fashion tip: go blue!

Beyonce stepped out last night for the first time since giving birth and was sporting bright blue nails – in honor of her daughter, Blue Ivy. This week, many of us in New York were feeling blue too, as we celebrated the Giant's Superbowl victory (go big blue!) No matter what your reason for liking this playful hue, there are plenty of blue nail polish options out there to choose from.

Baker Street, a bright cobalt blue from Nail's Inc, was all over the London catwalks during the spring/summer shows ($9.50 each. Available March 1^st at Sephora and on Sephora.com).

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Nail in Jet Set to Paris ($5.99, Available at www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers) delivers rich color, high-intensity and pure shine.

Deborah Lippmann in I know What Boys Like ($16, Available at www.deborahlippmann.com) is flirty and fun. This playful periwinkle crème lacquer is formaldehyde, toluene and DBP-free.

Topshop Make Up Nails in Missile ($10, Available at Topshop Stores) is fast drying and extra long wear with a lasting glossy wet look finish and perfect coverage.

Only a brave few will choose blue this season. Will one of them be you?

"step into summer" contest, enter today!

There's nothing worse than heading into summer with feet that are less than worthy of showing off. Thanks to Kiss Products, the leader in artificial nail technology, and lovemyshoes.com, you can enter the “Step into Summer” Sweepstakes and give your feet the TLC they deserve. Each winner will receive the colorful beach bag shown here, a Kiss branded beach towel, an assortment of Kiss toenail and at-home pedicure tools, plus a pair of Havaiana Sandals from lovemyshoes.com.

To Enter:

• Entrants must “Like” the Kiss Nails facebook page, submit name, address & email to the contest form

• Facebook fans will have 4 chances to enter on 6/21, 6/28, 7/5 & 7/12 only. One winner will be selected from each day’s entries using a third party random draw service.

To enter, visit: Facebook.com/kissnails & click on “Kiss Freebies”.

st. patrick's day beauty: pretty green things

A touch of green can turn a basic manicure into one that really turns heads. For St. Paddy's Day, paint your digits with Sula's Paint & Peel Polish in Fern ($9). The nature-inspired shade gives nails a fresh, clean look and pays homage to the famous shamrocks the holiday is known for. The best part: The one-of-a-kind, water-based formula lets you peel off the polish in one clean sweep--no nail polish remover required! So you can show off your Irish roots on Wednesday and go back to pristine pink the morning after. Check out this and other radiant shades at www.sulabeauty.com and celebrate in style.

holiday gift guide: give Burt's Bees

I asked a good friend what she wanted for Chanukah and she said, "A Burt’s Bees Holiday Gift set." I didn't even know they made them. But a quick click on the company's website proved her right. Being a big Burt's Bees lip fan, I was excited about the Burt’s Bees Lip Balm Purse Packs ($9.99), adorable cloth purses with four lip favorites. Choose from the Classic Purse Pack – featuring four Burt’s Bees® Beeswax Lip Balms – or the Mixed Purse Pack – a grab bag of favorite flavors. Then there's Burt’s Bees Mini Lip Gloss Collection ($14.99), featuring four shades of the Super Shiny Lip Gloss in mini forms, perfect for travel. Burt’s Bees Bee Keeper ($9.99), offers the signature lip balms in a festive reusable tin. Burt’s Bees A Few Favorite Things ($19.99), combines the Beeswax Lip Balm, Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme, Milk & Honey Body Lotion and Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream. Burt’s Bees Tingling Treats ($19.99) lavishes you in invigorating peppermint oil in the form of lip balms, foot lotion and more. Burt’s Bees Polka-Dot Perfect Mani-Pedi kit ($19.99) contains Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Crème and Coconut Foot Crème, plus a Pomegranate Lip Balm all in one tidy bag. With so much to choose from, I'm not sure which one my friend had in mind so I'll let her choose--but it can't hurt to keep a few on hand for last-minute gift giving. Go to www.burtsbees.com to order.

matte-r of fact

I recently wrote about some new shades of matte nail polish--and now I have even more matte news. You don't have to switch from your favorite hue to try this new trend. It's the most simple beauty treatment you'll ever attempt. Just apply polish as usual and brush Essie's Clearly Matte right over it! In seconds, you'll have a completely new look. I tried it over my just-beginning-to-chip manicure (well, I didn't want to risk it on a fresh one!) and was amazed at the results. No longer shiny, my nails looked like the top layer had been stripped away (actually, that's probably how it works!). I can't say I approved at first--it just looked dull to me. After a few minutes of staring at my fingers (I haven't looked so long since I got engaged!), it started to grow on me. I can assure you, I won't be using it often. But it's a nice change every now and then, especially for all the dark polishes that are popular for winter. Essie's matte look is being promoted as part a new partnership between Essie and Rock & Republic. To complement your newly made-over nails, they're offering innovative new All About Matte jeans and Top Matte tees. Go to Rock & Republic retail locations or shop.rockandrepublic.com to shop.

expert advice: Skyy Hadley, As "U" Wish Nail Spa

Last week was my birthday and I actually made some time for myself to get a massage, workout and go out with friends--things I don't get to do too often with two small kids. But as a birthday gift to myself, I promised to make more time for ME! I plan to start by following these simple pampering tips from Skyy Hadley, the owner of As “U” Wish Nail Spa in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Meals for the Heels Mask: Take one cup of regular oatmeal and 1/2 cup of regular milk and heat up over the stove, stir until cooked. Add sugar to thicken the mixture, and then let it cool off a bit. When the mix is thickened, apply to your feet. Leave the mask on for about 5 - 10 minutes. The oatmeal soothes dry, itchy or irritated skin, while the milk acts as an exfoliant to help get rid of dry and dead skin cells. Finish off with pure shea butter as a moisturizer and you’re all set.

Light Cucumber Shell Mask: Just combine 2 cucumbers, 2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice, to exfoliate, and 2 tablespoons of deeply moisturizing Olive Oil in a blender until pureed. Heat up the mixture and split it between two Ziploc bags. Place each foot in a bag and rub the mixture all over feet. Leave on for 5-10 minutes then rinse with warm water. You’ll have super soft feet that are just dying to be rubbed.

beauty on a budget: kiss manicures goodbye!

One Halloween, I dressed up as Barbara Streisand. I had the slightly teased-on-top tresses, the thick black eyeliner, even the microphone. But what really made the costume was my beautiful set of French manicured nails. I had a great time that night, but as I sat down to meet a writing deadline the next day, I realized I couldn't type! The nails were too long and I had to run to the nail salon to professionally have them "removed." Since then, I've stayed away from fake nails...until I tried the ones from Kiss. The Kiss Everlasting French Nails and Toes sets ($5.99 each) cost far less than a salon job and are easy to apply and remove on your own. They can be filed down to any preferred length and shape. They provide relief for nail biters by helping nails grow underneath. And they come off with pure acetone without damaging your natural nails (try the Kiss remover kit to make it even easier). Look for Kiss nails in all major drug stores nationwide or at www.kissusa.com.

beauty on a budget: welcome matte

Leave it to Orly to nail it! The innovative nail care/color company recently launched Orly Matte Couture ($7.50), a collection of matte nail lacquers guaranteed to get you through fall with flying colors. In case you haven't picked up a beauty pub yet this season, the latest nail looks are matte. Try Blue Suede (blue creme), Vinyl (black creme) and Purple Velvet (purple creme)--all are DBP-, tolulene- and formaldehyde-free. Wear them alone or over your favorite Orly base coat. Get yours at www.OrlyBeauty.com, Sally Beauty, or Ulta, among other retailers.

in living color

Tired of being Ador-a-ball? Weary of looking Wicked? I know I am. That's why I'm so excited to try Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition Nail Color, a unique, patented formula with real liquid crystals, that translates the clarity of High Definition into an unprecedented nail lacquer. HD Nail Color offers spectacular shades with pure, vivid pigments that provide multi-dimensional color and extraordinary brilliance (think Cyber, a futuristic purple, Pixel Pretty, a deep Caribbean bluish-green hue, and Hi-Res, a burst of berries, to name a few). Nothing compares to this color breakthrough when it comes to long-lasting, vibrant, high-definition color and deep, intense shine. The best part: HD also protects nails and helps prevent chipping, breaking and cracking. In celebration of this exciting launch, Sally Hansen is hosting a sweepstakes on their website from July 8, 2009-September 15, 2009. Win amazing prizes like a 32" HD TV, one of three iPod Nanos or one of ten Sally Hansen gift bags. Just go to www.sallyhansen.com and click on HD Nail Color Sweepstakes to enter.

happy mother's day: time to dash!

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than by spending quality time with your daughter? Dashing Diva and Harlequin Books have the answer--with a special event commemorating Mother's Day and the launch of a new book, 113 Things To Do Before You Turn 13, by Brittany and Terri MacLeod. This beauty extravaganza will take place Tuesday evening, May 5th, from 5-7 PM at the New York Dashing Diva salon (149 Third Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets). Just purchase a mani/pedi treatment for yourself (you deserve it!) and your daughter (13 and under) gets free little diva services and a great goody bag to go home with! Books will be available for purchase. Also, click on www.dashingdiva.com and check out the gorgeous Dashing Diva Manhattan Collection Nail Colors in cremes, sheers, shimmers, frosts and nudes, as well as other best-sellers like nail kits, hair removal kits and skin care treatments--all designed to make you look dashing!