How Bad Are UV Manicure Lights For You, Really?

I have a confession to make: I’m a gel manicure addict. It’s a terrible habit that has made my once strong nails extremely brittle. I always tell myself I’m going to switch to natural manicures, but it never happens. I keep going back for gel because, let’s face it, it’s very efficient. It’s extremely quick to dry, lasts much longer than normal polish and never chips. But while my weaker nails are a fair trade-off, I do have my concerns about the UV lamps they use to harden the gel. For a while I was able to turn a blind eye to all the headlines about the lamps giving you cancer.’Apparently everything gives you cancer these days!’ I scoffed to myself, admiring my flawless nails.
           

But a few months ago, I noticed a few new freckles had emerged on my hands. It was suspicious, considering it was the middle of winter and I’d barely seen the sun! I also noticed a very slight burning sensation whenever I slid my hands under the UV lamp. So, are the headlines correct? Am I religiously protecting myself from the sun, only to walk into a skin damage and cancer trap every time I hit the salon? According to dermatology experts: possibly, but there are ways around it.

Remember tanning beds? They’re completely illegal in Australia now, but 10 years ago they were hugely popular. The reason they were outlawed was because they were found to increase customers’ skin cancer risk by almost 60% in just one session! Nail lamps use the same type of UV rays as tanning beds, but in smaller amounts. To put it into perspective, the level of UV radiation emitted from sun beds is up to six times stronger than the midday sun. By comparison, the UV rays from nail lamps are around four times stronger but you’re not using it for as long. A recent study showed that it would take around 12 visits to visits to a salon for DNA skin damage to be detectable. If you’re a monthly gel manicure devotee like me, you could easily reach that in a year.

Succulent fingernails and living wedding rings

Wearable art is the future of fashion according to a north Queensland botanical artist, whose succulent jewellery is attracting international attention.
               

Mackay's Roz Borg has been making art out of succulents for around two years.

While her jewellery had captured the eyes of celebrities, she said her career path happened almost entirely by mistake.

"I started by doing the interior design for my sister-in-law at her cafe — I did a few living walls with succulents in them and people showed interest and wanted to buy them, and it just snowballed from there," she said.

Initially Borg just sold her Arozona succulents at markets and stores across north Queensland, before discovering her talent for succulent jewellery.

That is when Borg had the idea to make succulent fake nails.

"I propagate lots of baby succulents — remove them from the leaf, stick them with special florist glue on an acrylic nail and then glue that acrylic nail to my thumb," she said.

Borg said in a practical sense the nails were no good for everyday use, but said they were a unique and interesting addition to editorial photoshoots and weddings.

Are You Into The Fur Nail Trend?

It’s Fall and we’re going into the holiday season. As you prepare for colder days, you might consider getting fur (faux, of course) to keep you warm…but have you ever thought of it as an option for your nails?
                   

They made their debut on the fashion runways at the Libertine F/W ’16 (who seems to just take the lead in nail fashion) in February and don’t seem like they will be going anywhere.

Surprisingly, it’s not too hard to achieve this look. I outlined in 3 easy steps below for DIY.

1.Paint your nails with a base coat then apply a nude or neutral (or color if you are funky!) nail polish. Color won’t really matter, because you aren’t going to see it.

2.Get some faux fur and cut it out in the shape of your nails (do this step before-hand).

3.“Glue” the nails down with your favorite clear top coat. Give a liberal coat to the bottom of the fur and stick onto your nails. Now you’re ready to go!

I’m all about fur coats, fur vests and even fur on my shoes…but fur on my nails? It creates many questions for me: how do I eat? What happens when I wipe? How easy is this for me to get off?

Nail polish removers as children abuse it to get high

The Karnataka state Food Commissionerate on Thursday issued an order partially banning the production and sale of nail polish removers and whiteners in bottled form.        

Stating that children, especially from from poor backgrounds, were resorting to sniffing ink erasers, nail polish removers and other such products to get a high, the commissionerate has submitted the order to the state government.

There are two reasons for this, he points out. One, that selling these items in pen/tube form will decrease the quantity of the item that comes out of the container. And two, a total ban on these items is not feasible.

 "For now, we have issued notice to Kores, a Mumbai-based firm that is the only producer of whiteners, stating that they can no longer sell them in bottled form. We are yet to take a decision on nail polish removers, as there are many producers involved in its sale," Dr Shivakumar added.

Ideally, all manufacturers of nail polish removers must change their containers and not sell them in bottles. However, a decision on this can be arrived at only after detailed meetings with the stakeholders, he said.

The idea of imposing the ban, he maintains, is to send out the message that these items are heavily abused by children. Though the ban shall come into effect immediately, the department has decided to spread awareness in the first phase.

How to create the best spring nail look ever

Spring has rolled around (hello warm, sultry weather and spaghetti straps) and it’s time for your manicure to lighten up. Say goodbye to rich, dark plums and forget about greige. Instead, it’s hello there to the palest of pinks and the most delicate of flowers.
         

Watch this handy little how-to video and you’ll soon be whipping up these sweet spring nails at home. Before you do though, have a quick read of our chat with Maria Vlezko, founder of SoNailicious, the creator of the video and also, the manicurist on the speed dial of Australia’s most fabulous celebrities.

What are three key tips when doing nail-art?

Take your time when doing your nails, make sure each layer dries properly before you apply the next one. The same applies for creating patterns, do it slowly and focus on your line work. It’s always better to get it right than trying to correct later, particularly when working with nail polish. With gel you can always correct your mistake, with nail polish not so much.

Can anyone do it?

Absolutely! The main skill is creativity. Right now, anything goes. You can paint a couple of stars on bare nails and that would be your ‘negative space’ nail art. You can glue on some beads with threads and there you go - ‘Bracelet Nails’! On a professional level, however, of course, you must be a good manicurist to begin with. It’s one thing to play with your own nails at home and another thing to create a beautiful yet practical and long-lasting nail design that your client will enjoy to wear.

What condition do your nails need to be in?

It doesn’t really matter as long as your nails are well groomed. But in any good salon they’ll groom your nails & cuticles before doing nail art. If doing nail art at home, if you could file evenly your nails and groom cuticles that’s already a good start. I’ve done a few tutorials on how to file and look after your nails like a pro.

Why Eating Jell-O Should Be Part of Every Woman's Nail Care Regimen

Though many women are obsessed with their nails, we sure put them through some major abuse. Biting, using them as tools, and peeling off our gel manicures are just a few of the horrible habits we'll admit to. Manicurists backstage at New York Fashion Week paint dozens of talons per show and only have a few minutes to make them look gorgeous. To make their jobs even more challenging, models are hopping from runway to runway. This means claws are getting cleaned, shaped, and painted, then doused with acetone polish remover before the process starts over again at the next show (resulting in some serious nail stress!). We consulted pros on the most common issues they see, how you can fix them at home, and other top tips.

        
                     
Brittleness and Peeling

All three of the professionals we consulted declared brittle nails to be the number one problem seen backstage. Jin Soon Choi, seasoned NYFW manicurist and founder/owner of the Jin Soon spas and polish line, cites failure to moisturize, lack of nail maintenance, and malnutrition as sources of this issue. She recommends people with this concern "drink a lot of water" as internal dehydration could be to blame.

Celebrity manicurist Gina Edwards for KISS Products, Inc., shares that dry nail beds are also often caused by constant application of polish remover, which desiccates the nail. Michelle Saunders, celebrity manicurist for Essie, adds, "Brittle nails can be caused from not removing nail polish in due time — found on many models at Fashion Week. Be sure to remove the polish when it starts to chip and apply a good base and top coat."

White Spots

"The correct name for this nail condition is called 'leukonychia,'" reports Saunders. "This is caused from slight trauma to the nail bed." Being gentler on your hands and nails will prevent these from occurring in the future. However, there's no way to treat them once you have them. "Allow time for them to heal and grow out," says Edwards.

Breakage

This is commonly caused by lack of moisture to the nail. "Moisturize your nails with cuticle oil a few times a day," suggests Choi. However, if you take good care of your claws and they're still cracking on the edges, they may just be too long for your lifestyle. Saunders advises that those with this issue trim and shape their nails weekly.

Move Over, Metallics! It’s All About Holographic Nails

A new day, a new nail trend to obsess over until we can get to the manicurist. The trend this time? Holographic nails! These ultra-shiny polishes and powders can turn your nails from “Oh, pretty” to “OMG, I want!” (See why we’re all obsessed?)


From beauty bloggers to celebs, your Instagram is no-doubt filled with the shiny, pearly nails. When paired with a stiletto shape, the trend is mesmerizing.

Is this an entirely new trend? Of course not. It’s essentially iridescent nail polish turned up a notch, which we’ve never been able to rock properly on our digits. But calling something holographic has a nicer ring to it, don’t you think? And it's not as shiny as metallics or as annoying as glitter to get off.

At the high end, you have manicures that involve iridescent powder applied to your polish, similar to metallic nails we’ve seen. The end result is ultra-shiny and, of course, perfectly applied.

You can buy iridescent or shimmery polish just about anywhere, from brands including [Sinful Colors by Kylie Jenner, OPI, Julep, Revlon—need we go on? And unlike the pearly colors you’re used to seeing, these come in every shade imaginable. Another option? Hologram-effect polish, like Layla’s, which will transform your existing colors. We love when trends are easy.

If you’re getting an amped-up mermaid vibe from all of this, you’re not wrong. Just imagine Ariel’s nails after she listens to Beyoncé’s "Lemonade." That’s the look. Now go forth and holograph!

Every Wild and Wonderful Nail Art Design From The Blonds Show

All the presentations at New York Fashion Week are works of art, but every season, I look forward to the beauty masterpieces from one show in particular: The Blonds. Partners and design team Phillipe and David Blond have outfitted the likes of Ariana Grande and Beyoncé with sparkle-encrusted, divalicious fashion creations. They've been inspired by Clockwork Orange, Egyptology, and "gangsta genies" for past collections.


If that doesn't have you hooked already, then you need to know that they also see nail art as an important part of translating their vision to the public. "The nails are an integral part of our overall story," Phillipe has said. It makes sense, then, that they always partner with CND when presenting each collection.

In addition to its groundbreaking longwear Shellac nail color formula, CND is known for its highly talented team of technicians. Many are award-winning artists (some of which have been on the reality show Nail'd It!) who literally create something out of nothing — they use acrylic powder to sculpt working sarcophagi and scarab beetles from scratch. The way the finished nail art plays off each piece on the runway is truly a thing of majesty. "It's quite amazing when you get artists together collaborating," said Jan Arnold, CND cofounder and style director.

For the Fall 2016 collection, femininity was placed in the spotlight with a variety of pink, red, and lace nails — but these are obviously not your average manicures. The 22 sets of nails took a team of 12 artists 900 hours to create. The Blonds' inspiration came from a hybrid of 1950s Hollywood glamour and the Alice in Wonderland animated movie.