Nails

What a Difference a Brush Makes! The Recently Reformulated MAC Studio Nail Lacquers: Part 1

June 26th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

I love many, many things about MAC, but I have to say — I haven’t always been the biggest fan of their nail polishes.

That’s mostly been because of the brush — it’s the old-fashioned style, where the bristles often spread out, which makes applying the polishes kind of a chore.

I dunno… I just prefer the flatter-style of brushes from brands like OPI, where it’s easy to get that nice crisp edge I like. I’ve always found those kinds of brushes easier to use.

And then there’s the MAC formula. Some of the shades just seem to chip sooner than I’d like, and I don’t think I’m the only person who notices it. Whenever I mention a MAC polish to my girlfriends, they’re like, “Yeah. MAC? Nope. The chipping.”

The New MAC Studio Nail Lacquers: Reformulated and Redesigned With a Brand New Brush

Fast forward to now. 🙂

The brand reworked their entire nail line. The new Studio Nail Lacquer line ($12 each) now includes 36 shades spread out among four finishes in cream, frost, pearl and glitter.

They also introduced new base and top coats called Underlacquer and Matte Overlacquer, respectively.

Joining the Studio Nail Lacquer line is a new family of six top coats called the Nail Transformations (also $12 each), designed to change the look and feel of nail polishes worn with them.

Deets on those soon, as I’m still testing, but if you can’t wait, they’re available now online…

With the reformulation, MAC added conditioning ingredients like Vitamins C, E and B5 to the formula, along with a bunch of new colors (although they did carry over many of the O.G. ones too), and then there’s the aforementioned new brush…

Now it has the flat shape! 🙂 Aaaah! [THE CLOUDS PART]

With it, I notice that I can cover a lot more surface area per swipe, and it’s easier to create nice sharp edges.

So, Where Are They?

They’re almost here! They’re en route, you could say. The Studio Nail Lacquers arrive July 3 on the MAC website (in stores July 10, 2014), and are headed for the permanent line.

The Nail Transformations, however, are available online now, and coming to stores July 3 (also to the permanent line).

Swatches, Yo! Part 1

This first batch features some of the summery colors (corals, peaches, pinks), reds and darker creams, for those already in fall mode.

So far, so good, in terms of application. Most of the shades I’ve tried go on smoothly and appear pigmented on my nails. In some cases, I’m even able to get away with a single coat.

I’m still testing these for wear time. Will they last longer than the O.G. MAC lacquers before chipping? Stay tuned. Only time will tell…

Let me know which of these catches your eye. Check back a little later for the glitters, frosts and more of the darker shades.

Peaches, Warm Pinks and Corals

MAC Studio Nail Lacquers in Erogenous, Only in Florida, Impassioned and Instant Crush — From the left: Erogenous, Only in Florida, Impassioned and Instant Crush

MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Only in Florida Swatch — Only in Florida, a mid-tone orange coral cream

MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Erogenous Swatch — Erogenous, a light milky peach cream (two coats)

MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Instant Crush Swatch — Instant Crush, a bright coral cream (two coats)

MAC Nail Lacquer in Impassioned Swatch — Impassioned, a bright warm pink (two coats, but I could’ve used one)

Reds and Plums

MAC Shirelle, Flaming Rose, Sour Cherry and Rebel — From the left: Shirelle, Flaming Rose, Sour Cherry and Rebel

MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Shirelle Swatch — Shirelle, a classic bright red cream (two coats, but one would’ve been fine)

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What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?

June 17th, 2014 by Karen 31 Comments

Chanel Atmosphere Swatch — 629 Atmosphere Le Vernis Nail Color from the new Chanel Collection États Poétiques fall 2014 collection, available now online ($27)

Chanel me! 🙂

Yes, I think it’s a Chanel day for me.

At least for the time being.

But you know how it is… One minute you’re rocking an opalescent golden pinkish grey; the next it’s a creamy bright yellow.

You know what, though? I’d rather have too many nail polish whims than too few ideas.

Ooh! This one here, 629 Atmosphere, is super cool — like MAC Vex Eye Shadow (without the flash of green) in a bottle of nail polish.

It’s a color chameleon of sorts. Sometimes it’s a golden pink, but then the light will hit it just right, and it’ll turn grayish gold.

Very neat, almost like having opals on your nails…

It’s available now online for $27 as part of the Chanel États Poétiques collection for fall 2014.

How about you, babe? What’s on your claws today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Sorry about being incommunicado in the comments yesterday. I’m finishing up a project (yes, for Tabs), but I should be done with everything by the end of the day.

What are you up to? Do you have a busy day?

Summer Lacquer Love for Ladies (and Gents!) of All Ages With Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Lust

May 7th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

Estee Lauder Lust Pure Color Nail Lacquer — Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Lust, from the Bronze Goddess summer collection

I’m filing Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Lust under “Shades I’m Inclined To Recommend To My Mom But Probably Won’t Because I Can’t Handle Hearing Her Say the Word, ‘Lust’.”

Ha! It’s true though. 🙂

Estee Lauder Lust Pure Color Nail Lacquer Swatch — Well, hello there, gorgeous!

With its creamy finish, this dark plummy reddish brown is one of those nail colors that I think would look fabulously elegant on gals of all ages.

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The New Zoya Tickled Summer 2014 Collection, and a Quick Fashion Tip

May 5th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Zoya Tickled Collection, Summer 2014 — Wearing the new Zoya Tickled summer 2014 collection with my favorite scarf…

Giddy-up, little darlin’! We’re living in the Wild West of the nail polish frontier, where anything goes when it comes to tips and toes.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, when the lacquer landscape was tamer territory, most gals stuck to one shade of polish at a time, and if you felt like pushing the envelope, maybe you’d get a French manicure or a small dangly charm for your pinky.

These days, we’re way more adventurous than that! Whether it’s nail art in your team’s colors, Skittles manis, accent nails, glitter gradients, bumpy textures or ombre effects, anything it goes.

You can even match your nails to your accessories, which is what I’m doing now with the new Zoya Tickled collection ($9 per bottle).

With the six-piece summer release of creamy shades, it kind of seem like Zoya’s channeling Essie (in a very good way). Here my multicolored mani matches my favorite scarf, which I picked up on sale at Anthropologie last summer. 🙂

Zoya Tickled Collection on my nails clockwise from my thumb: Rooney, Tilda, Ling, Rocha and Wendy; nail polish bottles clockwise from the blue bottle: Ling, Rooney and Wendy — On my nails clockwise from my thumb: Rooney, Tilda, Ling, Rocha and Wendy; nail polish bottles clockwise from the blue bottle: Ling, Rooney and Wendy

Zoya Tickled Collection, on my nails clockwise from my pinky: Kitridge, Tilda, Rooney, Wendy and Link — On my nails clockwise from my pinky: Kitridge, Tilda, Rooney, Wendy and Ling (two coats each); bottles clockwise from the green shade: Tilda, Rocha and Kitridge

I’m wearing two coats of each creamy, pigmented shade with Guerlain Le Gel topcoat (two words: shiny, sturdy) on top.

The smooth colors are packed with pigment (no streaks, BTW, not even with Kitridge, the pale pink polish), but a word of caution…

I’m just wearing them with a topcoat here (lazy girl says what now?), but you may want to go all out with these and also wear a base coat.

Then, in addition to that, you’ll probably also want Siri to remind you to reapply your top coat every other day.

Since I skipped the base coat this time around, I started seeing small chips around the edges of four fingernails by the end of the second day…

Wearing a multicolored mani with a matching scarf is one of the quickest fashion tips/conversation starters I know, and an easy way to gussy up a basic outfit like jeans and a tee, or a simple black dress (I do it all the time).

With multicolored manis, I get out of glancing down at my nails as I’m typing. Highly recommended if you spend a lot of time at a computer. 🙂
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Letters to Coco and Reflections on a Chanel Summer, Part 3: Bronze BFFs Forever! Mirage Illusion D’Ombre, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, and Tutti Frutti Le Vernis Nail Colour

April 11th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Chanel Reflets D'Ete De Chanel — Wearing the new Chanel Reflets D’Ete De Chanel summer collection

Letters to Coco

What follows is the final installment of a three-part series of posts titled “Letters to Coco,” a series of letters written in the summer of 2014 from me to my best friend (in my head), Coco Chanel. In this third letter, which features summer collection standouts Mirage Illusion D’Ombre, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dor and Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, it’s the end of the summer, a few weeks after our trip. 🙂

My dearest Coco,

You know what they say. Tans fade, but friendships last forever. And you, my friend, are my girl for life.

4-LIFE!

I can’t believe the summer is almost over. It’s seems like just yesterday we were boarding the plane to the Maldives.

Ah, the Maldives…

I can’t even think about that trip without smiling!

The beach, the waves… Thank you for being such a good sport and getting up at the crack of dawn to go surfing with me. Oh, and uh, also thank you for not telling anybody that I lost my bikini top when I dropped in on that wave.

Whoops! Half-naked surfing. Everyone’s gotta do it at least once in their life, haha.

Geez, barely two weeks back from vacation, and I feel like I need another one. It’s been super stressful (but what else is new?). Tabs is already gearing up for fall — fall! — and I’ve been working cray-cray long hours, but whenever I’m about to lose my sh*t, I just close my eyes and pretend we’re back on the beach with our towels, digging our toes into the sand.

Chanel Mirage and Ambre Dore — Mirage and Ambre Dore

You’re probably going to laugh this, but I’m still wearing your summer collection. In August! I know!

By this time of year, I’m usually hitting up the Trader Joe’s in matte berry lips and full-on smokey eyes.

Chanel Mirage — Illusion D’Ombre Loong Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage, a bronze ($36)

But I’m just not ready to say goodbye to summer yet.

NO! I still have a tan from our trip (tears!), so I’ve been wearing your bronze cream eyeshadow, Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage; and your shimmery gold liner, Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, in an attempt to cling to my memories of our best summer ever.

Chanel Ambre Dore — Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, a shimmery gold ($32)

You know, sometimes, Coco, I feel like you just get me. You get my makeup style. Especially with this cream eyeshadow.

My goodness! It’s like the most perfect shimmery bronze I’ve ever worn — or rather, the most perfect buttery bronze, because I think it’s different than a regular orangey bronze, and I love how it works with my caramel coloring.

And the finish? It’s off the hook, girl! Did you make it this way — so soft and satiny and scintillating — because of that time I complained about how frosty eyeshadows settle into my fine lines? Because the way this catches the light is absolutely perfect.

I’ve been wearing Mirage all over my lids with Ambre Dore Eyeliner on my lower lash and water lines. The warm, shimmery golden tones in Ambre Dore play off the bronze in Mirage really well — no clashing of metallics here!

I’d go so far as to call the Mirage + Ambre Dore combo the best metallic summer eye look of 2014. It’s easy, elegant and I swear to gawd, makes me look 10 years younger.

So, of course, this would not be one of my trademark rambling letters without a nail update. Well, I’ve been wearing Tutti Fruitt Le Vernis Nail Colour, also from your summer collection, to go with my shimmery bronze and gold eyes.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, a soft coral ($27) — Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, a soft coral ($27)

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Letters to Coco and Reflections on a Chanel Summer, Part 2: Packing Pearls, Pink Tonic Le Vernis Nail Colour and Happy Glossimer

April 11th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Chanel Summer 2014 — Wearing the new Chanel Reflets D’Ete De Chanel Summer collection on my lips and tips

Letters to Coco

This is part two of a three-part series of posts titled “Letters to Coco,” a series of letters written in the summer of 2014 from me to my best friend (in my head), Coco Chanel. In this second letter, which features summer collection standouts Pink Tonic Nail Polish and Happy Glossimer, we’re just about to leave on our summer trip. 🙂

My dearest Coco,

Hey, babe! Can I just say that I’m excited!? OMG, Maldives! T-minus 24 hours and counting. Seriously, you do not even know how badly I need this trip. Tabs has been working me to the bone. I am literally — literally — counting down the seconds till I can unchain myself from my desk, LOL!

Oh, and excellent call on choosing the Maldives. I’ve never been before. So stoked!

I’m doing some last-minute packing tonight, so let me know if you need me to bring anything for you. I know that you’re very busy, and I actually have a little bit of room left in my carryon bag, haha!

Of course I’m bringing the essentials — sunscreen, hat (uh…I keep thinking that the only person who should be wearing a straw fedora is Justin Timberlake, but I can’t help myself), swimsuit, sunglasses, pearls and my trusty bottle of No. 19, aka “your best summery scent ever,” IMHO.

Oh! — I’m also bringing one of the five polishes in your Reflets D’Ete De Chanel Summer collection, the fuschia shade, Pink Tonic Le Vernis Nail Colour, ’cause, you know, I like to be prepared.

Chanel Happy Glossimer (a sheer coral jelly, $29.50) and Pink Tonic Le Vernis Nail Colour (a fuchsia, $27) — Happy Glossimer (a sheer coral jelly, $29.50) and Pink Tonic Le Vernis Nail Colour (a fuchsia, $27)

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The New Essie Spring 2014 Fashion Playground Collection: This Fashion Playground Looks Good Outside, Like It Was Inspired by Mother Nature

March 18th, 2014 by Karen 50 Comments

A Fashion Playground?

Nay, I say it’s an equinox-icating spring feast for the eyes! Like spring distilled into nail polish bottles, except without the — AHCHOO! — allergies.

Pass the Zyrtec and Kleenex, please, because I do not want to sneeze all over these beautiful bottles.

Like butterflies, the six-piece Essie Spring 2014 Fashion Playground collection flitted onto counters earlier this month, and I treated my paws to ’em this morning (SKITTLES MANI!) before going for a walk…

It’s crazy just how springy these six shades seem, like the bright blue sky and the two blue shades, or the mint green and the budding leaves on the oak trees outside. There’s also a big cherry tree down the street, and the blossoms are spitting images of the peach and pink pastels. And then there’s the fire bougainvillea bush, which could have been painted by the bright red.

These colors totally say, “Hey, y’all, spring is in full effect!” to me. 🙂

Officially, fashion runways were supposed to have inspired this release, like vintage denim and oversized prints — that kind of thing — but my crazy makeup mind sees more Mother Nature’s influence than Michael Kors’. Like Team Essie sat down with Mother Nature and brainstormed over a few cups of really strong Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee in a caffeine-fueled frenzy, then BOOM! — someone in the art department mixed some acrylics at the table to come up with azure Hide & Go Chic, light denim Truth or Flare, pistachio Fashion Playground, peachy nude Spin the Bottle, crimson Style Hunter and pale tea rose Romper Room.

What to watch

Essie is well-known for their delicate nudes and pastels, and chances are good that if you walk into any nail salon that carries the brand, you’ll see pale pinks, peaches and beiges FOR DAYS.

OK, those are fairly great, but I always look forward to their blues and greens (see: Mojito Madness, Pretty Edgy, Naughty Nautical and Under the Twilight).

Over the past few years, Essie’s released quite a few jazzy blue and green shades I can remember, which is kind of funny considering that for years I thought of the line as specializing in dainty bridal nails — primarily pinks and nudes.

This time around, I think the blues and greens are again the colors to watch out for (at least for me).

Hide & Go Chic

If you get a chance, let your paws play with Hide & Go Chic, the dark creamy blue.

I mean, look at it! It’s so rich… So deep… And a single layer works just fine (even though I went with two to be consistent with the other shades).

I also think this is the one that’ll sing on the widest range of skin tones. It’s the people’s blue!

Truth or Flare

True or Flare, the lighter, vintage denim blue, definitely benefits from a second coat. On my NC42 skin, I feel like the color doesn’t reach out and grab you by the eyeballs as readily as Hide & Go Chic. I like it, but I have a feeling it’ll like lighter lasses best.

Fashion Playground

And then there’s the green… Fashion Playground. Described as a pistachio shimmer, it certainly sounds delicious to me. 🙂 But I get more of a straight-up mint cream, as the tiny flecks of silver glitter swimming in the formula are very hard to see.

At first glance, it resembles Essie’s Candy Apple, but upon closer inspection I think it’s sightly deeper and darker.

One may have to play with Fashion Playground a bit (Ha! Sorry, bad pun). Two thick coats deliver fully opaque coverage, but they have to be thick… With thinner coats, it can look a little streaky and require 3-4 layers.

The remaining colors — the bright red and two creamy pale shades — strike me as rather typical of Essie (I feel like I’ve seen shades like them before), which is neither good nor bad, but they don’t really light my fire like the blues and greens.

Style Hunter

Crimson Style Hunter leans, ever so slightly, toward magenta. This one should be a blast on toes, methinks. 🙂 One coat or two works well.

Romper Room

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Tom Ford Beauty African Violet Nail Lacquer

March 3rd, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Tom Ford African Violet Nail Lacquer — Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in African Violet ($32)

Purple eyeshadows; purple liners; purple lipsticks; flowers; candy; sweaters; one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eaters! PURPLE EVERYTHING!

And purple paw polish, too. 🙂

Of the millions (well, hundreds) of promising purple paw polishes in the universe, the one that electrifies me like a Tesla coil from the tips of my ears down to the tips of my toes has to be Tom Ford’s bright creamy Nail Lacquer in African Violet.

It borrows its name from one of Mother Nature’s most perfect purple creations, in my opinion, the Saintpaulia ionantha plant, or African violet, which, coincidentally, happens to be cat-friendly, according to the good folks over at VCA Animal Hospitals.

Speaking of cats (’cause we alway circle back to the kittehs around here), this particular African Violet has never elicited any complaints from my favorite fashionable feline.

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