Archive for the ‘Nails’ Category

From the second I saw the SEPHORA by OPI Mermaid in the shade nail polish collection, I’ve been obsessed with it. I was heartbroken when the green and blue hues that were all the rage circa 1997 went out of style, so for them to be back in after more than 10 years makes Jackie a happy girl.



I picked up two shades from the collection – Mermaid to Order (an iridescent teal with hints of purple and blue) and Underwater Fantasy (a shimmering baby blue with hints of purple). These were the best of the bunch, but there are a few more I plan to pick up like Lagoon-a-Beach (you clever bastards!) and Blue Grotto. The other two colors, Water Baby and Just a Fairy-tale are silvery, shimmery colors that are both lovely, but look like they’re from the regular collection and therefore didn’t get me too excited.


The first color I’m trying out is Mermaid to Order, and since giving myself a pedi the night I got this home I haven’t been able to stop staring at my toes. The color is different every time I look at it, and the hues really bring out my tan which I love. Since I’m such a fan of this shade, I asked the girl at Sephora if there’s a possibility any of these colors would make it into the regular line, and she said it’s very likely OPI will keep the most popular ones. So far, she says, Mermaid to Order and Underwater Fantasy have been the most in demand.

It’s pretty obvious I’m gonna give this product a high rating, but I would like to outline exactly why you need to pick these polishes up, just in case there’s any confusion!


1. These colors are perfect for summer, aka open toe shoe season. They’ll look great poolside, and change color every time the sunlight catches your nails.
2. I did my pedi a week ago and have yet to see a chip in my polish, so you know this will hold up in the sand and surf.
3. The more popular these are, the more likely OPI is to add them to the regular line. And damn it I want Mermaid to Order year round!
4. Because I said so. Really, that should be enough right there.


Final Grade: LOVE IT!
Price: $9
Get it at: www.sephora.com



UPDATE 6/1 – save a few small chips, my polish is STILL going strong. Which is good news, cuz that means these bottles are gonna last me till the apocalypse.


UPDATE 2: I just watched I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and after watching that flaming douche rocket Spencer proclaim he’s “the king of America,” I’m convinced the apocalypse has already happened. Damn it, why didn’t someone tell me!

I know you guys love my nail blogs, so I thought I’d share my latest adventure in nail fabulousness, as I am quite happy with the results.



One of my Sephora consultalnts referred me to this little nail spot by my house that does custom sparkle nails. And since that has Jackie written all over it, I had to check it out.


For those of you not familiar with sparkle nails, they’re done using the same technique as pink and white, only glittery powder is used on the tips as opposed to white. Most salons that offer this service have tons of colors, but this is the first one I’ve been to that lets you create your own. I went with a mixture of pink and silver glitter, and I just loooooove it! I also tried dark pink powder for the actual nail, and will definitely do that from now on, as it really brings out the color of the glitter. And the nail tech even mixed a little extra to keep for my next visit, so I will be back for sure.

If there’s no salon in your area that offers a custom sparkle mix, I suggest asking them to do it. In most cases, they’re happy to oblige.

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!