Ingredients for a Great Lacquer Manicure

I thought I'd share some of our lesser known gems. They aren't sexy on their own, but they are the quiet ingredients to a great manicure!

Nail prep is so important, for every manicure, even "just" lacquer  It's important to clean the nail, especially after you use a lacquer remover! See that pretty pink tint? That means there are moisturizers that help your nails... BUT, they keep the lacquer from adhering correctly!

The smoothing base coat helps to provide a smooth surface and the barely white color helps your lacquer color to POP! Each coat dries in about 4 minutes, so by the time you finish your second hand, you're good to apply color.


When you uses more than 1 coat of lacquer, it takes a bit longer to dry, which increases the chance of smearing :( So... I recommend an ultra fast drying top coat and a quick dry spray combo to get you out the door with perfect nails!

I hope you enjoyed these tips to help you #PlayWithYourJams

Your hands tell the world about you... what do yours say?

"Your hands tell the world about you... what do yours say?"

So begins my part of "Unzipped: The Guide to Being Your Best Badass Self".  You'll hear my best tips for taking great care of your nails, how to split you manicure routine into manageable time bits and how to mix and match patterns to #PlayWithYourJams.

I'm very proud of my latest book!  Compiled by stylist and entrepreneur Myaann Payne, "Unzipped: The Guide to Being Your Best Badass Self" is meant to inspire, uplift, and motivate you to wake up each day and throw out what society tells you to be and start being the badass that is in you!

This book is for anyone who is struggling to find himself or herself, anyone that feels like they "can't do it" (because you totally can) and for those looking for inspiration through others to overcome obstacles to truly be the best person you can be!

What you will find in these pages are stories of triumph over health issues, real-life transformations, notes and tips from an artist's chair, how taking care of yourself TRULY matters, and how you can be your best badass self.

Authors
Joshaa Flores
Carlos Velazquez
Erica Annise
Noel Giger
Isabel Fernandez
Myaann Payne

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Talking to Kids About Death

Recently a child at our elementary school passed away.  In a local mom's group, there was a discussion about how to talk to our kids about it.  I thought I'd share my response with you all here.

My kids were 5 and 7 when our infant son passed away. Unfortunately, we had to deal with it suddenly and unexpectedly. Fortunately, I have gained much wisdom through this process.

1. Tell the truth. Don't sugarcoat it, don't use words like "passed away" or "is no longer with us". As hard as it is for us as an adult to say, you need to say "she got really sick, the doctors did everything they could to help her, and she died."
2. Depending on the maturity level of the child, they may still believe in magical thinking concepts. This means that they may not understand that death is permanent. Be prepared to discuss that she will not be able to be alive again.
3. Older or more emotionally mature children may be beginning to understand the concept that death is universal. It can be helpful to explain that everything dies. Nature is a perfect place to illustrate this concept. Especially in the fall, leaves are falling off and dying. You can relate it to a pet that has died as well. They will ask you if you will die too, or if they will die too. Please be honest with them! Tell them "yes, we will all die someday."
4. Although the concept of Heaven is fairly Universal, please remember that there are atheist families and telling them that God took their child or that the child is with Jesus can cause disagreements between kids. Please keep this in mind when you are explaining to your child. We used to tell our kids that every family gets to make their own rules on some things and that they have different names that they call things. Like our grandma is called Kiki, some people have different names for heaven.
5. If your child is a boy, don't assume that he's not grieving because he's not crying. Boys often express anger or act out rather than crying. Also, boys are more likely to open up and talk during side-by-side activity. Play cars with them, a video game, watch a baseball game. Don't try to sit knee to knee and talk about your feelings.

Although we all hope to not have these conversations, they are inevitable.  I hope that these guidelines are a help to you!

Drive Me Matte

Jamberry’s Drive Me Matte Collection channels your deepest passions to elevate your mani to frenzied heights. Our matte lacquers’ deep and intense shades are the perfect way to embrace the hottest trend this season. Need we say more?