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.

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!

Katy Perry's Smurf Nails Steal the Show at NY Movie Premiere

Precious few celebrities know how to accessorize quite like the ever glamorous and eye-catching Katy Perry. Mere clothing is heightened to an art form when combined with the right accessories – and that includes nails, of course!

This past weekend, Mrs. Russell Brand glittered like no other on the red carpet of the New York premiere of The Smurfs movie. Rocking newly blonde locks and some 1970’s inspired eye shadow, Katy was decked out in her smurfiest finery, including a bedazzled Smurfette dress by The Blonds and Christian Louboutin heels in that beloved shade of cartoon blue. By far, the detail that pulled the entire ensemble together was her magical manicure created by the fabulous Pattie Yankee-Williams of Dashing Diva Professional. Each nail is a tiny work of art featuring images of the film’s characters, including the iconic Smurf vixen, Smurfette, aptly voiced by Perry in the film.

Thrilled with the finished results of her coordinating mani, Perry tweeted a photo of her nails before the event! Once again the combination of Katy Perry’s fearless style and Pattie Yankee-Williams’ creativity and skill is a winner, hands down!