MAC Nail Transformations

MAC is releasing a collection of nail lacquers and transformative topcoats designed to give nails a stylish twist. The light peach beige of Skin, deep plum of Rebel and sheer nude of Quiet Time undergo a unique transformation when combined with one of six glowing topcoats.

I love the creativity of this line and being able to style your nail polish to fit your mood. 

Available online now and in store July 3rd.

Zoya Nail Polish Exchange 2014

I love when Zoya does their exchanges. It's a great way to try new colors on a budget, while helping to save the Earth! Zoya makes it easy to swap out old nail polish for new ones. 

Here's how it works:

1. Visit www.zoya.com and add at least 6 bottles and no more than 24 bottles of polish to your cart (salon accounts minimum 12 maximum 48 bottles). Excludes ALL Summer 2014 Collection shades (Tickled, Bubbly & Summer Magical PixieDust).
   
2. Apply the code: ZDAY2014
   
3. Your order value will be adjusted to reflect a 50% discount (we use these funds to properly dispose of the old nail polish). For an example of how your order should look, see example below.
   
4. Complete check-out, review and submit order.
   
5. Zoya will ship out your NEW polishes right away. The exchange runs on the honor system, which means offer is not contingent on customer returning polish. See full exchange details below...

The Exchange

1. Once you get your order - 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.

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

2. Include a copy of your invoice/order.
   
3. Once we receive your polish we do the rest! It's that simple!

Butter London Cut Up Collection

Introducing Butter London Cut Up Collection. These are so fun! The colors are...

Anorak - Black, white and silver chunky glitter overcoat suspended in a clear base
Dust-Up - Gold, silver and bronze chunky & fine glitter overcoat suspended in a clear base
Titchy - Multi-color chunky and fine glitter overcoat suspended in a clear base


These retail at $15 a piece or $25 for a Fashion Size Set of 3.

Purple Nail Polish 'Dupes'

This is probably my 5th time saying  this...but I love Fall for the change up in nail polish colors! I love deep, dark hues on my fingers, and it just doesn't feel right unless it's chilly outside!

I was organzing my polishes over the weekend and found several very similar bottles, so I'm going to start swatching and posting the duplicates, or 'dupes.' Here's the first set!

Both brands are a beautiful purplish magenta color, nice and rich for Fall. It's a bright color that  pops, but definitely not too loud. I think it's work appropriate - I wore it to a client meeting today!

Zoya in Mason had slightly more shimmer to it, but once I put a top coat on each, they both looked the same. I had to keep reminding myself which brand I used on each hand! 

Do you have any dupes in your collection? If so, which ones?

Chanel nail polish in Jade Rose

This is an oldie but goodie. I received this nail polish 3 years ago in NYC, while touring the city with Total Beauty. Came across it in my nail polish drawer and thought it was a good fit for this week. Traveling most of this week, I needed something neutral that would go with all of my outfits. This peachy nude was perfect.

You can find Chanel nail polish at www.nordstrom.com. 

When traveling for work or vacation, what is your go to nail polish color to last throughout your trip? Do you go bold with a red? Or neutral with a nude or light pink?

CND Shellac Layering Gotcha & Romantique

This past weekend I joined my husband on a work trip to Orlando. The last thing I want to worry about on a relaxing vacation is chipping nail polish, so of course, Wednesday night before my trip I had to get Shellac.

I wanted a light pink that would go with most outfits I brought, but wanted to try something new with the colors I have, so opted for layering. Pictured is one coat of Gotcha, and two coats of Romantique (with the normal base and top coat). I love the way it turned out. It's a creamy light pink, and looks great with a tan (I used a Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Glow self tanning towel before I left).  Going on day #7 and still no chips!

Check out my other CND Shellac swatches!

The Man Repeller Glossy Box

I'm a huge fan of the Glossy Box monthly beauty box, but this month was especially awesome because it featured Leandra, from ManRepeller.com, favorite Winter beauty picks.

Instead of the normal pink and black Glossy Box, this one was a shiny silver and black. There's no feeling like opening a Glossy Box. The product possibilities are endless! Inside were 7 goodies...

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara - LOVE. This mascara contains 3 different volume fibers that create the false lash effect. I love getting small mascaras for traveling! 

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum - This treatment is suppose to tone and hydrate while controlling shine and minimizing the appearance of pores.

Le Metier de Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution - For daily use, this formula is suppose to condition and hydrate while nourishing your skin. Sounds like a must for this harsh winter we're having!

Narcisco Rodriguez for her Eau de Toilette Spray - I also love little perfume samples for traveling. This is a very flowery scent. More appropriate for a night out then every day for work.

OPI 'Can't Let Go' Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer - I want this polish in all shades. The liquid sand effect is so cool. Pictured below is one base coat and two color coats, and no top coat. It feels just like sand on your nails. It's a little odd at first but I got use to it after an hour. It's beautifully textured with two different size sparkle flecks, and long lasting. I thought it was going to be a nightmare to remove but it came off really easily with acetone.

Sebastian Professional Potion 9 - Not only did this make my hair smell like I just left the salon, but it made my hair look healthy and shiny. It's suppose to help restore lost moisture which again, is important during these dry, winter months.

Tarte glamazon pure performance 12-hour lipstick - This color screams 'all eyes on me.' It's a vivid red lipstick, including a blend of rich mango, avocado and shea butters. So not only is long lasting, but it's good for your lips.

You can subscribe to Glossy Box on a month to month basis for $21/month, or sign up for 3 months for $60, 6 months for $115 or a year for $220. If you like to try and experiment with new beauty products, this is a great program to join!

Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

Julep Maven Review & Giveaway

Sampling programs are all the rage. Personally, I love them. I think it's a great way to try new products and discover new brands. I especially like the ones that are tailored to your style preferences, like the Julep Maven program.
 
Before you can become a Julep Maven, you have take a style quiz to find your style profile, which are:
American Beauty – A grown up version of the All-American girl-next-door

Boho Glam – An eternal romantic with an appreciation of beauty on a deeper level.

Bombshell – Sexy and confident, this style is abundant with playful prints and saturated hues.

Classic with a Twist – This timeless, iconic look is marked by beautiful yet simple cuts and colors

It Girl – Edgy and bold, your statement-making look exemplifies the modern rock ‘n’ roll chic

With your monthly membership, you’ll receive 2-3 nail polishes and beauty products that compliment your style profile. Julep products are made up of highly curated fashion forward polishes so you don’t have to worry about polish being out of season.

I recently received an It Girl box and it was filled with 3 nail polishes I can totally rock to work and out at night, and 2 different nail glitters. Daphne is a sea foam green, Delauney is a creme, striking red, and Otte, a camel creme neutral.  Both Daluney and Otte are part of the Trina Turk Fall line. I'm looking forward to rocking the sea foam green on my toes this summer.

SPECIAL FOR LIPGLOSS READERS: If you sign up today, you can get your first box for a penny! Use code JULEPVIP at checkout! 

Julep is also all about sharing the love. Enter to win a box that matches your style profile! 

***Giveaway***

Enter to win a Julep Maven style box.

Fill out the form below to win! There are also several different ways you can get extra entries: sign up for my mailing list, post a link to this giveaway on your blog, follow my blog, follow me & retweet on Twitter , follow me on Pinterest, follow me on Instagram or become a fan on Facebook; just make sure to list the number of extra entries in the form below. Enter up to once a day!

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. The contest will end on Friday, February 8th. I will randomly select one winner and announce them on Lipgloss Break, so keep checking to see if you're a winner - Good Luck!

Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

CND Shellac in Rubble

This is Rubble from CND Shellac's new color line. I LOVE it. I wore it on my last business trip as a neutral color that would go with everything. It's so hard to describe this color. It's like a grayish brown solid color, but has an opaqueness to it. This is a great new neutral color for the Shellac line! Check out my other CND Shellac swatches.

 

CND Shellac in Dark Lava

Finally! Tina and I got our hands on some of CND's new Shellac colors. Tina, being the great friend and person she always is, did my nails for my work holiday party last week. I chose Dark Lava, which is a deep burgundy. I wore a leather dress, and was feeling a little 'rocker chic,' so wanted to do a darker color. In some lights it could also look like a dark brown.

Per usual, Shellac stayed on this time for a full 7 days without chipping. I proactively took it off so I could swatch some additional colors :)

Happy Friday!

Patriotic Reds for Election Day

Looking for a new fiery red? Below are some Splurge and Steal options!


SPLURGE

CND Shellac in Hollywood is a bold red with light gold specs in it. Make sure that the salon you choose for CND Shellac applications is a certified CND salon. If not, you will not be getting your money's worth out of your Shellac mani!

SEMI-STEAL

Jessica Nails nail colour in Scarlett. I am a huge fan of Jessica polish. The colors are always rich and it wears really well.

MAJOR STEAL

Essence Colour & Go in Fame Fatale is a bright and shiny red and super affordable. Available at Ulta stores and Ulta.com for only $1.99.

Now go out and VOTE!

Essie School of Hard Rocks

This is Essie School of Hard Rocks. Depending on the color of clothing you wear, this shade will change on you. It ranges from a stone gray to an army green. 

Nail Polish Colors to Wear to Work

When I’m traveling for work it’s hard to match a bold nail color to several different outfits, so I’m constantly looking for a pink or nude neutral colors to paint my nails before I hit the road. Here are my ‘Splurge’ and ‘Steal’ recommendations for a soft pink nail polish that will go with everything in your work wardrobe.

Splurge

If you can splurge on a gel manicure, do it. Then you won’t have to worry about your nails chipping while traveling. My favorite Shellac color is Romantique. If you go to a reputable salon, (make sure they are CND certified) a Shellac manicure can range from $30-$70 (depending on where you live).  Make sure to keep an eye out for flash deals sites as well (Groupon, Google Offers, Living Social), they often have salon deals you can put towards a gel manicure.

Steal

Essence Colour & Go nail polish.  The color Pink Smoothie is similar to CND Shellac in Romantique. Make sure to pack this with you for touch ups. Essence on the Go retails for $1.99 at Ulta stores.