I think Rina Raphael at TODAY explained Minx Nails very well: “Imagine metallic Lee Press-On Nails that can last roughly four weeks, but look more like grillz for your fingers.”

I had to dig around a bit to find out how much it costs to have Minx Nails shrink-wrapped to your fingertips, and The Frisky says it’s about $40. Although that’s not so expensive that an average woman would need a quick loan to pay for it, so far it’s been labeled a “celebrity trend.”

Minx Nails go mainstream

After today, though, Minx Nails will be pulling in a lot more business from the “common folk.” The Frisky says Beyonce, Solange, Eve, Rihanna and Mariah Carey have been spotted wearing Minx Nails, so it’s just a matter of time  until their fans follow suit and pay top dollar for their own set.

But, will fans of Beyonce and Eve get Obama’s face emblazoned on their fingernails? My guess is yeah, probably.

How do Minx Nails work?

Minx Nails are not an alternative to acrylic nails, rather they go on top of them — or on top of your real fingernails. Minx Nails are only an alternative to nail polish. Hm, $40 for a month’s worth of “nail polish”? That might explain why, so far, it’s only a celebrity trend.

Still, I am sure well-to-do women will be willing to shell out the money to have custom-designed fingernail coatings. KMGB9.com describes Minx Nails as:

A new polish alternative that heat bonds a super-thin film of color to your nails.

It comes in the standard reds, pinks and mauves, but you can get a Minx coat in all kinds of patterns, from fishnet and cheetah to hibiscus aloha print. There’s a chrome silver and a true metallic gold too.

Want to spend more money? There’s always a way

As I mentioned before, Minx Nails customers can also get customized designs, like Barack Obama’s face. I am sure that if you request a specific image rather than picking from the salon’s standard offerings it will cost extra. I am also pretty sure that most manicurists will be more than happy to accept your extra money in exchange for super-custom nail art.

Are Minx Nails worth the price?

Minx Nails reportedly have several benefits that make the procedure superior to regular nail polish. The coatings never chip, so there’s no need to replace them until your nails grow out enough that it’s noticeable.

Also, there’s no waiting for Minx Nails to dry. They take longer to apply than nail polish, though, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Removing Minx Nails

Although several magazines proclaimed that Minx Nails will never, ever, peel, I have my doubts after reading about the removal process. Of course, it is “recommended” that you get Minx Nails removed at a salon by a technician.

However, to remove Minx Nails at home, all you need to is warm up the film with a hair dryer, then peel it off. So I suppose if you don’t want your Minx Nails to peel, you have to avoid heat around fingernails. If you use the oven a lot, live in a particularly warm climate or regularly sit in a sauna, I’d think twice before shelling out $40 for nail polish replacement.

In a few days, the attuned world will be witnessing Hollywood’s greatest awards show, and you could be considering payday loans. Why? Well, if you’re the type who obsesses over celebrity lifestyle and fashion, you could possibly be one to run out to the mall to get a knockoff of Angelina Jolie’s gown for your college reunion, or even be coerced by your daughter to get a cheaper version of Kate Winslet’s dress for her upcoming prom. Is this a good enough reason to get a payday loan? No. Think of payday loans as a warning device, or even an emergency measure, to evaluate your priorities.

Living the Celebrity Life

Too many people watching the glitz and glamour parading down the red carpet during this Sunday’s Academy Awards think the life of a celebrity is the stuff dreams are made of. It’s hard not to: perfect hair, flawless skin, gorgeous body, blinding jewelry, incredible gowns. You may think, “Hey, I can do that!” But really, we know looking good isn’t all they do. If that were the case, we might as well all be actors.

It is this image of money and prestige that many of us are attracted to; we try to experience this by buying products that celebrities use or endorse. Or at least we try to approximate what they have, like buying designer gown replicas. But do you absolutely have to? Or do you just want a piece of the lavish pie enjoyed by Nicole Kidman? The lure of celebrity and glamour can make you feel good about yourself for a moment, and dissipate once you’ve realized how much you’ve spent.

Keeping Up and Losing Out

There’s nothing wrong with wanting what celebrities have, but it is dangerous to actually keep up with their lifestyles—especially if you don’t have their talent fees. If you want to have what Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing that day, go ahead and get your own—copy or not—and be satisfied. But if you still want the outfit she wears the following week, it’s time to check your objectives.

Do you want it because it looks great, or you actually want to be Sarah Jessica? Absurd as it may sound, many continue to obsess over celebrities’ possessions just for this reason. Heard Cameron frequents this club? Go once and take in the experience. Want a car like Beyonce’s? Take a test drive and be happy. It doesn’t always mean buying into the celebrity life lock, stock, and barrel. You can just have a taste of it.

Go For the Best Picture

OK, so you’ve done it, you actually went ahead and bought a version of J. Lo’s gown and had your hair done by her favorite stylist. Now stop. Stop and smell the coffee—and check your funds. If you’re still fine, then relax, but don’t think about doing the same thing again next week, or even in the next year. You must be hiding under a rock if you still don’t know the kind of financial crisis the whole world is in.

If you realize that you’re running low on cash, credit, or both, make a promise that you’ll learn from all of this, and take out a payday loan. It comes in $100 to $1,500 amounts, so you won’t be too hard paying it back—but it will solve your problems right now. Payday loans are your best bet at this point. If you are able to control your celebrity fantasies, then you’ll soon know who the winner is.

Gates of Neverland go up for sale

It was just announced that a five day auction of items belonging to Jackson will go up for sale in Beverly Hills in the month of April, and that included in the auction were the gates to his Neverland Ranch, which he barely avoided a foreclosure sale on, and the white glove featured in the music video for his hit song “Billy Jean.”  He switched the title of the ranch from sole ownership (himself) to a joint ownership between him and a company he founded to run the ranch for charitable purposes, barely avoiding having the ranch sold out from under him as a result of insufficient payments, which some people avoid by getting payday loans.
Most of the attention Michael Jackson has gotten over the last few years has largely been on his legal problems, his invitation to and then eviction notice from the royal family in Bahrain, and now his financial woes.  Jackson has been tried for child molestation, and just recently, he was sued by a member of the Bahraini royal family for a book and an album he was supposed to put out in exchange for living expenses and other treatment that he never delivered on.  The parties settled out of court just recently.
Jackson has released several compilations since his last album of all new material in 2001, most of which hit multi-platinum status worldwide.  To this day he continues to be one of the best sellers worldwide, even though it has been over 7 years since an original track has been released by the artist, and he hasn’t been on a tour of any kind since 1997.  His other live appearances have been sporadic at best, not appearing in concert for over five years.

Sources say that he has lived beyond his means for years

According to the auctioneer, Jackson’s sale of personal items is not a forced one, and that he is just more or less cleaning house.  However, many believe that Michael Jackson has lived beyond his means for far too long, and now it is beginning to catch up with him.  Well, I’m not his accountant, but it would certainly look like he needs some extra cash.  If that isn’t the case, then good for him, however, the rest of us have to live well within or below our needs, and spend wisely.  Remember, if we have a drop in available funds due to a sudden expenditure – we can get payday loans if we choose to do so.