Garnet Glittering Gradient Grid Gels

It's the first day of the 31 Day Challenge! If you're totally confused about what's going on, be sure to check out my 31DC FAQ page, which will answer all of your questions.

The first prompt of the challenge is "red," and -- what luck -- I was already wearing red rockstar glitter gel nails!

So the big goal for this manicure was to try to improve on my gel gradients, which were not as strong as I want them to be. I picked black to use as my gradient color, and sponged it on with clear gel to create the fade.

Truthfully, the method I used for this gel gradient is the same as if I were using regular polish, but with a few small modifications. Here's the gist:

• Cut your makeup wedge sponge into a thin strip to help minimize mess.
• Paint stripes of the colors you want to use on the sponge.
• Tap it LIGHTLY on to the nail. Don't overtap, as this can pull the gel back up off the nail. If you're used to sponging gradients with regular polish, you'll definitely have to modify your pressure to make it lighter.
• Clean up any mess on your fingers before you cure in your gel lamp.
• Cure between each round of sponging.
• I did four or five rounds of sponging, cleaning, and curing for this manicure.

After the gradient was looking good, I painted on a black grid that faded away into the darkest parts of the nails.

Products used:
CND Shellac Base Coat and Xpress5 Top Coat
Recollections glitter in Cherry
DIY Hard Nails - Black Cat (black gel)
Akzentz Gel Play in black (grid pattern)

My previous red 31DC manicures:
Crab print and nautical mix

Red mix and match
Red watercolor
Barielle - Elle's Spell

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Black and White, Post-Apocalypse

You may or may not know this about me: I'm obsessed with CND's work at Fashion Week. For this look, I was inspired by their nail artistry for The Blonds F/W 2015 show. The theme was the ultimate contrast between utopian and dystopian, with post-apocalyptic elements and all the amazing drama we've come to expect. If you're at all interested in high fashion nail art, I highly recommend you check out the CND lookbook for the show.

Some of the elements in their nail design focused in on black and white, and I wanted to do the same. I ended up with a manicure that felt somewhat abstracted, sort of tribal, very contrasted.

I used CND VINYLUX Weekly Polish in Black Pool and Cream Puff for my interpretation, and while I tried my best to channel the "hopeful apocalypse" look, I think I need a bit more practice with the theme!

Do you keep up with Fashion Week comings and goings? I know I'm a bit late, timing wise, with this one, but I just couldn't let it pass.

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CND VINYLUX Gilded Dreams for Holiday 2014

CND's newest release is their Gilded Dreams collection, a trio of three holiday-appropriate shades that are described as "Marie Antoinette meets Cinderella." My swatches show the VINYLUX shades, a gel-lacquer hybrid system (including topcoat) that claims week-long chip free wear. The holiday release also includes matching Shellac shades, as well as Additives and new holiday Scentsations lotions.

Chiffon Twirl is easily my favorite of the trio! This rose gold foil is so holiday. I used two coats, and though it went on with some brushstrokes, they all but disappeared as the polish dried down. Finished with the VINYLUX top coat.

Dazzling Dance is a blue-tinted sheer base with pink shimmer and small silver sparkles. In my first swatch, I layered it over CND Vinylux Svelte Suede, which created this really nice "subtle with a kick" mani that actually really grew on me. Karen at Beauty Geeks also tried layering it over black, which looks gorgeous, too.

Here it is at three coats alone. Not so appealing.

Grand Gala is a gold with a bit of a pink shift. It's still somewhat sheer at three coats, and alone, it has an older feel to it. I'd love to try this one with some nail art over it. Like Dazzling Dance, it goes on with a few brushstrokes but they fade away as the polish dries down.

A couple of notes about the VINYLUX topcoat: though it dries fairly quickly, it is not as fast as a quick dry topcoat. If you are used to those, be sure to give this manicure a bit of extra time to dry before you go about your day. Once it dries, this topcoat gives a hard, protective finish that only improves with exposure to natural light. For the week long chip free wear, you need to use the system.

I also tried out the Scentsations Gilded Dreams lotion trio! I am OB.SESSED. with the CND Scentsations lotion in Birch & Mint so I was eager to see how I liked these.

• Gilded Blossom is my favorite of the scents. It is scented with green apple, lemon, bergamot, and musk. It has a soft gold shimmer in it.
• Crushed Amber is scented with grapefruit, lemon, jasmine, vanilla, and praline. It was probably my least favorite of the scents. In my notes, I wrote "sharp yet warm, wintry." I didn't notice any visible shimmer in this one.
• Vanilla Shimmer is a CND classic, scented like vanilla (you guessed it)! It has a silver/pearlescent sparkle to it. It is not subtle. You'll be blinging all day! 

This collection also includes four new Additives and Shellac counterparts to the VINYLUX polishes. If you are a Shellac kind of gal, be sure to ask for these shades at your local salon!

CND VINYLUX is sold in salons and professional beauty supply stores. Recently, it was also announced that some of the CND line will be sold online through Loxa Beauty! VINYLUX polishes retail for $9.90 and the Scentsations trio retails for $13.90.

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Cosmoprof North America 2014: What's New in Nail Polish

This year, I attended Cosmoprof North America for the first time, as press. There were so many brands to see and keep up with, plus fun developments in beauty and nail technology. Today I'm covering tons of information about what is new in the world of nail polish, and I've also got some additional posts in the works about other facets of the experience.

As you're running through this post, don't forget to click the photos to enlarge them! If you'd rather just flip through all of the pics, check out my full album of Cosmoprof photos instead.

Bernadette Thompson

• Bernadette Thompson - This is the more affordable, mass-market line of lacquers from Bernadette. There are 71 colors in the line, and there are new colors added to the line all the time. 
• B by Bernadette - This is the high end, luxury line from Bernadette. She is also debuting a box including five nail treatments plus two on-trend seasonal B by Bernadette shades.
• Wipe Out Remover - This orange-hued remover contains Argan Oil and Vitamin E oil. It is non-acetone and non-dehydrating to the nail plate, and yet Bernadette says it will still soak off acrylic and gels. It's won the Cosmopolitan Beauty Product of the Year Award and was named a favorite product in Oprah's O Magazine.
• Celebrity creations - Many shades in the Bernadette range were created on set with celebrities. She has worked with Kate Upton, Claire Danes, and Karolina Kurkova, just to name a few.

China Glaze
"The China Glaze girl is not afraid to play with color. We love that about her and we just want her to go wild with it!"

• EverGlaze Polish System - EverGlaze is a new brand launching from the makers of China Glaze. It's a gel-lacquer hybrid that applies and removes like lacquer, but lasts for at least a week. The color and topcoat fuse together in natural light, no curing required. The launch includes 36 brand new colors (no China Glaze repromotes) and will be debuting at Sally Beauty in early 2015.
• New Gelaze shades - This cured gel system shares many shades with China Glaze nail lacquer and does not require a base coat step. This year, they are adding 23 new shades to the lineup like CG favorites Too Yacht to Handle and That's Shore Bright.
• The Giver Collection - Coinciding with the release of the feature film, The Giver collection is made up of 12 polishes including two interesting glitter shades. 
• All Aboard Collection for Fall 2014 - This is another 12 set collection in deep, dramatic shades. Choo-Choo Choose You jumped out at me as a favorite -- it has a pretty shimmer that lights it from within.
• Apocalypse of Color for Halloween 2014 - China Glaze's Halloween release got me pretty excited! Among 5 other colors, they are re-releasing Ghoulish Glow, their glow in the dark topcoat. Rest In Pieces was another favorite for its prismatic effect.
• Celebrate Courage - This is China Glaze's breast cancer awareness collection. The display features three repromoted pink shades and three new matte cremes. They are very matte and very lovely.
• Twinkle for Winter/Holiday 2014 - This twelve piece collection has the sparkle you'd expect from a holiday collection with a few surprises! I'd Melt For You is a silver chrome, while Chillin' With My Snow-mies is a snowy white glitter topcoat.
• Matte Magic, the China Glaze matte topcoat, is being released in full size.
• Flip Flop Fantasy - Many of you have bemoaned the change in Flip Flop Fantasy! I'm happy to report that they are in the process of getting that shade back on track.

Wheel Swatches

Collection Displays

CND

• Modern Folklore Collection - This six piece collection is CND's Fall 2014 release. It features jewel tones inspired by rich woven tapestries and bespoke fashion.
• I got a peek at the winter collection and new products but unfortunately I can't talk about them just yet. There are some innovative new things happening and you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for them, especially if you are a nail pro or a fan of the Shellac system.
• Shown below are the nails Jan Arnold was sporting. They are inspired by birch trees in Aspen!

Color Club

• Paris in Love Collection - This collection is not new, but I did see a cute nail art kit that I hadn't seen before! It includes two Paris in Love shades plus a wheel of tiny macarons for use in nail art. Um, hello? Yes please, I'll take ten.
• Celebration Collection - Also not a new collection but I haven't seen much about it. This set of 12 glitters is sure to have something for everyone.
• Seven Deadly Sins Collection - These shades are described as matte, textured glitters and are currently available for purchase. 
• Made In New York Collection - This set of seven features shimmers and is being released in mid-September. Definitely a couple of intriguing colors here.
• Fiber Optics Collection - This collection is coming out in mid-October and features bar glitter topcoats. There's even a black and white combo (my weakness)!

(Extra photos courtesy of Work/Play/Polish)

Essie

• Though I'm not allowed to discuss what I saw at the Essie booth, there are some great new developments for pros on the horizon. I also had the opportunity to meet Naja! More on that later...

Jessica Cosmetics

• Autumn in New York Collection for Fall 2014 - A six piece fall collection inspired by Jessica's travels, this set features four very dark shades plus two lighter pops of red and nude. 
• Holiday House Three Pack - Jessica is well known for their holiday polishes, which are released in the most adorable lightbulb shaped bottles. Keep an eye out for these sparkly shades -- I believe each three pack includes two glitters and one clear coat. 

Londontown
"Yes, it's a luxury brand, but it's definitely worth the money because your nails are just beautiful after [removing the lacquer]."

• lakur Enhanced Color - Londontown's lakur is a luxury brand of creme based polishes that wear longer than regular lacquer. Polishes are vegan, 5-free, gluten free, and cruelty free. Infused with the kur system, new polishes are released seasonally in sets of 8. Their Fall 2014 line (shown) is being released in 2-3 weeks. 
• kur Nail Treatment System - The kur nail treatment system is a luxury care system with pieces ranging from $18-35. The line includes products like Strengthening Lacquer Remover, Protective Top Coat, Fortifying Ridge Filler, and Restorative Nail Cream, among others.

LVX
"We're the only nail lacquer brand dedicated to high fashion. We give people the top colors... They can come to us and trust that we'll give them the best colors each season."

• Fall 2014 Lineup - LVX debuted their fall line which includes six (currently unnamed) polishes, directly inspired by the runway. They are on the top row of the photo below. I'm drawn to the greys, myself, but thought you'd be interested in seeing this pinkish shade up close! 

Morgan Taylor
"The quality of our lacquers, the color payoff, the density of the glitters, the shimmers, the bottle itself... Luxury is our goal."

• Neon Lights for Summer 2014 - This collection is currently out and features six neon shades. Morgan and Taylor mentioned that these neons are special because you don't need a white base to get great color payoff.
• Fight Light a Lady - Fight Like a Lady is the Morgan Taylor breast cancer awareness collection. It features three repromoted creme shades plus a special limited edition glitter topper.
• Halloween Collection for Halloween 2014 - This box set features a bright orange neon and a black creme, plus the Morgan Taylor topcoat.
• The Enchantment Collection for Fall 2014 - Their fall release features six shades in a somewhat unexpected dusty pastel palette. This collection drew its inspiration from the fall fashion runways, where Morgan and Taylor noted that many designers had chosen an anti-fall color range. 

Wheel Swatches

Collection Displays

Nubar

• A matte gel topcoat
• FALL-ing In Love Collection for Fall 2014 - This collection draws inspiration from the fall runways, but with a twist.
• World Champions Collection for 2014 - This collection is inspired by the World Cup in Brazil. 
• New glitters have been added to the gel line
• I was also told that within the next month or so, Nubar will be announcing a UV gel-style topcoat that does not need to be cured. I'm told it dries completely in two minutes, continues to harden as it's in the sun, and will work with any brand's polish. Very eager to see more about this!

OPI

• OPI kept their hand close to their vest and I couldn't get a peek at any upcoming collections this year. 

Orly

• Baked Collection for Summer 2014 - This set of six is already out, but still served as the eye-catching background for their booth.
• Smoky Collection for Fall 2014 - A lineup of six smoky fall shades inspired by the smoky eye. Edgy and Smoked Out (shown) caught my eye, and there's a lovely grey creme shade that I'm sure many of you will be drawn to as well.
• Halloween Collection for Halloween 2014 - I think a few of these are repromotes, but this trio features a neon orange, a black creme, and a black shimmer.
• BB Creme for Nails - Meant to be worn without base or topcoat, the Orly BB Creme is a nude shade that also acts as a nail treatment.

Seche

• Seasonal color collections have joined the core collection.
• 2015 colors are in development but were not ready to be previewed.

Young Nails

• Young Nails debuted their Caption manicure, which is a system that applies and removes like polish but is supposed to wear like gel.  The line features 60 core colors and 18 topper effects. The polishes contain shellac, volcanic glass, and "plant derived polymers," and are intended to strengthen the nail as well.

Zoya

• Zoya's new releases were there, but unfortunately we aren't allowed to share them just yet. 
• In the meantime, have you seen the recent press release for the Naturel Deux collection? I got to see the colors in person. If you are a fan of Naturel part one, you'll love these too!

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