International Beauty Show Las Vegas

I knew it was going to be insane....but I was not quite prepared for how over the top this show actually was. Last week, the Las Vegas Convention Center was transformed into a three ring beauty circus - with full on blaring club music and pseudo strippers on stilts.

Every nail vendor under the sun was present including the big dogs like OPI, CND and Young Nails. I can say for certain the biggest trend hands down is UV gel polish.  Every brand has got their own version. Before the show, my only experience with gel polish was with CND Shellac and Harmony Gelish.  It's hard to tell the difference between formulas because they all essentially look, feel and cost the same.  After some exploration and a couple of seminars and demos I wound up buying a gel line from Nubar and Young Nails.  I think both companies are doing some amazing things with nails and bringing some much-needed freshness and creativity to the industry.

The wildest, craftiest, craziest nails beyond my imagination were on hands everywhere I looked ....and I fit right in with my rainbow jungle cat mani I did with CND Shellac "cream puff" gel and various Konad polishes and plates.

Competition nails from the "mythical" theme category




My rainbow jungle cat nails



Stilt walkers

 

More nail insanity....

Carnaval Nails: San Francisco Style

Each May, just after Cinco De Mayo, and right before the frenzy of other street fairs that hit in June, San Francisco holds the best Carnaval celebration north of Brazil. Masses of floats, food on sticks, drummers and women shaking what their mama gave them are tightly sandwiched between street vendors, kids and neighborhood gangsters right smack in the heart of the Mission district.

My dear friend Annie dances with her family and friends every year in the Loco Bloco contingent. This time around, she warned me that their group color scheme was neon yellow, silver, gold and white aka "Shining Star" theme. How demure, I thought!  The fair warning got my creative juices flowing and a concept for her manicure was born.

Three coats of neon yellow nail polish, 8 gold tips and 20 stars later, we have the finished product.

The nails

Annie the "shining star"