Nails

Raging Rouge Rewind: Why I Am Throwing Away My 40+ Bottle Nailpolish Collection

One of my most popular posts, "Why I Am Throwing Away My 40+ Bottle Nailpolish Collection" is still relevant. Many brands have yet to remove these harsh chemicals from their solution! Well… my house is now clean of them.

I love my nail-polish, all 40+ bottles of happy, simple, fun color variation. I’ve applied them lovingly, and have organized them by color for easy access. I love sifting through them to pick out a color before heading to the salon.

I love them all, and I’m throwing them out.

Why? The story starts during my pregnancy, about two years ago. While pregnant, I did everything in my power to ensure that my baby was given a healthy environment in which to thrive. I gave up caffeine, discontinued coloring my hair, and stopped using any topical product that seemed sketchy. I wasn’t certain if nail-polish was safe, so I did some research. My research unearthed that a common ingredient in polish, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), is linked to birth defects. Temporarily, I decided to pass on my manicures, too.

Turns out, there are a minimum of three ingredients in many nail polishes that are harmful to both you and your unborn child; DBP, Formaldehyde, and Toluene. According to articles I’ve read on the subject, these three chemicals statistically increase birth defects, reproductive issues, and cancer risk. DBP is in fact banned from cosmetics in the EU, due to its dangers.

This post has completely ruined your relaxing manicure and pedicure ritual, right? Well, just when all hope was lost, I contacted someone at OPI. Thao Nguyen, a technical support person from OPI Products, Inc. gave me more information on OPI’s nail-polish formula. In response to customer demand, Thao said "OPI has began [sic] transitioning out of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP early last year and we expect that transition will be completed by year end." Thao also said currently the only OPI products that contain Formaldehyde and/or DBP are OPI’s nail strengtheners (all "Nail Envy" products), Start-to-Finish base/top coat and RapiDry Top Coat.

The news keeps getting better. The new OPI Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP formula will be available worldwide. So, regardless of where you buy it, you can be certain your OPI polish does not contain these ingredients.

My 40+ faithful Polish soldiers will become casualties of war. I’m going 100% DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free. On a positive note, it gives me a fantastic excuse to purchase the entire Australia collection. It’s already DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde-free.

Summer Must Have Beauty: Pretty Pedicure Polish

In search of a lovely shade for your tootsies this season? Raging Rouge has tested, deliberated, and compiled a list of pedicure-worthy selections to take you through the entire summer! From red hot reds to ballet slipper pinks, these nail lacquers are all you’ll need.

Remember my post about divesting my nail polish collection of DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde? The nail lacquers featured in this post are all DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free– but the removal of these chemicals has not compromised the quality of the product. Each polish featured in this post delivered long-lasting, tough and gorgeous color. Proving that those nasty little chemicals aren’t needed to formulate a superior nail polish (and making me wonder why so many brands still hesitate to remove them from their formulas).

summer must have beauty products, NARS Dovima Nail Polish

If a Ferrari had feet, it would choose NARS Dovima Nail Polish for its pedicures. This incredibly popular fire-engine red shade is frequently sold out, such is the demand to be seen wearing it!

Raging Rouge is a big fan of all things red. I’ve probably owned 50+ different shades of red polish in my time, and this… by far… is the most perfect shade of them all. A true red, it’s the classic shade that you’ll reach for over and over, and restock when the bottle is empty.

When I was a little girl and my family headed to the Bahamas for a vacation, I selected my polish carefully, and opted for a opal white shade with rainbow glitter in it. NARS Arabesque Nail Polish is the grown-up version of my festive childhood polish choice. A sheer base packed with pink glitter, this is ideal for a pre-party pedicure and is fun in ways only summer polish can be.

NARS Pussy Galore Nail Polish You can’t appreciate it in my photo, but NARS Nail Polish in Pussy Galore is actually a delicate opalescent pink. This shade conjures up images of the inside of seashells. The color changes subtly and beautifully when the light hits it. These color variations make this pedicure polish complex and interesting.

NARS Nail Polish retails for $16, and can be purchased at NARS Cosmetics, Sephora.com and Beauty.com.

Butter London Portobello Pink 3-Free Nail Lacquer Hollywood has been all about neon pink nail shades this season. This bright fluorescent pink shade by butter LONDON, called "Portobello Pink" is the brightest and beachiest shade I’ve worn since the 80s neon craze, and is a fantastic way to embrace the Hollywood summer style.

My pedicure with butter LONDON’s 3 Free Nail Lacquer in Portobello Pink lasted for a whopping two weeks!

Butter London Primrose Hill Picnic 3-Free Nail Lacquer Looking for a pink that’s bright, but not quite so shocking? butter LONDON’s Primrose Hill Picnic delivers, with a gorgeous shade of fuchsia that’s bold and modern.

butter LONDON 3 Free Lacquers can be purchased on line at the butter LONDON website. Or, indulge in a pedicure at one of their many salons by searching for a location near you! Click HERE to buy butter LONDON at beauty.com!

elf Light Pink Nail Polish Beauty on the cheap is nothing to be embarrassed about, particularly when you manage to score a high-quality nail polish for only $1. That’s exactly what e.l.f. cosmetics delivers, with their relatively new line of Nail Polish.

Available in a range of colors from white to black, this shade, called simply "Light Pink" is a gorgeous ballerina pink that looks heavenly on toes with a tan.

eyes lips face Coral Nail Polish

The shade "Coral" by e.l.f. is actually a deep shade of pink mixed with a frosty gold shimmer. It dries into a fabulous coral shade that reminds me of a frosty summertime cocktail.

Infused with Vitamin E, this polish also helps nails grow stronger and longer!

Snag yourself a dozen bottles of Nail Polish at Eyes, Lips, Face for only $1!

summer beauty product reviews, OPI Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It Nail Polish

OPI’s Australian Collection isn’t new for this season… but some of the shades are super-hot for the summer. I love this bright orange-red Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It Shade. It’s the perfect shade to usher in warmer climes. Select shades of OPI Nail Lacquer are currently on sale drugstore.com. Ordinarily, each bottle retails for $7.50 at select nail salons.

Best-Ever Mommy Manicure: butter LONDON

I’ve always wanted to try butter LONDON nail lacquer. After all, many a starlet and supermodel swears by the brand, and I love every shade offered in their diverse selection. Roughly half-way through my pregnancy, I was hesitant to sample any nail polish, as many contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful to the fetus.

Turns out, butter LONDON lacquer is named "3 Free" for good reason! All butter LONDON polish, including base and topcoats are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP! In fact, butter LONDON’s motto is: "we believe in color, not carcinogens". This has become a personal mantra of mine, as I recently purged my beloved polish collection of anything with these three ingredients.

Thus I embarked upon the first manicure I had had in almost 6 months, and did so using three of butter LONDON’s vast selection of mani/pedi products. Here’s the rundown:

1) Nail Foundation (retail $18): This basecoat (pictured above) fills ridges and dries lightening fast. Its nude, matte finish is even pretty enough to wear alone!

2) Yummy Mummy 3 Free Lacquer (retail $12): Apply one coat and you’ll have nails the shade of sand. Two will give you a darker beige. In either case, butter LONDON brags that this shade is a perfect match for any skintone, and I must concur! The shade also happens to work with any attire!

3) Hardwear (retail $18): This final manicure step is like a suit of armor for your polish. This long-lasting topcoat dries fast but gives your nails the amazingly shiny appearance that they’re still wet!

My butter LONDON home-manicure experience was a delight. As the pregnant mom of a toddler, I’ve come to think of certain grooming rituals as chores… manicures included. But I was able to complete an entire manicure from start to finish in 15 minutes using these three products, and my nails were ready-to-use dry 20 minutes after that (smart- in case the little guy wakes from his nap early). No ultra-violet light needed!

The polish remained chip-free for 4 extremely active mommy days (one mommy day translates to roughly 2-3 "normal" days in my book). When I read that butter LONDON is actually based in Seattle, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Specializing in inexpensive manicures and pedicures in a luxurious setting, I definitely plan to splurge on a professional service courtesy of butter sometime soon!

I was also thrilled to read that butter has even opened a salon in the SeaTac International Airport, so perhaps the next time I’m delayed I can indulge in a mani/pedi instead of waiting at the gate jabbing crazily at a voodoo doll of an airline executive.

Click HERE to check out the butter LONDON website.

Avoiding the Pedi-Scare: Dos and Donts for a Relaxing and Safe Spa Pedicure

Pedicure Safety According to most American women, a trip to the nail salon or spa for a pedicure is not just a luxury – it is an accepted portion of their weekly beauty regimen! With so many women including pedicures as routine, it is no surprise that the bar has been raised when it comes to safety standards. According to New York City cosmetic podiatrist Dr. Oliver Zong, “a pedicure is something I recommend to my patients who want to maintain both the health and look of their feet, but I warn them to ‘proceed with caution’ when choosing a nail salon to frequent.”

Dr. Zong’s hesitation is warranted: in October of 2000, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention investigated the first known outbreak of Mycobacterium fortuitum cutaneous infections acquired from whirlpool footbaths. As a prominent podiatrist in New York City, Dr. Zong has seen countless patients who have developed infections in their feet as a result of spa pedicures.

Dr. Zong’s Pedi-Do’s:

Do ask salon workers how the foot spas are maintained and how often they are cleaned. Take notice of their actions while they are working on clients to see if footbaths are disinfected with each customer.

Do pay attention to the time spent cleaning footbaths between customers. The disinfectant needs to work for the full time listed on its label, typically 10 minutes, depending on the type of disinfectant. It is worth your health & safety to practice patience at the spa!

Do check your skin for infection during the days following your pedicure. Open wounds may appear on the skin of your feet and legs and can look like insect bites, but increase in size and severity over time.

Do visit your podiatrist or primary care physician if you suspect you may have a serious infection.

Dr. Zong’s Pedi-Don’ts:

Don’t get a pedicure if you have cuts or abrasions on your feet or legs. Microorganisms living in footbaths can enter through the skin and cause infection.

Don’t shave, wax or use hair removal creams within a day before getting a pedicure

Don’t get a pedicure if you have bug bites, bruises, scratches, scabs or poison ivy.

About Dr. Oliver Zong
Dr. Oliver Zong is a podiatrist in Manhattan’s influential Financial District. As one of the premier cosmetic foot surgeons in the country, he serves as the Director of Surgery at NYC FOOTCARE and is on the Board of Directors at Gramercy Park Surgery Center. Besides traditional and cosmetic foot surgery, Dr. Zong is also an accomplished cryosurgeon and co-founder of the Podiatric Cryosurgery Center of New York. He is an attending physician at New York Hospital Downtown, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Cabrini Medical Center, and Gramercy Park Surgery Center. Dr. Zong graduated as Valedictorian from New York College of Podiatric Medicine where he earned his degree, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). For more information please visit www.NYCFOOTCARE.com.

Many thanks to Dr. Oliver Zong, for allowing Raging Rouge to publish this article on pedicure safety!

Stocking Stuffer Suggestion #30, OPI Russian Collection

The Russian Collection OPI, The Raging Rouge Beauty Blog I recently reviewed the fabulous Russian Collection by OPI, and must reiterate here that I’m in love with the bold reds, rich browns and sleek navys in this winter-worthy collection of nail polish. Yes, OPI has developed a new formula free of DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde. Yes, even this new formula is extremely long-wearing. What a great stocking stuffer, at only $7.50 a bottle!

Head over to the OPI website to check out the Russian Collection and the new "Holiday in Hollywood" collection! The site has a "Where to Buy OPI" tool, so you can locate a retailer near you.