Mint Manis for Talia Joy

On Tuesday, July 16th, 2013, thirteen year old Talia Joy Castellano lost her battle with cancer. She was a beautiful and inspiring young lady and she exhibited a strength and wisdom beyond her years. She also loved all things makeup and nail polish, posting videos on YouTube as TaliaJoy18. I didn't know Talia personally, but like so many others, my heart was touched by her optimistic attitude in her videos and interview on Ellen. My heart aches for Talia's family and friends, but they are determined to keep Talia's memory alive and reach the goals that she was unable to meet during her short time on Earth.

Today, bloggers and social media users are wearing mint colored manicures in honor of Talia, as that was one of the last photos she posted...she & her mother with matching mint green nails. Nik & I wanted to join in, so here are our #mintmanisfortaliajoy to keep #TaliasLegacy alive!

Desi: I lost a childhood friend to cancer the day after my 11th birthday. Gillian was almost 12 when she died. Our friendship was really just beginning when she got sick. It was very difficult to have to say a final goodbye to someone so young. Every time I watched Talia's videos, I thought of Gillian, so I'm wearing my Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet for both of them today. <3
(I used iPhone apps A Beautiful Mess and Fontgram to edit this photo.)

Nik: While I am a little embarrassed to admit I really didn't know details about Talia until last night, I thought I would join in to honor the life she lived, battle she fought, and legacy she left in the world. 

For my manicure, I used a base cost of Sinful Colors - Mint Apple and then taped my nails to give the tips a coat of Wonder Beauty Products - Aphrodisiac. I love these two together, though its the first time I have used them as a combo.

If you want to share your Mint Manis for Talia Joy on our Facebook page, you can send us a message there (Facebook.com/MommiesManis) and we can upload them to the community mani album, or you can send us an email at mommiesmanis@gmail.com. Or, just upload them directly to our page!

Desi's Thoughts on Zoya Pixie Dust

I was incredibly excited to discover a bottle of Zoya's new Pixie Dust polish in the color "London" in my mail box last week, a gift from Mommies' Manis own Nik. It wasn't a surprise, as Nik told me she sent it. However, nail mail always makes me happy, surprise or otherwise, and I've been eyeing the Pixie Dust collection for awhile. I couldn't wait to try it, so I immediately put two coats on my bare nails. Instant love. It went on smoothly, and while textured, it didn't snag or pull on hair/clothing/etc as I feared it might. The gray sparkles are right up my alley, as gray is my go-to neutral. I couldn't stop staring at my hands, especially in the sunlight! Pixie dust, indeed! I can't wait to get my hands on more. I was especially thrilled with how easily the polish removed. I expected a nightmare, like glitter polishes, but this came off as easily as any other polish. LOVE!!

Pardon my awful-looking fingers. They need some TLC!

I can't wait to get my hands on more. I'm especially excited about the new colors coming for Summer 2013. They'll be available April 1! I hope that's no April Fool's Day prank...



I want Liberty, Stevie, & Miranda!