Happy New Year! (yea, im SO late! lol) *Update*

Update: After doing a little pre-spring cleaning, I discovered 13 more bottles of polish hiding from me! SO, my count now stands at 339!! yay!! lol

Well hey there! Its been a very busy end to 2011 and start to 2012, which didnt give me much time to blog! I am currently in the process of helping a friend open her new day spa, which will be simply amazing! Be sure to check out Couture Day Spa and sign up for her mailing list to be the first to know when we are open for business!

Couture Day Spa- Tampa

Ok, on to what's new. I finally reached 300 bottles of nail polish!! I had 10 more to go and decided to just go ahead and grab those from Dollar Tree, since I only have maybe 2 bottles from there. I didnt want to just get any colors, so the ones I chose are actually colors that I would wear! I was super excited on that day! lol 

Trying to get these sorted and displayed had been a big hassle! Not having the space for them makes it really hard. Ive made nail polish racks before and its seems everytime I made one, my collection got bigger. I didnt feel like going through the hassle of making another one. So, I purchased this cd/dvd case from Walmart for $27, and my let 2 boys get to work putting it together for me! I think they did a nice job! :D

As I have them displayed currently will not be the final result. I just havent figured out if I want them sorted by color or brand. hmmm..... Anyhoo, heres what I have.

 Yep! That's all 326 of my babies! lol

And here is the tower

My first goal before I decide how to sort them will be to get them all listed on an excel spreadsheet and add a photo for each one. I ordered some nail polish display kits and am waiting to get those in the mail. THEN I have to get each one polished onto a stick! lol, Thats ALOT of work! Here is what those look like. I ordered a total of 8. They each display 50! Here is the link to Ebay, where you can order them!

http://tinyurl.com/nailartdisplay

So next up on my nail polish agenda is soak off nail polishes. Ohhhh, how I love them so!! I currently only have a few from Gelish. I will be adding more Gelish and Shellac first. I will try out different brands as well, but I am starting with these 2 first since they are they only 2 that I've tried. I doubt this collection blooms as rapidly as my regular nail polish collection, but we shall see!! 

Well thats all for now. I honestly want to blog more than I did last year. I really, really want to do swatches, its just very time consuming. But I promise for those of you who do follow me, that I am trying!! Stay tuned!!

XOXO- KiWi 

Stay Educated #2 ~Cuticle Oil/Recipes

Ive found that i've developed a slight obsession with cuticle oil. I wash my hands a lot throughout the day and find that even if I apply lotion on afterward, the area around my nails, becomes very dry, prone to hang nails, cracked looking, and just down right ugly! So after I wash my hands I apply a cuticle oil and then I apply a hand & nail lotion to further seal in the moisture.

Did you know?
The cuticle is actually DEAD skin? It should be removed during manicures/pedicures to make sure that nail polish and/or acrylic application has a clean surface to adhere to. If it is not properly removed, it can cause your acrylic to lift and your polish will not last as long.  Its also the ONLY thing that should be clipped during a manicure or pedicure.  NEVER let a nail tech cut the actual skin that is a the base of your nail. This is called the eponychium, and removing could leave your nails wide open for infection. It will grow back, however, thicker and tougher.

EDUCATION: During a manicure, the eponychium is gently pushed back, exposing the non-living cuticle.  The eponychium is the skin that lies directly on top of the newly developing nail plate.   It is living tissue and often times get mistaken for cuticle.  Eponychium should never be cut because it will grow back thicker and tougher, almost like scar tissue, as it is trying to protect itself from the nippers.  Normally, the uppermost visible part of the eponychium has the appearance of normal healthy skin.

Pic from NSI Nails

Cuticle oils come in a huge variety of brands and different types of oils!  You can purchase from almost any drugstore or shopping center, but because I love to make things, making your own is very easy and very cost effective because you use such a small amount at a time!


First Thing First:
If you plan on making your own cuticle oil for at home use, there are a few things you should know.  #3 and #4 also go for if you choose to purchase a brand name cuticle oil. 

1. Store your oil in an air tight container
2. If you are the only one using your cuticle oil, you can store it in a nail polish bottle and apply the same as you would nail polish. 

1. If you are sharing your cuticle oil or applying to others nails, DO NOT apply with a brush. You want to store your oil in a dropper bottle and DO NOT let the dropper touch your or anyone else's nails.
2. Cuticle oils are not self disinfecting like nail polish, alcohol, or nail polish remover. Once your dropper or brush touches nails and you stick the dropper or brush back into the bottle, you have just contaminated your ENTIRE bottle of cuticle oil with bacteria. 
1. **Keep this in mind when in nail salons. DO NOT allow your nail tech to brush on your cuticle oil. For acrylic nails, cuticle oil is usually applied to your nails after the nails are applied, filed, and buffed. Right before they have you wash your hands.** 

1. Another way to store cuticle oil, is to store it in a bottle that has a cork and use a NEW cotton swab to apply it to your nails. **DO NOT DOUBLE DIP** Use one side the for the left hand and the other side for the right hand!

I found this bottle on Amazon.com for $1.38. It even has a space to write in the name of your oil, and the formula you used!

http://www.amazon.com/Franken-Juggs-Easy-Fill-Polish-Bottle/dp/B004WD32T2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320612905&sr=8-1

Nail Growth Cuticle Oil

1 part Jojoba Oil

1 part Tee Tree Oil

1/2 part Vitamin E Oil

8 drops of your favorite Essential Oil for fragrance (more than one EO can be used)

Nail Strengthening Cuticle Oil

1 part Vitamin E Oil

1/2 part Jojoba Oil

8 drops of your favorite Essential Oil for fragrance

Anti-Aging Cuticle Oil

1 part Jojoba Oil

1/2 part Patchouli Oil

1/2 part Rose Oil

1/4 part Vitamin E Oil

1/4 part Vitamin A Oil

Apply Cuticle oil to your nails several times a day, preferably 2-3 times or after every time you wash your hands, as I do. Apply one drop or brush onto your entire nail, remembering to also apply to your eponychium. (remember this from earlier? lol) Massage on to your nail for a few seconds.

I hope you found this information helpful! 

Until next time KiWi Babies.....SMOOCHES!! 

KiWi Babies Contest

Ok, so Ive decided that my first contest will be for my KiWi Babies, and I mean true babies!! This will be for those future nail artists! The contest will have 3 different age groups! Ages 6-9, 10-13, and 14-17.  There will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner in each age group category.

Here is what you need to do. 

• Your parent must "like" my Facebook fan page and follow my blog here. And comment that their child will be entering the contest. (I will verify this)
• All contest entries must have their parental consent before entering. I will send an email to each entry with a form that must be filled out and returned by the parent. 
• Submit a video or pictures of your nail art. 
• It can be of anything that you want it to be of. 
• It can be nails or toes. Yourself, your parent, or nail tips. 
• You must list all products used.
• You  must submit a brief description of what inspired your nail art. 
• In your video or pictures you must note or say that this is your entry to the "KiWi Babies Nail Art Contest"
• You can have up to 2 entries in this contest! 
• Submit your entry to my Facebook fan page here or email to kiwibabiescontest@kiwinails.com

The No-No's

• You cannot have anyone help you with the nail art
• You cannot copy anyone else's work.
• Do not copy and paste from the internet!!

Judging

I will go through all entries and choose the top 3 submitted for each age group. I will then have a group of 3 other nail techs and 2 non-nail tech help me choose the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners!

The Prizes!!

• 1st Place Winner- You will win a bottle of Zoya nail polish of your choice, a custom hand painted nail polish bottle filled with top coat, and a small container of clear 2mm rhinestones!!
• 2nd Place Winner- A bottle of Zoya Nail polish of your choice, and/or the small container of 2mm clear rhinestones OR the custom hand painted nail polish bottle filled with top coat. 
• 3rd Place Winner- Your choice of the small container of 2mm rhinestones or the custom hand painted nail polish bottle filled with top coat. 

See their selection at www.zoya.com
If the polish that you choose is out of stock, you will have the choice to choose a different color or wait for that color to be restocked.

The contest will from from Nov. 1st - Jan. 1st 2012!! So, you have more than enough time to come up witha great idea and submit! Contest is open to all US residents

I cant wait to see what you all come up with...GOOD LUCK!!

**Update #1** Free Stuff from NAILS magazine!!

***The update is at the bottom of this page***

A few weeks ago Nails Magazine posted a question on their Facebook page about their 30th anniversary, and the first 20 people to answer the question correctly would win "a box full of goodies"! Well....MY goodies came today, and I am SUPER EXCITED to share what I got with you guys!!

As I was opening the box, it was scream...after scream....after scream!! lol When I saw the box sitting here waiting for me, my first thought was to start taking pictures right away, but I couldnt contain myself and went straight into tearing the box open! Here are a few pics of what I got. I will break everything down and also do swatches on everything soon. I just had to share the pics first!!  Here we go....

Click picture to enlarge

I cant wait to try out each and every one of these products!!  Happy Saturday!! 

Until next time KiWi Babies....SMOOCHES!! 

**Update**

As I use the different products, I will just update this blog with pics! First up, Gelish Polish in "Champagne"!

Out of everything that I received, this is the first polish that I wanted to try! I have been wearing it on my nails for the last 3 days and as always, with Gelish, my nails are still shiny, and I have no smudges or scratches. This polish pops so beautifully in the sun. Theres tons and tons of what looks like flecks of silver, pink (maybe), and irredecent glitters. I definitely want to try this color underneath a crackle polish, even though it stands on its own flawlessly!! I LOVE IT!!

Citrus-Mint Sugar Body Scrub & how to make your own!

Scrubs are a great way of removing dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin. They also, if used with the proper essential oils, can be a great way to get a lil aromatherapy session while taking a shower! I've been making my own body scrubs for the past few months, and I must say that I am in love with what it does to my skin. For instance, after my shower in which I use my scrub, I no longer have to lotion afterward. I use my scrubs at least 3 times a week for nice, soft, and moisturized skin. I've listed below the ingredients for one of my scrubs. I want you to know the benefits and reasons I used the ingredients that I chose. I will do that, and then give you 2 basic recipes that I use as well. So...let's go!

• Sugar
• Grape Seed Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Vitamin E Oil
• Lemon Essential Oil
• Sweet Orange Essential Oil
• Lemon Zest
• Orange Zest
• Peppermint Essential Oil

SUGAR

The base of my scrubs, my natural exfoliator. I love that the sugar is soft, yet it still is abrasive enough to remove dead skin cells. You can also use salt, however salts are a bit more rough on the skin. Salts are, however, great for feet. 

CARRIER OILS

• Grapeseed Oil
• This oil is good for the skin because it is absorbed into the skin and not just left sitting on top of your skin. This oil also has astringent properties with help with the tightening and toning of the skin, which makes this oil great for fighting the aging affect. 
• Avocado Oil
• This oil soothes and softens and is a great oil for people who tend to have dry skin and/or itchy skin.

VITAMIN E

I love, love, love vitamin E does for the skin. If you use no other vitamin oil, be sure to use this one! This oil gives skin the necessary moisture to promote healing. It also helps with scarring by going into the skin and blocking free radicals that are harmful to scar tissue because they don't promote healing. Vitamin E also is great for your cuticles! It keeps them well moisturized, and keeps them from cracking and splitting. This is my cuticle oil of choice!

ESSENTIAL OILS- And Their Aromatherapy Benefits

• Lemon Oil
• Uplifting
• Refreshing
• Cheerful
• Helps relieve headaches and migraines.
• NOTE: Lemon Oil should not be used prior to sun exposure. It can cause skin irritation and sensitizing. It is recommended that you should not be exposed to direct sunlight for at least 6hrs to prevent brown spots from appearing on your skin.
• Sweet Orange Oil
• Happiness
• Warmth
• Relaxing
• Helps children sleep 
• Helps ease nervous tension and stress
• Peppermint Oil
• Good for mental fatigue & depression
• Improves concentration
• Helps with faintness & vertigo
• Helps with nausea
• Relieves itchy skin and cools the skin
• Reduces redness of inflamed skin
• NOTE: DO NOT use this oil around the eye area. SHOULD NOT be used during pregnancy, and on children under the age of 7 years old. 

LEMON & ORANGE ZEST

I basically use these two zests for added color and fragrance.

Now that ive given you all of the info, here is how to make my Citrus-Mint Sugar Body Scrub and my Brown Sugar Cakes Body Scrub

**Note- The recipes below are my own personal recipes that I use on myself. If you decide to try one of them, you are doing so at your own discretion. Please see my Disclaimer page for more info!**

Basic Citrus-Mint Scrub

Ingredients

Sugar 2cup

Grapeseed Oil 1cup

Vitamin E Oil 2tblsp

Lemon Oil 15-20 drops

Lemon Zest 1 lemon

Peppermint Oil 15-20 drops

Add all oils to a bowl and give it a few stirs. Add your oils on top of the sugar and mix everything together in a glass or air tight container. Store in a dry place.

Samples given away at the Tampa Bridal Showcase 

9/18/2011

Brown Sugar Cakes Sugar Body Scrub

Ingredients

Sugar 1cp

Light Brown Sugar 1cp packed

Grapeseed Oil 1.5cp

Vanilla Essential Oil 15-20 drops

Buttercream Fragrance Oil* 15-20 drops 

Old Fashioned Oatmeal (not the quick kind 1/2cp

Add all oils to a bowl and give it a few stirs. Add your oils on top of the sugar and oatmeal. Mix everything together in a glass or air tight container. Store in a dry place.

*I do not recommend using any fragrance oils on your face. 

To make my Exquisite Citrus-Mint Scrub-

Follow the same recipe as the basic scrub, plus:

Add zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup Avocado Oil
1/3cup Crushed Peppermint Candies (Crushed to almost a powder consistency in a food processor)

All of these recipes are portion sized small. Email me if you would like the recipe to make a large batch. Hint...I use a 10lb bag of sugar!! 

Well there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this blog and take the time one day to try this recipe out for yourself! There are so many other variations that can be mixed and matched to make a wonderful scrubs for yourself, friends, and family! Here is a little tip in creating your own body scrubs. What every scrub should have.

1. An Exfoliate- Something that has a lil grit to it. (example: sugar, salt, oatmeal, ground coffee) 
2. A Carrier Oil- Your base oil. (example: Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Grapeseed oil, Almond Oil, Sunflower Oil)
3. An Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil- Something that perks up your senses and of course...smells purtty!!
1. Never apply either of these oils directly on your skin, they must be diluted with water or a carrier oil. Doing so can cause serious skin irritation. 

Until next time KiWi Babies.....Smooches!!! 

Stay Educated! #1

In an effort to not lose any of the knowledge that I gained from tech school, I do a lot of reading of articles and books that pertain to my field of work. I will post random "Stay Educated" information that I find may be useful to not only nail/skin professionals, but non pros as well.

Do you know whats in some of the nail care products that you use? Do you frequent nail salons? Here is an interesting read on DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate),Toluene, & Formaldehyde in nail products.

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics : Nail Products and Salons

PS: I have not stopped with "The Challenge". I wanted to let you guys know that July was successful, however I did not get around to posting the blog on what I purchased. I did. however, manage to get pics of everything. August was my first FAIL I was only able to purchase 4 bottles of nail polish. I am currently working on September, and will not fail this month!! Because I failed for the first time and have not posted to my blog, for the months of July and August I will host a give away!! I will post details on this giveaway once I have posted updated blogs on my challenge!! Stay tuned!!

Until the next time KiWi Babies.....Smooches!!! <3

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week-Swim 2011

I had an amazing opportunity this past weekend in Miami, FL! I was able to work with Nail Taxi at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week-Swim event! When I think that I almost passed on the offer, I want to kick myself! I had an amazing time there seeing how everything goes down backstage at a fashion show. To my suprize, alot of the models were very nice and friendly.

Saturday I got to work, along with my friend Jasmine at the Aqua Di Lara fashion show doing nails and toes. The sponsor we were working with was none other than my favorite nail polish brand right now...Zoya!!! E-X-C-I-T-I-N-G!!!! lol Check out some of the pics!

Im holding in my hand, "Perrie" which was used on the models toes, and "Maya" which was used 

on the models hands!

LaToya of Nail Taxi Miami, and Erin of Zoya!

Both ladies were super awesome!

And check out my Zoya goodies!!

From Left-Right

"Perrie" "Maya" "Bailey" "Danna" "Shay" "Mini" "Austine" "Casey" "Pandora" & "Shiloh"

The Zoya Color Lock System

Which I love!!

Part of the CLS, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Remove +! It removes, cleans, and preps the nails, all without

the harsh smell of normal nail polish removers!

The next day we called back to work the Lisa Blue Swimwear show, and ended up over on the Luli Fama side helping there as well! Here are pics from Sunday night! The shows from that night were very hectic, so I didnt get many pics. There were 35 girls to get done for the Lisa Blue Show! 

The designer Lisa Blue getting interviewed!

Pure chaos!! But fun while it lasted!

lol, I find it funny that all the photos that were snapped of me, my head is down! Ya girl was WORKIN'!! I had a very good time down in Miami and also working with the ladies from Nail Taxi Miami! Thanks

to Cinnamon of Nail Taxi for giving me this amazing opportunity. Check her out at www.nailtaxi.com!

The Challenge- July will be up this week! Until next time KiWi babies....SMOOCHES!