Nails | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Nov 5, 2012

Six Top Fall and Winter Nail Polish Shades

November 5, 2012 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

As the seasons change, so should nail polish. The bright, bold colors of spring and summer may not work as well when the leaves start to turn. Consider switching to a new polish for fall and winter. There is an array of colors that are stylish and reflect the color palette of the season. Fall and winter colors are full of bronze, red, purple, gold and brown hues. Here is a list of six fall nail colors that are sure to make anyone’s nails sparkle.

1. Gray

Gray may seem like a drab color, but this year’s selection of grays are far from boring. Gray is a good compromise for people who are tired of the black nail trend. Grays can range from stormy, darker colors to lighter variations. With matte, glossy and glittery options, there will be a lot of people wearing gray this fall. Pictured: Nars Polish in Storm Bird.

2. Gold

Who does not love gold? The color is beautiful when paired with autumn and fits right in through the winter holidays. These colors can make anyone feel like a millionaire. Some gold nail lacquer is made with actual gold flecks, giving nails the truly golden appearance. For those who want a less flashy style, gold nail polish can be found in more subtle tones. Pictured: Butter London in West End Wonderland.

3. Navy and Deep Blue

Navy is a beautiful shade that does not clash with colors commonly seen this time of year. Navy is the perfect shade for people that are seeking a vibrant color that does not have a lot of shock value. It is a color that is suitable for work and play due to its sophistication and elegance. This shade will work well all the way through the winter months. Pictured: Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer in Blue Colbalt.

4. Chocolate

Many people enjoy chocolate daily. Why not extend the love of chocolate to nails? Chocolate is another color that compliments the season. The deep browns add a touch of warmth. Anyone that thinks that chocolate may be uninteresting, consider a glossy chocolate polish or one that has a bit of sparkle. Pictured: Julep Nail Vernis in Olivia.

5. Berry

Berries are a lot of fun. The different undertones produce a spectrum of shades. Berry colors are universal. There is something that works with every wardrobe. A berry polish with black or purple undertones will have an edgier look. A berry with red undertones may be more subtle. Pictured: Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Graphic Berry.

6. Green

Green is probably not considered a traditional nail color, but it is a popular color trend that has survived several seasons. It may be time to pack away the neon green, but more earthy-green hues for the fall and winter are a good replacement. Green is a hip style choice. This season there is a twist. Shades associated with military fatigues are being mixed with metallics to create a glamorous look. Pictured: Sephora by O.P.I Leaf Him At The Altar.

The color of nails has become just as important as a person’s outfit. Wearing the appropriate nail color for the season has become a priority for many. It may be a sad notion to put away everything that reflected the warmer months, but fall and winter colors are just as fun. Wearing anything of these nail colors will reflect a stylish change that reflects the season.

Buy the Shades Pictured at Sephora

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Filed Under: Nail Products Tagged With: Butter London, Dior, Julep, Nail Polish, Nails, Nars, Sephora by OPI, YSL

Oct 15, 2012

Makeup Wars: Halloween Manicure Epic Fail!

October 15, 2012 By Carleenp 12 Comments

OK, so I am not a nail polish blogger for a reason. I really am terrible at nail art! But, I figured I would give it a go for the Makeup Wars Halloween Manicure topic. What you see below isn’t pretty. I partly blame myself, but mostly I think the kit I bought is not very good. I also made a video and, to compound the debacle, the camera died partway through and I didn’t realize it until after I took all of the polish off! Gah!!!! But I did add some fun annotations to the video to make up for it.

So read on for more on my epic manicure failure with a partial failed video!

For my manicure, I chose these Kiss Nail Artist kits at my local grocery store. These kits have three bottles of polish and some little stencils to use on your nails. Mistake number one that I stupidly did not consider: Buying a cheap kit probably isn’t going to result in good results, especially if you already are a klutz with a nail polish brush!

I quickly realized that I needed a base coat, so I randomly grabbed two MAC polishes. One was MAC Coral Wave and the other MAC Black Enough? from random past collections. Mistake number two was that I didn’t realize that Black Enough? was matte until after I put it on!

From there, I started applying stencils. They were a bit hard to handle, but not too terrible. The problem arose when I tried to paint them in. I think the idea is to paint carefully inside the stencil, let it dry and pull off the stencil. The kits lacked instructions on this. But the thin brush with the polishes just gooped up and dripped all over. If I wiped it and dipped it lightly, then it didn’t get enough polish. So on this I blame the product. Application was not ideal.

After letting things set, I peeled the stencils. My pinky, which was supposed to have a star, came out as a black blob. Perhaps I can pretend it is a smashed spider? Something that was supposed to look like a sword looked like black streaks. A few diamond patterns were so-so, but they smeared when I lifted the stencil. Yellow applied over black did not work at all because the yellow was not opaque enough, even with multiple coats.

But!!!! Despite being all thumbs, my thumb came out OK! So, here is my thumb because it actually looks OK (kinda sorta).

Here is a look at the shameful rest of the bunch. I declare these an epic failure!

If you want to see video of the process, here is part of one with annotations. Mistake number three was not checking my battery before filming. It died part way through and I didn’t even realize it! So this video ends a bit on the early side. Oh, and I really don’t recommend buying the Kiss nail artist sets. I realize I am not good at this stuff, but it still was not a good product in my opinion.

Want to see more Halloween manicures that are likely much better than mine? Click on through the links below!!!

Filed Under: Beauty Tips, Makeup Wars, Nail Products Tagged With: Kiss Nail Art, Makeup Wars, Nail Polish, Nails, Swatches, Video

Sep 21, 2012

Essie Plumberry and A Cut Above Nail Polish Swatches

September 21, 2012 By Carleenp 2 Comments

I did a manicure recently with Essie Plumberry polish and Essie Luxe Effects glitter top coat in A Cut Above. I love the Plumberry shade, but the top coat with it was just OK fro me. I liked my look with Bikini So Teeny and A Stroke of Brilliance top coat much better.

Here is just the Plumberry shade.

And, here it is with the luxe effects top coat added.

Something I have noticed about using these top coats are that (1) the polish wears longer with them. The glitter seems to help keep things from chipping and, if they do chip, it doesn’t show as much, and (2) It can be hard to remove the polish! It took me forever to get this particular pair removed. That glitter really sticks!