Back 2 School, Nail Biter Anonymous and how to do cute corset nail art....

Life's a Peach

From making my first cover to working with respected South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, all in all, its been a pretty good week!

I know its been a while since my last blog post, but now that we have finally completed what I am convinced to be the worlds slowest move, and our internet connection is up & running again, I can now finally update you with whats happening in my realm of Nail Glam & Glitz.

As everybody knows by now Lady Gaga is coming to town, and for me it will be a dream come true if I actually get to style her nail for her while she is here. Chances of that are probably minus zero, but I am nontheless going to try get in. I believe in the six degrees of seperation, and I once did a shoot with a stylist that knew someone that worked for Gaga for 2 years, so who knows?

In my attempt to turns this dream into a reality, I am going to design 5 sets of nails for her and will see if i get any reaction from that. I am looking for a jewellery designer that can help me out with the design & manufacturing of a Nail ring for one of the sets, something like she is wearing in this picture, but obviously with a South African touch.



As mentioned earlier, I am exstatic to have made the cover of heat Magazine this week with my nail art story featuring Chiano Sky and Pearl Thusi. Its a six page editorial on the hottest new nail trends for this season, so make sure to get your copy now! Can I just say that it was an absolute pleasure working with the amazingly talented Chiano Sky, and Miss Thusi, you are on another level lady! Heart you stax xxx

Winter hand & nail care - my top 5 Tips

With real-feel temperatures as low as -6'C, there's no denying that winter has arrived in full force. Just like your body, your hands and nails require special winter care too. Here are a few quick and easy tips to ensure healthy happy hands, nails and cuticles during winter:

1) Moisturise!
You can never moisturise enough in winter. Make sure you use a good handcream at least 3x per day. Look for lotions that contain urea—a humectant that helps hold moisture in the skin. At night, rub on cuticle oil (in a pinch, olive oil also works). And once a week, step things up with an intensive treatment. Soak your nails in lukewarm water for no more than 10 minutes, then coat them with cuticle oil and slip on cotton gloves for at least an hour.

2) Protect!
I always ask my clients if they will work in the garden or do dishes with a 1 Karat diamond ring on their finger. The answer is always no. The same goes for your nails! Just like your diamond ring, a good manicure is an investment - make it last! Wear gloves when you are doing house chores or work excessively in or with water. In winter with the dry cold air, protect your hands with a warm pair of wool or fleece gloves.

3) Dip!

Most Nail Bars & Salons offer discounts over the winter months. Use this opportunity and book a professional paraffin dip for your hands & feet. Not only does a good paraffin wax treatment remove dead skin cells and leave the hands feeling silky smooth & soft, the heat and aromatherapy of the treatment can also do wonders for arthritis & gout.

4) Boost!
A good vitamin supplement is never a bad idea, and becomes especially necessary during winter. During the colder months nails are stripped from natural moisture, leaving them brittle and prone to splitting or breaking. If you don't like taking a daily hair & nail booster vitamin, eat foods high in omega-6 fatty acids and/or B vitamins. These foods will help to strengthen the nails. Mackerel, herring, salmon, peanuts, lentils, cauliflower and walnuts are just some of the foods that will offer these benefits.

5) Paint!
The best thing you could probably do to protect your nails throughout the year, is to wear a product. There are alot of opinions out there about wherever or not acrylic or gel damages your nails etc, (I will blog about this topic soon) what I can assure you of in the meantime is that a good technician makes the product. So wherever you are wearing gel, acrylic or just a traditional polish on your nails - if they are covered they are protected from daily wear & tear and prevent accidents like breaking & splitting.

Kardashian Kolor Launch

Can I just start by saying I knew this day would come, but already? Pretty soon there won't be a product on the shelves that does not have the Kardashian stamp on it.

Thats right, Kim and her klan (lol, clan - geddit??) recently launched 14 new nail enamel shades with Nicole by OPI - the highly anticipated Kardashian Kolor range. This were obviously to be expected after Kim announced the launch of her nail polish collection called "Wel-Kim to my World" Following K-ompany (I did it again, sorry can't help it) procedure, the colours boost names like "Nothing Kim-pares to Blue" (Baby blue shade) "Others Pale by Kim-pareson" (white shade) and my personal favourite " Light's, Kim-era, Action" A shade described as "Iridescent shimmering pearl"


I do feel the that this product launch is a bit of a slap in the face to most of the working class in the Nail & Beauty Business but since Kim actually did study beauty therapy for a while I can almost forgive her for this.

As per the Kardashian Kolor Press Release "Kris Jenner and her five daughters – Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian and Kylie and Kendall Jenner – are known for their head-to-toe unique style, which now includes nails!"
Ummm, alrighty then....

Although I am not the kind of person to condone massive amounts of egocentric behaviour, I would still love to review this product - no doubt that it will be top class like any other OPI Enamel.

25 May - Africa Day

Today is Africa Day - today in 1963 a union was formed, and together the continent of Africa to collectively address the challenges it has faced, such as armed conflict, climate change, and poverty. And there slogan? "In the Spirit and Beauty of Africa"

So what are you wearing on your nails today that are representing the spirit and beauty of Africa?
Here are one of my favourite Incoco Designs with a twist :-)

Found on Instyle - Katy Perry's 3D Floral Nails

One of my FAV Celeb's as far as Nail Fashion is concerned - Katy Perry is a trendsetter and breaks boundaries when it comes to Nail Design. If came across this little insert and thought I'd share it - What do you think?


"After Katy Perry tweeted a picture of her pastel French manicure with 3D roses last week, we caught up with her manicurist Kimmie Kyees to find out why. Turns out, the botanical talons will be featured in an upcoming project. “I went into my kit and I found these flowers I bought years ago,” Kyees said of the design. “I never knew what to do with them because they were a bit large, but then it hit me—tear them apart and use the pieces!” Kyees made examples for Perry, and the nails were a hit on the set. “She loved them so much, she tweeted them, and we packaged them up for the label in case they want to give them away or auction them off in the future.” Either way, we hope these innovative designs make a reappearance sometime soon"

Getting Close with Carol Ralefeta

Catch this sassy Metro FM DJ on her show Divine Edge Saturdays 5am-9am and Sundays 3am-6am.

What are u wearing on your nails right now?

Right now I have gel and a very cool Incoco pattern nail polish. Its really become a favourite of mine.

I find gel colours are not flexi so I prefer Incoco. I also find that with the gel underneath it lasts way longer.

What is your favourite nail product?

Incoco and plain gel

What was your worse salon experience?

It must be when I went to take out my braids and I asked the lady nicely to be careful and not cut my hair. My friend referred me to that salon, so I had never used them before. To cut a long story short, the cut my hair through the braids and I ended up with uneven hair. I was mad! But it grew back :)

What was your worse fashion faux pas?

Must be when I wore white and black leggings with flats on Friends Like These a show on sabc 1. When I watched the show back I looked soooo huge and the flat just added to me looking huge! Will never wear flats again on tv and forget the leggings too. Lesson learned.

What's the one item in your handbag that you can't do without?

My MAC soothing beige lipgloss. Its fab. I have also become a fan again, I say again cause I used to use the stuff, of 8 hour cream from Elizabeth Arden. Love them both. Nothing worse than dry lips in winter! Definite eeeeew

How are you celebrating Africa Day?

I'm not doing anything hey. Gonna stay home and prepare for my radio show on Metro Fm

What projects are you currently working on?

My new baby is my website www.CarolRalefeta.com launched it last week so I have been very busy with that.

Tell us something we don't know about you?

I love cooking and entertaining people. I can be a Drama Queen and dying to move downstairs so I can get a puppy or two.

Website, twitter handle, fb page and other contact details or info

www.CarolRalefeta.com @CarolRalefeta facebook Carol Ralefeta Public page :)

Or just join my mailing list on www.CarolRalefeta.com and I will mail you all the stuff I have been up to :)