Sally Hansen- Gem Crush Nail Color

Now that your nails are hangnail-free with the Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser + Balm, it's time to get your shine on! The NEW Sally Hansen Gem Crush nail colors are the perfect sparkly polishes for a glittery glow. The collection comes in 8 different colors, as spotted in the drugstore below, from a Bling-tastic blue to Lady Luck magenta as I have added to my own collection. Each coat is literally full of sparkle so you'll definitely get noticed. These are extremely sparkly so it'll take some to get used to. Otherwise, to de-tensify the polishes would be to mix it with some clear polish.

These latest GemCrush colors are a cinch to wear! You can wear it as a top coat to a nude base or wear it stand-alone over a base coat. There's many options which is what I love most about Sally Hansen's polishes in general. Since these polishes are so shiny and textured, even though I'm not a pro on putting polish on, tiny mistakes weren't too noticeable! :)

Here are ALL the colors that I saw at a local drugstore. Aren't they all so sparkly?!?

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

NYC New York Color Cosmetics: In the Spotlight Fall Collection

Welcome Autumn with NYC New York Color's In the Spotlight collection!

NYC New York Color has another limited edition this Fall with some amazing colors for the crisp Autumn air. Their Smooch 'n Proof Lipstain (which is said to last 16 hours) and their three new nail polishes are probably my favorite. The lipstains remind me of pointy felt-tip markers- the way you apply on your lips for a berry stain. It's also pointy enough for a precise lipline as well. The three new nailpolish colors are also quite amazing and on trend for Fall- a bit metallicy in three beautiful rich colors- a deep magenta, a gorgeous golden hue and a pretty silver.

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sally Hansen: Fall Nail Polish Collection

This Fall, pretty your nails with some of Sally Hansen's gorgeous Autumn colors. As with any collection, there's a mix of gorgeous neutrals, red/pink hues and the more trendier colors. This rainbow of polishes includes the collection from Tracy Reese and Prabal Gurung. I'm digging the grey shade on the left as well as the neutrals.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I'm a huge fan of the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes. The formula has been consistent- smooth application and the brushes are wide, rounded tip so it's easy to get the color on w/o too much or too little polish. Of course the colors in the collections are simply gorgeous and on trend. It's been a real treat trying these on. Which shades will you be wearing this season?

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sally Hansen at New York Fashion Week- sneak peeks for Spring 2012 !!

Fall is just beginning... and this past week at New York Fashion Week has given us a sneak peek into what we should expect for Spring 2012! My favorite nail polish brand, Sally Hansen, easily accessible at many drugstore locations, has a collaboration with a few well-known designers so their Complete Salon Manicure polish colors are always gorgeous!

Tracy Reese- For 12 seasons Tracy Reese has worked with Sally Hansen to design 7 new colors for her romantic, spring collection. Below is the Sally Hansen color in Temptation.



Prabal Gurung- One of the favorite runway shows this week, the model below is sporting one of 3 colors in the collaboration, a deep plum called Loves-Me-Not. Can't wait to try this!!



For the first time ever, Alexander Wang, worked with Sally Hansen for 3 beautiful shades. The one featured here, Parchment, is a pale nude for a classic, sophisticated look. Can't wait to try this too!



These will be available at your favorite drugstores, April 2012, but in the meantime.. stay tuned for my Fall Sally Hansen nail polish collection!!


Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoats- Let's get crackling!

Have you crackled yet this summer? If not, there's still time to join the crackle train! You may or may have not heard about this trend already, but these crackle nailpolishes literally crack as a topcoat. It provides a sneak peek to the shade you're wearing as a base with a nice pattern. I have pretty small nails so the crackling unfortunately for me can be quite minimal. The Sally Hansen crackle collection includes the 8 colors, ranging from glittery gold & silver to black and white. I particularly like the shimmery ones as top coats, crackle or not, so they're my personal preference. I did like the solid red and blue topcoats because they were opaque enough to actually see the crackle.

Overall, testing these polishes out were quite fun. They're something different and exciting to look at and if you mess up on the polish a bit, it doesn't really matter. You can't tell!

I do have to note that the scent is particularly strong so please work in a well ventilated area- no need to take in nailpolish fumes when you don't need to! Also I wish the brushes were the same as the Pro Manicure brushes- wide and rounded! Happy Cracklin'! :)

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sally Hansen & Tracy Reese Summer Collection is here!

(From left to right, Summer Plum, Eel Skin, Delphinium, Barracuda, First Kiss & Malt)

This summer I am sporting fun shades on my nails and I am so glad to see Sally Hansen & Tracy Reese collaborate (again!) for a gorgeous nail color collection. As always, I am psyched because the colors are always perfect for the season and the quality of the formulafor Complete Salon Manicure never disappoint. Above are all the shades in the collection, except for Coral Fever. I recently saw this at my local drugstore but I am surprised that the stands do not have any mention about the collaboration.. it's a shame really, because I think more people would buy it if they knew it was a designer joint effort!

I seriously love all of these colors, but these three are nice pastel options for this summer: Delphinium, Barracuda, and First Kiss. Summer is all about fun in the sun and relaxing!

Here are swatches of First Kiss & Summer Plum. Each application lasted more than a week and they were really easy to apply with its wide brush. <3 these!


Another FABULOUS collection is the Prabal Gurung designed collaboration...

I got to try 2 colors from the collection above, Runway Red-y & Model Behavior. The color on the right is Camelia and is part of the overall new designer collection. Thoughts on all these colors?

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Color Strips- Review

Patterned and textured nail polishes have been a recent trend and you can finally DIY with Sally Hansen's Salon Effects Real Nail Color Strips. They are basically nail strips that you can use that stick to your nails without the mess of the polish application. They are "pre-made" with the patterns on it or if you choose just a plain color, it's literally a SMOOTH, instantaneous nail polish change! Each box comes with 16 strips, a cuticle stick, and a mini filer. Since my nails are a bit small, I can get away with using one of the strips TWICE. ;) The color choices are pretty diverse considering this is a new collection. Neons are bright and definitely noticeable and comes in 8 different shades. There are 5 various Metallics you can choose from and 10 High-Fashion Patterns. I personally like the patterns best b/c they are unique and unless you make your own from polishes, how else are you going to get them, right?

My review...

I was given the opportunity to try these nail color strips for review and I'm so glad I did. All the drugstores near me have sold out of the patterns I really like which is a shame. My favorite is the "Laced up" and it's been such a hit since last Fall. Here are some of my favorites (left to right):



1) Cut It Out - This white & black floral pattern is pretty for the Spring. It's flowery and very retro looking! It's best to wear this w/ a solid toned outfit.

2) Skinny Jeans - Think Denim! It's dark blue and looks great. This and all the other colors have a thin plastic sheen over it, so it doesn't have the denim-feel.

3) Frock Star - When you wear these your nails will scream GLITTER! It's such a sparkly pattern that would be great for parties or when you're in that bright mood. :)

Ease of use? This definitely takes a bit of learning to use these nail color strips. You have to be careful when applying so it goes on smooth but once you get the hang of it, it's fun! The results are amazing and this really lasts more than a week!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sally Hansen Pro Manicure Nail Polishes

If you remember my posts from the end of last year, I featured the Sally Hansen Pro Manicure Nail Polish- Tracy Reese Collection as well as some Holiday colors. Back then, I couldn't find them anywhere but they have finally shown up at drugstores near me! Although it's no longer the right season, there are some great colours in these collections that are rather timeless.. loving the neutrals and shimmeries for special occasions!

What's New from Sally Hansen?
Stay tuned for my review on the NEW Sally Hansen Real Nail Color Strips.. :D

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

IBS NY- International Beauty Show 2011 - Recap

On March 6-8, the International Beauty Show took place at Jacob Javits Convention Center. This year was the first year I attended this show in New York and I was super excited to go! I went on the first day and it was so crowded but so worth it.. Had fun meeting up with a few of my blogger pals too! :)

Makeup trade shows are a great chance to learn more about my favorite brands and new ones as well. Lots of beauty professionals, vendors, and the press attended this event to get the latest scoop on what's new in the beauty industry. The great thing about going to these shows is learning new brands and seeing your favorites as well. I saw a lot of focus on hair & nails, which were fine because I got some goodies for my nails! :)

Stay tuned for my haul!
I took a few pictures of my favorite booths..

To see more including Stila, Moroccan Oil, China Glaze, Essie and OPI...


Moroccan Oil products


Stila eyeshadows, lip glosses and more!
Essie's French Affair nail polishes & OPI's 90210 nail polishes


China Glaze polishes... :)

If you missed the show, there's two more coming up in NYC.. stay tuned for more info!

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Superbowl XLV Tomorrow- Rock your Deborah Lippmann nail polishes!

It's Superbowl XLV tomorrow, Sunday, February 6 and it's really not all about the game. Sure, there are two teams playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, in Texas to win the championship, but you can celebrate with your pals and root for your favorite team with food, fun and beauty! Frankly, I'm more excited about watching the new commercials and flaunting my new nail polish colours.. ;)

Whether you're having or going to a party, or even watching the game relaxing at home, you can show your team spirit with flair. The team colors for the Steelers team are black, gold, and white and for the Packers team are green, gold, and white. If you're team-neutral you can wear gold and white since both team share both colors.

Since I am for either team, I'll be rocking gold nailpolish tomorrow, such as Deborah Lippmann's BOOM BOOM POW, ($20) a nail colour packed with glittery gold sparkles. It's a clear polish based with flecks of gold in different sizes and even contains 24K Gold Dust. It also makes a great top coat too. The quality of the polish is amazing. The formula is consistent so even if you don't put enough on your nails and you go in for another coat, it doesn't look clumpy. This is a few coats of glitter but it doesn't feel thick and gloopy.

I also tried Deborah Lippmann's Fade to Black ($16), a shiny black nail color that is perfect for Steelers fans! Top it off with the gold, and you've got even more gorgeous nails. This is literally one coat of polish and it's this shiny!!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

New Year's Eve Nailpolishes- What will you wear?

4 Perfect-for-New-Year's-Eve Glittery Nail Polishes

Try this sparkly trend for the new year. I'm here to share the lacquers I love now

This is a TotalBeauty.com nails article I recently waxed poetic about the possibility of wearing glittery eyeliner or eyeshadow for the holidays, which I totally did, BTW. And, I'll admit, it looked quite smashing and not nearly as tween-y as expected. But now it's time for glittery nails, here's how I'm getting them … See polishes

Review: Tracy Reese Collection for Sally Hansen - Fall 2010

Spotted from the NY Fashion Week earlier this month, models wore neutral greige (gray + beige) nails. My two favorite from the Tracey Reese collection with Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polishes are Wet Clay & Fedora. (2nd & 3rd from the left)

How do they look? The Wet Clay is definitely nude, neutral, barely there, you get the idea! It's nice though because it will give your nails the sheen so it's simply polished. Fedora is more taupe-ish brown with gorgeous little gold flecks that shimmer in the light. No Joke!

Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicture polishes go on so smooth and I absolutely love the brush. I have particularly small nails so the brushes are wide enough for me to use two simple strokes and I'm done! Easy, smooth, gorgeous colours are the result! If I want a barely there color, one coat is enough but I usually put on two coats to get the impact I want. I really wish ALL polishes had this brush width- it's so perfect for me! With one coat of Wet Clay, it lasted me an entire week without much damage. By the end of the week, it started to fade towards the tips but it's like that with most polishes. I am very impressed by the durability and it's EASE!

If you're looking for great one-step polishes, check out the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure at your local drugstore. Don't forget to check out this collection as well!

PICTURES COMING SOON!!!! Subscribe to get updates. :)
(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

L'Oreal Paris- Color of Hope collection

L'Oreal Paris' Color of Hope was created to bring awareness to ovarian cancer and help raise money for the cause. They offer a Cosmetics Collection, in which L'Oreal will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. If you purchase the cosmetics bag with two lip products and two eyeshadow palettes, they will donate ~$5!

Get the details..


When I saw this collection at my local drugstore, the new gorgeous Fall colors immediately caught my attention. In my head, I shrieked Plum nails! I purchase "Color of Hope", "Imperial Plum" and "Delicate Dusk." All three range from a light plum, darker plum to insanely dark plum. :) After checking out their website and learning more about the cause, I really admire L'Oreal for doing this.

Check out this collection at your nearby drugstore/retailer.



Review on Color of Hope colour- Absolutely gorgeous! It is the perfect purple shade, that's almost a bit brownish/purple. You definitely want to wear two coats of this, b/c one coat is too sheer and you will just see your nailbed. I'm not sure if it's the heat (I apply this near my window for better ventilation) but I feel like the nail polish dries up pretty quickly before I even have a chance to use the same brush to apply on the other side of the nail...like a bit gloopy? You have to be quick and make sure you have the RIGHT amount of polish on the brush for each nail. It's a bit tricky.. but the payoff is worth it!

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Top Rated Nail Polishes

Top-Rated Nail Polishes

Find a sexy summer shade from this list of the 10 best nail polishes

This is a TotalBeauty.com nails article Total Beauty readers' reviews make up this list of top-rated lacquers that'll prettify your nails. See list

Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

ZOYA Nail Polish Exchange- ends June 30, 2010

Have too many old nail polishes that you're not using? Want to get new, fresh colors for the summer? Then, take part in the ZOYA Nail Polish Exchange (hurry! Ends June 30, 2010)

ZOYA nail polishes are one of the first to remove chemicals from their formula such as (toluene, camphor, formaldehyde and DBP-dibutyl phthalate) so you're wearing a toxin-free natural polish all summer long!

To participate, you need at least 6 nail polish bottles to exchange. Simply, select the 6 or however many more you want to exchange and pack and send to ZOYA. Before you send though, select the ZOYA nail polishes that you WANT from their site: https://www.artofbeauty.com/exchange/default.html and follow those instructions to print the receipt so they know that the package is coming from you!

Costs? Yes, it will cost you $3.50 per bottle that you want to exchange (so at least $18 since it is a minimum of 6 bottles.) It will also cost you the shipping of your old nail polishes to them (~$6 depending on where you live)

Can't wait to show you the nail polishes that I got!! :)



(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)(Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.)Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection

Aren't these colors Shrek-licious?

From left to right: - Funky Dunkey - What's with the Cattitude? - Rumples Wiggin - Who the Shrek Are You? - Ogre-the-Top Blue - Fiercely Fiona

Shrek 4- The Final Chapter is coming out May 21! I will be watching that, even though I missed Shrek 3. (Did it go straight to DVD?) The first two were great and I loved how it referenced my favorite fairy tale characters. (Gingy, anyone?)

I saw this available at RickysNYC- one of my favorite makeup stores in the city. I immediately knew which colors were the popular ones- the two BLUES. (They look pretty similar to the two blues I got from the L'Oreal Passport to Paradise collection, don't they?) The purples are gorgeous- don't get me wrong, but I'm sure die-hard OPI fans already have similar shades.




Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Sephora by OPI Modern Flowers Collection

Spring 2010 is all about florals- so for your nails, check out these gorgeous picks for your nails.


From left to right: Each are $9 at sephora.com
Iris I was Thinner (Gorgeous purple!!!!!!!!!)
Go withe Flow-er
It's Bouquet with Me
Cover Me In Petals
Handpicked for Me (this light lilac is MY FAVE SHADE)
Leaf him at the Altar (lol- pretty metallic green- It's HOT!)



(Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.)
Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com

Essie Nail Polish Spring 2010 Collection

This Spring is all about light, floral shades! Check out Essie's Spring collection at their site: www.essie.com! Which one do you like?



Check out more blogs @ TotalBeauty.com