Recently in Nails Category

I am completely obsessed with flecked nails! Deborah Lippmann has been coming-out with the most AMAZING shades. I already told you guys about her 10th Anniversary set of three colors ($35) which comes with Rubby Red Slippers (super-dark taupe with red flecks), Superstar (dark brown with copper flecks), and Funky Chunky (black with black flecks). Now Lippman has come-out with Happy Birthday ($18, sheer with multi-colored flecks), and Marquee Moon ($16, silver with silver flecks). I can't tell you how many people ask me about my nails when I wear these shades. They're so fun and different without being too goth/tacky. Plus the play on light/dark and sparkle/matte is great for winter/fall.

Do you like flecked nail polishes as much as I do?

When it comes to beauty products very few things come close to the noxious smell of nail polish remover, so when I went to a showcase a few weeks ago and came across G2 Organics I was very intrigued. The company's nail polish remover is a non-toxic, odorless, 95% organic gentle nail polish remover that also comes enhanced with Reiki-charged quartz crystals (Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction). How is this the first time I've come across an odorless remover? Genius! The formulation is acetone-free, free of harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances, and colors. The ingredients are simple -- aloe vera extract and Vitmanin E, butyl diglycol (derived from corn), an embittering agent, and ethyl alcohol (derived from grain) -- and that's it! The only catch is it's on the pricey-side as you might have expected. The remover comes in two styles: Brown Label 4fl. oz. ($9.95) in an unbreakable, plastic bottle and the Luxury Glass Bottle 4fl. oz. ($15.95), in a clear, glass display bottle with genuine quartz crystals.

From sky blue to mint green and periwinkle to navy...New York Fashion Week was seeing green & blue this season.  Regardless of which designer's fashion show you sat through this September Fashion Week, there was one bold trend that you must have noticed and that is... BLUE & GREEN nails. Seen on both the models walking down the runway and the celebrities sitting in the front row-- bold nails were everywhere! The coveted Chanel Nail Color in JADE debuts as a limited edition this month but you can still celebrate the trend and be a recessionista with Milani & Jordana Cosmetics!

Milani Nail Lacqer, Bolting Blue - 1 Ea

Milani Nail Lacqer, Pool Party - 1 Ea

With the flue season at full swing, anti-bacterial has become my new best friend. I feel like I'm using it ever 10 minutes. But like many best friends they aren't perfect. The anti-bacterial is wreaking havoc on my cuticles. They are so dry its unsightly. At first I was just carrying a jar of True Blue Spa cuticle cream, which works well, but is so inconvenient. Opening the jar, scooping the product, stumbling to put the lid back on without getting the cream everywhere. Then I saw this cuticle pen at Sephora and thought it was worth a shot. Let me tell you, this is the easiest and cleanest way to keep my cuticles nice. It puts the product exactly where I want it and my hand doesn't feel greasy from the excess product I have to wipe away. I just click, swipe, and then toss it in my bag. Sephora Brand Cuticle Care Pen at Sephora for $12.

If you have never tried NARS Orgasm blush, this is a great time to do so. This kit comes with the Orgasm blush, Laguna bronzer, and an Orgasm nail polish. This kit is great because everything complements each other. The bronzer helps contour with a sun-kissed look and the blush gives you this illuminating morning after glow. And the nail polish is so pretty too. It looks just like the blush, a peachy pink with glimpses of shimmer. This kit is so versatile, it is flattering on almost all skin tones. This kit is now on sale at Sephora for $35. That's like pay $2 less for the blush/bronzer and getting the polish for free!

I am addicted to dark polish right now.  Have OPI's Black Cherry Chutney on today and I feel very vampire-ish-- really like how it makes my skin look pale and flawless.  Am very excited about the launch of CHANEL's "Noirs Obscurs" this month.  CHANEL does amazing dark polishes (remember Vamp!?!?) and shadow quads but I don't know about the black lipstick.  Ahead of her time as an arbiter of style and color authority, Mademoiselle Chanel recognized and revered the color black as a symbol of luxury, modernity, sophistication and seduction.

Today, Peter Philips creates a tribute to black with an avant-garde collection of trend-defining eye, lip and nail shades, uncovering the many nuances and undertones of this iconic shade. Not many of us can carry off an entire face of rouge noirs, so we suggest choosing one feature to focus on the face to go with the dark nails. All at CHANEL.com (Jump for colors and prices!)

I love OPI polishes, very edgy and they last for weeks. I have been using Domestic Goddess (the matte purple/grape shade) all summer and am now ready to go back to Metro Chic (a gray purple tint) for fall. I'll also be using this limited edition 212 color, inspired by the lights of the Big Apple. I saw it at Sephora (where you'll find me standing in the corner next to the OPI stand painting every fingernail a different color for fun on the weekends with my friends and their daughters) and fell in love with it immediately. It looks almost black but has gorgeous flecks of gold and other colors that resemble sequins for the nails. Very chic for evenings! OPI for Sephora $9 here.

What about you, what fall shades are you obsessing over?

I'm so over neons and bright summer colors. Don't get me wrong, they were fun while they lasted, but summer has come to an end and it's time to get dark and glitzy! Lippmann Collection is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this month and to celebrate Deborah Lippmann has created a limited-edition collection of three glitzy shades ($35 for set of 3). I'm obsessed with the flecked Ruby Red Slippers shade -- so fabulously over-the-top -- I could totally see the models in Dior's Haute Couture show rocking this shade! If drama isn't what you're looking for two of essie's new fall shades ($8 each) -- Chinchilly (granite gray) and Mink Muffs (smokey taupe) -- are more wearable and slightly softer (though darker than they appear in the images below), than the grays and taupe we saw all over the place last season -- just be careful if you're pale like me because too many coats give these colors a muddy/clay look! For a creamier gray, Orly has got Mirror, Mirror ($7.50) out for fall. They've also got a fab shimmery blue called Pixie Dust and a deep green (green is SO going to be the new black), called Enchanted Forest (both retail for $7.50).

What fall nail colors are you excited for?
From left -- Orly Mirror, Orly Poison, Orly Enchanted Forrest, essie Chinchilly, essie Mink Muffs 

It's difficult to carry off a micro mini, skin tight jeans and waist length hair after a certain age but you are never too old (or young) for fun nail polish! I was just looking for fabulous new shades for Fall and here comes CHANEL with the 'Jade' collection in a crisp green color named 'Jade' and a cool pink named 'Jade Rose'. This is the best green nail polish I've ever seen, most greens look moldy and rotty but this one is light, bright and gorgeous. If you're hesitant about green, go for the pretty pink shade-- both colors will look amazing with the shades of fall ready to wear!
Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, created the Jade Nail Collection for the CHANEL Ready-to-Wear Autumn/Winter 2009-2010 runway show. These mineral-inspired shades transform the nails into genuine gems and recall the jade jewelry and the pink knit and pistachio tweed of the fashion collection.
"For the nails, Karl wanted a green shade to evoke the jade notes of the collection. I worked with our laboratories to offer him a monochromatic palette of 10 green shades. We chose the color that most resembled the green tweed skirt suit from the collection," explains Peter Philips.

The CHANEL Jade Nail Collection debuts on September 10th at the CHANEL Soho Boutique in New York City in celebration of Vogue's Fashion Night Out. Starting the 11th of September, The Jade Nail Collection will be sold for limited time exclusively at www.chanel.com, CHANEL Makeup Studios and CHANEL boutiques for $25.00.