Autumn

Hello my fine followers :)


Here's a cool autumn color I came across while doing a little 'cleaning' through my collection.
I remember liking it when I first got it, and I guess I still do like it!

It's from Creative Nail Design,
called "Cedar".

...in indirect light


...and in sun
















Happy Fall everyone!!! I hope you are enjoying all the brilliant colors :)

Jake (aka Toepaintguy)

Black? ...or Black?

Wow it seems like forever since I last posted. Well, I guess I am like a lot of you, just very busy trying to make it all work in this trying economy.
But, there is always time for some fun,right?

Okay now readers, your color seleciton advice is greatly appreciated here. I have two black polishes that I like a lot, but I need some help from you in deciding which one to wear for Halloween.


On the left is Zoya Raven, a rich true-black with just a hint of shimmer hidden in it.
On the right is Man Glaze Death Tar, an incredible matte black with a ton of multi-colored flecks imbedded in it (seen here with a glossy overcoat).


With a good coat of Seche Vite, they can both look like glass, and you all know how good a glossy black can look! In fact, I am inclined to say that black may be the best unisex color of nail polish there is. It looks equally classy and great on women and men.


Okay, here they are close-up so you can really see how they look.

First, Zoya Raven:
















And here is the Man Glaze:

















Please let me know in the comments below which one you like best. If you want even better pics, check here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toepaintguy/

Either one would work, but with your input, I will be confident I'm looking my best for the cause!
Hey, it's great to be back! I missed all of you!!! : )

Jake

NEW "Lovers" Paired Collection is out!

This is sooooo cool! BB Couture just introduced a new collection of nail polishes that are being paired in duos - one for the girl and one for the guy - together! They are complimentary colors that look great together and are designed to help promote couples to wear them proudly. Talk about a stroke of genius... and fresh thinking!

Okay, on with the reviews!

First, a bit of disclaimer...I had to swatch all twelve of these myself because my girl had just gotten a very nice pedicure with artwork and was not too excited to remove it right away. Guess I can't blame her, but it would have been cool to show you the gal colors on a female foot.
And, my camera simply does not capture the colors as they really are. Trust me though, these are beautiful colors that are much better than you see below.

The first pair is called "Pocahontas and John Smith". Pocahontas is a very classy mauve creme with just a hint of micro glitter (that's hard to see in this picture). Subtle, but perfect because it does not look like any other 'creme' you will find elsewhere.

John Smith compliments this color nicely as a more neutral gray/beige creme that is clean and refreshingly simple.

Carla and Michael may not be famous to you, but they definitely are in love! And this rich pair of colors says they are very deeply in it together. Carla is a spectacular rich purple with hints of copper and red shimmer in it. If you like purple, Wow, this is one of the most vivid purples Ihave seen! The picture is a bit dark, but look closely at the big toe to see the detail.

And then there is Michael, no slouch in the color department either. The cool thing about this color is that it's not just another deep blue, but it has just the right amount of subtle purple shimmer - enough that you may not be sure what color it is. What is certain though, is that it looks really great on a guy - next to Carla of course!

Cleopatra is one of those "to die for" intense aquamarines that you just can't find - until now! It has a subtle sky blue shimmer to it as well that makes this one so intriguing. A perfect beach color!

Paired with Cleopatra is Anthony, a rich deep blue with subtle aqua shimmer. Not as bold as Cleo, but it looks entirely appropriate for her guy in-tow.

Okay, eveyone's heard of Bonnie and Clyde. And GREEN is their color, of course! Bonnie is a festive bright true green with lots of green glitter. She'd definitely be a 'hit' at your next bank robbery!

And heeeeeerrrrreee'sss Clyde! Basically the same true green as Bonnie, but without the glitter.

I guess I should have posted this couple first, since they really did get this whole thing started... Eve is a svelte Olive with gold and green glitter, topped with a subtle rose hue. I can only imagine what Adam might have thought if she was wearing this color in the garden!

And my favortie of the colleciton, Adam. This was a surpriser for me. I didn't think it looked that attractive in the bottle, but on the nail, it is probably the best 'guy' color I think I have come across. It's earthy, kind of an olive/army green, but it has the slightest hint of micro shimmer in it to make it interesting. and it has that same rosy hue to it as Eve. What a pair!!! Gals, this is a great starter color for your guy because it will just look so natural on him.

And now, one of the most cherished couples of all time, Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is a very pretty rose/mauve creme that just looks softly feminie.

Romeo is slightly bolder than Juliet, but they go together so well, they really do look like a couple in love. This one is a brown/mauve with very subtle hints of shimmer to make it interesting. What an awesome fall color too!

Wow, it was really fun to try all these colors and I thank the fantastic folks at BB Couture for all the hard work in creating these wonderfully complimentary colors and coming up with the idea to package them together. BB Couture has been instrumental in promoting the use of nail polish by men, and I think that even though there probably is no exclusion on any of these colors, it's a fresh and welcome effort to encourage guys to get into this that I think is pretty darned cool of them.

Now I really appreciate all the work many of you do too when you swatch the latest colors, photograph them and them publish the pics with your awesome reviews. It takes more than I initally expected, and my results are not near as nice as many of yours. Oh well, practice shold help...

I hope that many who read this are inspired to try a pair or two of these colors along with your SO. I know many guys won't get near the stuff, but since guys wearing polish is growing in popularity (at least my pedicurist says so), it will just be a matter of time before he joins you!

Thanks for reading - and following my blog! : )

Why do girls do this?

So, I attended a big family reunion last week. There were my Mom and Dad, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, their spouses and some kids too - a really big family event. Mom and Dad's 60th anniversary too!

We had many activities planned for the days, and in the evenings the card and board games would start and the whole place just seemed to get more lively (and loud).


Most nights you could find a group of the gals together in the loft painting their nails and talking about hair styles, guys, the guys against gals mini-golf tournament that day, whatever. And I cannot explain this, but whenever one of the guys would wander by their 'area' one of them would pipe up and ask if he wanted his nails done too. Most of the guys would shrug with a smile and say 'no, but thanks' (as if they genuinely appreciated the gesture) but one night the gals hit on me and so I smiled and said in a teasting sort of way "sure, what colors do you have?". Well, this certainly got a rise from them.

Bright pink was offered first, and I politely told them "not so much". Cotton candy pink, then blue, purple and even french were then offered. I considered french while they had fun trying to steer me toward the purple. But when my seven year-old neice with her big blue eyes told me it would look "pretty" on me, I was sold!


Let me tell you, I received the royal treatment. These girls were really having a good time with it and so I just took in having six fun women (except for the 7 year-old, they were all in there 20's) crowded around me and painting my toenails purple.

The results were pretty darned good - even my Mom was impressed! The girls all had to have their pictures taken with me - on some we alternated feet, on another I wore one of their plushy pink slippers (those pics are on someone else's camera though). Of course, everyone had to come see, and the girls even managed to talk my brother in-law into letting them do his too (he got the blue)! Craziness, but that runs pretty rampant in my family... They did however receive a bit more entertainment out of it too because I continued to wear the polish for the remainer of the reunion (3 days), and they loved it. And, I managed to crack the ice with them now knowing I like to wear my nails polished.

Here is a pic taken the next day:


So maybe some of you can tell me what the attraction is to these gals to want to paint the guy's nails. Sure, the shock factor of doing something crazy and unusual was there, but whenever we're together in a group like that, inevidibly some of the girls offer to do this for (to?) the guys. And I am not the first to take them up on it either! Well, what the heck, it was fun for all of us.


Oh, and the reunion was a great success too (in case you were wondering)! No major disagreements, no one got hurt, we just had a lot of good clean fun. And yeah, we are already talking about doing it again next year...

A jewel out there...

So, I was driving through my old neighborhood the other day and spotted a sign in a nail salon I had not seen before that said "Grand Opening", so I thought I'd stop in and see what was up.

It was a neat and clean shop and Jenny, the owner, was there to enthusiastically greet me when I walked in. When I asked if they had any grand opening specials, she told me that they did, and the specials were good for men too. I have to admit, it did surprise (impress) me that she had even considered her potential male clients, and so I chose a spa pedicure to see how she treated me.

Jenny told me that she had been previously through nursing school but could not find a job in that field, and then she decided to take a course in cosmetology because she had always liked it. It just so happened that she had a friend who had not quite been able to handle running this business, and so Jenny agreed to take it on. Well, I have to say that she has the gift for providing great service and she knows how to treat her customers like royalty. She is a smart business woman too, she had set up the salon so it was very comfortable and functional with four manicure stations and six pedicure chairs.

The pedicure she gave me was wonderful; relaxing, soothing and enjoyable. When she finished with the cleaning and trimming, Jenny asked if I would like any polish and I asked her if she had any other male clients who got polish with pedicures,he replied that yes, she had four others who were regulars. I asked for her suggestion on a color and she went to her collection of mostly OPI colors nicely displayed on the wall. She returned with a few colors she thought I'd like and I decided on this lighter gray/tan.

The results of my experience were fantastic and my feet felt great for days afterwards. As I was about ready to leave, one of her other clients walked in and she noticed my feet, commenting that she thought they looked really good, wishing that her husband would come in and have his done too.

I am telling you about this experience because I think Jenny really works at offering the best service she can to her customers, and she is open-minded and just as accomodating to men as well as she is to women. She is an impressive salon operator because she knows that a happy customer will become a repeat customer - as well as referring others to her.

I think that in order to be successful in today's tight economy, we all need to take a lesson from Jenny. Provide the best customer service you can, and it will come back to you.

I have already referred two propsective clients to her.

In case you are ever in the area and want to stop in for some great nail service, do a search on "Katie Nails" in Savage, MN. She is on Facebook too.

And yes, I gave Jenny a generous tip too! ; )

Quick Tip for Guys at a Nail Salon

Okay gals, I'll get back to things you might be interested in too, but here is just a quick one for the guys...

If you are contemplating going to a nail salon for the first time to get a pedicure, here are some ideas for you:

1) The best way to become introduced to a professional pedicure is to take a friend who is experienced. The two of you will be treated to a service that is surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable, and certainly worth the investment. Going with someone else makes it a lot more fun too because it is an experience that you will want to share. Besides, your GF or wife will really appreciate the treat too!

2) Call ahead. You can ask about rates, whether they welcome men, and when their business might be quieter and potentially less intimidating for you.
Besides, you probably would not want to land in the middle of a wedding nail party!

3) Bring your own polish. Colors that work well for men are not as easy to find as those that look good on women. Some salons have great selections, including some collections for men, but others may not. If in doubt, bring a bottle of a color that you like, even if just as a backup. Who knows, you may find something in their collection that will expand your tastes too!

4) Wear polish to the salon. Even if not done perfectly, it will tell the nail tech that you are already comfortable wearing it, and they may even suggest some good colors for you to try. It's their job and they are usually very good at knowing what works for people.

5) Trust the pros. They take a lot of pride in what they do and they want you to be a satisfied customer. The last thing a nail tech wants is an unhappy customer, so if you have any preferences, let them know and then... just relax and enjoy the treatment.....
Remember, they want you to come back, so they will treat you with care and attention and do a great job for you.

6) Tip gratiously. These folks don't pull down six figures doing this kind of work, but they all seem to really love it. So, tip them appropraitely so that they can continue serving their customers well and so that they will remember you when you return. $10 is a suggested minimum for a pedicure but even $20 is not unheard of for really good experience.

7) Go someplace else. If you did not feel like you received the royal treatment, then find another salon. These businesses are all a product of the owner/management, and if they are in tune with their customers and they have worked hard to create a relaxing and comfortable environment and experience, then they deserve your continued business.

8) Last but not lest, don't go too often. This is supposed to be a treat, so 'treat' you and your wife or GF to it on special occasions so it remains special and new. And, you can look forward to the date with anticipation when it is not an everyday thing.

8.5) Okay this is the last one...
Gals, you can also treat your guy to this too, you know! He does not have to get polish if he's not the type to try new things, but he can still enjoy a very pleasureable experience with you jsut the same. And you can enjoy the benefit from his softer and nicer looking feet too!

Enjoy!

Summertime thoughts...

Hey readers and followers, how has your summer been so far? It's been sunny and wonderfully hot here! I say it that way because we have not really had very warm summers the last few years, and this one is a welcome change.

And, summer can be really hard on your feet, depending on what you do to them. Here are a few summer tips for keeping your toes and pedicures in tip-top shape! And these are for anyone - women or man - who wants to have great looking and great feeling feet!

* Use moisturizer - especially at night. If your feet are really getting dry and crusty, you can even wear a pair of light socks after applying lotion and it will give them an extra deep treatment while you sleep. Make sure you rub lotion in and around your cuticles, between your toes, and on heels and any callouses that may be starting to build.


- you can even rub a little olive oil into your cutilces and the pads of your feet for a longer-lasting type of moisturizing that will feel great too.

* Respect the sun! Your feet may look great with a deep summer tan, but they will also dry out faster, and you increase the chance that your skin will become wrinkled and lose it elasticity over time. Use a lotion with the appropriate amount SPF factor when you are going to be outside for extended periods.

* Don't change polish too often. Actually, it's not the polish but the remover that will dry out your skin. Once you do remove any old polish, soak your feet in warm water with a little Dreft to soften them before polishing again. It's a nice treat and it will help protect your skin from the chemicals present in nail polish. Make sure you lightly brush the nail surface with remover to remove any residue before polishing though!

* Use a good basecoat before polish. It will help condition and strengthen your nails and keep them from staining. I like OPI Nail Envy, but ther are many others available that will do the trick.


- here is a tip: apply one layer of topcoat over the base coat, before applying the polish. This will provide a very smooth surface on which the polish will just glide on and look like glass. Use a final layer of topcoat when finished applying the color too for a perfect finish. I like Seche Vite because it spreads like butter and evens out any imprefections before it sets. And, it sets in minutes to the touch which I find totally amazing!

* Wear flip flops after a pedicure for a few hours to give your polish a chance to harden. If you are polishing your nails at night, do it early enough so that you have at least an hour before going to bed. That way, the perfect pedicure you worked so hard on will survive the sheets.

* Try layering colors. Using a base of a deeper color and applying a lighter sheer polish over it can sometimes result in a really cool, almost 3D effect. You can even try layering parts of the nail to give it a graduated shading effect. There are many websites with instructions for doing this, just do some searching. Wearing a unique and eye-catching pedicure is a lot of fun and makes wearing that favorite pair of sandals or open shoes even that much more enjoyable.

* Schedule a pedicure at least once a month. Why not? You deserve a treat at least that often! Spa pedicures are a total treat too, but you don't have to splurge every time. Twice a month is perfect if you don't want to do your toes yourself.

* Get Bold! Try a color that you normally wouldn't. Heck, it's summer - go for the neon orange or bright tropical blue for a change. Those bright, fun colors look great on tanned feet with summer attire!

* Get your SO into it too. Whether you are a woman or man, you will definitely increase the enjoyment if you share this experience and interest with a partner. Some men may not go for the color yet, but there are few who would not enjoy a relaxing pedicure - and having feet that feel softer and look better.

*** Gals, I took a quick telephone survey of fourteen nail salons this week here in the upper midwest, and they tell me that yes, they all have an increasing number of male clients who wear colored polish on their toes. It seems that about 60% of the guys were encouraged to try it by their SO, about 20% started after the nail tech suggested they try it and the remainder just did it on their own.
With a little encouragement, your guy could make the leap and try something that many other guys have found to be quite satisfying and fun!


I've taken to wearing muted silvers and grays lately for some reason, and I have found a few that I think work well with the summer sandal look:

...yeah, I know, my cuticles could use a little moisturizing too...

Well, enjoy your summer and take some time to have fun. Life's too short to let this one get by without a little splurging, right?

Jake