll get more use at the Studio.

This is my vantage point while sitting at the manicure table.

A different view of the manicure station.  The magnolia decal on the wall came from Etsy – I was able to choose custom colors to match the Studio.  It just tied everything together so nicely and I receive compliments on it all the time. The client chair is a bentwood chair – it’s sleek and comfortable (and easy to sanitize).  The table lamp that I use is an architect lamp.  The lighting in the room was a little too cool and gave me headaches, but after placing a warmer daylight bulb in the table lamp that was resolved.

I found these cute little cosmetology license frames on Etsy – they have single and double license frames in many different adorable styles.  This one tied in perfectly with my theme so I had to have it.

I found this tiny little hot towel cabinet that’s just the perfect size for my needs.  I wanted to offer hot towel service with my pedicures, but the large cabinets took up too much valuable space.  This one holds about 6 towels comfortably, which is just enough for my daily needs.

A quick selfie to show off my new t-shirts.  :)

As you can see my space is small, but I’ve laid it out in a way that maximizes the space and makes everything flow really well.  It’s bright and cheery and makes me smile every day!

So let’s take a peek at the Salon Lofts concept while we’re taking a tour.  If you’ve never been inside of one I think you’d be pleasantly surprised.  The space is modern, clean and vibrant.  The Beachwood location that I’m at has two entrances – this is the logo on the front entrance.  The doors are unlocked and open to the public from 8 to 8 on most days.  Loft owners all have a key to access the building at any time.  For safety reasons the door are locked at off-peak hours, but clients can ring a doorbell to be let in.

When you walk in either door there is a big screen with a map of all of the businesses so that you can easily find your way around.  This location has 27 lofts and each is color coded to symbolize hair, skin or nails, and a list of loft owners is on the right side so that you can find the loft number by name.

There are two small waiting areas where clients can sit and relax if they arrive early or need to wait for a service.  You can get a feel for the clean, modern style.  There is also music piped throughout the building at all times.

And this is what the hallways look like.  You can see that each room has a loft door and a window that looks into the hallway.  The doors can be closed and locked when the room isn’t in use.  There are also public restrooms available that are very clean.

There is a lot of foot traffic through the building during peak hours which is great for visibility and building a clientele.  I’ve had many interested parties stop by and ask about services and also referrals from other adjacent businesses.

Salon Lofts has many perks for small business owners including an online portal and booking system, a website where clients can search and find professionals, and much more.  If you think you might be interested in opening your own Loft, please shoot me a message as Salon Lofts also has a great referral program.  ;)

I’ve been posting photos of clients’ nails over on Instagram, and I also created a new Facebook page for the Studio if you’re interested in following my journey. I hope to periodically post updates on the blog with some of my favorite client looks too.  And don’t fear, I haven’t given up on blogging… I’m still going to do swatch and nail art posts, but not as frequently as I was able to before I started working full time.  I have the new Gelish collection swatched and just need to finish writing and editing the post.  Watch for that in the next couple of days.  :)

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Street Cred-ible is a very unique yellow-orange shade.  It has a jelly-like consistency with a cream finish and goes on a bit sheer.  It builds up to opacity with each coat.  I still had a slight bit of VNL after three coats.

Hip Hot Coral is a bright, neon shade of coral with a soft golden shimmer.

B-Girl Style is a neon pink with a very subtle shimmer.  This color has great coverage with just two coats.  I applied it on one of my clients this week and she loved it!

Tag, You’re It is a bright fuchsia with a gorgeous shimmer finish.  This color also has great coverage.  It’s almost identical to Gelish Amour Color Please which was a limited edition shade that is no longer available.

Give Me a Break-Dance is a green-leaning teal with a silver shimmer.  You can see that there’s still a little VNL after three coats, so it has a thinner consistency.

Cou-tour The Streets is a lavender-leaning light pink with a cream finish.  It has better coverage than most light pinks and applied nice and evenly.

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I spend most of my days in the nail studio creating nail art looks for my clients, so today I’m going to share some of the designs and colors that are trending in the studio this Summer.  Of course bright colors are in – the brighter the better!  We’re having a little fun with the new chrome craze, and I’ve been practicing my freehand art skills in addition to stamping.  And who doesn’t love a little glitter (or a lot!)?

The photo below is from a session that I had with three ladies that are dear to my heart – a good friend from my high school days, and her mom and daughter.  Her mom doesn’t normally do her nails and she wanted to do something simple and pretty, so I selected a cheery coral shade for her (Shellac Tropix).  My friend and her daughter came prepared with nail art ideas that they found on Pinterest and we put our own little twists on them.  Shelly chose a soft lilac shade (LeChat Castaway) with a freehand daisy and a purple glitter nail.  And her daughter chose a soft pink (LeChat Pink Lady) and black design with some polka dots and hearts.  It was a fun evening, complete with a pizza delivery!

This look combines bright colors with chrome, and shimmery dots.  The neon peachy-pink shade is LeChat Sunkissed, which has been very popular.  Two of the nails were polish black and have a chrome finish using Social Claws’ Chromageddon powder.  And the two white nails have fun, random dots that were created using pigment powders and gel top coat.  I have a video about this technique here.

This client also came to me with a nail art look that she found on Pinterest – the general concept was a bright floral pattern on a black background.  She really wanted this design for her vacation so I made it happen.  I painted the flowers over gel polish with acrylic paints and double top-coated with gel.

This client requested a soft floral pattern over a dark navy background (Pink Gellac Night Blue).  The roses were done freehand using acrylic paints that I custom blended to achieve the desired colors.

Yellow has been a hot color this season too – this is LeChat Golden Boy-friend.  The accent finger has a marble effect that was done with Sharpie markers, and then it was topped off with a fun glitter gel polish called LeChat Neontopia.  The end result was a bright graffiti look!

Sticking with the neon theme, this is a look that I created using the new Pink Gellac Butterfly Collection.  The coral-leaning orange shade is called Neon Flirt, and it has also been a popular shade for the season.  For the accent nails I swiped on some of the other colors from the collection and created some dots and triangles using a black gel paint.

I just did this stamped mermaid design this week and it’s definitely a favorite of mine.  Bright teals have also been very popular, especially this shade from TruGel called Teal the Beat.  On the accent nails I swiped on a couple of glittery shades from the LeChat line (Showstopper & Seduction), and then stamped on some mermaid/fish scales.  The end result is super cute!

Nudes have also been popular, especially for weddings.  This cute nude & gold design features Pink Gellac Nude Beige (my most popular nude) and Madam Glam Stardust (my most popular gold glitter).  The accent nail is stamped with a soft floral pattern from an Uber Chic Beauty stamping plate.

This is another favorite color from the Pink Gellac Butterfly Collection called Blazin Purple.  I know it looks a little pink in the pic, but it’s a bright purple with little blue glitter flecks.  The accent nail has a few bright colors swiped on over white, and then I stamped a geometric pattern over top using an Uber Chic Beauty stamping plate.  This is a technique that I use a lot.  :)

Those are just a few of the looks I’ve created – check out my IG or FB pages to see more!

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I had the pleasure of attending the Cosmoprof North America trade show again this year, and spent a little time scouting out some trends and new products.  One of the first things I noticed is that acrylic dip systems seem to be gaining in popularity.  If you’re not familiar, these systems offer a method of applying a thin acrylic overlay on natural nails with ease.

Most of the systems that I’ve seen use a resin base and an activator, but there are also some that use gel.  The basic concept is that you apply the base and then dip the nail into the acrylic powder, or pour the powder over the base (I personally prefer pouring for sanitation reasons).  Two to three coats of the base & colored powder create a natural appearance of polished nails, but with lots of added strength!

Some of the benefits to using an acrylic dip/pour system are:

• Strength!  (stronger than gel polish, but not quite as strong as sculpted acrylic)
• Odorless
• Durability
• Easy soak-off removal
• No UV/LED lamp needed (for the resin-based systems)
• Easy, flawless French tips

Revel Nail dip powders were the first that I ever tried.  You can read my write-up here.  I stopped by the Revel booth to see what they were up to and was pleasantly surprised to see that they’ve come out with lots of new colors!  They have a full line of regular colors, and then two color-changing lines for a total of 249 colors.  The Mood Changing dip powders change color with temperature.  They are soon releasing 24 new Mood colors…

… and 24 Sun Colors.  These are solar color-changing powders that change color when exposed to UV light (the sun or your UV/LED lamp).  I received samples of these colors and applied one of the Sun Colors on my daughter – so much fun!  The color changes very rapidly once exposed to sunlight, and again when removed from the light.

Revel’s dip powders are sold in 1 oz and 2 oz jars – a little goes a long way!

Kiara Sky debuted their new dip system that will soon hit the market.  Below is a photo of the starter kit which contains all of the liquids required for the different steps in the application process and some basic acrylic powder colors to create natural and French manicures.  They also had a display that showed all of the colors, but I wasn’t able to get close enough for a photo.  The exciting thing about their line is that all 120 colors match their gel polish and lacquer lines!

Glam and Glits (sister company of Kiara Sky) also had a display with 48 Mood Effect color-changing acrylic powders.  G&G has been selling colored acrylic powders for a while, but they recently launched several new colors.  To my knowledge G&G doesn’t offer the liquids for the dip/pour method, just the powders.

In the LeChat booth I learned about Gelee, which is the original gel-based system.  Gelee has been around for a long time as a strengthening system that’s typically worn under color. Essentially it’s what many of us have dubbed “acrygel” and is a technique that involves blending acrylic powder with gel for extra strength.  They are now expanding the line to include colored acrylic powders (72 standard colors & 12 mood colors).

Below is a peek at the 12 new Gelee 3in1 Mood Color Powder.

Cuccio is launching their Powder Polish Nail Colour Dip System with 50 shades upon launch, and another 36 to come soon after.  This is also a resin-based system.

Young Nails SlickPour is a system that promotes pouring rather than dipping for sanitation reasons, though you can choose to do this with any of the brands.  As I mentioned, pouring is also my preferred method.  The only downside is that you do waste a little product, but Young Nails says to use a little cup to capture the powder that falls so that you can re-use it during the same service (discard afterward).  I didn’t have time to stop by the Young Nails booth at Cosmoprof, but I took this photo at a different trade show earlier in the year.  I figured they were definitely worth a mention.

Cacee is extending their Memoir acrylic line to include pots of colored acrylic powder.  The person that I spoke with at the booth said that they don’t yet have liquids for a dipping system but that the powders could be used with monomer, resin or gel.

I will have more to share with you from the show soon including gel polish collections and some other trends.

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I’m a bit late in posting this, but I wanted to share the latest collection of nude gel colors from Pink Gellac.  This is the Uncovered2 Collection – the successor to Uncovered1.  These five nude shades with a twist are perfect year-round colors, but are especially lovely for the Fall season.

Ivory Blush is a pale, off-white/ivory nude cream.  It’s a semi-sheer color that builds up to the desired opacity with each coat.  The photo below shows 3 coats of color.

Bronzed Nude is a light brown-leaning tan nude cream.  This has been a popular color in my salon as it looks amazing on all skin tones.  It has great coverage also – this photo shows just two coats.

Spicy Sienna is a shimmery brown with burnt-orange tones.  This color just screams Fall and makes me want to reach for a pumpkin spice latte!

Golden Glam is a glitter topper that’s loaded with gold and pink glitter, which gives the appearance of rose gold.  The photo below shows two coats without a base color underneath.  It looks stunning combined with Ivory Blush and Bronzed Nude.

Heavenly Mauve is a beautiful mauve-toned nude with a soft shimmer finish.  It’s similar in tone to the popular color #110 Mystic, but is slightly lighter and has the added shimmer which adds an elegant feel.

All of the colors in the Uncovered2 Collection are available for sale at Chickettes Boutique.  Buy 3 colors, and get 1 FREE with the promo code B3G1!  Another new Pink Gellac collection will actually be launching within the next week too, so stay tuned for that.

P.S.  I’m sorry that the blog has been quiet lately.  :)  I’m alive and doing well, and just enjoying all aspects of my life right now (business and personal).

My latest obsession is Madam Glam’s new cat eye gel polish… OMG.  It’s a magnetic gel polish that gives off an amazing cat eye effect that shifts with movement.  The effect is amazingly stunning and mesmerizing!  I bought 10 bottles as soon as I learned about them and they’ve been a huge hit in the salon.  I had seen the cat eye effect on Instagram accounts of nail techs in other countries, but this is the first brand that I was able to find in the States… and you know I already love the MG brand.

This is my current mani – I used a cat eye gel called The Affair over a coat of black.  The orange color on the ring finger is a new color from the Pink Gellac Fall collection called Burnt Amber, which will be launching any day now at the Boutique.  ;)  The two stamp patterns are from UberChic Beauty’s new Fall plate, and the stamping polishes are from Mundo de Unas.

The Madam Glam instructions say to apply one coat of the cat eye polish over black and magnetize before curing (they sell the special magnet separately).  I’ve been doing some experimentation with base colors and techniques and have found that you can use different base colors for alternate looks.  For example, I like to use a dark navy under the blue for a more intense blue shade.

I normally will apply the cat eye gel to one or two nails at a time, magnetize, and then flash cure for a few seconds to freeze the effect.  If you leave the magnetized polish on the nail for too long the effect will diminish as the pigments disperse.  Also, some of the colors are a little runny and will pool into the cuticle area if left sitting on the nail for too long.  Flash curing solves these issues for a perfect finish every time!  Also, you can hold the magnet at different angles to add the lighter line wherever you prefer.  You can create a subtle vertical line down the center of the nail or add a diagonal stripe as I prefer to do since it makes the effect a little more obvious.

I picked up 10 colors total as seen above.  Each of the colors shown on the wheel were swatched over black with the magnet held diagonally.  The 10 colors from left to right are:  The Affair (black/silver), Born to Be a Star (dark silvery brown), Sing the Blues (gold), Obsessed (orange), Un Bacio (red), Poetry (teal), Look the in the Eye (blue), No Doubt (pink-toned purple), Round the Clock (grey-toned purple), and Flying Purple (dark purple).

Below is a short video that I posted on Instagram that shows the swatches in motion.

Here are some of the client looks that I have created with cat eye gels:

This is LeChat Heart & Soul, a nude with golden shimmer.  Each hand has one cat-eye effect using The Affair over black, and then dark grey stamps using images from Messy Mansion plate MM32.

This is Madam Glam Look Me in the Eye cat eye polish over a dark navy blue.  Two of the nails have a holographic powder from ColorCraze2000.  (The holo effect is for another post).

This is Madam Glam The Affair over black.

These cute Fall nails were created using Madam Glam Obsessed cat eye over a dark orange base.  The gold accent nail is Madam Glam Stardust, and the stamps are from UberChic Beauty.

I’m having a hard time remembering which purple this is, but I believe it was Madam Glam Round the Clock.  The holo powder is Prism Glacier from Social Claws, and then I did a sharpie marble with a stamp from UberChic Beauty.

This is one of my personal favorites – Madam Glam Poetry cat eye over black.  The yellow polish is LeChat Golden Boy-Friend and the Egyptian stamps are from the Messy Mansion MM32 plate.

Salon life is keeping me busy, but I made some time to create fun nails for my favorite holiday… Halloween!  This look was created using the UberChic Beauty Halloween-01 stamping plate, which has lots of cute and festive patterns.  I also just purchased the new Halloween-02 plate and look forward to creating another design before the month is over.

The gradient seen on the middle finger and thumb was created using LeChat Dreamscape and Plumeria, and the orange color on the ring finger is LeChat Lollipop.  I used my favorite stamping polishes from Mundo de Unas.

The color combo and patterns definitely have me in the spirit!

Last week I was sporting a Walking Dead inspired mani!  It’s one of my favorite shows and I can’t wait for the season premier this Sunday.   Unfortunately I didn’t get a great photo before taking this off – this was a quick shot that I took at the salon.  My thumb is intentionally cropped out because it was broken down super short, but it had a zombie face on it.  My right hand also had a similar theme with some different images.

All of the art was stamped using the UberChic Beauty Zombie Love plate.  The colors seen on my index nail are Pink Gellac Army Green and Lipstick Red (also on the pinky).  The blood splatter look was done using a small straw – I dipped the end of the straw in red polish and blew through the other end to create the splatter.  This technique is a bit messy and requires clean-up around the edges before curing.

Check out my Instagram account for more fun looks throughout the month!

Have you seen the beautiful Fall Collection from Pink Gellac?!  The Reminiscence Collection consists of 5 gel polish shades inspired by the latest Fall fashion trends.  Three (3) lucky winners will win a full set of the colors in this collection by entering the giveaway below!  The giveaway is open internationally, and the winners will be chosen in one week on November 23rd and notified via email.

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THE REMINISCENCE COLLECTION COLORS

All of the colors in this collection have amazing coverage!  They apply evenly and cover well with just two coats.

Luscious Red is a classic, deep red cream.
Burnt Amber is a warm and stylish terracotta orange color with a cream finish.
Black Velvet is a beautiful that’s reminiscent of soft velvet. The subtle purple shimmer makes it a surprisingly mystical color you should not miss!
Warm Marsala is tasteful and warm, and is a Fall favorite at my salon.  It’s a dark shade of marsala with a shimmer finish.
Chocolate Brown… the name says it all.  It’s a rich, creamy brown that resembles chocolate.
Pink Gellac can be purchased online at Chickettes Boutique.  Buy 3 Colors, Get 1 FREE!!  Use promo code B3G1 at checkout.

Hey everyone! I have some fun nail art designs that were created with stamping plates from Lina Nail Art Supplies to share with you today.  Lina Nail Art Supplies launched just a couple months ago with some beautiful XL nail art stamping plates.  A few were sent to me to try and review, and they did not disappoint!

Let’s take a quick look at the four plates that will be featured in nail art designs.  The images below are from the manufacturer’s website, and you can click on them for more details.  (I’m not good at photographing stamping plates – you see more of my reflection than anything else!)

Feeling Shapely! 01

Get Wild! 01

Make Your Mark! 01

Make Your Mark! 02

The plates are high quality stainless steel that measure 9.5cm x 14.5cm, and they have a black sticker backing to eliminate any rough edges.  The full size etchings are 1.7cm x 2.2cm and are large enough to fit most nails, yet the detail is fine enough to be discernible even on smaller nails.  Some of the plates also have some smaller stand-alone images that go along with the theme.  Each of the plates arrived in a nicely designed cardboard sleeve with a window that is reusable if you wish to protect the plates in between use.

I was eager to use the unique grungy street art images from the Make Your Mark 01 plate right away.  This is the first look that I created using mostly some random paint splatter and drip images from this plate.  The images stamped beautifully and were very opaque.  The stamping polish used is from Mundo de Unas (this is the brand used in all images displayed on this page).

The next look that I created is a classy gold & black design with a criss-cross textile pattern from the Feeling Shapely 02 plate.  I was so impressed with the cleanness of the lines!

The last look that I created on my own nails is this black and silver holo animal print pattern from the Get Wild 01 plate.  I painted my nails black, applied a silver holographic foil, and then stamped the pattern over top with black stamping polish.  I love the modern/grungy snakeskin effect!

I also created a couple of looks with the Make Your Mark plates for my clients, which you can see below.

I can’t say enough great things about the quality of these stamping plates!  There is a nice variety of everyday patterns and images, and several holiday-themed plates as well.

If you’re interested in placing an order from Lina Nail Art Supplies, take advantage of the discount provided below.  The code Chickettes15OFF is valid for 15% OFF for the first 50 orders, limit one order per follower.

Have you seen the 7 new Spring colors from Pink Gellac?  The colors in the Candy Couture collection are inspired by sweet treats!  There are 5 vibrant shades, one neutral, and one softer shade.  All of the colors in this collection are available for purchase online at Chickettes Boutique!  Buy 3, Get 1 FREE with promo code B3G1 at checkout.

Sugar White is a shimmery white gel polish has subtle white glittery bits that look like sugar crystals!  This color goes on sheer so you can control the coverage with the number of coats applied.  The photo below shows three thin coats. It’s a beautiful neutral color that would be perfect to wear to formal events, or for everyday wear at the office.  You can also apply one coat over other colors to give them a frosty finish!

Tangerine Red is a vibrant orange-leaning red cream gel polish.  This color appears more orange in some lighting, and red in others.  It has perfect coverage with just two coats!

Tiffany Blue is my new signature color!  It’s my absolute favorite shade of teal blue and matches the walls in my salon, my t-shirts and business cards.  LOVE IT!!  The formula is amazing and provides full coverage with two thin coats.

Bubblegum Pink is a bright pink cream gel polish with lavender undertones.  It’s been a very popular color with my clients the past few weeks.  It’s an amazing shade for the Spring and Summer seasons.  Like the others, it also has amazing coverage with just two coats.

Juicy Yellow is a bright medium yellow cream that just screams Spring, and is inspired by juicy lemonade!  I found this color to appear just slightly streaky with 2 coats and applied a third for good measure.  This has been the case with all of the yellows I’ve ever tried so it must be the nature of the color.

Cosmopolitan is a warm, shimmery shade of coral inspired by a favorite cocktail.  This color has a great formula with full coverage in 2 coats!

Cloudy Blue is a grey-leaning blue cream gel polish that resembles a cloudy Spring sky!  This is a unique shade of blue that’s also a favorite with my clients.  This is a shade that can be worn year-round.  Coverage is amazing and smooth in 2 coats.

I’m super excited about the new Butterfly Collection by Pink Gellac!  The five colors in this collection are bright and fun, and they have great coverage!  I love bright shades in the Summer months, and some of these colors will definitely have you reaching for your shades.  Whether you’re going on a beach vacation or just chillin’ at home, these colors are sure to be a hit this season.

Paradise Pink is a bright neon pink with a mix of gold and iridescent microglitter throughout.  This neon pink is very similar to Pink Gellac Ibiza Pink, but is a shade lighter and has a glittery twist.  I love that the glitter is present, but isn’t overpowering – it’s the perfect subtle touch.

Secret Garden is a bright neon green cream.  This is a true green shade – not too yellow, not too blue… just right!  It provides great coverage, as do all of the colors in this collection.

Neon Flirt is a stunning neon coral!  This has been a favorite in my nail studio this past week – clients are LOVING it!  It’s such a unique shade, and is even prettier in person than in photos.  Neons can be very hard to capture on camera, but I promise that this color will not disappoint!

Blue Moon is a bright medium blue with a metallic shimmer finish. As with all frosty finishes it’s best to apply in long, even strokes from the cuticle to the tip of the nail for a perfect finish as brushstrokes will show.

Blazin Purple is a HOT neon purple with blue microglitter flecks throughout.  This is more of a red-leaning purple than it appears in pictures.  Again, the neon qualities make it somewhat difficult to photograph, but it’s a truly stunning color.  This is my personal favorite from this collection – I’ve been wearing it for the last 10 days or so and don’t want to take it off!  The blue glitter flecks are so unique and fun, but also not too overwhelming.

All of the colors in the Butterfly Collection are available for purchase at Chickettes Boutique.  For a limited time you can purchase all 5 colors for only $50!  There’s also a Buy 3, Get 1 FREE promo available on all gel colors when you use the promo code B3G1.

And of course all of the new colors are available with the new rounded brushes and the color pops on the bottle tops!

Check out more swatches of these amazing colors at these blogs: Very Emily, Beauty ILL, Love Life Lacquer.

We’re excited to announce that we’re offering a new service at Chickettes Natural Nail Studio… dip powder manicures! Many of you have asked us about this service as it’s gained in popularity in our area recently. If you aren’t sure what it is, dip powder is a resin and powder system that creates a strong, colored overlay on the natural nail. It’s an alternative to gel polish that’s stronger and longer-lasting. Dip powder manicures are a great solution for clients with thin or weak nails that can’t hold gel polish for the full two week duration.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dip Powder Manicures

How much does a dip powder manicure cost? – The cost of services can be found on our online booking site. Dip powder manicures cost slightly more than gel polish because the service takes a little longer, and the results last longer.

How long does a dip powder manicure last? – Dip powder manicures last up to 3-4 weeks without chipping or peeling. The only downside with waiting this long to changing your manicure is that you will have significant growth showing. We find 3 weeks to be the ideal duration.

Is it safe? Will dip powder damage my nails? – Dip powder is perfectly safe to use on natural nails. As with any nail service, proper techniques for prep, application and removal are key to maintaining healthy nails.

Is dip powder difficult to remove? – No! The removal process is very similar to gel polish removal, but is actually faster and less damaging to the nails. We debulk the nails using an e-file and then soak them with acetone using cotton and foil. After about 5-10 minutes, the resin dissolves and slides right off of the nail. Only a small amount of buffing is sometimes needed.

How long does it take for a dip powder manicure to dry? – The dip system doesn’t use a light source for curing/drying. An activator is applied to the nails that causes the resin to dry quickly. After the final top coat application the nails are perfectly dry in less than 3 minutes!

Is dip powder sanitary? – Yes! When performing this service the clients’ nails are dipped into a jar of colored acrylic powder. Many salons dip every client into the same jar of powder. We’re a little sketchy about the sanitation of that process, so we pour the powder into a small individual container for each service. It does waste a small amount of product, but sanitation is one of our top priorities!

Can I still get nail art with a dip powder manicure? – Initially we are not offering nail art services with the dip powders, but accent nails are an option. In time we will introduce new nail art techniques with the powders. It’s a new medium for us, so we have to learn some new techniques.

What does a dip powder manicure look like? – It looks similar to a gel polish manicure. Sometimes it can have a slightly thicker appearance, but we do our best to give the nails a good shape that doesn’t look bulky. Also the top coat isn’t quite as shiny as gel polish, but it still has a nice glossy finish.  All of the photos on this page are examples of dip powder manicures.

Is a dip powder manicure the same as an acrylic overlay? – Not quite. Colored acrylic powder and resin are used for this service so it doesn’t have the odor of traditional acrylic, and isn’t as thick. Dip powder manicures offer a strong protective coating for your natural nails. The strength is somewhere in between gel polish and traditional acrylic.

This sounds awesome! How do I book? – Visit our online booking page to check on available appointment times. Currently, Andrea (that’s me!) is the only technician offering this service… others will be coming soon.

A few photos…