Archive for the ‘Minx’ Category

I’m not gonna lie to you, kids. I’ve got a serious case of the WIN going on here with my nails. No, seriously, they’re all silver and shiny. Like REALLY shiny. Like, to the point where I can see my reflection in them.

And I have Soo-Jin at the CosmoSpaLounge to thank for it, as she spent nearly an hour and a half meticulously applying the Minx to my fingers, thus making them look completely fabulous. It was pricy, I paid $57 for the application, and that’s counting the 15% discount I received because it was my first time in the shop, but given the number of compliments I’ve received since this afternoon I’d say it is well worth the price.




So let me break down this lengthy process:

First I selected my color – silver lightning. That was the easy part, as that’s the color I saw on Mariah’s nails on the cover of Redbook, so you know I had to have it.

Then Soo-Jin had me do a little prep work – a thorough hand washing and lotion application – before we got started. She also had me put on a pair of fingerless gloves (think Madonna circa 1984) to prevent my skin from drying out, as there is heat involved in the process.

Next, she had me put my hands in front of a heat lamp to warm the nails, as this ensures a smooth application. The heat lamp did get a little hot – on par with a tanning bed I would say- but the gloves made it a lot more comfortable. Once I was all warmed up, it was time to apply the Minx, which come on a little sheet, like stickers. During this step, I had to keep my hands in front of the lamp so the Minx would stay soft enough for Soo-Jin to smooth out a few creases that had formed because my artificial nails are a little too curved. She also took a few extra steps to ensure the Minx would last as long as possible, which is likely going to be about the same as a regular manicure, around 2 weeks or so.

Though my Minx look awesome, I would suggest getting them on your natural nails, as I do have few creases due to my acrylics being a little too thick. I’ll probably try that next time, and I most definitely foresee a Minx pedicure in my near future!

In the meantime, I will enjoy the fact that I totally have nails like Mariah Carey (cue heavenly bells please…thank you), which in my world is like mega epic WIN!

So ladies, if you have the means, I highly suggest you get yourself some Minx pronto. Check out the website, www.minxnails.com for a list of salons in your area. And if you’re in San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend going to the CosmoSpaLounge in Oakland, as this is where I will be getting my Minx from now on.

Ok, I’m gonna go stare at my beautiful nails now…

UPDATE: It’s 11:53am and I have been staring at my nails since 10:00am. They look like little lightning bolts darting around my keyboard as I type. Why oh why do I have to be so amused by shiny things?

UPDATE 2: It’s 2:23pm, and I’m still distracted by my nails. And the whole office has noticed that my hands suddenly look all “futuristic.” Schhhhhhweeeeet….

I finally did it – I made an appointment to get Minxed! So next Saturday at 4pm, I will be heading to the Cosmo Spa Lounge in lovely Oakland, Ca for my very own set of shiny, fabulous disco ball lookin’ nails!

I was a little reluctant to make the appointment when I heard the price – $65 for a set – but I figure it’s worth it considering I’m gonna be the first person I know to sport the trend. I’m also excited that I can get them put on top of my acrylic nails, since I would never wanna spend that much on my raggedy old natural nails. What sucks is the salon doesn’t do acrylics, so I’m gonna have to get my nails filled at my usual place (shout out to PK Nails!) in the morning before my Minx appointment.

My latest beauty quest is obviously not going to be cheap OR convenient, but they say pain is beauty, and lord knows I’ve made the sacrifice before. Let’s not forget the blue hair streaking debacle of 1998, that left blue hair dye on my moms bathroom floor, and a very pissed off teenager grounded in her room. And don’t even get me started on the time I tried to wax my own legs. You know that stuff is hot? Cuz I sure found out!

So check back next Saturday for pics of my fancy new nails and a full report of what the lengthy – hour and a half long- application process is like!

Now go have a good weekend suckas!

I’m totally calling it yo!

I stumbled upon what I think is going to be the next big thing in nails while reading the December issue of Redbook magazine a few weeks ago. I’m more of a Cosmo kinda girl so I generally don’t read Redbook, but I picked up the latest issue because my beloved Mariah Carey (cue heavenly bells please…thank you) graces the cover.



The first thing I noticed, other than how insanely young she looks for 39, was the amazing color she has on her nails. It’s this incredibly shiny, almost chrome like silver that looks like mirrors adorning her fingertips. And since I am a fan of all things shiny, I just had to find out how to get me some of that.

So I made it my mission to find out the name of this magical color, which as it turns out was much harder than I thought. I searched high and low at drug stores, department stores, even Sephora (aka The Holy Land) with no luck. I knew Sally Hanson made a Chrome nail polish several years back, but it has since been discontinued, so other than eBay it’s next to impssible to find.

I had all but given up, until I spotted a gold version of the same polish on Beyonce and Googled her name along with the word “nails.” Then…JACKPOT! Up came the website for Minx Nail Coverings. Yes I said nail coverings. And yes, I think it sounds weird too.

What is this new fangled approach to nail care, you ask? It’s not a polish, but a sheath of sorts that is “installed” by a professional. Is anyone else thinking of Sears aluminum siding right now? Ya, me too.

According the website, Minxnails.com, the coverings go on quickly, require no drying time, and don’t come off until you take them off. It’s also supposed to be a greener alternative to regular nail polish because it doesn’t contain any of the fun ozone depleting chemicals.

Naturally, i’m dying to try this stuff – I mean just look at it! – so I found a list of salons that provide this service on the site. There are several here in the bay area, so you bet your sweet ass I’m going as soon as my bejeweled heels can get me there!

I’m aiming for an appointment sometime next week, so I’ll report back as soon as my nails are all Minx-ed out and gorgeous!