Earlier this week, actress Blake Lively, star of “Gossip Girl,” wore Minx Silver Lightning nails to the Nina Ricci After Party for the Met Ball in New York City. Minx nails are a new nail fashion made of flexible film, and available in sparkly metallics, personalized graphics and photo-quality designs currently unavailable in the market. Minx gives women a new and glamorous way to extend fashion to their fingertips.

Celebrity manicurist Elle Gelle did Blake’s nails with Minx for the event.

Who else has been Minxed to date? Top stars like Beyonce (who wore Minx at the AMA awards, which you covered in your blog), Victoria Beckham, to model Riley Presley (Elvis’ granddaughter who wanted Silver Lightning toes) and Lady GaGa (she had nude Minx with black fishnet overlay for her new album cover!).

I read this great story in People magazine that I know you’ll find inspirational too for your Mother’s Day weekend.   Abbey Curran (20) is the reigning Miss Iowa USA who competed in this year’s Miss USA pageant in April.  She’s got everything a Miss USA contestant would have, only she was also born with cerebral palsy, which forced her to wear leg braces until age 10 and limp, dragging her left foot behind her.  When she told her teachers that she wanted to be like the beauty contestants she saw on TV, they encouraged her to be realistic because she could never be like them.   Instead of discouraging her, the comments made her work harder to be what she wanted to be…and now, in addition to competing in the Miss USA pageant, she raises funds to hold the yearly “Little Miss You Can Do It” pageant for disabled little girls and young women, hoping it will inspire them to “be whatever they want to be.”  Says the beauty queen:

The biggest hurdle isn’t cerebral palsy.  It’s getting over what everyone else thinks.”

Now I’m not sure how you feel about beauty pageants, but I love this story because it shows that perseverance and believing in yourself are what really makes you shine.  Feeling good on the outside is great too, of course, which is why we love beauty products!!  But here’s Abbey Curran’s perspective, which I’m definitely taking with me from her very moving story!:

I believe it’s the heart that matters most, then I’ll worry about the hair.”

It’s that time of year again! Click here to get started.

Are you shiny? How about being shiny in some areas and dry in others? Hellooooo combination skin - story of my life. Thank goodness I found out about one of Avon’s secrets that promises to even out my troubled areas. Before applying foundation, be sure to use Avon’s magiX Face Perfector. It’s a colorless primer that evens out combination skin and keeps it matte all day long.

You mean I won’t blind a passerby with my forehead anymore? Dreams really DO come true.

Contact an Avon representative for more information.

Reader request! A reader was curious who the designer of Eva Mendes’ dress on a recent trip to New York. I unfortunately could not find the exact designer but I’m almost positive it’s designed by Chaiken. The closest I could find is the Chaiken Caroline Twill Dress which you can purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue for $370.00. For those of you without that kind of money, check out the Sleeveless Twist Front Dress at Ann Taylor Loft for $39.99.