Gray
ALU at NYFW – Backstage at Karen Walker
 For Fall/Winter 09, Karen Walker dubbed her collection “She’s Cracked.” Inspired by cracked china, CND created two dusty bluish grays for Karen to choose from. See both shades and get a close up look at the chosen one, after the jump. |
As you can see in the image to the left, there were two shades worked up for Karen’s collection. Both are made from Voodoo, Cream Puff and Hot Pop Blue but it’s the ratio of Voodoo to Hot Pop Blue that makes the difference. Karen selected the dirty gray over the dusty blue because it looks more like the cracked edge of a piece of china. Makeup artist Maxine Leonard gave the girls a clean, pretty not overly done face with a creamy coral/orange lip while Rolando Beauchamp for Bumble and bumble created a low slung pony with wispy side pieces.
CND Educator Angi Wingle was the team lead backstage at Karen Walker. She told us that even though a majority of the models would be wearing gloves, Karen still wanted all the nails lacquered. So Angi and her team relied on Speedy top coat to set the color without smuding.
#NYFW
Zoya Twist Collection for Spring 2009
 You kids know how into the whole gray trend I’ve been. Since last spring, I’ve told anyone who will listen about how amazingly cool gray looks on nails. Of course it didn’t really hit until last fall (look at me being ahead of the game!) and I’m pleased to see it carrying over to spring in Zoya’s newest collection, Twist.
Like I mentioned in the preview, when I look at Twist, I see a light and airy version of fall’s big trends with a cranberry splash and two traditional pinks thrown in for good measure. Berry lips were big last fall and now we’re seeing that translated to tips for spring. Both OPI and Sally Hansen included a berry creme in their collections. An interesting “twist” for sure. |
Let’s start with my obvious fave – Harley. Harley is a warm mid-tone gray shimmer. The light bronze ribbons of shimmer keep this one from being too cool for the olive skinned girls to pull off. If you haven’t tried gray yet, this is one you’ll definitely fall for.
Harley’s closest living relative is OPI “Sheer” Your Toys though SYT is a bit more blue-gray. I showed it next to Sephora by OPI Run With It! just for comparison’s sake but as you can see, they’re very different animals.
Malia is about as light as I can delve into purples with my skin tone. It’s not love at first sight but it’s a far cry better than what lavender does to me. Malia’s violet hue looks warm next to my skin even though it’s much cooler toned in the bottle. This one gave me some streakiness during application though I was able to smooth it out with very steady strokes.
Moxie is a dream to apply. Zoya’s creme formula tends to give me issues due to its thicker viscosity but Moxie flowed on perfectly. This bold berry really stands out against the other shades in this collection, making it the odd man out yet refreshingly unexpected at the same time.
Moxie isn’t the most unique girl at the party with Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Beet Stain and OPI Miami Beet (from the upcoming South Beach collection) as convincing dupes but I can say that she applies better than the Sally Hansen and is more pigmented than the OPI.
Cassi is a salmon pink shimmer. A nice warm pink for conservative girls and pink fans alike. Two coats gave nice, even coverage.
Barbie looks exactly as the name implies, Malibu Barbie pink. It totally reminds me of the pink Barbie convertible I had as a child. Vibrant and cool-toned, there is a subtle hint of shimmer in the bottle but on the nail it’s barely apparent.
Jo is the other big winner in Twist. A total jackpot of a blue. I’d dare to call it cornflower but the subtle way it leans towards purple keeps me from doing so. Whatever you call it, it’s unique, stunning and totally unlike any polish I own. Like Gabriel Byrne said to Winona Ryder (as Jo) at the end of Little Women, “such a little name for such a person,” Zoya’s Jo is such a color.
The Zoya Twist collection is available online at Zoya.com and at salons and spas across the country. Check the salon locator on Zoya’s website to track one down.
So what do we think? What are you loving? Hating? Indifferent about?
MAC Hello Kitty Nail Lacquers
Who’s ready for an early peek at the MAC Hello Kitty nail polishes? You know, I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of you were unaware of the MAC/Hello Kitty collaboration when I previewed it a couple weeks ago. The last thing I want is to inundate you with info you’ve seen a million times before. So I’m really excited to be able to give you an advanced look at the nail lacquers before they hit shelves on February 12th.
For this collection, MAC is debuting two new creme polishes and bringing back Vestral White (creme) from last holiday’s Antiquitease collection. Unfortunately, I gifted Vestral White away so I don’t have it to show you but it’s a true, opaque white. And how utterly cute are those bottles? I’m beyond happy that MAC FINALLY adorned the nail lacquer bottles to match a collection.
What impressed me most about the two new shades is their opacity. They’re both highly pigmented which is fantastic though that raised the viscosity. I ended up needing three coats only to even out the surface because the formula doesn’t do so on its own.
Note: I received sample bottles without the Hello Kitty logo.
On The Prowl has got to be the truest gray I’ve found. Not too cool, not too warm. There’s no blue or brown in its base. If you’re looking for the perfect gray creme, this is it. And before you ask, NO, I don’t think the gray trend is over. I’m still loving it and will be wearing On The Prowl in the coming months.
As you can see, On The Prowl falls somewhere between Rescue Beauty Lounge Concrete Jungle and China Glaze Recycle on the gray scale. Though the RBL’s base is more blue while Recycle’s is brown.
Something About Pink is the perfect complement to the Hello Kitty collection’s girlish side. It’s exactly what I would expect to counter the grittier feel of On The Prowl. Something About Pink is a cool toned hot pink that looks even more vibrant in person. The finish is uber-glossy and would make an excellent pedicure shade for summer.
Going through my stash, I discovered that I own way more hot pinks that I thought. That was unexpected. Though I don’t have anything that matches Something About Pink dead on but I did find some close calls. OPI I’m Indi-a Mood For Love and NARS Schiap are both a tinge darker but tonally very similar.
The MAC Hello Kitty collection will be available online at MACCosmetics.com on February 10th and hits MAC Counters on February 12th. I know I’ll be online to get a HK adorned On The Prowl and some other goodies. What will you be buying? In case you haven’t seen the rest of the collection, my buddy Jamie was at the preview last November and has additional product images on The Beauty Life.
images: iswii.net and All Lacquered Up
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?
Shades by Barielle – Fall Affair for Fall/Winter 2008
Did you know that Barielle makes nail polish? I certainly didn’t. Not until I met celebrity manicurist and Barielle spokesperson, Elle (kids, she’s worked on everyone, EVERYONE!). Known for their top notch nail treatments, Barielle has joined the color game with Shades by Barielle, a line of 3-Free, fashion forward lacquers. For Fall/Winter 2008, Elle created Fall Affair, a collection of six shades she pulled straight from the runways.
Can I just say that I’m beyond impressed with these polishes? They are superbly pigmented, 3 Free, yet not thick and goopy, and they last! Like even after five days of wear with my go-to top/base combo of Seche Base & Vite, the signs of wear were minimal. Not to mention, the formula just flows on the nail. It spreads out to create a perfect even finish. Oh and they dry so quick, that even without top coat, I could touch my nail beds after a few minutes.
Now I’m not gonna lie, the first time I applied Date Night (green), it went on kind of streaky and uneven but after talking with Elle, she helped me tweak my application technique. For the longest time, I’ve put quite a bit of polish on my brush, started in the middle of my nail and pushed the blob down towards my cuticle. WRONG-O! By putting a little less polish on my brush, starting at the cuticle, holding the brush almost parallel with my nail and pressing just enough to fan out the bristles, I was able to achieve the perfect 3-stroke application. Thanks Elle! MWAH!
Sneak-A-Peek is a silvery-gray shimmer that is so pigmented, I hardly needed two coats. For a color that light, that’s major. It’s a great icy shade for winter and an excellent call for those of you unable to take the plunge and try full-on gray.
Misbehaving Mistress is so unique, I don’t really know how to describe it but I know that I LOVE it. It’s kind of graphite but with taupe mixed in. To me, it’s the love child of OPI You Don’t Know Jacques and CND Black Platinum. And even though it’s dubbed a metallic by Barielle, it certainly doesn’t apply like one. There’s no brush stroke issues to be found.
Date Night – Seriously, just when I thought there wasn’t another swoon worthy green to be made… along comes Date Night. A beyond fabulous jeweled emerald green. If China Glaze Emerald Sparkle is my ultimate green glitter and Rescue Beauty Lounge Recycle is my ultimate green creme, this is my ULTIMATE GREEN SHIMMER. This kicks OPI Rainforest ass and I don’t say that lightly. It’s so pigmented and vibrant yet not overly bright like Emerald City from Sally Hansen. It’s deeper but not blackened, like Zoya Suvi, so you know it’s green yet it’s still elegant and trendy. I went through two storage boxes of green polish and can’t find one that holds a candle to the pigmentation and depth of this shade. There is no dupe! Buy it, buy it now!!
Hidden Hideaway is a sultry, blackened plum. It doesn’t have a red base but the warm golden shimmer warms it up a bit. This is an “almost black” eggplant shade but as you can see in the pictures, you can still tell it’s a purple. 
Secret Encounter plays on that berry trend that is happening in makeup this fall. This deep magenta has the same warm shimmer as Hidden Hideaway which makes you think it’s a duo-chrome in the bottle but it’s not. 
Two Timing has this comforting, warm, autumnal feel, like metallic fall leaves. It’s burnt yet not blackened, very Turkey Day if you ask me. I’d call it a bronzey orange or worn copper. And again, it’s considered a metallic but because of its smooth application it’s more like a metallic-shimmer crossover. A shimallic? A metmer? What do you think?
The Fall Affair collection from Shades by Barielle retails for $8/ea and is available now on Barielle.com or at one of the 1,500+ CVS stores that now carry the brand. Call for availability.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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