Missing my Mani of the Day posts? Well here is why you haven’t seen them the past few days! So if you read my update post (HERE) then you know it has been a very busy week for me! Once again, so sorry for the silence, but I am back and ready for action! Here is my manicure I recieved at the IFabbo event from CND! Isn’t it gorgeous?

Believe it ladies: we are lucky enough to be in the middle of a beauty revolution. This nail laquer is revolutionary, lasting for up to 14 days!!! Yes, we have all tried bottled brands who promise this yet never deliver. Well, this isn’t your run of the mill manicure.

So here is the low-down on CND and the beauty behind this company! I was lucky enough to meet the Co Founder/Style Director for CND and was absolutely blown away. Jan Arnold was outgoing and truly passionate about her company, while being completely down to earth and personable. She told us the story of how CND began and you could just feel her excitement fill the room. I walked the event and was excited to watch the whole process. How did they set these beauty blogger’s nails before they did my own? How was the color range? Would it hurt? Would it feel heavy or strange? 

After watching the pros and chatting with the other girls, I was in awe. It was simple, straight forward and lovely. Then I spotted Jan and we began to chat. We talked colors, nail gripes, and trends. Nails are HUGE this season, check your upcoming fashion shows and CND will be popping up everywhere. From Isaac Mizrahi to Jen Kao, CND is taking the nail world by storm
and impressing nail artists and nail admirers alike. Jan showed me some of her favorite designs from within her Fall-Winter 2011 guide and gushed about the wonderful IFabbo event she was so proud to be a part of. She explained to me how important it was to her to support salons everywhere for their creativity and technique. I usually paint my nails myself (you guys know I play nail polish musical chairs!) but this really struck a chord with me. I think it truly shows her passion and work ethic within the beauty community.

When it was my turn, I was practically giddy. I seriously still had not chosen a color. Would I go wild? Professional? Dark? Summer? Brights? So many options! When I sat in the chair I had blurted out “The dark purple with the chrome sheen!” My manicurist broke into a grin. She told me she had been doing neutrals and pinks for most of the events and was “finally going to be able to go a little wild” which I had no issue with. She quickly began removing my metallic gold and silver manicure then made sure my hands were ready for the process. She worked quickly and we chatted about our favorite trends and her colors. She told me about mixing them to get different looks and designs which was definitely fun for me.

I noticed she had jewels on each of her fingers. I was intrigued and thrilled when she told me the CND manicure mounts the stone when its still tacky so it doesn’t come out until you remove your nail polish. Then she asked me if I would be interested in adding something to my manicure? I told her “If it glitters, sparkles, shimmers, or anything else glam, I’m in.” She pulled out a clear bag full of containers of foils and designs and I probably squealed. While my left hand was in the light drying, I decided on a beautiful flakey effect with green and blue tones. After discussing my husband’s job (Air Force) she eagerly showed me that design and I knew I had to have it at least as an accent. As you can see, I love the dramatic and I think it came out beautifully.

After the top coat dries in the light, yoou can immediately touch it. Zero drying time, no sitting around unable to answer your phone, no worrying about smudging. I eagerly ran my fingertips over the shiny polish and was in love with the smooth, thin polish feel. Basically, the feel of acrylics without all the bulk/weight. I would have been in love with the color on its own, but the additions definitely took it to a whole new level. Is it for a wedding? No probably not. But to see how much you can do with this polish that I hadn’t thought possible was incredible. She was so glad I was adventurous as I was her last manicure, and I was absolutely honored to wear her beautiful work. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

It is now Monday morning and not a chip in sight. This is definitely a first for me. Stay tuned to see how my manicure holds up for the full 14 days and to see the removal! Check out cnd.com for more information and color swatches, you won’t be sorry you did!

CND is a salon brand which means you can have this done at a salon bi-weekly, monthly, or for special events! I can’t wait until I need to travel for another wedding, no more panicking over shipped polish for me! If these amazing ideas had been around 8 years ago, I would’ve never tried false nails nor damaged my own. When these are removed, you are left with healthy and natural nails instead of disfigured and thin nails. If you simply love your acrylics, you can also wear this over it! My nails are definitely stronger and I have gotten loads of questions from people about them. I don’t mind telling them about CND, in fact, I’d love to shout it from the roof tops. I love when I’m done explaining and they get the same look I had last Thursday: I must have that CND manicure!

 I am in no way affiliated with CND, I am just that thrilled with the experience!