Archive for 52 Flavors

American Apparel Expands Its Nail Polish Collection With Six New Colors

I’m still on my nail polish steeze (despite not having posted a mani/nail art design in a while), so the lovely Michelle LeMay at American Apparel sent me some exciting news about their nail polish line that I want to share with all my beauty & style mavens:

LOS ANGELES — American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, is announcing the addition of six new colors to its successful line of nail polish. The company timed and designed the expansion of American Apparel Nail Lacquer for the upcoming summer season.

The colors continue the theme of representing the brand and the culture which surrounds it. A khaki shade called “California Trooper” alludes to the uniforms of the ubiquitous California Highway Patrol, while “Malibu Green” is inspired by the colors found near the company’s store on the historic Pacific Coast Highway. Other colors like “Summer Peach” and “Butter” are now also an available option for some of the company’s classic garments, including the Pique Tennis Shirt, 4-Way Stretch Side Zipper Pants and Dov’s Hoody. The line will feature the release of a base/top coat, a much-requested addition that will bring an extra layer of protection and gloss to the nail lacquer.

“The first 18 colors of our nail polish line were an experiment˜we picked colors that were beautiful and didn’t set out to necessarily match them with anything. For summer, we saw an opportunity not only to add a few new colors, but also to develop some fresh shades that can coordinate with the tones of our new styles. We’re proud that by listening to the feedback of our employees, customers and the online community, we were able to create a summer range that incorporates their ideas and expresses the palette we presented this season,” said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.

American Apparel Nail Lacquer has been an exciting success for the company as it has expanded its aesthetic into new areas and styles. The initial run of 18 colors and 50,000 bottles quickly sold out worldwide and developed a loyal following of fashion bloggers and polish artists. By working with a California manufacturer near its headquarters in Los Angeles, American Apparel continues its commitment to the idea of Made in USA polish and hopes the new colors will be met with the same glowing reviews.

“The public has had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to our nail polish collection and we’re excited about these new additions. As we translate our basics model to fashionable pieces and new kinds of products, we remain dedicated to maintaining the same level of quality and dependability that we’re known for.  The colors have the potential to enhance outfits in both classic and atypical ways and we’re really look forward to seeing how people wear them,” Brady said.

American Apparel Nail Lacquer is priced at $6 per bottle and is available in a 3-pack for $15. It is sold at American Apparel stores worldwide as well as online. The nail polish is DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free. The full color range, ingredients and photographs can be found in the American Apparel web store.

About American Apparel:

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of March 31, 2010, American Apparel employed approximately 10,000 people and operated 280 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China. American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers. In addition to its retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates an online retail e-commerce website at http://www.americanapparel.com.

What do you all think of the new colors? I haven’t tried any of the American Apparel polishes (yet), but I think these are nice,subdued colors that would be perfect for Corporate Cuties who have to keep their tips tame in their office settings. If any of you happen to try any of the American Apparel nail polishes, be sure to take pics and send them in to be featured here on DirtyPrettyThangs.

~pbg

Share and Enjoy:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Buzz
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us

Salon Review: V Nails Salon

This evening after work, I went to get a manicure and pedicure at my new favorite neighborhood nail salon, V Nails.

V Nails is located at 1426 Park Road, NW in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. It’s only been open since January of this year, but seems to have a very strong client base already. It occupies the space where there used to be a little bodega/corner store type of market. The owners have made it very pretty and bright inside. All the equipment is nice and new and the staff is quite friendly and efficient.

V Nails offers all the services that most nail salons tucked away in our various neighborhoods do: manicures and pedicures, acrylic nails and gel wraps. They also offer facial waxing and eyelash extension application. What I noticed that they offer that a lot of the other small neighborhood salons don’t is “personal waxing”: legs, underarms and bikini. They have a private room in which they take clients who elect to have that done. I was quite impressed by that since I usually have to go to a swanky salon downtown to get waxed anywhere other than on my face. After inquiring of the prices for those services, I think I will be giving it a try at V Nails!

Today I got a simple manicure and pedicure done by Kim. She is the boss lady in V Nails and she must be the most talented there because she was requested quite a bit. I was glad the best lady in the salon was able to provide my service today.

I got “Cherish” by China Glaze on my nails. It’s a soft shimmery, sea foam green.

Now what REALLY impressed me with V Nails was their polish selection. They had nothing but high quality polishes, all of which I’ve featured/reviewed on 52Flavors.com. I usually have to take my own polishes along because so many salons in the ‘hood buy those extra cheap chip-tastic polishes in bulk to offer to their clients. No need to do that at V Nails Salon, because they have any color you might want by a brand that will still look neat for days after you first get your mani/pedi.

All OPI, China Glaze, Essie, Color Club and Klean Color.

I like the paraffin wax treatment that V Nails offers as a basic component of their manicures and pedicures.

These are my little feet wrapped in plastic after being dipped in the paraffin wax.

I’ve been to a lot of small salons in DC and none ever offered that. Now of course, V Nails charges a tiny bit more for their services, but I’d say the overall quality of everything makes it well worth it.

I’d recommend this nail salon to all the ladies in DC who like to patronize these types of establishments when getting their nails and eyebrows done (and yes, there are a BUNCH of us who do). I think your experience there will be just as pleasant as mine was. I will definitely be going back for my regular beauty regimen, as well as those “additional” beautifications.

Ladies, if you’d like to submit a review of your favorite local salon, please send me some pics and details to pbg@52flavors.com and I’ll post it here on DirtyPrettyThangs. I think it would be cool to have reviews of salons from all over since everybody isn’t lucky enough to reside in the Nation’s Capitol with me!

~pbg

Share and Enjoy:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Buzz
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us

52 Flavors: Funfetti Nails

I did my nails last weekend. It had been quite a while since my last attempt at free-hand nail art. I wanted to do a dotted design since my daughter has gotten so good at them. I was a little bit jealous of inspired by her creativity, so I gave it a try. I started to use a pale pink as the base color for this manicure, but I went all wild with it and used white. With the multi-color dots I applied, it reminded me of this:

Tasty Funfetti cupcakes!

Check out the yummy goodness of my nail design:

The base color is “White Out” by Revlon Streetwear, which I think is a discontinued line of theirs. The pink is “Pink Voltage (Neon)” by China Glaze. The blue is “Frostbite”, also by China Glaze and one of the first polishes I featured on the old 52Flavors blog. The yellow is “Lemon Drops” by Barielle Shades. They sent me that one in a package of polishes to review last summer. It was my least favorite of the bunch at the time, but I think it works really well here in this design.

I love this mani! It’s very summery and festive. I’m sure I will do variations on this design a few more times this year. It’s been absolutely fun to wear so far!

~pbg

Share and Enjoy:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Buzz
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us

Dark n' Lovelies: Colorful Nails That Are Out of This World by Domishauntel

My Twitter Daughter & “Favorite Twitterbee Under 21″, Dominique (@domishauntel) sent me some pictures a few weeks ago of her latest nail beauty experiments:

“I bought some acrylic paints and tried some nail designs! I gonna name each one of them! Why? Because I can!”

Check out these impressive free-hand designs and their “space-tacular” names:

“Interstella”

“Rainbow Brite”

“Galaxy”

Oh well, EXCUSE ME! This was quite an ambitious undertaking! I have to say I love these mainly because Dominique did them herself. It shows patience, creativity and a girl who cares enough about herself to do something FOR HERSELF that makes her feel good. All of us grown-up ladies could learn a thing from this fresh-faced college freshman. Great job, Twitter Daughter!

~pbg

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Share and Enjoy:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Buzz
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us