Chanel’s moiré-effect nail colours are getting a lot of love and they’re not even out yet! Released this Friday, the Rose Moiré and Rouge Moiré lacquers (£18) are inspired by the texture more usually seen on wallpapers and textiles. The Rouge Moire is especially dramatic with its intense car paint sheen. Once on I guarantee you will not stop looking adoringly at your nails. (more…)
BOYS IN BLUSHER (AND EYELINER AND LIPPY)
The big beauty buzz for me during the last few weeks has been around men’s beauty and grooming. With the news of Tom Ford’s imminent grooming line (due this autumn) and Marc Jacobs Beauty’s unisex products (coming to a Sephora near you soon), it seems men’s luxury makeup is tipping into the mainstream. Pushing things further, Hedi Slimane’s models at Saint Laurent wore full-on eyeliner and lipstick for the SS14 shows in Paris. If anyone understands youth culture it’s Slimane so I’m keen to see if the cool young indie set take this aesthetic to its natural conclusion. Having grown up on Nick Rhodes, Adam Ant and David Sylvian, I hope they do. (more…)
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.
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.
