Late last year, OPI released a polish line in collaboration with Katy Perry.  The colors are exciting + bold, and look great under OPI’s Shatter polish which gives the nails a textured crackle effect.

Serena Williams’ OPI line looks awesome under Shatter, too.

And, here’s the effect:

It’s certainly not for everyone, but it’s a-okay by Fergie…

..and of course, Mrs. Perry (Brand?).

LK + I swear by our nail salon, Lily’s Nails, on Piedmont + Monroe in the shopping center with RuSans + they’ve recently started using OPI’s Shatter.  Last week, when I was getting the OPI Axxium gel nails, Lily + another one of the technicians were trying it on themselves over various bold colors.  It looked really cool, I must admit, for the right time + place.  (Concert, Halloween, bachelorette party, etc…) 

Here are some other crackle ideas:

What do y’all think??  It’s not for everyone, but whomever it IS for – I want to be friends with them… 

xx, L

Continue Reading | 8 Comments

Opi nail polish, famous for darling and daring shades and quirky polish monikers, usually draws inspiration for their color collections from exotic locations or places with a fair amount of moxie.   From Switzerland to India to Russia to plenty of places right here in the US of A… my PERSONAL favorite is from the Chicago collection…Lincoln Park After Dark has been my winter go-to since 2005

But hold on to your horses because next up?  TEXAS, TEXAS, yeehaw!

Your fingers can get a Texas-style makeover in shades ranging from Houston, We Have A Purple to San Tan-Tonio to

It's Totally Ft. Worth It

The names are hilarious.   Big Hair…Big Nails?  Sign me up.

I’m not a super-adventurous nailpolish person - but I may just have to give Austin Tatious a try…

Giddyup.

xx, L

Continue Reading | 1 Comments

A colleague and I treated ourselves to a little slice of heaven the other day: manis + pedis @ The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta.  AMAZING!  It was amazing.  I was not at all surprised that Atlanta Magazine recently rated it the city’s best luxury spa.

The Spa is incredibly luxurious and feels a bit European.  It is not cheap, either, as they use some of the finest spa products available by names like Arcona, Karita, Bulgari, Kai and Sodashi.  They will even let you tailor spa services to your specific needs.  (Love ordering “off the menu!”)  However, I might feel a little ridiculous booking a 60-minute appointment for someone to just rub my feet, although that = my heaven…

The Spa, itself, is relatively small in size, but that makes it feel more intimate - not like you are at a factory.  And, it’s open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  and you only need to give them an hour or so notice for most services.  How nice - a spa that works around your schedule!

Here’s the Q+DD on The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta:

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta reflects the ultimate in luxury and serenity.  The tranquil setting allows your stresses to melt away and promises to replenish your total being. Designed for peace and privacy, the facility’s ten treatment rooms, including the nail suite, are soundproofed for a secluded retreat.  The colour palette throughout the Spa, including the couples suite, aesthetics room and nail suite, mirrors nature’s calming influence. Materials reflect a dedication to beauty and excellence.

Services are performed by highly trained, intuitive staff who bring you to a place of complete relaxation and renewal.  Indulge your senses.  Whatever spa services you choose, the experience will be beyond compare. Complimentary fresh fruit and juice are available in the quiet room where guests unwind before and after treatments.  Guests can also enjoy a light spa lunch while sunbathing just steps away on the sun terrace.

A list of spa services + prices can be found here:
http://www.fourseasons.com/atlanta/spa.html#image-atlanta-hotel-ATL_083

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

The nail technicians used the most incredible polish on our fingers and toesies made by SPARITUAL.  I loved it so much – I couldn’t leave without a bottle of my own.  SPARITUAL is a vegan nail lacquer free of DBP, formaldehyde and toluene.  They have about 80 different colors and are only sold at the Four Seasons and Callaway Gardens in and around Atlanta.  The color I used and purchased was “Flower Child” shimmer – it’s a perfect purple-based color for winter. 

Find out more about SPARITUAL here:
http://www.sparitual.com/nail_lacquers/

earth-friendly nail polish

Fight the winter blues by treating yourself to a little spa splurge at The Spa at Four Seasons Atlanta.  And, make sure to ask for SPARITUAL nail polish!  It’s just divine, dah-ling. 

xx, L

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
75 Fourteenth Street
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.253.3848
www.fourseasons.com

Continue Reading | 0 Comments

We’ve had a steady love affair going for a solid 5-6 years now. We started seeing each other when we lived in NYC and I was so glad we landed here in Atlanta together. I think it’s starting to get serious. For better or for worse, some of my best dates in Atlanta have been with my friend EZ. She’s a fabulous date. She’s cute and funny and fun to be around and very creative in her date ideas and Friday was no exception. It was a GNO (Lexicon addition: Girls Night Out) in 4 parts:

1. Manis and pedis at Nail + Toe Salon in Buckhead
Generally, I’m pretty loyal to Lily, but I think Nail + Toe does a terrific job and each manicure comes with an amazing 5-10 minute shoulder, neck, and scalp massage, gratis! Can’t beat it with a stick. While our nails and toes were polished (Essie “Angel Food” on our hands and OPI “Lincoln Park After Dark” on our toes) we polished off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and decided we needed to eat. Stat.

2. Light bite at Parish in Inman Park
I think Erin put it best when she said, “Was it the best food in the world? No. Was it the best “spot-hitter” for what we were craving? Yes.”

It was 9:30ish by the time we got there and a little chilly and rainy outside, but when we walked into Parrish, it was lively and warm and cozy and everyone was having an absolute blast. There were pretty people laughing at the bar and the restaurant was packed with little rowdy tables sharing bottles of wine and oysters on the half shell and whatever else. Fabulous. After hearing almost every single server’s advise, we settled on the Milk + Honey Salad (baby spinach with house made almond nougat, dried apricots and cherries, apple wood smoked bacon and chile and wildflower honey vinaigrette), the Squash + Dumplings (1/2 an acorn squash maple roasted and filled with buttermilk parmesan dumplings) and the Mahi Mahi (simple grilled over seasonal vegetables) then…the Bananas Foster. Amazing. When our glasses were empty and the live music packed up and went home, we thought we figured it was time for the next stop. After retrieving our keys from the valet, Bishop (hi, Bishop!), we decided to check out the cigar bar up the street.

3. In-and-out of Highland Cigar Co.
We both liked the idea of smoking a cigar, but when we walked into a wall of smoke, we walked right back out at the thought of either having to wash our hair that evening or having our pillowcases smell like an ashtray. But who knows? We may be back. Next!

4. P’cheen
MWolfe tells me P’cheen has his favorite burger in the city. I’ve never tried it. In fact, I have never had any food at P’cheen, so I can’t tell you what it’s like. What I can tell you is this: I have never had a bad time at P’cheen. It’s just a laid back, cool bar/resto. EZ and I drank cheap beers at the bar and giggled while we speculated about the life stories about everyone we saw and polled people on their favorite theme-party ideas (research for the 5th annual EZ/LK Birthday Bash coming up in early 2010. Get excited.)

All-in-all, fabulous GNO. Even on a cold, rainy Friday. So grab your go-to girl and g-o. I suggest someone as fabulous as EZ.

xx, L

Parish Foods & Goods
240 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 681-4434

Buckhead Nail and Toe Spa
3210 Roswell Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 869-8999

Highland Cigar Co
245 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307-1936
(404) 477-2415

P’cheen International Restaurant
701-5 Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 529-8800

Continue Reading | 0 Comments

“I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe in kissing. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”

- Audrey HepburnLike Audrey, I take my cuticles very seriously. Even if I am broke as a joke, my manicure and pedicure are the last thing to go. You’ll never catch me without neatly lacquered nails. Fact.

If you’re like me, you probably have a go-to manicurist in your neighborhood. For me (and Linds and Mer…), it’s Lily’s Nails on the top floor of the two story strip mall at Monroe and Piedmont. You don’t need an appointment (which is key for last-minute girls like myself) and my fabulous $10 manicure lasts at LEAST a week. Plus, Lily, the owner, is adorable and will occasionally serenade the entire salon with Top 40 songs as she bustles around the place. Fab. If that is convenient for you, I suggest you try them.

Lily’s Nail & Spa
1529 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30324
(404) 249-8080

BUT: We have all been stuck outside of our ‘hood in desperate need of a mani. Never fear. I enlisted a glossy little group of girlfriends (Linds, La, EZ, Stephanie, Stefani, Christine, Cari, Meredith and Stacey) to help make a handy-dandy list of our favorite places around town!

However, if we have somehow missed your favorite place, PLEASE kindly leave the address and phone number in a comment.

Buckhead:

Both Stephanie and Stefani recommended Sugarcoat (www.sugarcoatbeauty.com)
And when I lived in the Eclipse, this was my go-to as well. It’s the cutest salon ever. It’s pink and girly and PRISTINE. It’s also the best place to get an adorable gift, they offer fabulous products (Haviana flops, Hanky Panky, Lollia, etc.) and Sugarcoat is owned and operated by the cutest duet of ladies (well, besides L+L, of course), Christie and Colette, who are PERFECT to consult with on gift options or polish colors! C+C – I miss you!
Note: You DO need an appointment, though, they book up quickly.

Sugarcoat
256 Pharr Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 814-2121

Stefani also recommends Eminence (on the top floor of the two story strip mall in Buckhead Loop) She says the massage chairs are to die fah!

Eminence Nail & Spa
3495 Buckhead Loop NE Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 846-1555

EZ is faithful to Nail and Toe. (They do a great job and offer a fabulous shoulder massage with every manicure…)

Buckhead Nail and Toe Spa
3210 Roswell Rd NW # B Atlanta, GA 30305-1822
(404) 869-8999

Christine goes to Glamour Nail (in “The Peach” shopping center)

Glamour Nail
2900 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 239-0717

Midtown/Highlands:

If you can’t make it to Lily’s, Christine recommends Highland Nail (off Amsterdam)

Highland Nail
1190 N Highland Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 249-6245

Sandy Springs:

You can find La at her weekly Friday 3:15 appointment at Hammond Nails (off Roswell Road)

Hammond Nails & Spa
4279 Roswell Rd Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 250-9698

Recently, she has been getting “Gel Nails” which is a new process by OPI. For $25, they will paint your own nails with a similar solution as acrylic nails. The benefit? It lasts 2 weeks without ANY chipping and does not harm your nails. Note: you must have them “soaked” off a la acrylics as well. As far as I know, Hammond Nails is one of the only places in town offering this service.

Cari loves Nail Talk and Tan (in the Target Shopping Center by Perimeter mall.)

Nail Talk Tan & Spa
90 Perimeter Center Pl NE Atlanta, GA 30346
(678) 320-0400

Stacey either goes to Hammond Nails or Fancy Nails (She said Fancy Nails is cheap + good but not actually Fancy.  Which is funny because conversely, Stacey herself is fancy + good, but not cheap.  Interesting?)

Fancy Nails
6125 Roswell Rd NE # 10A, Atlanta
(404) 257-1205

Please stay tuned for a post regarding polish color. For now, I’ll leave you with a quote from the American cinematic masterpiece, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003):

“Never underestimate a girl with a French manicure and Harvard Law degree.”

(Listen, I don’t have one of those things, but don’t you underestimate me, either.)

xx, L

PS. Thanks, ladies!

Continue Reading | 0 Comments