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50% off shellac manicure

Purple Manicure

Readers, I received a lovely email from Rebecca at Living Social letting me know about today’s amazing deal – 50% off a Shellac manicure at Kathryn’s Nails. Rebecca discovered Shellac after reading about it right here on Somewhere in Middle America! I’m honored that my blog influenced her to suggest the long-lasting manicure as a Living Social “destination.”

If you haven’t tried a Shellac manicure yet, I encourage you to head over to Living Social and take part in today’s deal… then come back here and let me know what you think!

The fine print: I am not getting compensated in any way by Living Social for writing about them or the Shellac manicure deal at Kathryn’s nails.

(image source)

PJ 18 August 2010 around the web, beauty , 4 Comments

brazilian blowout

Carrie Bradshaw curly hair

A couple of weeks ago I caught Louis Licari telling Kathie Lee and Hoda about some Brazilian keratin treatment that takes the frizz out of hair but doesn’t damage it like the Japanese Straightening method. I was intrigued, to say the least.

Then I started hearing about something called a Brazilian Blowout, which I’m assuming is the same thing as the keratin treatment. One Facebook friend raved about having it done; another is booking an appointment. Somebody forwarded me this article from Stylist, in which the author had a Brazilian Blowout, calling the result “a miracle.”

I have nothing against curly hair (I love Carrie Bradshaw’s curls in this photo). On a good hair day, I actually think my waves look pretty. (On a bad day they look like Carrie’s in the above photo, sort of stringy yet frizzy.) What I don’t like about my hair is that the front is curly and the back is wavy. It’s inconsistent all the way around. Plus, when I wear it curly/wavy I have to wash it daily, and I’m lazy and hate doing my hair. But day-old waves just don’t work on me.

However, I also like how straight hair looks on me. I’m particularly keen on bangs, which are very flattering but a pain in the ass to maintain, especially with hair prone to frizzing. But if I had my hair chemically smoothed, I could more easily rock bangs. It wouldn’t take me as long to blow dry my hair, and it would frizz less in this crazy summer humidity.

According to the website, only four salons in Omaha offer the Brazilian Blowout: NewBeauty4you, Omaha Life Spa, Reve Salon & Spa and Studio 123 @ Isalon. I’ve never been to any of these salons. Have you?

If you’ve had a Brazilian Blowout, please leave a comment below. Do you love the results? Was it worth it?

(image source)

PJ 28 July 2010 beauty , 3 Comments

a 14-day manicure: the results

CND Shellac Manicure 1

Two week ago I got a CND Shellac manicure, and I have to say, I’m a believer. It’s still just as shiny as it was on day one, but it didn’t stay chip-free for a full 14 days. By day 11 I noticed wear and tear along the tips and near my cuticle; you could tell where it was starting to grow out. Yesterday the polish on my right hand started peeling in a couple of places, and once it did, I couldn’t help myself… I had to pick at it. The polish on my left hand, though, stayed pretty much intact, except for a chip on my middle finger. I’m right-handed, so perhaps that’s why my left hand looks better.

CND Shellac Manicure 2

This afternoon I’m heading back to the salon to have the gel-polish hybrid removed and a new color applied. But which color to choose…

PJ 29 June 2010 beauty 6 Comments

9 out of 10 ain’t bad

One week into my 14-day manicure, nine nails look practically perfect. But yesterday, only six days in, the polish on the middle finger of my right hand started lifting up at the corner. Naturally, I had to pick it. I couldn’t help myself.

Truthfully, I’m disappointed. I was banking on CND’s promise of flawless edge wear for two weeks. It’s possible that my peeling polish was a result of poor application on the part of the manicurist (I thought I noticed a little bubble in the corner), but maybe hoping for a nearly ever-lasting manicure was like believing in unicorns and the tooth fairy.

I’m debating going back to the salon and asking them to re-do my chipped nail. Otherwise I have to live with it for another week until my scheduled appointment. That would be an impossible feat if I were wearing traditional nail polish. At the first sign of a chip, it’s all picked off. But maybe I can rail against my natural tendencies by reminding myself how much I paid for this fancy-pants, high-tech manicure.

UPDATE: I called the salon, and the receptionist told me that because the manicure is “guaranteed for 14 days” (her words), they would fix my nail at no charge. I barely had time to hang up the phone before jumping in the car!

(photos by me)

PJ 22 June 2010 beauty 1 Comment

a 14-day manicure

Inspired by Mackenzie’s “experimanicure,” I had an appointment last Saturday — the day that J left — for a CND Shellac manicure. Unfortunately, I was emotionally exhausted from the morning and fell asleep on the couch after lunch, missing my afternoon appointment. Oops.

My rescheduled manicure was yesterday afternoon. Although it’s a bit more expensive than a traditional manicure ($35 v. $18), a Shellac manicure is supposed to stay flawless for up to 14 days. I have a terrible habit of picking off my polish the second one nail chips, which usually leads to nail biting. If my polish can stay shiny and chip-free for two weeks, my nails may actually have a chance to grow. Plus, my manicurist claims there is something in the polish that makes nails thicker and stronger. Bonus!

The one downside of Shellac is that there are limited colors from which to choose. Since I’ll (hopefully) be living with the color for 14 days, I chose a classic red. I always feel fancy with red nails, don’t you?

I’ll keep you posted on how the manicure wears over the next two weeks. I’ve decided I’m going to measure time in manicures for the duration of J’s deployment. If I get my nails done every other week, he’ll be home after 8 manicures!

(photo by me)

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PJ 16 June 2010 beauty, military wife 4 Comments
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