CND Monday – Layering at Diego Binetti
Welcome to CND Monday, a regular series here on ALU. Each week I’ll be sharing a new layering combination from CND Colour & Effects to show you the versatility and creativity of the line.
As New York Fashion Week draws near I wanted to share with you the nail looks from my favorite show from the Spring 2010 season, Diego Binetti. As CND’s Jan Arnold told me, Diego gets nails and really understands the importance of incorporating them into the overall look. Now in season’s past, the CND team has used a lot of custom blends but with the launch of Colour & Effects they challenged themselves to use layering as much as possible to create the exact shade each designer wanted. For Diego Binetti, they took on the task of translating his Thailand inspiration onto the models’ nails using various combinations of CND Copper Chrome, Electric Orange, Brilliant White, Buff, Inkwell, Ice Blue Shimmer and Gold Pearl with some very intricate nail art. |
I spoke with CND Education Ambassador Roxanne Valinoti backstage about the two sides of Binetti’s collection and how the nails worked into that theme.
There were two very distinct stories happening on the Binetti runway; Thai Day and Thai Night. Inspired by the land, the people, the fabrics, etc. the CND team played with the idea of sunrise and sunset for Thai Day while incorporating jewels, beading and an electrified sapphire into the look for Thai Night. For Thai Day each model wore nails that corresponded with different points in the sun’s rise and fall using Brilliant White, Electric Orange, Buff and Copper Chrome Colours and Gold Pearl Effect. The models were even “inked” on their wrists with the time of day they represented. Thai Night was all about luxury and opulence. Beads, crystals and foils were intertwined with a layering combination of Inkwell and Ice Blue Shimmer to bring a sense of mystery and fantasy. |
Thai Day
The sun in the Thai Day nails was created using Electric Orange as a base. Part of the CND secondary shades, Electric Orange is a very pure reflection of the color wheel. It’s vivid without being neon and as I would expect from CND, it’s well pigmented and smooth.
To tone down the boldness of Electric Orange, a layer of the creamy, sheer Buff results in a soft melon hue.
Since I have no business picking up a nail art brush, especially compared to the genius work above, I opted for the easy way out; a simple modified french to represent the sunrise. CND used a base of Brilliant White under their suns as did I, though I have to say this is the first polish from the collection that doesn’t score a 10 in application. I needed three coats to avoid streaks. After applying a line of Electric Orange to my tip, I used a wash of Buff to mellow out the look.
To represent the sunset, the CND team started with a base of Copper Chrome. Copper Chrome is an extremely pigmented metallic that applies very smooth though a bit brush stroke-y. Nowhere near as bad as some metallics I’ve used but you can still see the lines.
They then added a layer of CND’s Super Matte to take off the shine. To me, Super Matte is not the most accurate name for this top coat since it leaves a more satin finish than other matte top coats I’ve tried but if you don’t want an uber-flat finish this is a great option.
The sunset nails that include hand painted suns have an added layer of Gold Pearl to give an iced cappuccino effect. It reminds me of the old CND duo-chrome Make A Wish.
Thai Night
I was honestly amazed when I saw this beam of vibrant blue staring up at me. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t some sort of mix though I hadn’t yet tried the Shimmers from the Effects line. Sure I was wowed by Sapphire Sparkle after my trip to Cosmoprof but I didn’t know the transformative powers of the Shimmers. I couldn’t wait to get home and try this new-to-me combo of Inkwell and Ice Blue Shimmer. As you can see below, it’s simply stunning.
You can find CND Colour & Effects at salons nationwide and online at our fave e-tailers (see sidebar). Colours retail for $9/ea and Effects retail for $11/ea.
What do you think of these looks Fanatics? Which one is your fave? Have you tried layering CND Colours without Effects? What is your favorite combo?
Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by CND. For further information view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I’m not a big fan of full out nail art outside of fashion shows or editorials, but I do like more subtle designs like a half-moon, or the matching matte/gloss french, so I’m surprised how much I love the idea of that sunrise/sunset design. Maybe I’d use just the gold for the base on all the nails instead of the white, but the moving orange circle across the nails is actually quite chic. I wonder if there’s a way to pull it off with some kind of sticker/guide (there’s no way I could do it freehand). I’ve heard those loose leaf paper hole protectors are quite useful…
great idea! i’ve heard of using those protectors for a moon mani. i bet it would work for creating a sun too.
HI Michelle: That orange with the white CND effect is cool. But I would love to try that blue and the Ice Blue shimmer, your nails look so beautiful. Does Sally’s Beauty Supply carry CND Effects?
By the way, what is your secret to having a perfect cuticle line around the polish?
I know it’s a special brush but what size and what do you use to get this effect. I know this question has been asked a million of times but, those who want to know, want to know.
((((Love Michelle))))
Mc Huggs
Hi George! Sally’s doesn’t carry CND. Salons and stores like ULTA do. The line around my cuticle isn’t perfect but I try. It’s just a lot of practice. No special brush or anything.
That is a beautiful combination!
I like the white and electric orange french the best!!! Very pretty! I don’t like french manicures, but I love the combo of white and orange!
Yeah, I’m not really one for French Manis unless they’re some sort of alternate color combo. Even then, they’re not really my thing
love the Thai Night looks! oh, and love love love Jan Arnold! she absolutely got me into doing nails. she’s amazing!
xoxo
I don’t like to trash stores, but since someone mentioned them above, I recommend NOT bothering with Sally Beauty for nail needs. Despite their name, I have found them to be more limited than some Walgreen’s stores in what they offer for nail supplies (or anything else, for that matter.) Their acrylic brushes don’t have chemical-resistant handles, which is a basic no-brainer feature. And for those who need supplies for the natural nail, they also fall short in my opinion. I don’t consider them a real beauty supply store. I know many true beauty supply stores don’t allow you to purchase without a cosmetology or similar license, with the line that they are “professional products,” which is total protectionist BS. Fortunately with the internet, you can do better searching online in most cases — both on selection and price. And the stuff comes right to your door.
man, i wish i could buy this locally but i cant. this sounds so awesome too! it makes me sad. =(
You know, CND is rapidly becoming my favorite polish application wise. It goes on so perfectly and is so easy to control that every time I use one I find myself scouring the ‘net for more of the old, discontinued core line polishes. Hell, I even bought a yellow one last night and I am so not a yellow fan, but what the hey, I can franken with it. But I am not ever going to pay $20 for two bottles of polish (and now some of the looks use three polishes!) that I have to work to get a specific look. It’s just never going to happen. I’d rather enjoy the hunt of finding a single polish that’s exactly what I want. I congratulate them on finding a good gimmick to sell more polish, but you can find all kinds of things to layer if that’s your thing without spending such ridiculous sums of money or wasting so much time with 14 freakin’ layers. I really wish they’d take heed of how much ‘regular’ polish they still sell and re-expand that line of products. Could you put a bug in their ear? I know I’m not the only one or they wouldn’t have kept any of the old line. Meanwhile, I’ll enjoy the 15 or so I have and just keep looking for old ones.
Which shimmer out of all the CND shimmers would you recommend? I can’t choose just one and I need something versatile that would go with a variety of colors…Please help!
Wow, that’s hard. I would think Ice Blue Shimmer or Gold Shimmer would probably be the most versatile. Blue looks good over black, grey, purple, orange, pink, etc. But if you prefer warm tones, Gold Shimmer will add warmth to whatever you put it over, even grey or silver.