Rock Star Fashion: Touring Summer 2015

One rock band that I've had the pleasure of being friends with for some time now is The Dirty Pearls.. Particularly Marty Eiee, their drummer and also the singer with the band, Midnight Crisis. They're having a good year. Marty usually rocks a black manlicure as you can see in this photo of him and good friend Lady Gaga and the superbly talented Tony Bennett, Brian Newman and the rest of The Dirty Pearls. Music and art shape our lives and these Rivington Rebels live for the music. The Dirty Pearls are also headlining a tour this Summer promoted by Jameson Irish Whiskey (they just hit L.A., next up N.Y.C.), have a new record, and Midnight Crisis; the band Marty's in as well, is releasing new music! This train don't stop!

After you look at the success and happiness and hear the addictive echoes of true rock.. Remember that this liberation costs nothing but a free soul and a willingness to embrace one's glorious self.
· Imagine getting to do what you love to do.
· Think of the liberation of saying "YES" to the creative spirit hungering inside you.
· Let your talents and creativity be your self worth; not the same degree everyone in your class also got.
There's a rebel soul inside all of us.. Let yourself blossom and don't be eye candy. Be soul food. All that matters at the end of the day is that you did it for yourself. Go on.. Rebel and free yourself! The music sings to you. YOU are a canvas, an instrument.. Go crazy!

There are a hundred shades of black and the stage picks up each one.

I highly suggest The Dirty Pearls and Midnight Crisis to anyone with a taste in music. The vocals are passionate; not autotuned and fake. The chords and harmonies hit you like a freight train.. Instead of killing you, it takes you on board this non-stop concert and you won't want to get off. It's too much fun. This isn't some looped sample; this is music. Try the links.. You'll be singing along in no time. Enjoy! Rock out with your nails out!

The Dirty Pearls Official Website
http://www.thedirtypearls.com/

The Dirty Pearls YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/#/user/thedirtypearls

The Dirty Pearls Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/thedirtypearls-2/

Midnight Crisis Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/midnight-crisis-nyc/

Baltimore Foot Freaks

https://youtu.be/3DsVYL541Ts

It doesn't get better than this! The Valley! That is a pedicure!

Nail Polish Chemicals Can Kill You!

A Twitter trend, #PerfectNails caught my attention today and  I read a heartbreaking New York Times article about how a large percentage of manicurists are very sick with respiratory diseases, cancer, skin infections and some mentioned having miscarriages. That means that EVERYONE who wears or works with nail polish, removers, solvents, acrylics, gels, nail art.. Is at risk. I am. You are. This might mean the death of my blog, yet I'd rather that die than my soul. And I already have cancer, so let me help you. There's hope though..

These manicurists, make up artists and nail artists who have suffered while beautifying us didn't have to and won't have to suffer in vain. We do our nails or get them done to feel good.. To relax.. To treat ourselves.. For our look.. These hard working manicurists have bills to pay and they want us enjoy our treat.

PERFECT NAILS, POISONED WORKERS
("Perfect Nails, Poisoned Workers", New York Times)

The fumes you smell when you open a bottle of nail polish should be a warning enough that there is something toxic inside. Nothing in nature smells like your average nail polish. However, the smell goes away when they dry. The residue is washed off, we hope. When we look at the beauty of the art, we can forget about the chemicals. We eat with our fingers, touch mucous membranes with nails, touch other people with nails. Gel use can be just as dangerous especially if you don't use sunscreen and use UV instead of LED.

*The Toxic Threesome*

The three chemicals in nail products that are associated with the most serious health issues are dibutyl phtalate (currently banned in the European Union and Australia starting this June), toluene and formaldehyde (popular for embalming; cosmetic use will be 7banned in the European Union in 2016).
Obviously, if these ingredients were safe, Australia and the European Union wouldn't ban them.. Unless they ban things that are healthy.

As for the United States, regulations of chemicals in nail products are dictated by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. This law has, which hasn't been updated in seventy-seven years, states that cosmetic products and ingredients do not need F.D.A. premarket approval.
The F.D.A. has further mentioned,
“Neither the law nor F.D.A. regulations require specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients.”

So.. If someone tries to tell you that the same chemicals that they use to preserve dead people are completely safe for your nails; they're probably a lobbyist or someone trying to sell you their nail polish.

*How To Polish Safely*

We don't have to stop painting our nails. Just play safe..

· Use 3/5 free, vegan and/or cruelty-free polish
· Use sunscreen when getting gels
· Try out nail stickers, foils, stamps (pictured)
· Tell nail polish companies you won't support animal testing
· Ask for ventilation and safer practices for manicurists
· Avoid toxic ingredients whenever possible
· Don't eat polish off nails!

A great many of nail polish companies have voluntarily removed certain chemicals from formulations. In 2006, several prominent brands had announced their products would no longer contain any of the three. The new products were labeled “3-free” or “5-free,” meaning they did not have the "Toxic Threesome" and/or less other toxins.

*Thank California And Pay It Forward, Nail Salons!*

California passed a measure that required cosmetics companies to disclose certain hazardous chemicals to the California Department of Public Health. These California advocates introduced a grass-roots program that officially recognizes “healthy nail salons,” which that carry “greener” products, are safer and that ventilate. The New York City Council held a hearing this month on a measure that would establish a similar voluntary program.

Today, 55 salons in California are in this program. Let's try to encourage more salons to do this! A lot of manicurists and nail artists are told by their doctors to wear gloves and masks, yet they can't because people say it doesn't look pretty. They need to! And it might be a little drafty in the salon, however they are inhaling all of these chemicals to make us feel good and look pretty. We can bundle up a little so that they won't cough. The one featured in the New York Times article is Lulu Nail Spa, a tiny salon with a dusky rose wall and white-leather pedicure chairs in Burlingame, California and it has 5 stars on Yelp! So if you're there, check them out and keep up the good, ethical work!

I will keep you in the loop about healthy cosmetics and salons and remember to treat your bodies with love!

Support Bruce Jenner and Transgenders and #PaintYourNailsForBruce

Thanks to Australian radio station KIIS 1065, #PaintYourNailsForBruce has become a worldwide trend to show support and love for former Olympian, Bruce Jenner, as he goes through a highly scrutinized, transgender transformation. I'd like to take the time out to say that I welcome any person based on the goodness of his or her actions. It does not matter to me if you are man or woman, gay or straight, or black or white. We all bleed red. I am just one human and I cannot and will not judge other humans. I'd like to welcome the Transgender community to my blog and if there are any topics you'd like me to talk about, let me know! 

For any heterosexual guys that want to wear nail polish, yet still have reservations.. Now you can say you're painting your nails to support Bruce Jenner and the Transgender community. Why? The world needs love.. Less hate! Even if you just polish your middle fingers, you'll be able to flip people off. ;) This trend was started because Bruce Jenner wanted to wear nail polish "long enough for it to chip". It's important to remember that Transgender people do not choose how they feel. A lot of people who are transgender have Gender Identity Disorder and/or Body Dysmorphic Disorder which is very hard to deal with. We need to support our brothers and sisters and show love!

#PaintYourNailsForBruce