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Gift Guide – The 21 Hottest Holiday Polishes
So you have a nail fanatic in your life that you’d love to surprise with the gift of polish but have no idea where to begin. Whether you’re dropping a bottle in a stocking or creating a personalized gift set, I’m here to help you navigate the racks with the 21 trendiest shades of the season.
I hand picked the best of the best from this year’s fall and holiday collections to take the guesswork out of the polish shopping experience. Check your fanatic’s stash and if you find the collection lacking these shades, they’ll certainly be delighted to receive any of them from you.
Red and Green – What colors best represent the season than red and green? And this year I got my wish by seeing even more lovely greens come out on the market. So whether your fanatic is traditional (red) or a little more daring (green) these beauties will be the perfect party accessory.
Grey/Greige/Taupe – This oddball part of the color spectrum was a huge hit for fall. Funky shades are “it” my friends. And even though Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy technically came out last year, you can’t blame Ji Baek for being ahead of the curve. Leaving Stormy out would be a crime of nail fashion!
Metallic – Molten nails have been all the rage and whether you go subtle with a light shimmer or punch it up with glittering gold and silver, these babies are sure to get compliments. They’re the perfect addition to a New Year’s Eve ensemble. Chanel Kaleidoscope isn’t easy to find but you would be such a rock star for scoring a bottle. I’ve seen them on ebay and even though I don’t condone price gouging, sometimes we have to say “uncle” and give in.
Purple and Brown – This color story wasn’t as prominent but for vampy nail lovers, purple and brown are a fresh take on that tired black and navy of years past. If you’ve been searching, like I have, for the ideal brown creme, one that isn’t too red or black based, you MUST buy Zoya Nina. Perfection!
For purchase information and full reviews, click on the polish names. For those not linked, check RescueBeauty.com, SpaRitual.com, Zoya.com, Head2ToeBeauty.com and 8ty8beauty.com for more info.
So I’m dying to know… how many of you own all of these shades? Which ones are you missing? What makes your “must have” holiday list?
Zoya Flourish for Holiday 2008
The holidays seem to be extra sparkly this year with so many festive, glimmering polishes headed our way. Zoya’s Flourish collection certainly fits in with that trend. This set of six glitzy shades is sure to put a twinkle in your eye. In the same vein as the Magique collection from two years ago, each lacquer has fine micro-glitter that peeks at you through ribbons of luscious gold shimmer.
I called out the colors I wanted to see most in the preview and they certainly lived up to my expectations. Richelle, Zara and Kalista are my faves in the bunch.
The only downside is the application. This collection’s formula has a “china glaze glass flecked” feel to it yet it doesn’t flow as nicely. I’m not sure if the formula has changed of if it’s just the nature of this type of finish but for some reason the second coat applied so streaky I had to put on a third. Though I would have needed a third coat with these regardless, they’re just not pigmented enough for two, Kalista being the lone exception.
Richelle is a warm rich gold that is a bit more brassy than last year’s Austine.
Zara is the polish some of you thought might be a Sally Hansen Arabian Night dupe. Sorry gals, it’s not. AN is deeper and more graple with very prominent gold flecks. The sparkle in Zara is much more subtle yet still apparent. While Zoya describes this shade as periwinkle, I see it as violet. No matter how you call it, this icy purple shade is totally unique!
Shivon is a pretty golden mauve with duochrome tendencies. It’s different and normally I’m all about different but this one just isn’t me.
Mieko is rosy deep pink that I’m oddly drawn to. It’s not a color I would typically choose but I’m feeling it.
Cyma is the least sparkly and least original of the six. A berry-ish red with low-key tonal shimmer and just a bit of gold running throughout, this lady is a “pass”.
Kalista is a beyond gorgeous reddish brown stunner. While a lot of red-based browns get to the “too red” point and black-based browns just look like poop (sorry it’s true), Kalista is a perfect blend of the two. Light enough to still look brown without reaching the funky milk chocolate zone. Zoya describing it as “mahogany” is so PERFECT I can’t even try to top it.
The Zoya Flourish collection can be pre-ordered now on Zoya.com and should ship within the next couple weeks. Individual nail polishes retail for $6 and the collection sampler with 6 full size bottles retails for $36. Check the Salon Locator for a retail location near you.
Chanel Haute Chocolat for Holiday 2008
 Hold on to your wallets ladies because CHANEL is calling and you may not be able to resist. Launching in October, the Chanel Holiday collection is filled with warm, rich tones including one super hot chocolate nail polish.
The collection features three nail colours: Rosee Perle - a warm beige pink |
 I’m also excited about the Limited Edition gold highlighting powder, Poudre Precieuse Or. I’m a sucker for gold, shimmery makeup. I covet my Bobbi Brown gold Shimmer Brick so I’m very curious about this powder. |
 One of the things that makes this polish so unique is its origin. Chanel teamed up with Seventeen magazine to give their readers a chance to create a nail shade in the Color Of The Year Contest. Thousands of entries were submitted but it was Amy Gonzo’s nail colour name and inspiration that triumphed. Amy, a 19 year-old from Port Washington, WI, drew inspiration from her favorite holiday drink, hot cocoa, and gave it a name with a french twist, Haute Chocolat. Looking back on her favorite holiday memories, Amy “wanted to combine the comfort and warmth of the season with the chic elegance that is indicative of CHANEL.” |
Chic, elegant and warm are perfect descriptors for this rich chocolaty lacquer but the gold flecks are what really make it stand out. What I love is that it’s dark without looking black, warm yet not overly red and it flows on the nail like pure molten chocolate.
I dug through my box o’ browns to see if I could find you all a dupe but I came up empty. The majority of my browns are very red based or extremely dark. Only OPI Espresso Your Style and Sally Hansen The Good Earth came close but neither one has Haute Chocolat’s sparkle.
The Chanel Holiday collection will be online at Chanel.com and on counter in October with the Nail Colour retailing for $20. Also, be sure to check out the October issue of Seventeen Magazine (already on stands) to learn more about Haute Chocolat’s creator Amy Gonzo.
NOTD – Cleveland Browns Opening Day Spirit
I’m not a sports fanatic or anything but I love me some Cleveland Browns football. In this town, football is king. No matter how bad the team sucks, we continue to support them and sell out the stadium. As season ticket holders we never miss a game, except maybe the lame pre-season ones. And for today’s season opener against Tony Romo & the Dallas Cowboys, I did a Browns themed mani in our team colors, natch. I wonder if Jessica Simpson will be there, cheering on her boy.
Such a mani requires the perfect shimmery brown and true pumpkin orange nail lacquers. I chose Zoya Pia and Carolyn New York Spanish Harlem. A pretty good match, no?
What’s on your tips today? Are you supporting your favorite team with polish?
Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Fall 2008
Last February I gave you a peek at the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Salon Collection for Fall 2008 and a backstage look at the Tracy Reese show. Well now I can finally show the rest of the collection which will roll into stores in September.
Drawing inspiration from nature and weather, this collection is filled with soft dusty neutrals, dark earthy vamps, rich floral cremes with one FANTASTIC smokey blue thrown in for good measure. Overall, I’m pretty smitten with all the colors and more than pleased with how they apply and wear.
Moonstone is the perfect name for this pearly silver metallic. I found it to be slightly streaky but not so much that it’s unwearable.
Divinity is what the MUA nail board might call a BABB (Band-Aid but better) shade. A warm nude shimmer, I think cool toned girls would have problems pulling it off.
However, that’s where Quartz Chameleon steps in. This pinkish neutral shimmer will flatter most skin tones. And while I’m not the biggest fan of nudes/neutrals, if I were looking for one to wear, this is what I’d reach for. Very work friendly.
Torrid Bloom was the shade used for the Veiled Nail look on all the Tracy Reese models. It’s a glorious deep magenta creme. I can’t even begin to tell you how impressed I was with the application and pigmentation. I totally fell in love while putting it on.
Night Lily is a purple tinged deep berry red creme and it flows on the nail as fantabulously as Torrid Bloom. Like seriously, I normally dread applying cremes unless my nail beds are flawless because they pick up every flaw. But the two in this collection are like magic. Just perfect!
Cruel Heart is a blood red shimmer. Pretty but not a standout.
Alchemy is unique in that it’s a plum with subtle bronzey shimmer. The shimmer isn’t super apparent but it brings warmth to the overall shade.
Imagine melting a Hershey’s Special Dark and adding ribbons of shimmer and you have The Good Earth. This almost-black chocolate shade has more sparkle than Alchemy but isn’t glitzy. In brighter indoor lighting and sunlight, it’s a stunner.
I’ve shown you Stormy Blue before but I just can’t get enough of this steely smoked out blue. I even told you about my male friend loving it on his toes, making it a unisex shade.
Raven’s Wing is even more jet black in person but the micro-glitter makes it appear lighter to my camera. It’s actually an inky shade with floating silver and tarnished gold glitter that dries smooth to the touch.
Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer is available at most drug stores and retails for $6 US.
My personal picks for “must haves” from the collection are Quartz Chameleon, Torrid Bloom, Alchemy, Stormy Blue and The Good Earth. Which ones will make your shopping list?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
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