Orange...

Not only is orange lipstick {mentioned here} "all the rage", but am I going crazy, but is bright orange nail polish everywhere, EVERYWHERE, EVERYWHERE?!?! (I was trying to go for the echo affect there...)

Anyways! I'm actually not averse to the "trend". I quite like orange. Even as I begin to write this, I'm wearing a bright orange sweater. It brings nourishment to my soul to know the world is slowly embracing the wonderful litany of loud, attention-grabbing, usually neon colors that are in the color spectrum, and are coating their nail plates in the said wonderful substance.

Now this trend is not just for those who wish to have Halloween all year long. Let's be honest, it has to be cool-- even Tyra Banks wears this vibrant trend.

So! Where can you get such a prized possession?

Well, OPI is a good place to start. 

O • P • I  Atomic Orange

China Glaze Orange Knockout

Orly Orange Punch

The choices are endless! So go out on the limb, and why not? Go orange!

What to do when you have that certain problem...you know what I'm talking about

Face it, we've all done it, whether meaning to (I hope not!) or not. And by this I mean spilling a tiny bit of your favorite nail polish on carpet. Bummer, right? But at least mum's not coming home for a few more hours!

Nail Polish On The Carpet

The type of carpet you have will determine the ease or difficulty of removing the nail polish.  But if you use a combination of these solvents, you should be able to remove the nail polish from your carpet in within 20 minutes.

Common Products Used To Remove Nail Polish From Carpet:

Hydrogen peroxide, hair spray, rubbing alcohol, spot remover from Stanley Steamer, brake fluid cleaner, Oxyclean, Goof Off, Motsenbocker’s Lift Off #3, carburetor and choke cleaner, nail polish remover (acetone), Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover

Use The Products You Already Own First

To save time and money, I recommend trying the products that you already have lying around the house.  Since every nail polish junkie also has nail polish remover, apply it to the stain first, and scrub.

Nail Polish Remover Fail?

If using nail polish remover fails to remove the nail polish from the carpet, then apply the hydrogen peroxide and hair spray to the stain in small amounts.  If you’ve scrubbed all three of these products into the stain, and the nail polish still won’t budge, try one last home remedy: window cleaner.  Spray the window cleaner onto the stain and wait 15 minutes.

Holy Grail Fail?

If you tried the holy grail to no avail — Nail polish remover, hydrogen peroxide, hairspray, and window cleaner — at this point it’s probably safe to say that you are losing this battle.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Throw a concoction of any of the products listed above on the stain and see what happens.  It can’t get any worse at this point.

The Last Weapon in the War

If you’re ready to surrender, try one more thing.  There is one more weapon that can be used in this battle, but unfortunately, it’s probably not in your arsenal.  Make a trip to your local hardware store and get a can of Motsenbocker’s Lift Off #3.  It’s a pain to find, but there’s a big chance that it will work.  If it doesn’t, you have bionic carpet and nothing else will.

P.S. Remember to hide all your concoctions before mum arrives! (especially that unsightly can of Motsenbocker's Lift Off #3!) Don't say I didn't warn you.

the nail polish files: #5 urban decay's rollergirl

Some of you guys might know my little secret–that I'm nuts about Urban Decay. Seriously, everything they sell is practically worth its weight in gold. Take my word for it!


Anyways, Urban Decay launched a really cool set of nail polishes this month called Rollergirl!  (Not to be confused with the eyeshadow pallet that launched with the same name.)  These colors include sexy shimmer, shocking vibrancy, and funky glitter.  They are 3 free –which means that they are formulated without toluene, formaldehyde or DBP. The collection comes housed in a box adorned with a 70s-inspired pink and gold foil design. They can be purchased at UrbanDecay.com.

The Colors

Fame (shimmery beige), Superfreak (gold glitter), Xanadu (Purple Glitter), Miss T (pearly fuchsia), Woodstock (hot pink) and Love Train (iridescent white)

Why So Small?

Urban Decay always makes small nail polish bottles, because they believe bigger nail polish bottles are a waste.  At a miniscule 0.17 ounces, they boast that these pocket-sized bottles are highly portable and a great value. They also claim that by the time you’re even close to finishing them, you’ll want  next season’s hot new colors.

I find myself agreeing with them, in that I've never totally finished a bottle of nail polish in my life.

the nail polish files #4: ombre nails

Ombre Hair was all the rage last year, now Ombre Nails have stepped into the lime light.  Even Lauren Conrad was seen sporting this new trend last month.

What are Ombre Nails?

Ombre nails are graduated nails that go from light to dark.  Your pinky nail will be the darkest shade and your thumb will be the lightest shade.

How to pick the Ombre Nail colors

You can pick any range of colors to do this with, but the colors must be of the same tone and different shades.  Don’t know color theory? No problem.  The easiest way to determine shade is to pretend you are adding white.  So start with the dark color on the pinky nail, then pick 4 more colors that look lighter until you get to the thumb nail, which will be the lightest of them all.

Polish it off with some shimmer

The final step is to paint the same shimmery nail color over all the nails.  It’s not only a cool effect, but it also ties all the nails together, making them look like you painted a variation of the same nail color on all four nails. Simple.

The nail polish files #3: newspaper nail art

One of the cutest things that I’ve seen lately is a new nail polish trend called Newspaper Nail Art.

I’ve included both the steps and a video for you below.  If you try this look, please let me know how it turns out!

Newspaper Nail Art Application Steps:

1. Apply a base coat
2. Apply a white or light gray nail polish color (you might also get away with using an almost white light pink color)
3. Spray a piece of newspaper with rubbing alcohol
4. Press the newspaper onto your nail
5. Apply a top coat of your choice
6. Comment below and tell us how it went!

How-to video by CutePolish:

The Nail polish Files #2: How Does Crackle Nail Polish Work?

Crackle Nail Polish is all the Rage

China Glaze has one — appropriately named, Crackle.  OPI has one — also appropriately named, Shatter.

Have you ever wondered how they work?

Crackle nail polishes work the way a traditional nail polish isn’t supposed to.  A traditional nail polish is supposed to dry slowly and uniformly across the nail in a smooth, even application.  Crackle nail polishes have added a special solvent called ethanol alcohol that allows the polish to dry quickly and unevenly.

Crackles have actually been around for decades

If’ you’ve ever done a home improvement project involving paint, you’ve probably noticed that crackle paint is always an option. It’s what makes furniture look distressed and shabby chic.  The nail polish companies have applied this basic formula and bottled it in a nail polish.

A little alcohol was all it took

Although some of you live by this mantra, the nail polish companies are just now catching on.  By adding a little alcohol to the formula they’ve created a cracking, splitting, mess that allows the base coat to shine through. What could have been a nail polish nightmare turned into a trendy phenomenon! Genius!

The nail polish files #1: current trends

Nail Polish Trend: Crackle Nail Polish

The nail polish is particularly wonderful when applied to two contrasting colors.  All you have to do is lay down a coat of your favorite color, then apply a crackle nail polish over it.  The crackle will crack and split as it dries leaving behind an urban look. The best crackle polishes are made by OPI and China Glaze, which can both be purchased on Amazon.com.

Nail Polish Trend: Matte Nail Polish

Matte nail polishes have been around for a while.  Some would even say that it spurred the nail polish trend movement. Matte nail polish is cool because it is the exact opposite of the glossy nail.

Nail Polish Trend: Rubber Nail Polish

I love the rubber look, and this trend is most likely here to stay for a while. Like matte nail polish, rubber nail polish has a controlled look to it.  The rubber nail polish trend is amazing!  The nail polish dries to a satin finish with just the right about of sheen.  I LOVE it! The Orly Plastix collection can be bought on Amazon too.

Nail Polish Trend: Suede Nail Polish

This new Jason Wu collection by CND Cosmetics contains silk fragments that give the nail polish a fabric-like texture. I love the ingenuity of the idea, but I'm still not sure whether I'd actually like my nails to feel like fabric...there's a reason why they're not fabric in the first place.  There’s really nothing else out there like it.  This one is a little hard to find, because CND is made for professional manicurists.  Ask your local nail salon if the have it.