“If you missed last month’s Manicures & Martini’s (M&M), then you’re in luck because we have some specialty cocktails and celebrity guest drop-ins for Saturday’s M&M.” says Patricia Patton, LA Style Entertainment Owner/Nail Stylist.

(l) Karen Baker, Nail Stylist and (r) Patricia Patton, LA Style Entertainment Owner/Nail Stylist

If you’re in Washington, DC and you’ve been under a rock this week, perhaps you missed the “ruff-ruff ” of the dogs?  Omega Que Dogs that is, celebrating their wondrous 100 Year Centennial Anniversary.  This weekend those barks will echo throughout the District as Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. escapade and galavant throughout DC, the events range from marches, step shows, comedy shows, receptions, ceremonies, tours, 5K walk/runs, banquets and of course, parties to name a few. Congratulations to the Omega Men, 100 years strong!

BUT , if you need a break from the doggy doggy affairs (no disrespect), then you may want to check out the coolest day-party concept around,  Manicures & Martini’s hosted by LA Style Entertainment.

WHEN . Saturday, July 30, 2011 from 12:00 NOON – 6:00 PM

WHERE .  One of the Illest Lounges in the City – Jin Lounge, 2017 14th Street, NW (U Street Corridor)

WHAT? . A nail bar of well-styled manicures and delicious martini’s.  A staff of Manicurist ready to gel, minx & stylize your nails with music by DJ Trini.

WHY? . Manicures & Martini’s are fly!

A few photos from last months Manicures & Martini’s, cocktails and styled nails, the nail bar experience you didn’t expect.

Martini's and Manicures

The "Oh So Sugar Scrub" so your skin will Shine Brightly!

c - P. Patton, LA Style Entertainment and Guests

A Signature M & M Martini

Martini & Manicure in the Works!

Find out about other LA Style Entertainment Events on Facebook or click  here.

Shine Brightly!

By PT

It surfaced in the 90’s (remember Cover Girl Crackle Laquer?) but this nail break-through is back in the new millennium.  Nail Techs call it CRACKLE, most of us call it SHATTER, whatever it’s called? It’s refreshing, edgy and has endless customized color combinations.  Shatter is a nail polish that shrinks when applied  to create a turtle/leopard type animal print with your base color peaking through. It’s the sophisticated version of 1980’s airbrush.  Are we still airbrushing?  Really?

The easiest DIY ever. I like to apply SHATTER after a week old manicure.

Step 1 – Apply a base coat then nail color as usual . one (1) coat may work vs. two (2)

Step 2 – Apply one (1) thin coat of crackle (very important to let your nails dry completely before applying shatter)

Step 3 – Nails will have a matte finish, to shine brightly apply a high gloss top coat and viola!

The most popular brands are OPI (check out Serena (Williams) Glam Slam and Katy Perry Collections of OPI’s Shatter, China Glaze and Sally Hansen (a drug store ol’ skool staple that made a smart line extension to ehhance brand relevance).  There are a plethora of other quality Shatter/Crackle brands that can be purchased online.

OPI Photo . $8.50 - $10.00

China Glaze . $7.00 or $8.00

Sally Hansen . $6.99

Retail prices are approximate.

Shine Brightly with Shatter, a Shine Beauty Culture Summer 2-11’ Fav!

An eclipse is when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun,  totally or partially obscuring the image of the Sun.

A partial Solar Eclipse is planned for today, June 30th or tomorrow July 1st.  As we prepare for the 4th of July Festivities, we should also plan for the visual spectacular and the emotional awakenings.  Things that change and readjust your focus.  Enjoy!

By Shadine Ménard

When I met Roque at The Makeup Show, in NYC earlier this year, I was struck by a) how smooth and perfect his skin and eyebrows look and b) how funny and down-to-earth he is. Roque interacted with his staff, customers and other press effortlessly, all while talking to me about new products and giving out makeup advice without missing a beat. Maybe, his ability to talk a mile a minute facilitated his multi-tasking. And he had a lot to say…

The Puerto-Rican/Italian son of an artist growing up in the ‘70s, Roque Cozzette had a natural artistic aptitude. By the time he was in high school, he already knew what he wanted to do. He was doing braids, extensions, and dreads and got his aesthetician license in 1984. He never took a makeup class although he is known as a great makeup artist and teacher.

In 2003, makeup artist Roque Cozzette joined Kett Cosmetics as Director of Makeup. Kett Cosmetics was founded in 2000 by makeup artist and educator, Sheila McKenna. All Kett products are vegan. None are tested on animals, instead they are tested in a high-definition, digital studio to ensure a flawless finish both on and off camera.

SM, Shine Beauty Culture: How did you discover your love for cosmetics, start applying makeup?

RC: I wanted to do it all. I’m a detective.

In the 90s, Roque worked Shisheido’s retail counters and says it was the best stomping ground to practice multi-ethnic makeup and coloration.  He credits Naomi Simms makeup line as being one of the first for Black women and inspiring him. MAC enlisted him as a trainer and brought him to NY to open the first MAC pro store. Roque soon branched out as freelancer. He and friend, Sheila McKenna realized they had the same goals and energy and started creating and testing makeup products in the studio, comparing how the makeup looked in pictures, onscreen and in person. They had never found a cosmetics line that excelled in all three areas and thought this was a way to find one so that they can use as artists.

SM, Shine Beauty Culture: So, how did you decide to take this project and turn it into Kett Cosmetics?

RC: We never intended to create a makeup brand, just be better artists. But after x amount of focus groups… I was  focused on freelancing so Sheila started Kett herself and once I got off tour (with Christina Milian as her makeup artist and hairdresser), I helped her finish launching Kett.

SM, Shine Beauty Culture: When did you know that Kett was a success?

RC: There are a lot of milestones, but one year (celebrity makeup artist) Fran Cooper called and said “I need Kett for Janet’s 20. I only want to use Kett”. Since then… they used (Kett) on Sex and the City 2… that collective experience makes me feel like ‘now, we’re serious!’ Being mentioned and appreciated.

Photo.KettCosmetics.com  Gallery

RC: I feel like God gives us situations that create competition in our lives. We can choose positivity or negativity. I chose to focus on positivity. Share knowledge.

SM, Shine Beauty Culture: What do you teach in your seminars?

RC: I teach the laws of attraction in seminars. We are attracted to those we’re like. Project positivity. Focus on what you love. I get them (the students) on track to where they need to go. Makeup training.

Because Roque knows so much about cosmetic products from working for different brands in addition to creating his own, I asked him for some of his non-Kett favorites. They include drugstore staple Cetaphil, Nurturing Force® Blot Out Offensive Shine + Oil Control Cream and Embroyolisse lait crème concentré.

As for Kett products, Roque decided to show me rather than just tell me how good they are. The new Kett Jet airbrush compressor was created to provide “light and airy” coverage. It’s created for professional use, but can be used by makeup savvy consumers. Roque took all but 10 minutes to use Kett Jet on my face, eyes and cheeks, giving me full coverage and glow while keeping my look natural.

Seeing his technique and approach first hand, coupled with his sentiments on beauty and his inspiration solidified to me that Roque Cozzette is a Shining Star!

“{My beauty inspiration} is more organic. I believe in oneness. I can draw on colors of a bird or orchid or textures of food. Always divine, organic. Faith is my path; I want it to come naturally.”  ~Roque Cozzette

By Shadine Ménard

I decided to try my luck at Avanti Nail & Spa with a walk-in on a Monday during lunch hour. I now wish I hadn’t walked in.

Avanti Nail & Spa . 212.496.6874 . 110 W 86 St.

Services: Manicure, pedicure, body hair removal, facials, body massages.

Vibe/Price Range: Spacious, generic / Affordable

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Upon arrival, I was greeted by a nice receptionist. Unfortunately, she was as unfamiliar with Avanti’s services as I was. When I asked that she recommend which special manicure to get, she could not due to the fact that she admittedly did not know what differentiates one type of manicure from another. She called over a nail technician who explained rather unceremoniously “oh we just add a 10 minute massage to the spa massage. That’s it”. Needless to say, it didn’t sound tempting so I opted for a paraffin manicure instead.

There was only one other client in the place and I was quickly led to dip my hands thrice in paraffin then I followed the technician who was holding my purse to her station. Once she started on my nails, I couldn’t even get her name because my technician started speaking in Korean, very loudly, over my head to the other workers. I guess the family atmosphere mentioned on the website is meant to be that of a loud family.

The actual manicure was worse than the non-stop chatter between the workers. My hands were placed into heat pads that had to be pressed repeatedly onto my hands to transfer the heat because they weren’t “proper “manicure mitts so there was a irregular fit . After less than ten minutes, the paraffin was peeled from my hands. Without asking if I preferred my cuticles pushed back or cut, the Avanti staffer cut the cuticles of four nails while ignoring the others totally. After briefly filing my nails, which she did nicely, it was time to cleanse off the cuticle oil and refresh my hands with the warm towel. Her towel heater had been turned off and so was a second one she checked. She finally got warm towels from a third station. By that point I just wanted to get it over with. Not a sentiment that you associate with what’s meant to be a pampering paraffin manicure. It wasn’t over yet. My nail polish was applied in a messy hurry and I was sent on my way. I was not about to leave with my hands in such a state and had to asked the staffer to clean up the extra polish. She did so with her fingers! As I pointed out the polish excess, she said playfully “your eyes are better than mine!” Not a convincing reason as to why she’d messily apply polish nor send out a customer without cleaning it up.

The only things about that nail experience that I associated with beauty were the beautiful pink polish OPI Dutch Tulip and the pretty flower and lemon accented water that I soaked my hands in. The pictures show exactly what I thought upon leaving the nail salon “my new manicure looked like a lumpy, old one”.

So, if you are looking for a peaceful or even fun nail experience that leaves your hands looking like a million bucks, take the train past Avanti onto the next beautiful salon.

By Shadine Ménard

RAMY GAFNI is a make-up artist and eyebrow shaper extraordinaire! A native New Yorker that began his career in beauty by dropping out of law school and studying at The Sydney College of Makeup Art in Australia and The Napoleon Academy of Beauty.  His body of work is robust, he’s worked for Bobbi Brown, developed the RAMY beauty therapy® collection which incorporates RAMY’s philosophy of  ”Minimum Makeup, Maximum Impact!”  A multi-purpose lined packed with anti-oxidant vitamins, avocado oils and sunscreens.  RAMY is also a cancer survivor, he produced a best selling video, “The Ultimate Guide to Looking and Feeling Great while Living with Cancer”. When you say “RAMY,” the beauty industry thinks - eyebrows.

Rhianna & RAMY

The Star Magazine 2010 Celebrity Brow Guru has shaped the brows of Rihanna, Britney Spears, Cher, Taylor Swift, Halle Berry, Ivanka Trump and many more. When I was offered the chance to get my eyebrows groomed by the master himself, I decided to let my brows grow out for a few weeks to make the most of the honorable experience.

Before Photo Make-Up by Roque Cozzette

Reaching his beauty abode on 39 East 31st street, it was refreshing to see how modest it was. RAMY was so friendly that as he told me about his work, dedication to cancer patients through RAMY beauty therapy and anecdotes about characters he’s met throughout his career, I forgot to marvel at being in the chair of a celebrity makeup artist. I’m usually a fan of the waxing process because I prefer pain to be swift and fast, but to my surprise there was no pain at all. Absolutely none!  RAMY, who used tweezers he designed, expertly shaped my brows and although they were a bit thinner than I expected, the arch was fabulous and gave me an instant confidence boost, no makeup needed.

Nearly two weeks later, they are growing in with the same beautiful arched shape he gave them and I doubt they’ll need grooming for a while. I left RAMY’s feeling fierce, but not before asked some questions for SBC readers:

RAMY, Eyebrow Guru

Q: What is the best eyebrow trend for all women at all times?                                                                    

A: I don’t believe in eyebrow trends. You change your clothes, but shouldn’t change your face. It’s always best to have a fuller brow than one that’s too thin.

Q: Is threading sanitary?

A: I get that question a lot. No, it’s not. Anything that involves someone else’s saliva and hair… (lol)

Duane Reade Boutique Look (classic NYC drug store chain)

For more tips and to get fierce RAMY eyebrows, simply visit www.RAMY.com or stop into your nearest Duane Reade RAMY eyebrow bar. For just $30, you can get eyebrows sculpted by beauticians who were all personally hired and trained by RAMY himself.   Call 212.684.9500 for specific locations, special offers and FREE eyebrow shaping.

By SBC

SBC defines peace as the harmonious rhythm in your body, mind and soul.

Finding your passion and living in peace is essential for growth!

Shine Brightly!

By SBC

May 16 . 17 2010 . Metro Pavilion . NYC

The SBC team was present for the 5th Annual Makeup Show - May 16 . 17th, 2010, NYC.

Thousands attended the two-day event at the Metropolitan Pavilion for the Powder Group’s production of the Makeup Show.

SBC  is super hyped about the innovation and great brands that were present for Professionals and Stage Production makeup.  You’ll see more on the Makeup Show on SBC site upcoming, but here’s a glimpse of what you missed;

Famed Director of Makeup, Roque Cozzette of  KETT Cosmetics, beating a face with their airbrush system, “HOT!”

M.A.C Cosmetics Keeps it Sexy, but What’s the Message?

Ricky’s NYC was present with their MATTE ELITE Makeup Line, an NYC moderately priced staple!

Smashbox had isles of trials, CLASSIC!

Dominick Briguglio, Director of N. American Sales for Stila Cosmetics, shadows are a required!

SBC’s Fav Innovation Find – a Oil Blotting Bronzer – We Love! Love!

www.maicouture.com

SBC loves the tinted moisturizers from BECCA COSMETICS, amazing!

SBC found some treasures at the Makeup Show and can’t wait to share them you you, Shine Brightly!

By SBC

Photo . M.A.C. Cosmetics

The Makeup Show NYC has been a testament to the changing face of the makeup industry in the last half decade, from the advancement of exciting new technologies to the growing number of makeup artists working today. The Makeup Show NYC is excited to announce its 5-year anniversary show taking place on May 16 & 17 from 9am–6pm daily, located at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, NYC.

The Makeup Show attracts both local and international artists from every area of the industry, from the passionate beginner to the seasoned professional, discovering the latest products, trends and techniques to honing skills for editorial beauty and fashion jobs, to airbrush secrets, FX, makeup for HD TV, film and theater to the perfect bride.

The Makeup Show NYC will host over 40 events including a special keynote series with renowned makeup artists Charlie Green, Joanna Schlip, Tegan Taylor (Avatar), Louie Zakarian (Saturday Night Live), and a rare appearance by Make Up For Ever creator Dany Sanz.

The Makeup Show NYC will also feature over 70 pro-makeup industry companies including:

Diamond Sponsor Make Up For Ever,

Platinum Sponsors Inglot and Temptu Pro,

Sponsors Crown Brush and Alcone,

Lounge Sponsor Smashbox,

and Media Sponsor On Makeup Magazine.

Other brands include: Becca Cosmetics, Dermalogica, Embryolisse, Eve Pearl, Face Atelier, Graftobian, Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, Korres Natural Products, L’Oreal, M.A.C Cosmetics, Mai Couture, Mario Badescu Skin Care, Naked Cosmetics, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

Learn from the mavericks and mavens of the makeup industry!  Shine Brightly!

By Shadine Ménard

7 Days . 10am - 9pm

The quest to find the best nail service providers in Manhattan continues with Vada Spa. A full service spa, a Spalon, Vada provides affordable options for every day pampering, as well as many special packages for Mother’s Day.  If you’re still searching for a Mother’s Day present, just book an appointment to appreciate the special Mother(s) in your life, 212.206.1572 . www.vadaspa.com.

Mother’s Day Special Packages

include massage, mani/pedi, facials and hair.  Choose from packages titled “I Love You Mom, World’s Best Mom, Sweetest Surprise for Mom, Mother’s Delight, Super Mom, Mother Daughter Retreat and Mommy to Be,” prices range from $90 – $180.

Spalon . Vada Spa

Services .  Body treatments, nails services, facials, hair removal, teeth whitening and more.

Location .  387 Avenue of Americas/6th Ave

Vibe .  Casual and relaxed

Price Range . Affordable

Point of Difference . Choice of complimentary red or white wine upon arrival and a plethora of affordable spalon treatments

The receptionist is very personable and knows how to take care of patrons. The wait time is practically non-existent if you book an appointment in advance, which is how it should be. It’s a bit apprehensive that the nail tools are not taken from a sterilized box in front of the client, but one can only trust that the staff is telling the truth when they assure that the tools have been sterilized. Once the choice of polish has been made from the vast array of Essie and the newest OPI colors, nails are buffed, shaped and polished nicely. The nail technicians pay attention to the clients’ wants and needs, from the water temperature and shape of nails to the offering for more wine. Laura, a technician at Vada Spa, stands apart from the rest with her sweet demeanor, professionalism and complimentary remarks for her clients.

The entire staff and place deserves praise however. It’s easy to feel relaxed in a place where you witness regular clients being greeted as friends with a “awww, where’ve you been?” showing that their absence was noticed and that they were missed which in turn prompts them to share the latest going on in their lives. The latest pop hits by Jason Derulo and Akon play on low while you sip wine served in a goblet that takes away any worry of spilling and reflects the chill atmosphere.

There’s no rushing the patrons at Vada, but they do make sure you are running on time so that it is still convenient for you. While there, why not take advantage of the $35 “Out to Lunch” facial. Yes, thirty-five dollars for a facial in New York City. Rena, who has been doing facials for over two decades starts with a pore-cleansing steam and mask that include no painful extractions or scrubbing. A repairing moisturizer follows, leaving your face glowing and leads to others inquiring about your newfound radiance.

Finish your spa romp with a knot-reducing, soothing massage of your choice. While in the private treatment rooms, all you hear is the soothing instrumental music and the occasional whisper of your masseuse. SBC recommends Ivan, a masseuse, for his soft touch and, for those who rather a stronger kneading of their muscles, Maria does a good job. With body treatments ranging from $40 massages to the priciest $90 couples massage or holistic treatment, it’s no wonder if you’ll feel even better after paying your bill. A few hours of treatments at Vada Spa feels like an entire day of pampering and take it from SBC…it’s worth it!