Tag Archives: nails
Mood boosting nails from Kure Bazaar and disco nails from Yves Saint Laurent
Summer just doesn’t seem to want to kick in in NW10. I’m still wearing my woolly scarves and HeatTech which doesn’t do much to put me in an upbeat mood. But this is where the power of make-up really comes in as a mood-booster. I’ve been testing out these Kure Bazaar nail polishes and the colour palette is pretty impressive. My current favourite is Fabulous, a uplifting pink with just a hint of milkiness (third from the left). Kelly is another hot, tropical pink, this time with a subtle shimmer. Both shades are super-flattering on short nails and the added bonus is that Kure Bazaar is one of the new generation of non-toxic nail polishes that are emerging. You can buy them at Selfridges and KureBazaar.com.
Another bit of nail news comes from Yves Saint Laurent. I love YSL polishes – the colours and consistency are second to none, and of course you know I adore the gold casing. The way these La Laque Couture Tie & Dye duos work is quite interesting. Apply the main dense colour as your base coat (choose from signature Yves Saint Laurent shades of blue, pink, purple and orange), wait five minutes, then shake the shimmery topcoat and apply as many layers as you like depending on how intensely you want your nails to dazzle. They cost £18 per duo and are a cute idea for statementy disco nails – and let’s face it, disco is definitely cool again…
Oh and while we’re on a nail tip (LOL), I’ve just discovered Deborah Lipmann’s ‘The Stripper To Go’ a lavender-infused nail lacquer remover finger mitt. You get one mitt in a sachet which easily cleans ten nails in about ten seconds. Converted! Six sachets cost £14 so they’re not cheap but an excellent option for travel.
Beauty buy: NCLA galaxy nail wraps
If I had long, oval nails I would definitely get in on the nail wrap game. And my first choice would be these otherworldly ‘Stephanie’s Galaxy’ wraps from NCLA at Cult Beauty. Designed by Hollywood nail artist, Stephanie Stone, these limited edition wraps cost £12.50 per pack (with two full applications in each) and with the help of a coat of Seche Vite, apparently last for well over a week.
Nail news: Spring nudes and the perfect pedi pink
On the nail front, the general consensus is that nude nails are in, and that includes the so-out-it’s-now-in French mani. I haven’t had a French manicure for years but I did go through a phase of having an American (the more subtle version) at Topshop every week. For doing it yourself though, it’s all a bit of a faff. The lazy-girl option could be Dior’s new, one-step clear Nail Glow. According to Vogue, it enhances white tips with one sweep of the brush. Continue reading
Nail news: New Essie colours, tastemaker nails by Killer Colours, Sophy Robson’s InStyle column, Chanel’s vending machines, NYFW nail mania
ESSIE’S NEW COLOURS
Essie’s Fall 2012 collection is about to drop on BeautyBay.com. My favourite shade is this bewitching bottle green called Stylenomics, which will look gorgeous against any shade of pink. The cube of four minis will retail at £11.95 and the single bottles £8.50
Nail news: Hello Kitty, MAC, Estee Lauder, Butter London
ESTEE LAUNDER PURE COLOUR BEYOND BLACK AND METAL MANIA
It’s official, the whole world has gone nail polish crazy. Estee Lauder has responded to the ‘nail polish index’ (didn’t Leonard Lauder coin the phrase ‘lipstick index’?) by really pushing its nail polish offer. Continue reading
Beauty snippets: Nars nails, Clinique, YSL, Carol Joy, Faberge, hotel beauty
I really need to hurry up and get my hands on the Thakoon for Nars nail collection. Inspired by Indian festivals (when is Tim Walker going to do a Holi-themed shoot?), there are six of these searing bright colours to try. (Hmmm, in the UK the red is mysteriously missing…) [EDIT: OK Hafsa just pointed out in the comments that the red is exclusive to the Nars site. Clever!] Continue reading
Beauty buy: Karma Organic lavender nail polish remover
I would love to get my hands on this Karma Organic nail polish remover. I love lavender and I hate the synthetic smell of regular nail polish removers. It also comes in tea tree and unscented versions and was recommended by Kerry Diamond on Into The Gloss. Come on Cult Beauty, get some of this stuff in!
SS12 trend report: Harvey Nichols gets Kirchhoffed
I’ve been on a bit of a press days sabbatical this season. PRs have not only spread SS12 press days across October, November and December (back in the day, it was just October), but generally had more events and launches than ever before. I guess competition for press and bloggers’ attention is fiercer than ever but it’s had the opposite effect; instead of ramping up my attendance and coverage, I’ve bailed out altogether. Continue reading
Nail news: Eres launches nail polish for SS12 (and opens London store)
Eres is taking a tip (pun intended) from Chanel by piggy-backing on the huge trend for directional nail polish. From next March, the luxury swimwear brand will launch a limited range of three shades (yellow, pink, brown) to clash or match with its bikinis.
Matching colour cosmetics to your outfit is quite the thing at the moment (hello My-Wardrobe) and quite frankly if there’s one place this idea works perfectly, it’s got to be the beach. Clever thinking Eres, I wonder who will follow suit?
UPDATE: More Eres news, the brand has just opened its first London standalone store in (where else?) upscale Knightsbridge. Head to 24 Motcomb Street, SW1 for the best bikinis in the biz.
Nail news: Uslu Airlines non-toxic nail polish remover
More on nail products sans nasties. The pioneering Uslu Airlines nail range has just introduced the first solvent-free nail polish remover. The water-based Bio Nail Polish Remover may take a little time to work (it takes 30 seconds to dissolve crystals which activate when applied to your nails) but the result is a toxin-free, whiff-free manicure.
And while we’re on the subject of Uslu Airlines, don’t forget that this German brand has some of the best nail colours out there, check out these Bernhard Wilhelm beauties for starters…
