Nails

Nails Are Barred From Being Boring With Dior Fall 2014 Vernis Nail Lacquer in Bar

August 5th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Dior Nail Vernis in Bar — The new Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Bar 902; necklace is The Audrey Necklace by Kristin Perry

I wish there was a nail polish equivalent for Spanx.

I mean, I wouldn’t want it for making my nails look less muffin-toppy, because yeah, that would be kind of dumb. 🙂 More for smoothing everything out, so colors like Dior’s new Vernis Nail Lacquer in Bar ($25) wouldn’t have so many lumps and bumps.

While totally fierce, Bar, a jet-black with hints of blue and secret shimmer, emphasizes every imperfection on my nails, be they ridges, chipped tips or application mistakes. It’s just so, so dark.

Not dark as in a depressing Cure song, but dark in an elegant way, like something a modern Holly Golightly might wear while drinking Starbucks and gnawing on a chocolate croissant in front of the Tiffany’s windows one day.

I bet that Holly G. would dig Bar. Maybe she’d even want to stop by the Dior counter to check it out, along with the rest of the 5 Couleurs Fall 2014 collection.

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Better Together: MAC Nail Lacquers in Quick Million and Erogenous

July 21st, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

MAC Nail Lacquers in Quick Million, Erogenous, Underlacquer and Overlacquer — MAC Nail Lacquers in Quick Million and Erogenous, next to MAC Underlacquer and Overlacquer base and top coat ($12 each)

Yeah, I made my first quick million by being erogenous.

Haha. No, not really. 🙂

But what if I could? I don’t know. I would not…say no to that. Perhaps. Maybe?

Anywho, I wanted to paint my nails last weekend with something summery but not all-out bright, and these two shiny, almost gel-like polishes from the recently relaunched MAC nail polish line ($12 each) fit the bill.

I’ve been inspired by pale rose and peachy golden tones lately, and they seemed like they’d go well together.

Creamy peach Erogenous just said “summer” to me, but I felt like it needed a dance partner…

Enter glittery yellowish gold Quick Million, with its little yellowish golden flecks of glitter and larger flecks of hexagonal peachy rose.

Great by itself, which is how I’m wearing it here (two coats), Quick Million can also work as a top coat.

You know, in case you’re interested.

I like these two together even more than I like them apart. The peach in Erogenous goes well with the hexagonal flecks in Quick Million.

Both are available now, along with the rest of the Studio Nail Lacquer line, for $12 each.

Incidentally, I’m also wearing them with MAC’s Underlacquer and Overlacquer base and top coats (also $12 each), and I have to say that despite it being only two days since I put these polishes on my paws, I’ve typed a lot and cleaned my office during that time, so my nails have already taken a beating, but the polishes have handled it with aplomb.

Because of how hard I am on my nails (especially the nails on my right hand, for some reason), I always — always — see chips within one or two days, but I barely see any signs of chipping now at all.

Good sign.

MAC Erogenous (peach shade) and Quick Million (glitter)

MAC Quick Million and Erogenous Nail Lacquers — Accent nail, yo!

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The Primary Colors Are of Primary Importance in My Look Today With NARS Torre del Oro Nail Polish

July 11th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Wow, when did that happen…?

When did we teleport back to eighth-grade art class?

I’m wearing red, yellow and blue today and feeling like I’m sketching an apple and using those grids to get the proportions correct (you know the ones I mean).

My eighth-grade art teacher would always go off on tangents about the primary colors, and then, while he was rambling, he’d suddenly get this glassy, faraway look in his eyes, like he was dreaming about the seminal summer he spent on the coast of Italy painting and eating pasta.

Actually, now that I think about it, that glassy look could’ve been due to something else, as I’m pretty sure he was a total stoner, but I digress…

Anywho! Besides learning how hard it is to draw bowls and vases (those curves are seriously freaking difficult), I also learned that you really can’t go wrong with pairing red with yellow and blue. It’s a classic color combo.

This morning, I put on this bright highlighter yellow top, and then slipped on some layering necklaces with red, yellow, blue and white.

And a blue and gold bracelet.

Then, to play off the red accents in the necklaces, I chose a cherry red nail polish by NARS called Torre del Oro ($20), an opaque blue-based red with killer pigment (you could easily get away with a single layer, no problem).

NARS Torre del Oro swatch — Cherry red, she said…

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If You Aren’t Ready To Say So Long to Rose Gold, There’s New Pastorale Nail Polish by NARS

July 10th, 2014 by Karen 42 Comments

NARS Pastorale Nail Polish Swatch — Wearing the new NARS Nail Polish in Pastorale ($20) on my paws

Um…rose gold?

Yes, rose gold. Still. In all its rosy golden glory.

OK, now, I realize that rose gold is sooo 2013, and depending on where you stand on the subject, it may or may not have peaked, makeup-wise, with last year’s Naked3 palette from Urban Decay or the Rose Gold Shimmering Skin Perfector from BECCA.

You know what, though?

I kind of don’t care. 🙂

I’m going to continue clinging to rose gold with my polished claws and paws because, dagnabbit, I love it, particularly when paired with warmer skin tones.

Today, to keep the Carlos Santana Tone Wedge Sandals I’m wearing company, I painted my nails with Pastorale, a new rose gold nail polish from NARS.

It’s from the recent relaunch of the brand’s nail polish line and arrives with the other shades July 15 at NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com, and August 1 at Sephora stores and department store NARS counters.

NARS Pastorale Swatch — Rose gold radness

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Hawaii, By Way of NARS Shameless Red

July 9th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

NARS Shameless Red Swatch — Aloha, NARS Shameless Red!

Please give a warm aloha to NARS Shameless Red Nail Polish! — aka, the latest shade to join the ranks of hula dancing beauty products that masquerade as a tropical vacation in a bottle.

Whenever I wear this reddish pink, I feel like I have hibiscus petals affixed to my nails.

Part of the recently revamped 43-piece NARS Nail Polish line, Shameless Red ($20) arrives by catamaran (OK, not really) July 15 at NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com (and August 1 at Sephora stores and department store NARS counters).

NARS Shameless Red — I’m unashamed about my love for this color… One could say I’m shamelessly in love with it, haha.

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Do You Do Accent Nails?

July 8th, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Essie Fashion Playground and In The Cab-ana (used as an “accent nail”)

Accent nails: yes or no?

(Where one of your nails is a different design or color.)

Quick! — don’t overthink it. Go with your gut.

For me, they’re a really cool resounding yes. I particularly like to have that extra pop of color tie into my pedicure.

For my BFF, though, they’re a strong “No.” We had an in-depth conversation about them the other day, and she was very firm on the matter. The idea of purposefully interrupting the uniformity of her manicures freaks her out.

How about you? Do you do accent nails?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

For a Chic Twist on a Neutral Look, Try Pairing Dark Blue Eyeshadow With Dark Blue Nails, and Use the Shadow as a Liner

July 1st, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Blue liner and nails with NARS Giove and Chanel Orage — Here I’m doing a Vulcan mind meld on myself… Kidding. I’m wearing Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Giove as a liner on my lash lines and Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Orage on my claws.

QUESTION: Why use a blue eyeshadow instead of a blue liner?

ANSWER: Why not?

Picture it: dark blue liner coupled with super deep, dark, almost black nails, only, instead of using a pencil, gel or liquid liner, you use a powder eyeshadow.

NARS Giove and Chanel Orage — Incidentally, that’s Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Petal on my lips.

Do you ever just get stuck in a rut and feel like you’re wearing nothing but brown and beige? Feel like trying something different but don’t want to go over the top?

I’m always looking for ways to keep things interesting for myself, especially when it comes to wearable makeup looks — ideally chic and wearable, but not totally snooze-worthy, if you catch my drift.

One day I decided to pair dark blue liner with dark blue claws, and the first thing I thought when I finished was, “Why haven’t I done this before?”

Seriously, though, why use a blue eyeshadow as a liner instead of an actual blue liner?

NARS Duo-Intensity Eyeshadow in Giove — Ciao, NARS Giove!

Using a dark blue eyeshadow as a liner, instead of a dark blue pencil, gel or liquid eyeliner, creates a more diffused edge, so the overall effect looks softer.

I’ve done it with lots of different liner styles, too, like spicy cat eye looks, and even soft washes of color, where the liner is smudged along my upper and lower lash lines.

Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a blurred edge (and the accompanying less attention to detail).

Just for fun: add dark blue nails

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Orage, $27

I like seeing the flash of dark blue on my fingers whenever I tuck my bangs behind my ears or push my (nerdy Gamma Ray computer glasses) up.

And it think it sort of reinforces the blue liner, too. You know, more blue.

I also like how the softer liner contrasts with the harder edge of the dark blue nails, so you also have that contrasty thing going.

I call this liner look the Tabby T-1000 (after the liquid metal Terminator from T2)

For this cat liner look, I applied metallic dark blue NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Giove ($29) with an angled brush.

First, I applied it dry to create the shape of the cat eye and get that softer edge. Then I wet the brush head, dipped it back into the pan, and applied the shadow on my lash line close to the lashes, to sort of intensify the metallic finish and crete a subtle gradient.

You could definitely keep it simpler by picking one — just wet or just dry — but ya know. I’m just saying.

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Soiree and Quick Million: My Two Favorites From the New MAC Studio Nail Lacquer Collection

June 30th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

MAC Studio Nail Lacquers in Soiree (left) and Quick Million (right), $12 each

Well, Tabs, when you put it that way…

You do understand that "No" is not an option, correct? — You do understand that “no” is not an option, correct?

So, this afternoon your nephew/my employer sent me the above threatening text (his anger evident by the lack of punctuation) in reference to my current mani-pedi situation, which is, at the moment, pretty tragic.

He suggested that I pick my two favorites from the new MAC Studio Nail Lacquer collection ($12 a bottle), and get them on my claws ASAP.

Soiree and Quick Million: My Two Favorites From the New MAC Studio Nail Lacquer Collection

MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Soiree Swatch — Two coats of Soiree

Among the 36 shades in the launch, my favorites right now are warm golden bronze Soiree (a metallic copper with hints of rose gold) and glittery pale gold Quick Million (has hexagonal flecks of coppery rose gold glitter in it and a very Deborah Lippmann-esque vibe).

MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Quick Million Swatch — Quick Million (two coats)

Both shout “SUMMER!” to me and should go great with a tan, so they’re going on my tips and toes this week.

They also remind me of these Kate Spade watches I’m currently lusting over…

I’m thinking about getting one with my Nordstrom birthday gift card — you know, ’cause I’m all about being on time…

HAHAHA! She has jokes today. 🙂

The MAC Studio Nail Lacquer Collection: The Formula, Finishes and Wear Time

Last weekend I tested creamy Rebel, a dark reddish plum shade, for wear time and durability, starting with a layer of MAC Underlacquer base coat, upon which I added two layers of Rebel on top.

At the time, I felt like I didn’t need a top coat because of how shiny, and almost gel-like, it looked, but I think I’ll use one next time I reach for one of the creams.

Because it needed it.

While these don’t seem to chip as easily or quickly as MAC’s O.G. nail polishes did, which would normally chip within a day or two for me, with Rebel, at least, I still saw chipping on day three.

Poo.

I applied it on Thursday evening, and by Sunday night, there were tiny cracks at the tips of all my fingers.

Next time I wear one of these, I’m adding a topcoat, just in case, and I’ll let you know if the formula fares any better.

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