Marvels of the Male Pedicure

For those of you looking for a hot new service to add to your menu, look no further than the pedicure for men. Once an outlandish idea, men everywhere have been slowly warming to the idea of the stress-relieving and hygienic benefits of maintaining their feet and toenails. Nail salons have seen a steady increase of male clientele over the past few years, who have embraced the idea of “man-scaping” as part of their general wellness routine. Big cities like New York and Los Angeles have even seen an increased interest in polished pedicures for men – worn ever so stylishly by celebrities like Dean McDermott and Seal. The most popular shades among the male persuasion are black, beige and gray.

Why not promote specials to encourage your female clients to bring in their significant others for a relaxing foot-soak and much-needed toe nail trim? The ladies will surely thank you for your efforts!

Back in Black

Back in black – polish that is. Once reserved for the punk and gothic counter culture, this eye-catching hue now makes a bold statement in film, on the runway, and on the streets. Fashionable celebrities such as Gwen Stefani and Sarah Michelle Gellar have been seen rocking this sophisticated look of late. In fact, Gwen had all of the models in her L.A.M.B Fall 2011 runway show sporting striking black manis.

The key to an awesome all black manicure is well-groomed nails and the perfect shade. Union Jack Black from butter LONDON is my personal favorite! Let's not forget that Halloween is right around the corner and any gals go-to hue for added drama is definitely dark and sexy shades of black. Want to dress it up? Try a matte top coat for a velvety effect or add a glitter top coat for some sparkle!

Crack-tastic Nails!

For a brief moment back in the early 1990s “crackle” nail polish came and went as a beauty trend without much to make it memorable. However, the idea has been vastly improved upon and has recently re-emerged as a fashionable and chic manicure trend. The process involves using two contrasting coats of specially formulated nail polish that “cracks” letting one color show through underneath the other. It's a simple way to achieve a complex-looking nail art pattern. For about a year the trend was gaining momentum in Europe, but it was very hard to obtain the polish in the United States.

Soon thereafter, celebrities like Katy Perry took notice of the fun and edgy look and influenced several American brands to produce their own lines of crackle polish. She released her own version of "shatter" polish with OPI in 2011 to great success and almost all of the major professional and retail lacquer companies have since released their own versions. Some brands are difficult to work with and it's hard to get a smooth even coat of it on nails, so a little practice with it goes a long way. Also, don't try to thin out these products with nail polish thinner! The formula will lose its ability to crack or shatter if thinner is added to it. Love the look, but hate working with the thick and clumpy formulation? Try Dashing Diva's new DesignFX nail appliques (available only to professional nail technicians) which are available in a multitude of patterns -- including several crackle designs.

Red Pedicures: Super Classy & Ultra Chic!

There is nothing quite as timeless as the classic red polished pedicure, so make sure you've got a killer one in your repertoire. First popularized in the 1940’s thanks to sultry screen sirens such as Marilyn Monroe, red polish attained icon status as the staple for fun and flirty pedicures.

Seventy years later and this look is still super classy and ultra chic! Modern red polished pedicures know no rules and the variety of shades are rivaled only by the unique women that wear them. Celebrities such as Megan Fox, Keira Knightly and Kate Bosworth own this look that works for both femme fatale and innocent ingénue alike. Red polish is available in a multitude of shades and finishes and can be dressed up with glitter and jewels or toned down with a matte top coat.

How to Nail Halloween

It is no secret to anyone that knows me...Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. The costumes, makeup and nails blend together beautifully on that one night of the year where everyone gets to partake in the magic of make-believe. Ever since I was little, I've looked to Hollywood for fun, fashionable and frightful Halloween-inspired nails to complete my transformations. Classic film and television characters are always popular inspiration for costumes and no look is complete without the proper manicure to put the finishing touches on it. Those that always made an impression were the wild and wicked Morticia Addams and Lily Munster, who always rocked pointed red stiletto nails to compliment their goth ensembles. My personal favorite, Queen of Halloween Elvira's nails are always long and rounded in a shiny black hue. Those with a softer sensibility, such as fairies and princesses can take their cues from "I Dream of Jeannie" with her flawless French Manicure. And for costumes that don't have a specific "nail-look" to reference? Follow the lead of Halloween enthusiasts Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum, who always tailor their manicures to complement their specific choice of costume. 

Glamour's Ode to Nails!

As compared with hair and makeup, nails often get the short end of the stick when it comes to media coverage. There are many consumer magazines dedicated to hairstyles and cosmetics, but there is not one consumer magazine that focuses solely on nails. A handful of professional publications geared towards Nail Technicians exist, such as Nails, Nailpro, Scratch and VietSalon magazines. However, these periodicals aren't sold on newsstands or in book stores and most of the general public aren't aware of them.

That's why I get extremely excited on the rare occasions when a fashion or beauty magazine takes a moment to focus on nails, which is exactly what Glamour magazine has done in their October 2011 issue. Their "10 Things We Love in the Nail Universe" list is an homage to what is hot in the nail industry right now. It includes mentions of several of my personal favorites including fatigue green and classic red polish, what they refer to as "nail polish rings," which are actually called Finger Bands (created by the amazing Nonie Creme of butter London), boys with neat nails and the talented Patricia Yankee of Dashing Diva.

I was backstage with Nonie as a member of the butter London Nail Tech team for the Vena Cava runway show when she introduced Finger Bands to the world and knew they were going to be an instant hit. Barely minutes after the show ended the press and audience members in attendance were frantically tweeting about the look acheived by painting perfect circlets of nail lacquer around two or three fingers of the hand. It's a lot more difficult than it looks and requires a steady hand and attention to detail.

In the past couple of years, celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce and Rihanna have been making bold fashion statements with their manicures. Nails as fashion accessories are becoming the norm as celebrity trends trickle down to the general public and into neighborhood nail salons. Hopefully the media will catch up with the rest of us and put the focus where it should be a little more often...on the nails!

Mad About Mad Men

I know that I'm a little late in jumping on the bandwagon, but I was recently introduced to the wonder that is AMC's Mad Men by my glorious sister (who knows my taste in television so well!). For those that may not know, the show is set in Manhattan during the 1960's at a Madison Avenue advertising agency. Besides the intriguing storyline, fantastic period clothing and vintage props, the first item to really capture my attention was of course, the nails!

How fabulous are housewife Betty Draper's perfect pink oval-shaped nails? They are always flawlessly manicured and complement her clothing and accessories with panache. Even prim and proper Peggy Olsen's nails are obviously well maintained, though she has yet to sport nail polish even once throughout all four seasons of the show! Then there's sultry Joan Holloway with her lovely red talons that just ooze sex appeal.

Betty Draper (January Jones), Peggy Olsen (Elizabeth Moss) & Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks)

Not only do the main characters get to wear stunning 1960's style manis -- the supporting female characters get in on the action too. Next door neighbor and fellow housewife, Francine Hanson is always elaborately coiffed and manicured with full face makeup. Young wife Trudy Campbell is fresh-faced and smartly dressed with a mani to match her proper Manhattanite outfits. By far, the glitziest nails on the show so far belonged to Bobbie Barrett -- one of Don Draper's short-lived trysts. She rocked a solid gold metallic manicure to match her cocktail dress in true classic Hollywood style.

Francine Hanson (Anne Dudek), Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie) & Bobbie Barrett (Melinda McGraw)

Of course, there is an amazing woman behind the fabulous nails of Mad Men! Series costume designer Janie Bryant is the creative mastermind behind all that goes into creating the phenomenal period costumes, hairstyles and nails for the show. Her eye for detail is nothing short of genius! In the fall of 2010, Bryant paired with Nailtini of the 'Tini Beauty Lounge cosmetic brand to create a limited edition set of Mad Men nail lacquers inspired by the lush and luxurious fabrics popular in the 1960's. Since liquor is practically a supporting character on the show, a cocktail-themed nail polish line makes perfect sense!

The limited edition collection features four luxuriously opulent hues. Bourbon Satin (chocolate mousse brown), French 75 (micro glitter gold lamé), Deauxville (metallic platinum silver), and Stinger (iridescent green/black chrome). It's been sold out in stores for quite a while now, but I did a little research and found it can still be purchased online at Amazon.com, among others.

Limited Edition Fall 2010 Collection

Due to the success of their first collaboration, Nailtini released a second nail lacquer collection created by Janie Bryant for the Spring of 2011 called Garden Party. This second vintage-inspired spread includes four shades fit for a Sterling Cooper company picnic! The collection is comprised of Garden Jubilee (gold shimmer), Blue Carnation (milky blue/gray), Blushing Lady (baby pink), and Admiral Perry (patent leather royal blue).

Garden Party - Spring 2011 Collection

Word is that due to contract disputes between AMC and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, the highly anticipated 5th season of the show isn't going to premiere until some time in 2012. Until then, all we can do is indulge our obsession by watching re-runs on Netflix while wearing our Mad Men Nailtini nail colors!