Thursday, July 28, 2016

Cosmoprof North America 2016: Post-Show Release

COSMOPROF NORTH AMERICA PRODUCES RECORD BREAKING NUMBERS AT THEIR 14TH ANNUAL SHOW WITH NEW PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS SUPPORTING BEAUTY 
With unique forward thinking programs and strategic partnerships with key influencers this award winning event debuts the most innovative trends to the beauty industry

Cosmoprof North America (CPNA), the only all-encompassing, award winning, business-to-business beauty event in North America and the ultimate meeting point for beauty professionals is proud to announce they have done it again by producing record breaking exhibitor attendance and ticket sales. Held, annually at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, 33,750 attendees (12.5% increase to 2015) engaged with record breaking 1,154 exhibitors representing 38 countries (12% increase from 2015) and were able to see and experience new sections like Discover Green and Glamour Me along with show favorites, Discover Beauty, Tones of Beauty and Discover Scent.  The show floor space covered 280,991 sqf (26,105 sqm) of space with an increase of of 10% compared to the previous year. 

This year was also about igniting the power of some of most influential beauty influencers in the business and giving the exhibitors a chance to be covered on their social media channels.  With over 23 million impressions and 400 posts these influencers which included ethnic, multi-cultural, television personalities, vloggers, and bloggers brought the show to a new level and really solidified its title of best in business.

Below are some of the new and returning programs that took place at Cosmoprof North America 2016:

Discover Green: Going Green
Discover Green was a special area curated with the input from Insiders Guide to Spa and dedicated to eco-friendly, clean, organic and/or natural beauty products. Created to mimic the high-end, exclusive feel of Discover Beauty, Spotlights, Discover Scent, and Tones of Beauty, the decision to include a new “green” section came on the heels of increased consumer awareness of the environmental impact and ingredient safety from products purchased. 

Glamour Me: Experiencing Beauty Innovation Live
Glamour Me was a new beauty lounge that allowed attendees to experience participating exhibitor products first-hand and with close to 200 appointments booked it has exceeded expectations. Attendees were able to select to have their hair, nails, skin or makeup show ready with quick 30 minutes services provided by select exhibitors. 

Tones of Beauty: Multi-cultural Beauty
Also returning for the second year is the highly successful Tones of Beauty, which showcased a select group of coveted and innovative multicultural brands across every major sector: Skin, Hair and Color. To ensure successful program implementation and brand selection, CPNA repeated its collaboration with renowned global beauty media group love, Aunt Bonnie and added a dedicated educational conference to learn about market specifics.

Discover Beauty
Presenting a line-up of start-up beauty brands, this high-end, curated section combined the best of both worlds: pre-arranged face-to-face meetings with key retail buyers such as Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Barneys New York, HSN
and Kohl’s as well as a traditional exhibition presentation where all attendees are invited to come and discover these brands. Additionally, this year we are pleased to announce Chaleur Beauty as the winner of the official Discover Beauty 2016 Award. 

Discover Beauty Spotlights
Spotlights was an exclusive initiative within the Discover Beauty program. This department store-like presentation serves as a showcase for companies that are big on creativity yet smaller in size but who are a prime fit for high-end retail stores, boutiques, salons and spas. 

IBFE 
Returning for the second year, International Business Forum & Exhibition (IBF&E) focused on the Beauty Supply Chain business platform for companies specialized in contract manufacturing, packaging, machinery, OEM and raw materials. The program benefited from key strategic placement on the show floor and a full package that includes buyer meetings. 

TV Shopping Channel Auditions
Making a return were the live auditions for major US TV shopping channels QVC, HSN and Evine Live whereby exhibitors were able to pitch products live to the merchants. New this year exhibitors were also able to audition with international TV shopping channels including The Shopping Channel (Canada), HSE (Germany), and GS Shop (Korea). Also new this year, CPNA created a new collaboration with EVINE Live, an ominichannel retail experience whereby the organizers provided the opportunity for key buyers from the network to meet with exhibitors inside a dedicated space on the show floor; select exhibitors will be featured in a dedicated inner segment featuring products discovered at CPNA  2016.

Boutique
BOUTIQUE, buzzing with activity, was set up as a sampling bar showcasing deluxe premium-size samples from twenty exhibiting brands. For a donation of $10, attendees chose seven samples out of twenty-featured products and this year CPNA raised over $13,000 to be given to Look Good, Feel Better.  

Discover Scent: The Smell of Success in the Air
Scent was also in the air this year - literally. Air Aroma, a leading scent branding agency that designs custom fragrances for luxury brands around the world, returned again to scent main show areas through its patented diffusion technology but this year custom formulated a signature CPNA fragrance. An area on the show floor dedicated exclusively to fragrance, Discover Scent featured 13 niche fragrance brands curated with the assistance of Sniffapalooza

CPNA hosts PBA Beauty Week

Cosmoprof North America not only celebrates the beauty industry but also entrepreneurship evidenced this year at the second annual Beauty Pitch™ which was co-hosted by PBA on Saturday, July 23rd. This one-of-a-kind beauty competition showcased six innovative beauty companies, in two separate categories – Startup and Established. Over one thousand attendees gathered to watch these companies pitch their products to a panel of celebrity judges including John Paul DeJoria, Kevin Harrington, ELLE Beauty Director Emily Dougherty; Executive Editor at InStyle Digital Innovation of Time Inc. Deanne Kaczerski, and Mark Spinks, President of BSG CosmoProf and Armstrong McCall, Sally Beauty Holdings. The winners of this esteemed event include: Sunlights Balayage, Inc., P3 Pure both recipients of cash prizes, and O.R.G Skincare  chosen by the merchants of BSG to gain distribution into all 1,200 nationwide stores and online. Additionally, all semi-finalists received an invitation to be featured in an online exclusive boutique on Amazon Launchpad. The 2016 North American Hairstyling Award (NAHA) winners were recognized during a star-studded awards ceremony on July 24, 2016 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Held during PBA Beauty Week, North America’s largest, most inclusive beauty event, NAHA was hosted by Alan Cumming, Tony award winning actor, author and activist. This year’s Hairstylist of the Year, was presented to Matt Swinney of Evolution in Minneapolis, MI. This is Swinney’s first NAHA Hairstylist of the Year honor. The event drew more than 3,000 attendees, while thousands tuned in to watch PBA’s live streaming broadcast online at Nahalive.com

Cosmoprof North America will return to Mandalay Bay Convention Center July 9th to 11th, 2017. Stay tuned to http://www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com/ for information and updates. For photos from this year’s event, please visit the photo gallery on  http://cosmoprofnorthamerica.com/news_press/PhotoGallery.aspx

For more information on the show please visit www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com. Event information and exhibitor updates are also posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@COSMOPROFNA | COSMOPROFLV). 



ABOUT COSMOPROF NORTH AMERICA
Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is the award winning premier international B2B beauty trade show covering all facets of the industry under one roof.  

Organizer: Cosmoprof North America is organized by North American Beauty Events LLC, a joint-venture company between BolognaFiere Group and the Professional Beauty Association.  

BolognaFiere Group, the world’s leading trade show organizer in the cosmetics, fashion, architecture, building, art and culture sectors, features in its portfolio more than 80 exhibitions, both domestic and international. BolognaFiere Cosmoprof S.p.a., a company of BolognaFiere Group, is the organizer of Cosmoprof, an international platform, with events in Bologna (established 1967), Hong Kong (established 1996) and Las Vegas
(established 2003). Please visit  bolognafiere.com


The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) advances the professional beauty industry by providing members with education, charitable outreach, government advocacy, events and more. PBA is the largest organization of industry professionals with members representing salons and spas, distributors, manufacturers, and beauty professionals/NCA. Visit probeauty.org or call 800.468.2274 (480.281.0424) to learn more. probeauty.org

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Literary Lacquers: Upcoming Duos and a Single Release

Press Sample

Happy Saturday, dear readers! I hope you are having a wonderful start to the weekend! I made it into Las Vegas really early this morning in preparation of Cosmoprof North America, so I'm only now getting this post finished up. I'm going keep the chit chat short and jump in. Shall we?

Amy, the creative mastermind behind the brand Literary Lacquers, has fabricated beautiful new shades to decorate your digits this summer. Rather than her usual larger collection, her inspirations resulted in two upcoming duos and a solitary, but certainly stunning, loner polish. Let's check them out!

The Othello Duo
Desdemona’s Handkerchief
Two coats plus top coat

An aqua crème polish

First of all, I have to say how excited I am to see a duo inspired by Othello! I relish Shakespeare's work, especially his dramas, and I hope to see even more Shakespeare-inspired duos or collections from Amy in the future! As far as Desdemona’s Handkerchief, the shade is beautiful and soft, and the formula is perfection.

If Thou Hast Eyes To See
Two coats plus top coat

A sea-green crème polish

I certainly enjoy a smooth crème polish from time to time, and I adore the shade of If Thou Hast Eyes To See. It has the perfect amount of brightness: bright enough that it suits the summer season, and yet toned down enough that looking at it won't sear your eyes. The formula of this half is fantastic as well!

Literary Lovers Duo: Vampire Sensuality
Louis
over If Thou Hast Eyes To See
One coat glitter topper plus top coat

Black and green glitter topper. Black hair, green eyes, the vampire with a guilty conscience

I kept trying to find the perfect shade of green in my collection to use as a base for Louis, and in the end, I decided that it played too well with If Thou Hast Eyes To See to use something else. I have found Amy's polishes are nice in formula in general, but her glitters are some of the best I have ever come across. The application is so deliciously immaculate that she makes me fall in love with glitter toppers all over again. The formula of Louis is on point, much like its glitter predecessors: the glitters gliding a dance across the nail in a smooth, clear base. Oh yes, dear readers, the formula is that good, and I am spellbound by it as well as its namesake.

Lestat
Two coats plus top coat

A saturated lilac metallic linear holo. Icy and cool as the vampire himself.

Lestat is my favorite character in The Vampire Chronicles, and I really like Amy's interpretation of the character. It screams of sophistication and haughtiness, and I believe Lestat himself would love it! The formula was nice: easy application and a formula that wasn't too thin or thick.

Now on to the outsider....

Long May She Reign
Two coats plus top coat

Screaming chartreuse microglitter crelly. Inspired by Cersei's revenge.

This one is for all you Game of Thrones fans out there! This shade was inspired by the wildfire explosions and named something that Amy hopes to see happen. As for me, I've been on a Reign kick on Netflix so that is where my head goes when I see the name Long May She Reign. Wherever your mind goes, there is no doubt this is a bright and sparkly polish! It applied really well for me, and I just could not stop staring at my nails.

Each of these shades will be launching at the Literary Lacquers etsy shop located here starting July 25th. I keep trying to pick a favorite, but I like all five of these for different reasons. I do like that there are a range of finishes to choose from so there is bound to be something that catches your fancy.

I'm off to take care of a few things before an early bedtime tonight, but I'll be back soon!

What colours are you most excited about? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, enjoy the weekend!
XO!

















Monday, July 18, 2016

Darling Diva Polish: The Watch Your Pack Collection

Press Sample

Happy Monday, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well and you have had a wonderful weekend. I ended up taking an originally unplanned break from my blog last week as my swatch area got an overhaul, complete with a new desk and so much organization. For the first time in a really long time, I am finally pleased with my space; I hope I can keep it tidy! The next couple weeks are going to be fun on the blog; I'm headed to Las Vegas on Friday to cover Cosmoprof North America, and I'll be posting about my adventures during CPNA and afterwards when I return. It's a trip that keeps me busy, but I enjoy it immensely! Now on to today's blog post!


For your viewing pleasure, I have the new Darling Diva Polish collection inspired by Teen Wolf to share with you today. Called The Watch Your Pack Collection, this collection is composed of eight gorgeous shades that you do not want to miss! Let's check them out!

Eye Candy
Three coats plus top coat

This polish is full of holographic flakies and multichrome flakies that flash pink to green. As with the series Teen Wolf, this polish is definitely eye candy. Think Derek style pretty but in polish form. Sparkle on Derek, sparkle on..........

Oh my! This shade certainly is fitting for the name! There is so much sparkle with this polish, and if you opt to not buy the full collection, you're going to want this one! I used three coats here on its own for opacity, but you can easily use it as a dense topper over a base shade if you prefer. The formula was fantastic, and I had no issues with all these stunning flakes.

The Alpha
Two coats plus top coat

This is a deep red shimmeryish polish with added golden holo sparkle and gold flakies. There is a little shift in the flakies but the red is the main player here. Be dominate and kick some ass with this on!

Wowza! Now this is one sexy red polish! This is the kind of polish that makes me weak at the knees, and it is perfect for date nights or when you want to show off just how confident you can be. The formula is a touch on the thicker side, but I still found it to apply easily enough. You can add polish thinner if you prefer a thinner consistency, but I quite liked it as is. If you tend to paint with thicker coats, you may find you only need a single coat for opacity.

Tainted
Two coats plus top coat

When a werewolf kills an innocent their eyes change to a brilliant blue. Queue to not get on their bad side I guess.

This polish is stunning! It pulled a little on the purple side in these photos, but it is more blue in real life. Darn my finicky camera! The formula was excellent, and I am happy to report the blue glitters didn't cause me any trouble whatsoever!

The Huntress
Two coats plus top coat

Imagine you are out hunting whatever monster is threatening your family..........and you look down at your nails as you pull back your arrow and catch sight of this gorgeous deep blackened purple polish full of gold flakes and holo gold shimmer and are wowed by the gorgeousness of your nails in the moonlight. Would you miss?

While this shade is definitely a very dark purple, it is difficult to see the purple hue against my tanned skin tone. You can always choose to layer this over a lighter shade so you can enjoy it in it's full purple glory if you so decide, although I do quite like the depth two coats created. The formula was a touch on the thick side, but again, it was still very easy to work with and manipulate over my nails.


The Healer
Two coats plus top coat

Every werewolf needs that special Veterina....sorry Druid healer who can take care of your boo-boos. You can gift your favorite healer with this blackened green shimmery soft holo perfect for traipsing around the forest gathering all those druidy things that are needed to heal your wolfie :)

I don't know if I can find the words to describe just how much I love this colour! Although the design of this shade is simpler than the rest in this collection, I adore this shade of green so much, and I am glad there is nothing to detract from its beauty. The formula was on point and this polish applied like a dream come true.

The Hot Kitsune
Two coats plus top coat

Carrying around the spirit of a kitsune is hard work. One that fires electricity? Damn girl!!! This holo gold polish would sure captivate that naughty kitsune spirit long enough to oh say, have lunch with your hot werewolf boyfriend.

Let's be honest here, this is definitely not my colour. While it is a gorgeous golden shade, it does not suit my skin tone well. It is really pretty though and the formula is really nice; I'll just have to find a way to incorporate this into my nail art so I can still appreciate this beauty!

The Screamer
Three coats plus top coat

If you were a socialite banshee haute couture as well as longevity in your polish would be a must. Something subtle but with spark. This super pale teal shimmer polish is just the thing Lydia would reach for.

It is my opinion that The Screamer is the highlight of this collection. Although it isn't quite a flashy as Eye Candy or as bold as The Alpha, there is something breathtaking in this delicate polish. It is on the sheer side so I did need three coats for opacity, but it was well worth it! You *could* layer it over a similar colour, but that would just be lazy and you would be missing out on the incredible depth created with all the layers. Seriously, just take the time to build it up properly. The formula was superb so it won't kill you.

Blood Teeth & Bromance
Two coats plus top coat

I made this for the amazing bromance between Scott and Stiles. Its a thing of beauty, just like their friendship. Deep blue, with flakies and sparkle.

Prior to receiving this swatch package, I had thought I was over my love of the colour blue. Thankfully, I was proven wrong when I had this in my hot hands! The sparkle is beautiful, and I could get lost just staring into this polish! I found the formula to be really easy to work with as it applied flawlessly in two thin coats for these photos.

The Watch Your Pack Collection is scheduled to release this Friday, July 22nd on the Darling Diva Polish website located here. Please note that this is a one pour collection, so once the bottles are gone, they will not be restocked. If there is something you have your eye on, and with all the beauties in this collection, I would be surprised if you didn't have several favorites picked out, you're going to want to pick them up before it is too late.

What do you think of the shades in this collection? I'd love to hear which ones are your favorites!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!






















Monday, July 11, 2016

Postings are Suspended this Week for a Move

Good morning, dear readers! I just wanted to let you all know that my blog is being put on standby this week, but I will be back soon! I have several polishes from new collections currently in transit to me that will be going up soon followed by all things Cosmoprof North America! Stay tuned!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Ellagee: Summer of Love Duo

Press Sample

Greetings, dear readers; I hope this post finds you well! I wish I could say things were great here, but that is unfortunately not the case. We've got a very sick cat that isn't eating or drinking, and so far the testing she's had done this week hasn't given us much to go on. She's been getting fluid packs inserted to keep her hydrated and anti-nausea meds to help her eat, in the hopes that she will eat and get well. They only seem to be working temporarily, and our future with her is uncertain at this point. I've been pretty broken up about it this week and not in the best state of mind to write, but I did want to get this review up before the launch. Let's jump on in to the polish and get this post a little more cheery, shall we?

Ellagee is releasing two gorgeous new holographic polishes on Saturday, and you definitely don't want to miss out!
These two shades are very similar because of the silvery holographic base; however, one is a little pink while the other purple, and you can better discern the difference between the two depending on your light source. Let's check them out!

Strawberry Moon
Two coats plus top coat

Pale silvery pink with hot pink shimmer and silver holo microglitter

I am in love with this polish- both the name and the colour! June's full moon was known as the Strawberry Moon, and it was extra special this year because it occurred at the same time as the summer solstice. To commemorate the occasion, you now can wear it on your nails! Strawberry Moon applied flawlessly in nice, even coats, and while I used two coats here, you might be able to get away with just one if you tend to use thick coats.

Summer of Love
Two coats plus top coat

Pale silvery blurple with violet shimmer and silver holo microglitter

Summer of Love is one of those polishes that you'll keep looking at over and over again to try to determine if it is more blue or more purple....or maybe that's just me. Either way, it is one gorgeous blurple! Like Strawberry Moon, the formula was impeccable and I have no application issues to report. Again, if you tend to use thick coats while painting your nails, you may find that a single coat will suffice. 

My butterfly nail art accent finger has both these shades smooshed together, although with the added butterflies, the differences aren't as noticeable. My accent nail didn't turn out quite as I hoped, but it fits these perfectly!
Side by side of Strawberry Moon and Summer of Love

Have you been enjoying the butterfly rings in these photos? Each of these polishes will include a butterfly ring while supplies last! They can be easily adjusted to fit your fingers and are so cute!

The Summer of Love duo is scheduled to launch on the Ellagee website located here this Saturday, July 9th at 3pm CST. You're going to want to grab these early so you don't miss out on the additional butterfly rings.

Which is your favorite shade? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful night!
XO!






Monday, July 4, 2016

Crème à la Mode Box: Summer 2016

Press Sample

Greetings, dear readers, and Happy Independence Day to all my US readers and Happy Monday to my International readers! It has been a busy holiday weekend for us from setting a space for the kids' sandbox, cleaning up the backyard, and putting together new polish storage units and rearranging my entire polish collection. I think I need a weekend to recover from the weekend! As you likely have surmised, we tend to stay close to home over holiday weekends. Hopefully we'll make it to the beach soon!
Speaking of the beach, I have the new gorgeous cream shades from the summer Crèmè à la Mode box to share with you today! They are so deliciously vibrant, cheerful, and oh so perfect for your summertime digits at the beach, by the pool, and wherever you happen to be spending the summer. This quarterly box is curated by indie brands Digital NailsIndigo BananasLiterary Lacquers and Octopus Party Nail Lacquer, and this season's box shades coordinate impeccably. Let's check them out! 

You, Me, And Daiquiri
Two coats plus top coat

You, Me, And Daiquiri is a lovely blushed white cream shade. It has the slightest touch of pink, and this is a fabulous shade to incorporate into wedding day nails for all the summer brides and bridesmaids out there! The formula is smooth and creamy, just what you want from every cream shade! 

Creme Bluelé
Two coats plus top coat

Creme Bluelé is a gorgeous azure blue shade, and one of my favorite shades of blue for the season. While it did apply nicely for me, my bottle did contain small specks of undissolved pigment. The problem has been discovered so this won't be an issue with customer bottles, and you will get to enjoy this stunning blue shade. Even with the pigment issues in my bottles, the application was really easy. While I needed two coats, if you tend to use thicker coats, you may find that one would be enough for opacity.

Melonade
Three coats plus top coat

These pictures are a lie. Melonade is a fabulous neon coral hue, and my camera just could not handle the awesomeness of this bright shade. It isn't quite as pink as photographed here: it is more of a red-orange with a kiss of pink and definitely brighter than in these photos. I had a little bit of streakiness with the first two coats of application, but the third coat smoothed it out perfectly.

Cyan-Tifically Proven
Two coats plus top coat

Cyan-Tifically Proven is a lovely verdigris shade: the bright blue-green shade of patina formed by atmospheric oxidation on copper or brass. This shade reminds me of Hawaii and its tropical waters; one day I'll make it back! As for the formula, it applied flawlessly for me. My bottle did have a couple large pieces of unsuspected pigment, but they did not get on my nails for my swatch. Other bottles have been checked to make sure there are no issues and they should not be present in future batches.

I used all four cream shades from the box to create my accent nail. I also used the Mandala Stuck on Love Nail Shields from Love, Angeline to create my spotted pattern.

The Crème à la Mode box will be available for pre-order from July 8th at 9am through July 15th on BigCartel here. The box will retail for $26 plus shipping and handling, and it will ship in the following two weeks. After the boxes have shipped, the individual polishes will be available for purchase at the regular retail price from their respective shops. This may be my favorite box yet from this quartet, and I certainly will be enjoying my bottles this summer!

Are you planning on picking up the summer Crème à la Mode box? What shades are your favorites? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO! 









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