“So I’m thinking I want dark and matte,” I said to Leeanne Colley, Revlon Nail Expert, at yesterday’s Revlon media event.
“Urban is great,” she replied.
I swear Leeanne can read my mind — that is the exact shade I’d been leaning toward. She topped off Urban, a deep navy, with the Revlon matte topcoat, and I love the results.
Urban is not one of the new shades launching in January and February 2014, but there’s lots of great stuff coming out, from cool tools and metallics and glitters (that’s Rich and Chameleon above), along with a Nail Art Shiny Matte collection of five shades, and 10 shades of Revlon Nail Art Sun Candy (the fun bright shades totally have me craving the sun — must start planning a tropical getaway or two!)
December 3, 2013
Nail-job craving: I’ve been wanting a Comme des Garcons manicure for awhile now, and I figured the Philadelphia Marathon would be a good place for it, with the hearts and Philly being the City of Brotherly Love and all.
How I satisfied that craving: Leeanne Colley of Tips Nail Bar just ran with my Comme des Garcons theme. “Just have a nap,” she told me as she started on my nails. She used CND Shellac in Cream Puff, Black Pool and Wildfire. And the manicure “only” took about two hours (and that includes half an hour for removing my superhero Booyah mani), so relatively short compared to my typical marathon manicures.
“I bet you never thought once we started these ‘marathon manicures’ we’d be doing so many of them,” I joked to Leeanne (this is my fifth marathon, and this is the first time I’m doing two fulls so close together — eep!).
How this nail art makes me feel: Full of love — for Leeanne and her fantastic team at Tips, for running, for my friends, for the chance to visit the great city of Philly once again, and of course, for my amazing manicure.
Love it or hate it: See above.
November 11, 2013
Nail-job craving: A few days before my manicure appointment I sent the above image, which is Roy Lichtenstein, to Leeanne at Tips Nail Bar, and said it’s what I was thinking I’d like for my mani.
“Dear god” was her text reply.
“That’ll take an entire day with all the layers to it,” she said to me once I got into Tips.
How I satisfied that craving: We went with a slightly simplified (but not really) version of this comic book look. Leanne started working on a few nails and it all came together as she worked. We knew were doing “Kapow” on two fingers, and I thought dots on one or two fingers, like the pixelated comic book print would work well, too (so that a few nails would be less complicated).
By the time we did one nail, Leeanne had her next client coming in, so the amazing Naomi Misu continued on the other nine nails. I (along with some of the other Tips nail artists) pretty much watched her do my nails with our mouths hanging open. When she outlined the words Kapow and Booyah (Leeanne’s idea!) in black, I think I held my breath.
When she decided to add a kiss on one of my thumbs, I thought it was cute exactly the way she painted it on…and then she took it to the next level by adding the delicate little lines that made it look like a real lip print! Whoa.
The colours used include a mix of soak-off gels and regular polish (all the detail nail art is in regular polish) including Cream Puff, Wildfire, Wham, Bicycle Yellow, Superstitious and Black Pool. Including the nail work to prep my nails, the manicure took three hours to complete.
How this nail-art makes me feel: Like I totally had to ROCK that Nike Women’s Marathon. I could hardly have “Booyah” on my nails and run my slowest marathon ever could I? And whaddyaknow, I ran my fastest marathon to date!
Love it or hate it: LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. This is up there amongst my most favourite manicures ever.
I run the Philadelphia Marathon in 17 days…can’t wait to get my manicure (and, oh yeah, cross the finish line, too).
November 1, 2013
