O.P.I. is taking the perfect polish to a whole new meaning with its Axxium Soak-Off Gel Lacquer. Now you can have over 40 of your favorite O.P.I. colors, and have the color last up to 3 weeks with no chipping, no smudging and no color fading.

Unlike regular nail polish, Axxium is a gel based nail polish painted onto the natural nails with a brush, followed by drying under a UV lamp. The whole application process can take around an hour, because the nails have to be placed under the UV light after each coat is applied: base coat, two color coats and a top coat. Voted by Allure for a Breakthrough Award, Axxium’s benefits include the color lasting longer, the polish being dried before leaving the salon and the gel having the capability of being applied onto your natural nail bed.

The negatives? The negatives to the Axxium polish are the gel polish has to be soaked off (usually at a salon which can cost extra), the Axxium manicure is more expensive than a regular manicure and some of the nail bed growth will show.

New to many salons, O.P.I.’s  Soak-Off Gel Lacquer has made it easy to achieve natural nails, with a long lasting polish, in the colors we love. Make sure to get your practice with it in nail technician school.

We are thrilled to announce Cindy Batchelor from Rock Spring, WY as our winner of the Artisan Naturals Skincare contest. Batchelor has won a complete skincare prize pack valued over $200 dollars. To learn more about the contest, you can visit our contest page here.

Check out the BeautyschoolAdvice YouTube Channel to hear the official announcement.

Be sure to read our interview with the winner: http://www.beautyschool.com/skincare-products-winner

Beautyschool.com would like to extend a special thank you to Artisan Naturals for helping making this contest possible.

Have a beauty blog or a beauty webpage? Beautyschool.com is a huge supporter of beauty – as if you couldn’t tell. To spread the world on how awesome beauty is, we’ve created fun beauty badges for beauty lovers and users alike to repost on their blogs and share their beauty personalities.

Check out the entire beauty blog badge collection and pick one that describes you!

The History Of Razors – most likely tidbits left out of beauty schools‘ history classes.

30,000 B.C.
Cavemen get vain. Smart archeological people figure out that the earliest shaving razors were made of flint blades, which started out incredibly sharp, but dulled after use. Yes, cavemen used disposables.

3000 B.C.
Metal mania. Thanks to a lot of metal clanging and banging, copper razors (which make for a more “permanent” solution) make their way into the mainstream… well, if you want to call Egypt and India the mainstream of the B.C. era.

1500 – 1200 B.C.
Designer razors. Leave it to the Scandinavians to bring style to the art of shaving. Razors discovered from this time period were adorned with etchings of cool stuff like horses, and came in cute leather carrying cases. Seriously!

500 B.C.
Alexander the Clean Shaven. Apparently the “great” one was obsessed with having a smooth complexion. Legend has it that he wouldn’t be seen in battle before shaving.

300 B.C.
B.C. Barbershops. A rich Greek businessman, Publicus Ticinius Maenas, decided that he was too rich to shave himself, so he brought over professional barbers from Sicily, and started a fad. In fact, in Rome, a popular 21st birthday ritual included a first-shave party to celebrate adulthood.

50 B.C.
All hail the beardless. Speaking of Rome, Julius Caesar was very into personal grooming, down to plucking stray hairs with tweezers. As they say, when in Rome… shave like the Romans do.

1066 A.D.
Razor trickery. William the Conqueror defeats King Harold in the Battle of Hastings, in some part thanks to his army’s calculated decision to shave their faces and cut their hair to resemble monks. The deception meant that King Harold’s spies underestimated the enemy threat, and the rest is history.

1500
New world barbering. Archeological evidence indicates that the Aztec Indians of North and Central America created razors from volcanic glass. The first hot shave?

1770
The book on shaving. Perhaps it’s no surprise that a Frenchman literally wrote the book on shaving as an art form: The Art of Learning to Shave Oneself (La Pogonotomie). Sort of like a beauty how-to article, the guide may also be the first to introduce the concept of “safety” razor.

1847
Who you calling a hoe? The hoe-shaped razor (resembling the farming tool) that we recognize today can be credited to English inventor William Henson. It’s all about a comfortable grip.

1901
Shave safely. King Camp Gillette (you know, the-best-a-man-can-get guy) teams up with an MIT genius named William Nickerson to perfect the safety razor, complete with double-edged, disposable and replaceable blade. Side note: Isn’t Nickerson a funny name for a guy who wants others to shave without getting nicked?!

1914
The war on facial hair. Gilette’s popularity skyrockets worldwide after he cuts a deal with the U.S. Armed Forces to give every enlisted soldier a safety razor and blades as part of their off-to-war care package. Foreign soldiers are envious, and European sales soar.

1921
Invention intuition. Adapting a military idea for a practical use inspired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jacob Schick to invent a new razor – the Magazine Repeating Razor. Similar to how a magazine clip contains bullets, this razor housed replacement blades right in the handle.

1928
No water required. Schick invents and patents the first electric dry shaver, great for roaring ‘20s men on the go.

1970s
Back to basics. The disposable razor, not popular since the stone ages, makes its way back into mass popularity. Cheap to make and easy to use, all of the major razor manufacturers offer a throwaway option.

Today
Headline-worthy beards. If you’re a celebrity, sporting a beard represents a lifestyle choice. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Conan O’Brien, Joaquin Phoenix – need we say more?

Via: Spa Beauty Schools

You’ve seen them out there making headlines, raising eyebrows and perking paparazzi. It’s a simple pleasure we take in life by seeing celebrities in their “not-so fine” moments, especially when those moments are fashion and makeup mishaps. You know, when the celebrity in question looks more like they just got out of a stint in the slammer than off the red carpet. Well, today ladies and gentlemen (more so ladies) is your lucky day because this is a list of top celebrity fashion disasters. Enjoy!

Nicole Kidman
This one’s tough because Nicole Kidman typically radiates beauty and she does so subtly – never flaunting the vibe that she’s 1,000 times prettier than you like some celebrities do. But, this makeup mishap is just too hard to ignore. Next time Nicole, make sure you check your makeup in different lighting before you grace the presence of hundreds of flashing cameras.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/sq4jIp

Lindsay Lohan
Remember when it was semi-funny to make fun of Lohan’s absurd run-ins with the press? Well, it’s far past the road of funny and the car has really just taken the path to pitifully sad. Talk about a celebrity fallout. Well, despite the massive amounts of negative comments she already receives, Lindsay so eloquently lands on this list as well. In fact, finding a picture to encapsulate Lohan’s fashion disasters was probably easier than beating a 4-year-old in a spelling bee.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/u4OAeh

Christina Aguilera
Remember when Christina first hit the music scene with her “Genie in a Bottle” hit? Then you probably also remember her looking cute and innocent and not…well, like this. Although Christina has finally gone back to emphasizing her true beauty look as of late, the above picture really displays that whole drag look-alike phase that she went through during her “Dirty” period.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/v5zHjp

Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton is beautiful, there’s no denying that. But, sometimes even the most beautiful women can look straight up scary if their makeup application shares a closer resemblance to the aftermath of a fight than a trip to the salon. In this particular case, it looks like Barton just got double punched in the eyes. Is that black bruising or eye shadow?

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/svJcxm

Carrot Top
This is believed to be comedian Carrot Top… in drag? Nope, just Carrot Top being himself. There is so many things wrong here that this picture should be in one of those children’s activity magazines (like Highlights) where you have to circle everything that is out of place in the picture. Although, this picture would probably only have one circle – the entire image.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/tggnMC

Our favorite celebrities always seem so put together—perfect hair and glowing, flawless complexions. We’d all like to replicate their look but most of us aren’t willing to shell out the big bucks that they do to look that good.  How can you be red-carpet worthy without spending a fortune on spa treatments and blowouts at the salon?  We’ve picked out a few celebrity make-up artist tips that won’t break the bank.  In fact, these items can all be purchased at your local drugstore.  No need for a shopping trip to Rodeo Drive!

Five Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Tricks:

1. Primer: Okay, some stars really are born with perfect skin.  But most of them have a little secret called skin primer.  Most skin primers are silicone-based and act as a thin layer that fills in fine lines, large pores and acne scars. The result? A smooth, flawless complexion! Give skin primer a try and you’ll understand why Hollywood make-up artists call it the under-make-up make-up.

2. Skin Illuminator: Where do all the stars get their glow? Skin illuminators!  Most skin illuminators are pearlized shimmer creams that you put under your foundation or mix with your foundation for a fresh, glowing complexion.   Celebrity make-up artists warn that skin illuminators should not be confused with shimmery powder, which can end up looking like a sparkle-overdose.

3. Fast Lash by Tweezerman: Medication to make your eyelashes grow? Expensive.  Fake eyelashes? Messy and inconvenient.  The trick to get quick Hollywood lashes?  A secret to the stars—Fast Lash by Tweezerman.  In fact, it’s one of the most requested products for celebrity photo shoots and special events.  You first coat your lashes with regular mascara, then use Fast Lash which looks like a normal mascara tube but really contains dry white flakes.  These pieces of harmless polyester fiber act as a lash builder when you add another coat of regular mascara.  You’ll end up with thick, luscious lashes!

4. Blue, Yellow or Orange Concealer: You may not believe us, but putting these colors of concealer under your eyes will actually make them look better– trust us!  Blue-based concealer helps reflect light and makes eyes look brighter.  For even darker under-eye circles use yellow or orange concealer which will neutralize the darkness beneath the eyes.

5. Shampoo With Dimethicone Copolyol: Ya, we can’t pronounce it either. What we do know though is that shampoo that contains this ingredient has a little extra “oomph!”  Next time you need to purchase shampoo, make sure it has this volume booster in it.

Love makeup beyond just reading about it. Consider going to a makeup artist school and becoming certified.

Wal-Mart has recently been at the center of fiery controversy—revealing a product line that has the parents of young girls upset about the damage it could cause with their impressionable daughters.

The culprit?  Some shimmery pink lip gloss and purple eye shadow from Wal-Mart’s new make-up collection, GeoGirl.  The new cosmetics line which is marketed as makeup for young tween girls—ages 8 to 12—features products that are priced at a reasonable $4- $6.

The problem?  Some parents are outraged that Wal-Mart is targeting young girls with makeup and forcing them to grow up too quickly. In the collection’s defense, the products are as harmless as nail polish, light pink blush, lip glosses and colorful eye shadows—mostly meant to be fun and for play.

Haven’t young girls and tweens always loved to play dress-up and play with make-up? For many of us, our love for Bonne Bell’s Lip Smacker glosses and Wet & Wild nail polishes come to mind from our own childhood.  In fact, according to a marketing research group, NPD Group found in a 2009 study that tweens were the only age group who actually increased their spending on cosmetics during the recession.

So, we’re asking what’s the big fuss about?  Should young girls not be allowed to play dress up with some age-appropriate makeup?  Tell us what you think! How old were you when you were allowed to start wearing makeup?  Do you think Wal-Mart was out of line for marketing cosmetics to 8 to 12 year olds?

Winter can be tough on hair and skin.  The cold, the dry air and the lack of sunshine leave us with flaky skin, lifeless hair and a dull complexion.  Winter doesn’t have to leave us as ragged looking as we feel though!  With these five winter beauty tips you can get your glow back and feel beautiful.  What we can’t promise, however, is a change in the forecast…

Beat the winter beauty blues:

1)    Moisturize-  Using lotion on your hands and body should be a given year-round, but it’s especially important to moisturize even more this time of year.  Use rich, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner on your hair, use creamy face cleansers rather than gels, and use a leave-in conditioning hair treatment once a week.  Putting lotion on your feet and slipping on a pair of socks before bed is a great way to keep your toes sandal-ready even in the winter.

2)    Put on a mask- Using a moisturizing mask once a week can help retain moisture and keep away those pesky flakes and scales that show up on your skin this time of year. Always remember to put on a moisturizer after your mask treatment.

3)    Watch your time in the shower—A long, steaming hot shower probably is one of the things you most look forward to on a cold winter morning or evening. However, it be damaging to your skin and hair.  Try to either turn down the heat a bit on your next shower or shorten it.  Always slather on lotion in the first few minutes of getting out of the shower to lock in skin’s moisture.

4)    Scrub away dead skin—Winter is the time to exfoliate!  With increased dead skin this time of year, you need to exfoliate more.  By sloughing away dead skin cells, you allow more moisture to penetrate into your skin, too.

5)    The right environment—Blasting the heat in your home may feel great but it can wreak havoc on your skin and hair.  If you’re not willing to budge on the thermostat, try getting a humidifier.  Adding some moisture to the air can do wonders for your skin!  Add some house plants for more moisture, too.

Here’s to looking fabulous this winter! What winter beauty tips would you like to share with us?

Another year has come and gone and if you’re like the average person you’ve either decided on your new year’s resolutions or you’re still in the midst of thinking, “Do I really want to give that up?” Regardless of whether or not your resolution is easy, there are subtle ways to improve your look and overall feel this year without being a slave to the gym or sufficing on water and granola for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just follow these 5 easy beauty new years resolutions for 2011. It’s a new year, new you…literally.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #5: Take a page out of dwarf Sleepy’s book. Get some rest!
You may have thought you were getting an adequate amount of sleep in 2010, but ask yourself one question. Were you getting between 6-8 hours of sleep each night? If that answer is no, then you’ve got some “Zzz’s” to catch up on. You can even try taking a nap if you’re not getting enough shut-eye at night. And, although the workplace doesn’t enforce nap time like preschool, you can even catch up on some dreams during the work week. Simply close your office door at lunch and put your head down for around 15-30 minutes. If you don’t have an office, a car will also do the trick. Just remember to set an alarm in case you happen to trail off…

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #4: Breaking the habit
This one really only applies to addictions like smoking or overeating. You may have tried to stop in the past and maybe every new year you tell yourself that this is the year to break the habit. But, if you’re like the majority of us, it’s usually just talk. How about this year you walk the walk instead of talk the talk?

If you’ve had trouble giving up addictions in the past, try giving them up again but under different reasons and circumstances. Try quitting them for someone else and not for yourself – almost like a present to your family or friends. Or, if you’ve tried to simply quit by using your own methods in the past and it didn’t work, this year try upping the ante. Go see a therapist or get a specialist to help you axe the bad habit.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #3: Forget about dieting. Wait, what?
That’s right ladies, you can kiss that new year’s diet plan goodbye. The problem with dieting is that it can lead to denying your body certain nutrients and in some cases it can actually have a reverse effect – leading to overeating and at worst hints of depression.

So, this new year, make the changes small. No more sneaking Snickers at work. Go ahead and empty out those candy drawers in your desk. Try swapping your regular pop to diet. Switch to whole grains. Subtle changes like these are easy and don’t take a lot of discipline to pull off. Not to mention, they will help you feel better while looking better too.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #2: Get up and walk around
The average American sits at a desk 5 days per week for hours at a time just staring at their computers. That’s a lot of lazy time. So try this. Every hour get up and move around for a few minutes. It will help you get your blood circulating again and it’s just a healthy practice in general to reduce stress and clear your head. Also, if you work on the third floor or above, skip the elevator and take the stairs. You’d be surprised what a few flights of stairs can do for the ‘ol cardio. Lastly, start taking a 15-30 minute walks during your lunch break or before work. Simple steps like these aren’t overwhelming and the results will definitely show themselves soon enough.

Beauty New Year’s Resolution #1:  Shot, shot, shot-shot-shot…of water?
Drinking an adequate amount of water is something that is incredibly overlooked by people on a daily basis. It helps flush out your system, keep you hydrated and lose weight while maintaining healthy skin and complexion. You should be drinking 8 cups of water a day. So, ditch that coffee and start chugging some H2O. Okay fine, you can keep your coffee just make sure you’re throwing back your fair share of water, too. Go buy a big 32 oz water bottle from the store and keep it filled on your desk at work. It’s as simple as that!

Are you a beauty blogger? Beautyschool.com is holding a Top Beauty Blog Contest. Having a beauty blog is fun, but it’s time for beauty bloggers to reap some benefits for having a blog! Beautyschool.com is awarding beauty bloggers for their hard work and dedication to the online community of beauty. So how does it work?

Fill out the entry form and tell us about your blog. That’s it!

Entering your beauty blog makes you eligible to win the Ultimate Beauty Giveaway Basket, which includes Barelle Cosmetics Model’s Professional Makeup Kit valued at $125, along with other fab (and free) beauty prizes such as a beauty pack from Motives cosmetics, a skincare set from Decleor, beauty essentials from Rimmel London, eye must-haves from Beautisol and Virginia Alexander’s 5 Minute Makeover DVD on creating a professional and evening look. Not to mention, a Top Beauty Blog badge to post on your blog page, and a featured post on Beautyschool.com and mysocialbeauty.com’s “Top Beauty Blogs to Follow in 2011” list.

All you have to do is enter!!! Get the full details and enter the beauty blog contest here: http://www.beautyschool.com/top-beauty-blog-contest

BeautySchool.com would like to extend a special thank you to their Top Beauty Blog Contest Sponsors: