Living the Gelife at Dashing Diva

I love the look of a new manicure, but until recently, I had simply stopped getting them. I’m pretty hard on my hands, so no matter how careful I try to be, within a day, the polish has chipped, and my nails look sloppy. Recently, however, I discovered a solution to my problem, thanks to a visit to Dashing Diva, a charming nailcare chain in New York City (it also has outposts in California, North Carolina, Japan, and the Philipines, among other locations). I got a chance to sample the Gelife Manicure, and I think that it may be difficult to return to a regular polish regime again. This exclusive service banishes unsightly chipped polish and extends the lustrous look of manis and pedis for weeks, courtesy of a creative gel technology. Following a trimming, buffing, and shaping of nails, two coats of a soft, removable gel are applied, just like nail polish, then cured under a UV light after each application. The gel immediately sets in the UV light, leaving a manicure or pedicure that lasts for up to two weeks and requires no drying time. My mani lasted for nearly 10 days, hanging tough through two trade shows and a particularly tough deadline, where I was hammering away in my computer with my shiny new nails. I finally soaked the gels off just a couple days ago, and can’t wait to go back. Though I played it safe the first time, choosing a natural-looking cool pink color, I’m ready to jump in and test out one of Dashing Diva’s six new Gelife shades—Beige, Coral Orange, Darkest Burgundy, Deep Red, Hot Pink, and Taupe Brown. For more on this fab new nailcare solution, visit www.dashingdiva.com and check out the November issue of American Spa.

Spa Biz Does Good – Part 2

Check out what these spa and wellness companies are doing in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Company: Babor
Product: Lifting Bust and Body Cream
Charity: A percentage from each sale will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
Contact: www.babor.com

Company: Beauty.com
Product: Online purchases
Charity: From Oct. 12 through 18, 10 percent of online purchases will be donated to Cancer and Careers.
Contact: www.beauty.com

Company: Cosmoholic Cosmetics
Product: Prudish Pink
Charity: 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research
Contact: www.cosmoholiconline.com

Company: Jeans Cream
Product: Jeans Cream
Charity: A portion of proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research.
Contact: www.jeanscream.com

Company: Kimberly Parry
Product: All products
Charity: A percentage of proceeds from all orders during October will be donated to The Wellness Community – West Los Angeles.
Contact: www.kimberlyparry.com

Company: Number 4 High Performance Hair Care
Product: Fleurs de Temps Body Lotion
Charity: 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Contact: www.number4hair.com

Company: Purple Lab
Product: SWAC (Sealed With A Cure) lip gloss
Charity: A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Triple Negative
Breast Cancer Foundation.
Contact: www.purplelabnyc.com

Company: Rejoice! Body Care
Product: Bodycare Products
Charity: 25 percent of proceeds will be donated to the Pretty in Pink Foundation.
Contact: www.rejoicebodycare.com

Company: Sweet Grass Farms
Product: Faith Hope & Courage Fragrance Stick Set
Charity: 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer
Research Foundation.
Contact: www.sweetgrassonline.com

Company: Three Custom Color
Product: Be Bright Lip Gloss
Charity: 20 percent of proceeds will be donated to Bright Pink.
Contact: www.threecustom.com

For more items that give back, check out Spa Biz Does Good – Part 1 and the October issue of American Spa.