Nail Care

Everyone likes to shimmer and shine during the holidays, but sometimes it’s a little hard to find ways to do that without making yourself look like you’re heading out to a disco.  So I’m always looking for subtle touches to add a little sparkle to my wardrobe.  Right now, I’m getting it from the new polishes from Sephora by OPI’s holiday collection.  The six shades were all inspired by the magic of the season and range from the classic bright red to the funkier dark green.  Here’s what you’ll find in the Sleigh of Hand collection:

• Meet for Drinks – shimmering magenta plum
• Sample Sale – warm candy apple
• High Maintenance – bright orange red
• Absinthe Makes Heart – smoky dark gray with green and iridescent glitter
• Untarnished Image – clear with large and small silver glitter
• Worth My Weight – gold with iridescent and silver glitter

The first three shades have been available before, but the three glitter shades are brand new.  They’re all super sparkly and shimmery, but they manage to do it in a sophisticated way, not in a way that makes you look like a 12 year-old who just discovered nail polish.  I’m currently wearing Worth My Weight on my toes, where it looks fun and very holiday-esque in heels.  Absinthe Makes Heart was my most recent manicure choice and it’s so pretty on my nails – a funky twist on your standard dark shade.  I have a feeling I’ll be wearing these for many holiday seasons to come! Available at Sephora.com.

What’s autumn like in New York? Ask Dashing Diva and their new fall collection of nail polishes! I always love seeing what additions they have to their Manhattan Collection line of polishes, and this fall’s newest creations are oh so pretty. Here’s the rundown on the new shades, from left:

• Jazz Nights: bright ruby red glitter
• Bryant Park: light copper shimmer
• Fashion District: soft gold with light shimmer
• Grand Central Station: deep, rich green
• Astor Place: slate gray

Although Jazz Nights was a bit too gritty/bumpy for my liking, I love the shimmer colors, as well as the Astor Place gray. Grand Central Station is a great forest green that doesn’t look black, for you green polish fanatics out there. And as always, Dashing Diva’s Manhattan Collection polishes are made without DBP, formaldehyde, or toluene, so you can apply safely. So, do you think these colors capture fall in NYC? Try for yourself at dashingdiva.com.

My new favorite color for my nails when I’m feeling something dark, is this glamorous midnight blue, named Midnight Cami, from Essie’s Cuddle with Color Fall 2009 Collection, for its subtle sparkly shine and rich color.  I’ve recently been finding the typical black nail polish passe and boring.  I like to paint my nails with a spot of color so that I have something pretty to look at while I type away at my keyboard all day.

I equate the deepness of the color to a blue ink pen spill or a sapphire stone, one of my favorite exotic jewels. The color has a lushness that is pure jet, but injected with a high shine finish.  A cousin to this color from the OPI nail family would be their Russion Navy color, but this color is more vibrant and less flat.  Midnight Cami is a great color to try out when you have short nails, because it is so dramatic that it draws the eye in and makes your nails look longer than they really are.  Short nails also keep the effect of the color looking dramatic, chic and polished, rather than Smurf or Martian-like.

Check out pictures of Essie’s Midnight Cami on nails from The Lipstick Diaires and Makeup and Beauty Blog and let me know what you think!

I always look forward to seeing what nail colors Chanel will create each season, and this fall, it’s their Jade Collection. Honestly, the picture here does not do the Jade shade any justice. Yes, it’s a vivid, minty color that looks really unique. But there’s also a hint of shimmer that gives this some added warmth and dimension.

Jade is a limited edition and is already sold out on chanel.com, but you can try your luck at Chanel boutiques and Makeup Studios. This is a definitely a must-have for Chanel fans or those of you who have been on the hunt for a perfect green shade. Of course, it doesn’t come cheap at $25, but Michelle at All Lacquered Up found some somewhat similar colors that may be less expensive, but not exact duplicates.

I know what some of you may be thinking–this lighter jade green for fall?! Same here, but then I saw the richness and warmth in this shade of green. Click to see how Jade ties in with Chanel’s fall collection. (more…)

As much as I love the summer, I am so, so ready for fall.  I’m ready for sweater weather and chilly nights and the caramel apple cider at Starbucks.  (I think they actually might carry it year round now, but it just doesn’t feel right to be drinking it in 95 degree weather).  But most of all, I’m ready for all the new fall nail polish collections.  They’re full of dark, dramatic shades that will make your manicure stand out well into winter.  Here are the two collections that I’ve tried out so far: (more…)

For the fall, Jessica Cosmetics was inspired by the drama, glamour, and bold colors of burlesque to introduce their new collection, Burlesque Beauty. The colors in this collection are rich, gorgeous berry shades (and even a surprising green!). I found each shade to be subtly sexy, and at $7.50/each, relatively affordable as well. Here are the 6 shades that make up Burlesque Beauty:

• Gorgeous Garter Belt: This is a gorgeous magenta shade, bright and pink. Love this on my toes!
• Ruffled Bottoms: A dark violet color that is pure, pigmented purple.
• Fishnets and Fringe: This is a very dark hunter green color with slight shimmer. Admittedly not great with my skin tone, but still nice.
• For Your Eyes Only: Super stunning, deep grape shade. Obsesssssed.
• Feather Boa: Jessica describes this as “mauve,” but it has very purple-y undertones.
• Sexy Siren: A deep, rich plum that has some pink/red undertones.

Overall, I just loved these new shades! Each polish color is so pretty, creamy, and easy to apply. I have trouble applying my own polish (which I’ve been doing more lately to save money as a poor grad student), but these went on really smoothly. For more information, go to jessicacosmetics.com.

Barielle recently launched a new collection of nail polishes called All Lacquered Up–a collaboration with Michelle from the amazing nail blog of the same name. I was super excited to finally order some of the 12 polishes, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. The collection was bound to be unique due to Michelle’s expansive knowledge of what’s already in the market. As the owner of 6 of the polishes from the collection (buy 2 get 1 free on barielle.com!), I can confirm that for sure. Here are the ones I had to have, from above:

• Pin Up: First from left, this is a rich tomato red that reminds me of an ideal red lip. It has a very fine gold glint to it that you can see in the light and is to die for.
• Glammed Out Garnet: Third from left, it’s a deep wine red with a gorgeous sparkle. I couldn’t stop staring at my nails!
• Lava Rock: I love shades that seem to transform in and out of the light, so I loved Lava Rock. It’s fifth from left in the picture above, and is a very dark plum with burgundy or pearly tones depending.
• Blackened Bleu: Like the name says, this is a black polish with fine blue glitter that together makes a perfect sapphire jewel tone for the fall  (sixth from left above). Loooove.
• Out-Grey-Geous: Fourth from right, a pretty, shimmery gray flecked with gold. This is the only gray or metallic polish I’ll ever wear!
• Slate of Affairs: I’ve always wanted a perfect dusty blue shade, and this is it. It’s a lovely blue-gray, third from right.

I love all these colors, and they really complement my skin tone, too. Have you tried any of the others? Let us know your thoughts, and if you haven’t already, check out barielle.com for the rest! The polishes are $8 each and you can register on their site for 15% off your first purchase.

Did you know that this month marks the 10th anniversary of Lippmann Collection, Deborah Lippmann’s eponymous nail care line (and one of our faves)? To kick off the momentous occasion, lippmanncollection.com is running a very special promotion today only–every 10th customer who makes a purchase on the site will win a $50 gift certificate!

Deborah created a special collection to commemorate the anniversary, and you can definitely join in on the celebration with the Celebrate 10th Anniversary Set. It consists of 3 polishes and is actually quite the deal at $35, since most Lippmann polishes are almost $20 each! Celebrate features, from left to right:

• Ruby Red Slippers: Inspired by Dorothy’s glittery red slippers, this is the shade that Lady Gaga went, well, gaga for when Deborah applied it on her during a photoshoot. It’s not your typical red, with glitter and sequins.
• Funky Chunky: This is a shiny black polish with black sequins that create a unique texture.
• Superstar: This is an oldie but goodie, a chocolate polish flecked with glitter that Carolyn raved about last year.

I love this set because it really represents what Lippmann Collection is all about–imaginative, gorgeous polishes that you won’t find anywhere else. Celebrate 10 years of Lippmann over at lippmanncollection.com!

Dolce & Gabbana recently launched their makeup line and we finally had a chance to try it out! The line reflects the Dolce & Gabbana philosophy of creating something feminine, glamorous and sensual. (The face of their campaign is Scarlett Johansson – so that should tell you what type of woman they’re appealing to.) The packaging for the products are sleek, gilded and gorgeous. Each item is truly like discovering a treasure, but none of that matters if the products aren’t good. So are they?  Well, let’s first run through what their debut collection includes:  (more…)

During the summer, I love to wear bright shades of nail polish on my toes.  The colors just look so great against a tan with sandals or flip-flops.  This year, my pick are the colors in Sally Hansen’s HD High-Definition Nail Color line.

The 8 shades have real liquid crystals in them, which makes the finish super shiny, and the colors all seem to sort of change shade depending upon which angle you’re looking at them from, which is kind of cool.  The bold shades are definitely designed to attract attention and probably aren’t for those people who want to fade into the background, but I find that it’s a nice way to add a little color to your outfits without having to spend a lot of money.  Some of the shades are a little out there even for me; I personally don’t think that I could pull off Lite Frost, which is a bright yellow, but I’ll bet there are a lot of people out there who could make it look good.

My favorite shades are Digital Frost, Three D Frost and Hi-Res Frost, all shades in the pink-red-coral families.  They all wear well and last a good amount of time without chipping, and best of all, you can find the entire collection at your local drugstore, so you won’t have to make a mad rush around town trying to hunt them down.  Now I just have to decide which one of those three shades I’ll be choosing for my next pedicure and I’ll be all set…