Nails

Unconventional Beauty Solutions

September 27, 2011 at 10:03 am
By Fitness Magazine

Primping products and treatments can be costly: Save some money by cashing in on these household products that do double beauty duty.

• Cooking Spray The trick to mastering an at-home manicure is making sure you don’t smudge your newly painted nails, since we don’t have those handy salon dryers. Instead of waiting the requisite half hour for your digits to dry, grab cooking spray (like Pam) from your kitchen and spritz an even application onto nails. They’ll be dry in mere minutes!

• Antibiotic Topical Cream (like Neosporin) As if having zits weren’t traumatic enough, once they’re gone, they can leave scars behind. Instead of rushing out and buying a skin tone corrector with a hefty price tag, dab a little Neosporin on the afflicted areas. Within days your pesky scars will begin fading away.

• Dryer Sheets Dryer sheets are handy for more than just laundry. Run the sheet over your hair to tame static and flyways, fast.

Tell us:  What unconventional beauty solutions do you use?

—By Jaclyn Smock, beauty intern

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OPI + Serena Williams Team Up for U.S. Open!

August 30, 2011 at 4:29 pm
By April Franzino

To coincide with this week’s U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, nail polish brand OPI is launching the last set of lacquers in the Serena Williams Glam Slam! Collection: Pros & Bronze, a sparkly pinkish-gold (below, left), and Love is a Racket, a shimmery red/fuchsia hybrid (below, right). We had the privilege of having lunch with Serena herself last week when she introduced the collection—she’s absolutely gorgeous in person and has incredible style. See above for a (slightly blurry) shot of us together. Here’s what the nail enthusiast—she went to school to become a manicurist!—had to say at the lunch:

“Once I narrow down the color family that I want, I choose a nail shades based on their names—one of the reasons I love OPI is because they have the best names! I love nails because on the court I don’t always feel attractive with all the grunting and sweating that comes with playing, so I use nail polish to make myself feel pretty and confident. You can be glamorous and strong at the same time!”

Tell us: Do you wear polish when you’re playing sports? Why or why not?

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Our Meet & Greet with CoverGirl Taylor Swift!

July 25, 2011 at 10:01 am
By April Franzino

Last week, we had the privilege of meeting CoverGirl Taylor Swift before her first Speak Now World Tour show in Newark, New Jersey. Taylor was one of the sweetest celebrities we’ve ever met, complimenting our outfits when we met her, giving big hugs, and jumping up with excitement when we recognized she was wearing her new fragrance, out in late fall. We found out that her vibrant red lip came courtesy of CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Hot—”The brightest shade they have!” On her nails, she sported a creamy seafoam green shade, similar to Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple. Check out the photo of my sister, Taylor, and I above—the night was definitely a dream come true!

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What Beauty Indulgence Would You Never Give Up?

July 12, 2011 at 10:54 am
By April Franzino

Most of us don’t have the means to pamper ourselves every day, but we all have a beauty treat we’d never give up. (Ours? Blowouts for special occasions—no one does it like a pro!) We posed the question to fellow FITNESS staffers:

• “Manicure every Friday: I just can’t give it up! It’s my weekly treat—I get to sit, relax, and at the end I have great-looking nails.” —Argy Koutsothanasis, fashion director
• “Brow waxing! Tweezing is too painful when I’m really shaping them (rather than just a quick clean-up) and it’s time-consuming.” —Samantha Shelton, freelance editorial assistant
  
• “Pedicures—that way my toes always look nice and feel good. Plus, I like looking down during yoga and seeing brightly-colored toes!” —Elaine Roake, photo director
  
• “I’ll never give up my monthly facials. With all the workouts I try, I need to keep my skin as clean as it can be. I love the three day glow I get after a facial, too.” —Jenna Autuori, fitness editor
  
• “I really believe in the power of a deep-tissue massage to make me feel relaxed, calm and Zen. Even a quick 10 minute one post-pedicure works!” —Eleanor Langston, beauty director
  

How about you—what beauty indulgence would you never sacrifice?

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Tried-It Tuesday: Bright Ideas

May 31, 2011 at 10:26 am
By Fitness Magazine

Winter is long gone (finally!), meaning it’s not only time to tuck away our heavy coats but also to switch up our nail color. And luckily for us, sporting bright polish isn’t just for schoolgirls anymore. Deborah Lippmann‘s sophisticated new summer hues are the perfect shades for sunny days. We like the carefree coral for fingers, and the playful periwinkle and yellow on toes. What polish shades do you switch to for summer?

From left: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, I Know What Boys Like, and Yellow Brick Road

—By Maite Gonzalez, beauty intern

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Favorite Find Friday: Jurlique Love Balm

April 15, 2011 at 10:42 am
By April Franzino

It’s been a nerve-wracking week, and in turn—we’re ashamed to admit—our cuticles and nails have taken a beating. So we’ve been constantly reaching for the tiny tin of Jurlique Love Balm that’s tucked into our purse: The skin-quenching natural oil-packed salve works its healing wonders especially well on ravaged cuticles, but also soothes parched faces, body spots, and even then ends of thirsty strands. How do you repair your most ragged parts?

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Kick The Habit

March 3, 2011 at 7:11 am
By Fitness Magazine

Some of our beauty habits might sound innocent enough, but can really do damage over time. Here’s a list of pesky habits that we should all kick:

• Hair fiddling: This one might be the hardest to break, since we don’t always notice ourselves doing it. People tend to play with their hair—twisting, bending, and even breaking it—out of boredom or to just to keep our hands busy. But, this seemingly harmless habit can lead to breakage, tangles and oily strands.

• Popping pimples: We know how tempting it is to attack a blemish that’s taking over our face—but doing so can cause serious scarring and even spread pimple-causing bacteria (plus oil from your fingers) around the face. Attempt to banish acne before it even forms with ZENO Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device.

• Sleeping with makeup on: Cleansing our faces is often the first thing that falls by the wayside at the end of a busy, exhausting day. But not washing leaves pores clogged with leftover makeup, dirt and sweat—which leads to dull and break-out prone skin. Keep cleansing wipes like biodegradable Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes on your nightstand so you never forget to wash up before you doze off.

—By Maite Gonzalez, beauty intern

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Tried-It Tuesday: Pretty Convenient

February 8, 2011 at 6:48 am
By Fitness Magazine

Lately I’ve been on the hunt for beauty products that make me look great but are space-saving, easy and quick to use—and even save time when I’m in a big rush. These prettifying finds fit the bill:

• Benefit Benetint is a great two-in-one product that I’ve loved for years. This rose tinted stain is perfect for a flush of color on the cheeks and lips—all you need is a dot in each spot.
• Sephora’s Double-Ended Perfect Complexion Brush is a brush I recently picked up and have been using every day since. One side of the brush is a blush/bronzer applicator; the other, a foundation brush—and I love the eye-catching hot pink hue.
• Easy on the go shadow? It’s actually possible with Urban Decay’s Cream Shadow. They offer a nice array of colors for a neutral day look or a more vibrant effect for night. These creams are also easier to apply than normal shadows because there’s no need for a brush—just squeeze and apply with fingers. Plus, the shadows dry weightless and creaseless, leaving a heavenly shimmer on the eyes that lasts all day.

—By Maite Gonzalez, beauty intern

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Prettifying Picks to Fall in Love With

February 1, 2011 at 6:58 am
By Fitness Magazine

Many women would be offended if their beau gave them makeup for Valentine’s Day. I can just hear the mental dialogue: “Does he think I’m ugly?”, “Is he not attracted to me?”, “Have I let myself go?” However, I would personally love a little V-Day pick me up for my makeup bag.  After all, isn’t Valentine’s the one day of the year a girl gets to be pampered and treated like a goddess? Here are the beauty buys that are making my heart go pitter-patter this Valentine’s season:

MAC Cosmetics consistently manages to put out stunning holiday collections—and their Tough Love line for Valentine’s Day is no exception.  We’ve got it bad for the Lipstick in Girl About Town, above.

In the spirit of indulgence, we’re eager to get our hands on this adorable NARS Forever Yours Limited Edition Eye, Lip & Illuminator Set.  The sweet little trio includes a new liquid highlighter, pink lip gloss and eye shadow pencil.

What’s Valentine’s Day with out a little seduction? Every girl needs a special scent to get the night going. On my wish list is rose-tinged Chloe Eau de Parfum Spray.

Nobody wants to be dry and scaly on V-Day. Kiss Me with Kiehl’s is my pick to ensure silky skin for the big night! The set includes the super-delicious, sweet-scented Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish.

In lieu of the candy hearts and chocolate covered what-have-you, I’m asking for a different kind of sugar this year. Butter London has a bold nail color foursome called I Want Candy that will make your heart skip a beat.

By Lindsay Richardson, beauty intern

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Nails Go Galactic

January 19, 2011 at 8:08 am
By Fitness Magazine

Vamp up your nails with a color that’s of a whole new dimension. Duochrome nail polish brings something different to the basic manicure. Infused with several different complimentary shades and a slight shimmer, the polish changes color as you move thanks to reflecting light. The trendiest tints come in a darker range—a slightly psychedelic mix of purples, blues, greens and gunmetals all in one bottle! Would you try a duochrome manicure?

Our space-age suggestions, below from left: Orly Nail Color in Space Cadet and Duri Nail Polish in Kingdom of Shadows.

-By Michelle Ernest, beauty intern

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