2016年9月24日星期六

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.

2016年9月18日星期日

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.

2016年9月12日星期一

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.

2016年8月8日星期一

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?)
Pyper America Smith poses for an OPI Infinite Shine ad campaign. (Photo: OPI)

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!

2016年2月18日星期四

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.

2015年12月7日星期一

Nail Art

To create this graffiti design, start with a light base colour in either white, light grey or nude. Apply two coats of this colour and allow to dry completely before moving onto the artwork portion.

GRAFFITI NAIL ART

1. Gently peel the newspaper off the nail starting on one side and voilà! The ink from the newsprint is now on your nail.

2. After you have applied the newsprint on each of your nails, you can now start being an artist. Select a variety of colours and use a sponge and nail art brush to create an abstract design.

3. To ensure that you don't get blobs of nail polish at the beginning of your lines or with your sponging, don't use a lot of polish and start the brush strokes on the skin around your nails then continue onto the nail.

4. Once your base colour is dry, cut some pieces of newspaper that will fit the size of your nails.

5. Take a small glass (a shot glass is the perfect size) and fill it with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Dip one of your nails into the rubbing alcohol for five seconds then remove.

6. Quickly, take the piece of newspaper for that nail and place it with the words or image you want on the nail face down. Press lightly on the newspaper so it makes contact with the entire nail and absorbs the rubbing alcohol.

7. Once you are happy with the design, take some acetone on a small, flat paintbrush or a Q-tip and remove all the nail polish on your cuticles and skin.

Let the design dry for a couple of minutes then apply a top coat so your masterpiece can last. Applying some cuticle oil around your nail would also be a great idea as the acetone cleanup dries out the skin and cuticles.

2015年11月24日星期二

I Wore Insanely Long Nails Like Kylie Jenner for a Week

Love them or hate them, but anything remotely dealing with the Kardashians tends to saturate the media, and instead of making small talk with a stranger over what exactly Scott Disick is up to these days will trump conversation topics like how weird the weather has been lately.

Editor-Tested: I Wore Insanely Long Nails Like Kylie Jenner for a Week

I'm completely guilty of keeping up with them in most aspects—most meaning, I couldn't exactly justify spending $2.99 on their repsective apps. Out of the entire Kardashian-Jenner crew, I'm partial to Kim because I'm super into the way she does her makeup, and Khloe, of course, is the one you want to party with.

I'll admit that I'm pretty fascinated by Kylie. Her beauty transformation has been pretty dramatic, causing such a stir that she's launching her own lip kit as a result. I'm pretty sure her wig room alone is bigger than my entire apartment, and those nails? Don't even get me started; those are mesmerizing enough to warrant an entire story of their own.

So I thought, why not? I'll wear super-long Kylie Jenner nails for a week, try to navigate such intricacies like showering and applying skin care, and hopefully live to tell the tale. Besides, if it brings me that much closer to Kanye, I'm down. With that, I booked an appointment at New York City's Yukie Beauty Spa and asked for a set of insanely long gel extensions. I thought the pearl nail polish made a nice touch.


As a side note, my wireless router in my apartment broke earlier that week, so immediately after getting my nails done, I had to pick up a new one from Best Buy and install it at home. Small wires are the absolute worst to untangle and plug in when you're sort of re-learning how to use your fingers without cracking your manicure, and the entire process took about 30 minutes longer than the standard two, but it eventually got done.