CosmoProf North America 2014 (HUGE POST - LOTS OF PICTURES AND INFO)

Here's what you've been waiting for!  I had the privilege to visit Las Vegas for CosmoProf this year.  I was expecting it to be amazing but it BLEW MY MIND!  There was so much to see and do, trust me when I say I saw more than most could see in a day yet I still wish I had been able to go back a second day.  My day started bright and early with a welcome breakfast and speakers.  Mark Cuban was the keynote speaker and the advice I picked up from his speech that I can pass on to you are (and this is all paraphrased by me) follow your efforts, not your passion because your efforts will one day be your passion and you will be very good at it by then.  No matter what industry you are in, be sure that you know the absolute most about your job/industry/specialty than anyone else.  And the last bit of advice he gave that stuck with me was to continue learning about your trade/industry/job (though his actual words were "always be learning" and I cracked up at the improper use of English).  And with those wise words I headed into CosmoProf.

SQUEE!  I've got my Press pass!

Fancy hanging tiled entrance.

The first stop....Jessica Cosmetics!  I'll admit I was totally drawn in by the polish chandelier.  How cool does that look?  Every nail salon should have one.  I want one in my room.  Jessica is a large mainstream brand that has a big international following (80% of sales) and this year they are focusing on introducing the brand to the USA.  YAY!  Jessica is starting with a refurbished website where you can purchase the polish.  They will also have a face on Instagram and Pinterest soon.  Aside from gorgeous colors there is also a large collection of gel colors to match the lacquers (over 150 gels currently), and more are going to be added soon.  While the gel, lacquer and sets are popular, the star of Jessica's lines are the treatments.  With products like Bend Don't Break, which helps keep your nails flexible instead of stiff and brittle, there is something for every nail need.  A new feature coming to the website will help you find your nail type by answering questions.  The end of the questionnaire brings you to a list of products that would be most beneficial of your nails.  I am very excited to see what Jessica has in store with lacquers, gels and their trendy glitter Effects collection.  Keep an eye on their Facebook page for additional information.  

The Autumn In New York collection will be available now and is full of very classy and classic fall colors.  The 6 set collection consists of 5 cremes and 1 shimmer.  Broadway Bound, the shimmer, is my pick as the standout color in the set.  This collection is also available in matching gel colors.  I have this set to review and will share it with you soon.

The Kiss Nouvea set is also available now (though I couldn't find it on the website) and is a trio of gorgeous colors that represent Gustav Klimt's famous painting The Kiss.  This kit features 3 new Effects colors, Platinum Passion, Golden Embrace (both metallic chrome finish) and Golden Embrace, a glitter topper.  

Here is one of the gel/lacquer kits, which are all kinds of awesome because they match perfectly!  Worried about the grow out showing on your gel mani?  No problem, touch it up with the lacquer!  Great concept, right?

Moving along to the next booth, we (I saw we because I spent the day with Michelle at Ehmkay Nails) stopped at Color Secrets.  Now this is a brand I am not familiar with but I was totally enamored with their products!  Color Secrets is a vegan line of polish and each of their polishes is named after a movie.  I like when brands have niches like that.  But Color Secrets also has lipgloss, regular and colored mascara, eyelashes and skin care.  They also have Lash Food, with is an eco certified lash enhancing product.  I am 100% on board with cosmetic lines that promote "friendly" products.  I have some samples from Color Secrets and will be reviewing them soon.  Keep an eye for that post!

We stopped by Orly and saw the new collections coming out for Fall, Halloween and Holidays!  While the Smoky and Sparkle collections were both gorgeous I could tell immediately which were the standouts and will be most popular.  Those are the ones I took close up shots of.  The Halloween collection consisted of black creme, neon orange creme and Goth.  Nothing new or exciting so I left out the pictures. 

The Smoky collection will be available in August and is a very romantic and subdued collection.  I like all the colors and think they will be easy to wear with a variety of Fall outfits.  

Brush It On is a duochrome micro glitter that is heavy on the pink and orange shift.  It looks slightly sheer so it might need to be layered.  

Darkest Storm is another polish that looks to have duochrome qualities.  I love the deep, broody color and think this polish will be great for fall and transitioing into winter.  

*EDITED TO REMOVE THE ORLY SPARKLE COLLECTION UPON THE REQUEST OF ORLY.  I'LL HAVE A POST UP WITH THE SPARKLE COLLECTION AT A LATER DATE*

We stopped by the Zoya booth next and while they couldn't divulge any information about upcoming collections or hints about colors and finishes we did have the chance to sit and talk with Zoya for a long time.  Zoya was amazing to listen to, she's truly a captivating and rich story teller.  Though her stories are about her life which only makes them better.  For example, when Zoya was working in a salon her coworkers couldn't pronounce her name.  They asked her to change it to Zora or Zola but she refused and thank goodness she did!  As we all know by now, Zoya is a family run business started by Zoya and her husband. Some things you may not know are that Zoya chose to use women's names for the polish because no one else in the industry were doing that.  Many of the colors are inspired by a particular woman's personality or character.  Another tidbit you may not know is that Zoya not only enjoys making women feel beautiful through color, but they promote health and women's well-being.  Quality check for ingredients is very high and extends down to every pigment they use.

Caption is new brand on the scene that will launch their products on September 1st.  Initially they will only be available to distributors but by October 1st they will be available online for everyone.  They will run a price point of $15 each.  Now that looks like a lot for a polish but what you are getting for your money is a high quality lacquer that wears and looks like a gel but it's not a gel!  Caption is toted as having a high gloss, wet look that is achieved with no topcoat.  Most of the polishes are 1 coat and they dry in about 5 minutes without curing.  The wear time on these runs from 9 days to 2 weeks.  No special remover is needed to take it off.  The majority of the line is cremes and shimmers - while those are beautiful, I had to take some snap shots of these 4 amazing glitters!  I have a kit to try out and share with you but I am looking forward to the launch of this brand and will be first in line for these ones shown below! 

Nubar has a new collection coming out - actually it's already available to preorder!  FALLing in Love is another perfect set to represent the coming season.  FALLing in Love is 6 polishes: Don't Russet, Sweet Hue, Lush, Affair, Queen, First Date, Passion's Pain and Love American Style.  These are not cremes - they are all full of pretty shimmers!  Nubar always has wonderful formulas and I am definitely going to be picking this set up!  As I mentioned, you can preorder it now and shipping begins in August.  Use eorders@bynubar.com to inquire about preordering.  

Here's a non polish stop I made!  Pedi Princess is an awesome new shoe that will eliminate that awkward walk to the car from your nail salon...you know the walk I mean, in those slippery, thin, disposable flip flops, or your own flip flops with cotton between your toes.  Pedi Princess flip flops have extra toe separators that are embellished with gemstones, pearls or flowers.  They are cute and fashionable!  Available in a wide array of colors and patterns, even some with a bridal vibe.  You can currently pick up a pair online (SHOP) and the basic gemstone pairs are $15.  I have a pair of these to review so be on the lookout for my feet to grace my blog in the near future.  

I moved on to the Precision Nail Lacquer booth and they had several lovely collections out for display.  Enchanted is the newest collection.  You can find these products online and in high end beauty supply stores and they are $5.95 each.  The great point about this brand is that the bottle size is .55oz which means you are getting more for your money!  

We stopped at the essie booth and tried out some fancy mani products and got a little peek at upcoming collections (which I can't share with you).  Trust me when i say they are topnotch and very essie.  

We swung by the Color Club booth and checked out the new displays and bottles.  Doesn't this look fabulous!?  I had to snag a picture of these awesome neons...they are just so darn bright and pretty.  Color Club also has a couple new collection that will hit the scene soon but I was not given permission to share them.  

This was probable the most fun booth we stopped by.  Tattoo Junkee is a beauty brand exclusively sold at Walmart.  Everything in their line should be available at your local store.  The products range from $4-$20.  Tattoo Junkee has glittery makeup and tattoos to make you feel at your blingy best!  My favorite product at the booth were the lip paints - which give you the most fabulous glitter lips.  There is also the Glam Stamps, which is the tiniest stamp that you can use anywhere to give yourself a tiny little tattoo in a cute shape (butterfly, heart or skull).  I have some products to try out and will have a review for you soon!

Here I am getting a glitter tattoo.  Tattoo Junkee has a special fabric overlay that has the pattern cut on it.  The fabric is soft and molds to your skin ensuring you get the complete tattoo design no matter where you place it on your body.