Nail Care

Like I assume most women do, I go through phases with makeup where I’m super into eyeshadow or lipstick, and then that passes and I get a new product obsession for awhile.  Right now, it’s nail polish.  I’m not sure how long it’s going to last, but for the moment, I’m thoroughly enjoying trying new shades and getting WAY too many manicures and pedicures.  (In my defense, I like the place near me that does them and it’s only $20 for both, so it’s kind of easy to justify).  The two brands that I find myself reaching for the most lately are familiar ones, but I just love the new shades and how long lasting they all are, so I can’t seem to stop using them. (more…)

I’ve been looking for the perfect deep red shade for awhile now (I have several that are contenders, but I wasn’t sure they were exactly “it” yet).  My current number one choice is Illamasqua’s new Scarab polish.  It’s a deep metallic red and after my usual two coats, my nails are this gorgeous dark red with a metallic shimmer to them.  I really like it as a choice for the holidays – it’s a festive shade, but it’s also sophisticated – as much as I like glittery shades, I usually only wear them on my toes because they can sometimes seem a little too playful for adult occasions, but with this shade, there’s no such worry.  You could just as easily wear this to work as you could out on New Year’s Eve, which is a good quality to have in a polish.

I’ve only been wearing it for a couple days now, so it’s probably not enough time to give it a true wear test, but so far, so good.  No noticeable chipping at all, and I’m pretty hard on my nails during my daily routine, so that makes me very happy.  At $14, it’s not the cheapest polish, but then again, it’s not the most expensive either.  (This is how I justify most of my purchases, by the way).  If you’re a fellow red polish addict, definitely check this one out.

Move over Michael Kors… 16-year-old Canadian teen heartthrob Justin Bieber is apparently looking to add beauty mogul to his resume (you know, because pop singer, dancer, actor, hair icon, “Bieber or Die” comedian, and rumored MTV “Punk’d” host apparently wasn’t enough).

The new face of Proactiv, Justin has also joined forces with Etoile Nation Beauty to launch “My World,” a unisex fragrance slated to hit Wal-Mart stores on Black Friday. (The $10 scent, embedded in resin, comes in four different, mix-and-matchable designs of dog tags and wristbands, with top notes of bergamot, lychee, an pomegranate, a heart of cedar glimmers, and a drydown of musk, according to WWD.)

Add a bright, glittery, Bieber-inspired line of Nicole by OPI nail polish aptly titled the “One Less Lonely Girl Collection,” coming out in December and January at Wal-Mart (then Sears, Target, and ULTA), and seriously, what’s next… fashion? (Actually, just wait. That’s coming.)

To get a firsthand look at Bieber mania (OK, fine, I’m guilty), I will be joining a host of giddy beauty bloggers tonight at the Proactiv VIP suite for his L.A. concert at the Staples Center. Stay tuned to Twitter @Proactiv and #ProactivVIPSuite for real-time updates!

When it comes to nail polish, I definitely like the bright, colorful shades that are everywhere in the summer, but my absolute favorite colors are always the ones that appear in the fall and winter.  I’m just more of a dark shade kind of girl, at least on my fingers.  (I tend to like the funkier shades, like glitters, on my toes no matter what season it is).  Essie’s new fall collection is a really interesting mix of  shades – ones that I wouldn’t necessarily have pictured together, but they really do complement each other remarkably well.

According to essie’s Founder, Essi Weingarten, she was inspired by what she saw on this season’s runways.  “This fall, designers are mixing it up, combining sheer fabric with leather along with lingerie as outer wear in deep, muted tones and bold color palettes which is very alluring.  I drew inspiration from the range of elegant, sanguine hues and camouflage tones.”  It’s so funny because normally I hate the thought of camouflage tones, but between this collection and Chanel’s Les Khakis de Chanel, I’m developing a serious love for them.  Here are the six shades: (more…)

I’ve been really into glitter nail polish lately on my toes.  (I’d be into it on my fingers too, but for some reason, I feel like it just looks ridiculous on them a lot of the time).  Most brands have one or two glitter polishes that I like, but every single one of Deborah Lippmann’s shades have me oohing and aahing. (more…)

I have great memories of my time in Switzerland, so when I heard that OPI’s new fall/winter shades were called the Swiss Collection, I was really hoping that I liked them.  And after seeing them in person, not only do I adore them, I kind of can’t imagine anyone else not finding at least a few colors that they’ll want to wear over and over again.  It’s that kind of collection.  When describing the shades, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI’s Executive VP and Artistic Director, said that “Switzerland provided the inspiration for this season, with a backdrop of snow-peaked mountains, lush glacial valleys, and glittering lakes.  With luxurious hues across the color spectrum, the Swiss Collection features jeweled tones from ruby red to shimmering gold and everything in between.” (more…)

Editors’ Note: Ever wonder what makes it out of the beauty closet and into our personal beauty routines? Despite the numerous samples we’re lucky enough to test, some of us are very selective about what we use everyday while others like to have a bit of fun! Our new feature, “Editor’s Closet,” will highlight a few beauty products a TDO editor is using that month…hope you enjoy and we welcome your feedback! (more…)

When I think of fun, funky makeup colors, my mind automatically goes to Urban Decay.  There’s no other brand I’ve found that does bright shades with such wearability.  Even the colors I think I could never get away with are somehow possible when I try them with Urban Decay products.  And what better time to whip them out then as we head into the summer?

Two of their new offerings are both called the Summer of Love – the Summer of Love Nail Kit and the Summer of Love Shadow Palette.  The Summer of Love Nail Kit is the perfect set to bring along on all your mani/pedi appointments because if you’re like me, you constantly change your mind on what colors you’re going to wear, right up until the second the technician is staring at me with annoyance.  (There are just so many cute colors out there!)  The Summer of Love Nail Kit has 7 different shades in it, all in mini bottles that are totally portable and easy to pack.  (I especially appreciate this when it comes to nail polish because when I head to NJ to visit my family, I always want to bring polish with me since my mom and always go and get mani/pedis, but I hate packing full bottles since they don’t really fit anywhere and take up a lot of space.  These mini bottles are the perfect size to fit in my makeup bag while still leaving me enough space to pack all 47 of the eyeshadows I absolutely can’t live without).  The polishes all have fun 1960′s themed names, like Woodstock, Magic Bus, and Aquarius, and they’re almost all super fun and cheerful.  I love the way Psychedelic Sister, a bright coral, looks on my toes, and I’m going to try Woodstock, a hot pink, on my nails at my next manicure.  For all of you commitment-phobes out there who hate spending a lot of money on one bottle of polish that you know you’re never going to use up, this is the perfect investment at only $28.

The Summer of Love Shadow Palette comes in the cutest packaging – it almost makes me wish I’d been alive back in the ’60′s to experience the life of a hippie.  (But then I come to my senses because I shower like, twice a day and really hate being dirty, so there’s no way I would’ve made it.  The first time someone asked me to go four days without shampooing my hair and washing my face, I would’ve been like, “It’s been fun, but I think I need to stop being a flower child now.”).  It’s yet another one of Urban Decay’s must-have palettes.  It has four shadows in totally wearable summer shades – three neutral shades and then a pop of color with a bright purple – that lets you create several different daytime to nighttime looks.  You also get a mini Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin and an eyeliner in Bourbon (a great dark brown shade).  Again, I’m all about the portability and this palette is great for that with the three different products you need to create a perfect eye all at your disposal.  Just add a coat of your favorite mascara and go!

Thanks to Urban Decay, you can have your very own Summer of Love… showers included!

In addition to their Les Pop-Up de Chanel Collection for summer, CHANEL has also introduced a very exclusive collection called Noir Et Or.  There are only a few items in the collection, but it’s so dramatic and stunning, you’ll definitely find yourself hunting it down once you’ve seen the pictures.

Noir Et Or was created by Peter Phillips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL, and it’s meant to evoke the glamorous fantasy of Shanghai in the 30′s and 40′s.  The look consists of black and gold eyes and nails – definitely a nighttime look that you’ll want to wear when you’re dying to make an entrance.  (more…)

During the fall and winter, I’m all about the dark shades on my nails – reds, browns, greys… I can’t get enough of them.  But once the warmer weather comes back around, I can’t wait to bust out the colorful colors (especially on my toes).  This summer, Zoya introduces two new color collections – Sparkle and Flash – that are bright and cheerful and perfect for the season. (more…)