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NYFW Wes Gordon SS 2015 - Nails
Friday, September 5, 2014
New York Fashion Week is back and bolder than ever. However, just our luck, summer finally made its humid and sticky comeback this week with high temperatures and lots of (HOT!) sunshine. While this spells trouble for attendees, a little harsh weather has never been a reason to slow down style.
As usual, things are heating up backstage at the shows (I'm not just talking hot hair tools!) and the pro's are delivering some major looks. As one who loves all things nails, it's no surprise that I start my NYFW coverage with a nail post.
New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014
Designer: Wes Gordan
Manicurist: Rita Remark
Brand: Essie
Drawing inspiration from the muted tones of Gordon's SS 2015 collection, Rita created a look that was both elegant and and unexpected. Designing a delicate lined pattern on the nails emphasized the feeling of the collection and appeared as if linen was resting against the skin.
Offering a creative twist on a classic, sophisticated manicure, Rita's designer manicure reworked a staple look in the best way. Here's how you an recreate this manicure yourself:
PREP: Like all great manicures, a proper foundation is needed. Neatly coat a single layer of Ridge Filling Base Coat to clean, shaped, polish-free nails.
COLOR: Once dried, dress nails in a single coat of Cocktails and Coconuts, following with a layer of Imported Bubbly atop the previous color. Layering this slightly iridescent and sheer gives nails an almost dewy skin-like finish.
DESIGN: As the foundation color dries, it's time to start on the linen design. With a striping brush, dip into Essie's Blanc (the brand's whitest shade) and whip away the excess. Draw the lined pattern by pulling the brush from the cuticle to the tip in one motion, continuing with two more lines. Each should be evenly spaced and look tapper away at the tips. You will use the same method with the lines across the nail, neatly moving to either walls of the nail.
FINISH: To diffuse some of the stark whiteness of the shade, Rita suggests layering a coat of Allure on top of the design. Finish the look with a luxurious top coat (Good To Go Top Coat) which will leave nails looking glossy and luxe.
PEDICURE: To keep the look uniform, Rita picked an neutral shade that works well with a multitude of skin tones and features just enough of a creamy base tone (Sand Tropez).
Images: Courtesy of Essie
NYFW Costello Tagliapietra FW 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
THE MATTE NAIL IS BACK! There is
something about a matte manicure that instantly transforms any ordinary color
to extraordinary. The cool effect that always reads chic made it debut back
stage at Costello Tagliapietr’s Fall/Winter 2014 show.
New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014
Designer: Costello Tagliapietra
Manicurist: Julie Kandalec
Brand: Essie
Inspired by their favorite
fantasy& Sci-Fi heroines, the dynamic duo behind Costello created a modern
collection detailing the story of power and strength. Using gorgeous metallic fabrics
(swoon!) in unexpected shades made the collection pop on the runway. To
compliment this futuristic collection, lead manicurist, Julie Kandalec opted
for a deep berry-colored Essie shade with a matte finish.
Here’s how you can get the killer
manicure yourself:
Prep – As always, make sure clean
and filed nails are properly primed for color. Julie opted for Essie Ridge
Filling Base Coat.
Color – Once fully dried, Julie
applied two coats of Essie Berry Naughty, a rich berry shade that is just
perfect for the season.
Finish – To get that gorgeous
matte finish, Julie coated nails with a final coat on Essie Matte About You
Images: Essie
NYFW Lisa Perry FW 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014
Designer: Lisa Perry
Manicurist: Casey Herman
Brand: Essie
This season, Lisa Perry took to a more dramatic approach to her latest collection. Serving as pieces of artwork rather than RTW garments, Lisa's voluminous designs and use of stiffer fabrics made for a beauty display of fashion and design. The geometric inspired pieces each featured a hint of femininity and unexpected touches of metallic hues.
For an equality clean cut and stylish manicure, lead Manicurist Casey Herman opted for high-shine, silver nail look. To get this metallic mani yourself, here is what she used:
Prep -- To bare shaped nails, Casey polished models' nails in a single coat of Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat
Color -- Once fully dried, apply a single coat of Essie No Place Like Chrome
Finish -- As an interesting alternative to top coat, Casey opted to seal in color and boost the metallic polish's shine by applying Essie Quick-e Drying Drops to nails
Images: Essie, Style.com
While the weather is absolutely dreadful outside, nothing
seems to the dull the sparkle of New York Fashion Week. The week-long event
kicked off this morning with bang as models lined up to walk the iconic runways
at Lincoln Center.
New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014
Designer: Veronica Beard
Manicurist: Julie Kandalec
Brand: Essie
Veronica Beard’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection was inspired by the warm-toned glamour signature to the 1970’s. Vintage-inspired fabrics and poppy prints were highlighted throughout the collection. To set off the retro looks, lead manicurist Julie Kandalec layered beautifully warm Essie polishes for this season’s complimentary manicure.
Here’s how you can get the look:
Prep --Prime perfectly clean and shaped nails with a single
coat of Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat.
Color -- Once fully dried, apply one coat of Essie Mink Muffs.
When partially dry, layer a coat of Essie Meet Me at Sunset.
Final -- Finally, coat fully dried nail in Essie Good To GoTop Coat for a glossy finish.
Images: Essie, Getty
This Week In Nails - Classic Red Manicure
Friday, August 16, 2013
As you can tell -- I've been a bit MIA for A LONG TIME, but I'm back!
Hey, when life gets in the way -- you really can't do anything about it.
We all know I love a good manicure and reds happen to be one of my all time favorites.
From orange red to true blues and pink based shades, a rich red polish always looks classic and goes with absolutely everything (and looks lovely on all tones!) I've flipped through photos of my last few mani's and rounded up some notable reds that certainly deliver beautiful color.
Essie -- Lacquered Up
Essie -- Snap Happy
NARS -- Dovima
Essie -- Fifth Ave
Essie -- Lollipop
Hope this inspires you to get a fun red for your next manicure!
Have a fabulous weekend!
The Next Must Have Manicure
Monday, February 18, 2013
Pantone, the world’s color authority, has
announced this year’s color to be Emerald. This rich hue flatters any skin tone
and dazzles in each and every light. While this gives me an excuse to bust out
all my emerald jewels daily this year, I of course thought about how to
incorporate this regal color into my beauty rotation. Being the nail polish
enthusiast that I am, my mind immediately thought of nails. From strong opaque
picks to shimmery stunners, an emerald manicure is a must this coming spring.
If last year was any indication, I am sure to
exhaust this lovely color over many, many manicures. Tangerine Tango (last year’s
color) was an absolute hit and I’m looking forward to numerous beauty and
various other collections decked out in this luxurious green color.
In the meantime, I’ve rounded up a few beautiful
polishes that will delight any girl seeking an emerald shade this upcoming season.
Whether it’s a light green or a true sparkly shade, your emerald manicure will
surely have others feeling green with envy.
Starting from left:
Essie | Sparitual | Revlon | Sephora by O.P.I |
From Left:
The Basics - The Fool-Proof Manicure
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Many girls love to take an indulgent break from their busy schedules and sneak away for a quick manicure, but what's a girl to do when there's no salon open during her free time? While some love all the extras that come along with manicures (luxurious, hydrating massages, masks and wraps), a quickie mani at home can leave your nails looking just as fabulous in a major time crunch.
The Perfect Manicure
Step One: Stripping it ALL off
Soak a piece of a cotton ball (never drench the whole ball, its unnecessary and wasteful) in your favorite acetone-free nail polish remover and wipe off all traces of your old polish. I love this nourishing Cutex ($2.99) remover for its nourishing qualities and pleasant smell. If cotton balls are too messy for your liking, these lovely individually packaged Deborah Lippman remover wipes ($12) are the best to get the job done. Best of all, one sheet gets rid of all the polish on all ten nails.
Step Two: Buff and Shape Your Nails
Between the glitters featured in The Glitz Gift Set ($39) to the irresistible metallic mixtures in The Ritz ($39) trio, NCLA has all your polish concerns covered this season. The winter allows you to break out of your neutral polish rut and shine in these textures in stunning, cool hues. My absolute favorite is smokey gray with multi-colored flecks of silver sparkles and the beautiful large flake rose gold glitter (what a beaut!).
Now that you have the blueprint to a perfect at home manicure, there is not excuse to sport less than fab nails in 2013! Get polishing!
On another note:
Happy 2013 my dear readers!
Thank you for stopping by! I am so excited to have you lovelies along for the beauty ride!
Looking forward to the exciting posts ahead!
Stay tuned x
The Perfect Manicure
I skipped right to the basics and compiled a fool-proof step-by-step guide to getting fabulous nails in a flash.
Step One: Stripping it ALL off
Soak a piece of a cotton ball (never drench the whole ball, its unnecessary and wasteful) in your favorite acetone-free nail polish remover and wipe off all traces of your old polish. I love this nourishing Cutex ($2.99) remover for its nourishing qualities and pleasant smell. If cotton balls are too messy for your liking, these lovely individually packaged Deborah Lippman remover wipes ($12) are the best to get the job done. Best of all, one sheet gets rid of all the polish on all ten nails.
Step Two: Buff and Shape Your Nails
The perk of doing your nails at home is getting the perfect shape you desire at that very moment. You may want to round off your nails if you're wearing an elegant neutral shade or square your tips to give a little edge to a daring shade. These Tweezerman printed filemates are such beauties; they smoothly shape your nails and feel comfortable in the hand. I always look forward to fun Tweezerman collections -- how irresistibly cute are their designs.
True course buffers can be quite intimidating for newbies. I suggest trying a "safe" buffer that features multiple textured sides which help you achieve salon quality nails in a few minutes. The curved design of this exceptional Tweezerman nail tool ($3) is a must for ever nail girl and becomes a secret weapon in achieving the perfect manicure.
Step Three: Polish your nails (THE.BEST.PART!)
Between the glitters featured in The Glitz Gift Set ($39) to the irresistible metallic mixtures in The Ritz ($39) trio, NCLA has all your polish concerns covered this season. The winter allows you to break out of your neutral polish rut and shine in these textures in stunning, cool hues. My absolute favorite is smokey gray with multi-colored flecks of silver sparkles and the beautiful large flake rose gold glitter (what a beaut!).
Step Four: Finishing Touches
After your nails are perfectly polished, dress them in a final coat of extra shiny top coat. Jin Soon Top Gloss ($18) top coat is the ideal choice! A coat of this quick drying, ultra glossy polish leaves every manicure looking professionally done and sparkling. For the final touch, drench your cuticles with a good essential-rich oil. Julep's Cuticle oil ($18) is my go-to product; the size is small enough to throw in a cosmetic bag, smells lovely and leaves cuticles extraordinary hydrated. If you're on the go, the Essie Cuticle Pen ($14) is a must. This nourishing shea butter concoction soothes and heals battered, dry cuticles and also works as a great hand moisturizer. You'll thank yourself for this step as cuticles tend to dry out more than usual in the harsh, windy, cold winter months.
Now that you have the blueprint to a perfect at home manicure, there is not excuse to sport less than fab nails in 2013! Get polishing!
On another note:
Happy 2013 my dear readers!
Thank you for stopping by! I am so excited to have you lovelies along for the beauty ride!
Looking forward to the exciting posts ahead!
Stay tuned x
Law Breaking Manicure
Friday, April 27, 2012
ATTENTION ATTENTION – Your current manicure may be breaking
the law!!
The very on-trend and exciting brightly hued tips that have
appeared all over the runways this past fashion week may very well be
illegal. While neon polishes are popping
up in drugstores and beauty shops all over, these eye popping delights are
actually illegal to produce in the U.S.
Ever walk around a beauty supply store and notice that all
the truly neon-colored polishes are sitting in bottles of unfamiliar brands? Well, Jan Arnold, co-founder and creative
director of CND Colors got has your answer.
He explained to MORE that all
true neons in the U.S. are by imported brands and those created by American
companies are just intense brights, which are much more wearable in life off the
runway.
Polish is always a safe and fun way to test new treads
without falling in head first, so why not try out a bright polish for this
weekend’s manicure? Break out of your
traditional polish routine and pick one!
Latest Bright Collections
Essie – Poppy.razzi Collection
Each retail for $8, can be purchases at drugstores and
select salons
Thakoon for Nars
Inspired by the colors seen at Indian spice markets, this limited
edition collection retails for $14 a bottle, Nordstrom, Nars beauty counters
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