Fall 2013 Nail Trends at Saks Fifth Avenue Beachwood

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of hosting an event at Saks Fifth Avenue Beachwood. The focus was Fall 2013 Nail Trends and I had a blast. I loved meeting other Cleveland nail polish fanatics and talking fall nail color.  To the readers and fellow bloggers who came out from behind the screen to say hi, thank you for coming. It was wonderful putting a face with a name.

We enjoyed bubbles, ridiculously good nail polish-shaped cookies from Bon Bon, hand and arm massages from Jo Malone and nail polish changes from local manicurists.

On top of that, I put together a nail trend display featuring nail colors sold at Saks. You may not normally think Saks when shopping for nail polish but, they have all the familiar prestige and luxury brands plus some you don’t normally see, like Tom Ford, Armani and Le Metier de Beaute.

The Event

Held in the center of the Saks Beachwood Beauty Department, the event space was a great place to mingle and shop. Each guest received a personal shopping session with me as we talked about their likes, dislikes and the fall trends. Plus, my guests had the chance to win a basket of beauty goodies valued at $2,000. Amazing, right?

Fall 2013 Nail Trends

So what are the trends? Those Smoky Nails we donned a few years ago? They’re back in tones of grey, sepia and deep military greens.

Featured shades: Lancome Black Sepia ($15) and Grey Lumiere ($15), Tom Ford Black Sugar ($32), Chanel Mysterious ($27), Dior Gris Montaigne ($24), NARS Galathee ($19).

I created a Marble Manicure (like this one) using NARS Galathée, Dior Gris Montaigne, Lancome Grey Lumiere and a sandwich bag to press/blend the colors. Gris Montaigne and Galathée ended up being among the most popular shades that day.

Rich, bold Jewel Tones are on-trend this season in both clothing and nail color. Even a brand like Bobbi Brown, known for their amazing neutrals, jumped on the bejeweled trend with a stunning cobalt creme.

You all know how I feel about the emerald stunner, Laura Mercier Bewitched ($18), and Estee Lauder Metallic Green ($20) blends three trends in one; jewel tones, matte and metallic.

Bobbi Brown Navy ($18) and NARS Fury ($19) were definitely crowd favorites while Bewitched and Metallic Green sold out under my watch.

ps If you haven’t seen my Polka Dot Nail Art with Fury and Galathee, it’s worth checking out. The colors are gorgeous together.

Metallics have become a fall nail staple and with brands improving their formulas to make chromes smoother and more user-friendly, they’ve evolved beyond being deemed “grandma” colors.

Estee Lauder put all their nail cookies in the Metallics basket this fall and it paid off. Their brushed metallic shades are some of the best I’ve ever worn. Saks can’t keep them in stock. Pigmented beyond belief (you only need one coat), they dry perfectly smooth with an airbrushed finish that has a satin/matte appearance.

I cannot recommend the Estee Lauder Fall 2013 Metallics ($20) enough. Scoop them up before they are gone for good. I created the free-hand, basket-weave tip below using Estee Lauder Brushed Gold, Chocolate Foil and Rose Gold.

Finally, Matte Nails have made a triumphant comeback. I seriously thought it had finally died out but seeing matte and glossy nail art on the runways sparked interest.

Something as simple as a Matte French Tip or a Glossy Chevron can add dimension and interest to your vampy fall shades. And who can resist the frosted glass effect matte top coats add to glittery polish?

Thankfully we aren’t being bombarded with a zillion matte nail polishes. Brands have become smarter, shifting their focus to matte top coats like the one from Dolce & Gabbana ($24). It dries more satin than a true flat matte which seems to be the way a lot of brands (ie JINsoon & Revlon) are going.

Outside of the shades featured, Chanel Taboo and Tom Ford Viper tended to garner a lot of interest as they have that sexy, fall feel. I deemed Taboo “treat yo’ self” worthy so you KNOW it’s good!

Again, thanks to everyone who came out to shop and support me and a huge thanks to the team at Saks Fifth Avenue Beachwood who put the event together.

What fall nail trends are you most intrigued by? What nail colors do you see yourself wearing over and over this season?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for the brands. Affiliate links appear via rewardStyle and skimlinks. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.