Purple

Get The Look – Ginnifer Goodwin in He’s Just Not That Into You

By Michelle Mismas on March 1, 2009
in Big 3 Free, Celebrity, Nubar, Purple with 14 Comments

I’ve received quite a few emails and comments regarding Ginnifer Goodwin‘s nail look in the flick He’s Just Not That Into You. I haven’t seen a movie character’s polish receive this much attention since Emily Blunt sported Essie Aruba Blue in The Devil Wears Prada.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I went to NYC for fashion week that I finally caught the film. Now I get it. Ginnifer’s character Gigi sports a stunning purple throughout the film. To my eye it looks like she’s wearing two different shades, a lighter lilac similar to Lippmann Purple Rain and a darker red-grape that remained a mystery until recently.

Thanks to reader Marie for linking me to an EW.com Style Hunter article that reveals the big answer. HJNTIY‘s makeup artist Tina Roesler Kerwin selected Nubar Pasadena Purple for Ginnifer.

About a year and a half ago, I heard that Lead Man Brent Rice chose Nubar polishes as set decoration for a nail salon scene so I suspected that a Nubar shade was used but I’m happy to have confirmation.

Now you too can have fun purple nails like Gigi by slapping on a couple coats of Pasadena Purple. Just don’t act a fool like she did while wearing it. I mean seriously girls, I know she’s playing an over-dramatized version of a stereotype but do any of us really know any girls that ridiculous? I’m glad she got a happy ending but what a train wreck of a way to get there, no?

You can pick up your very own bottle of Nubar Pasadena Purple for $6.99 at ByNubar.com.

The ALU Archives – Zoya Yasmeen

By Michelle Mismas on February 26, 2009
in Big 3 Free, Purple, Shimmer, The ALU Archives, Zoya with 14 Comments

The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash.

Whenever I’m asked for a purple recommendation, Zoya Yasmeen is always at the top of my list. In a lot of ways, it’s the perfect purple shimmer. Usually when you add gold or reddish sparkle to a cool toned shade, the result is overly warm. Yasmeen avoids that pitfall.

The base shade is a deep blackened plum that falls so far on the cool side of purple that the overall shade doesn’t end up too red-grape. If you love purple, this is not one to miss. It’s extremely unique, beyond gorgeous and definitely a “must have.”

What do you think of Yasmeen? Do you own it? Will you be adding it to your stash soon?

Zoya Twist Collection for Spring 2009

By Michelle Mismas on February 2, 2009
in Berry, Big 3 Free, Blue, Gray, Pink, Purple, Spring 2009, Zoya with 17 Comments

moxie, malia, barbie, cassi, jo, harley, zoya, twist, spring 2009, nail color, nail colour, nail polish, nail lacquer

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?

Lippmann Collection Purple Rain for Spring 2009

By Michelle Mismas on January 23, 2009
in Big 3 Free, Deborah Lippmann, Lilac, Metallic, Purple with 10 Comments

Spring 2009 for Lippmann Collection is a total 80s flashback. Deborah created shades named for songs from two of the biggest artists of the decade, Michael Jackson and Prince. P.Y.T., a sheer peachy-pink creme, and Purple Rain, a metallic lilac, are the latest additions to the Lippmann lineup.

I had the pleasure to test out Purple Rain before it launches to the public and when I first looked at the bottle, I could see the metallic finish staring at me. Taunting me. Saying, you’ll never apply me smooth and even.

You know the drill with metallics. They look amazing in the bottle, come in fantastic colors but become brushstroke city on the nail. What’s a girl to do? Well, as I told Andrea in Glamour’s September issue, I have a little trick to make application better. Not perfect but better.

Application Tip: Apply a tacky base coat (CND Stickey or Orly Bonder). Put a glossy top coat on next (I used CND Air Dry). Then apply your metallic polish and finish with another layer of top coat.

The glossy finish of the top coat will give a smoother surface than a traditional base coat, allowing the polish to glide on the nail.

See the finished results, after the jump!

Purple Rain made its first appearance at New York Fashion Week last September on the Zac Posen runway. Deborah custom blended the lavender shade, which was at the time unnamed, to accent the bold purple lips on the models. That shade and a layering combo of Whatever Lola Wants over holiday’s Icing On The Cake added a frosty touch to the overall look.

Purple Rain

So what do you think girlies? You know light purples don’t play well with my skintone but I’ve been getting compliments on my mani with this shade. My mom, who loves anything frosty, will be expecting this bottle to be hers. I know it already.

The Spring Lippmann Collection polishes will launch next month and retail for $15/ea. You can purchase online at LippmannCollection.com and Beauty.com and in person at Nordstrom department stores.

Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring 2009

By Michelle Mismas on January 21, 2009
in Berry, Coral, Gold, NY Fashion Week S/S 09, Pink, Purple, Sally Hansen, Spring 2009, Yellow with 31 Comments

Are you kids ready to dive into Spring? I know I am. I’ve been sitting on the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring collection for way too long and I’ve been dying to gush. With a heavy floral inspiration these shades came straight from the runway to the bottle. I couldn’t be more excited about these polishes if I tried. Every one is a winner. Even the yellow!

You know, I’m not sure why but every time I use a creme from the SH Salon line, I am so impressed with the formula and how it applies. As if I didn’t already know how fantastic it is. It’s so weird. I’m sitting there, painting my nails thinking, “My word, this is outstanding! Why am I not wearing these more often?” Riddle me that and you win a prize (not really but you know what I mean).

Seriously, these polishes are all hyper pigmented, smooth and glossy. The hues are vibrant. The tones are true to bottle color. Shall I go on? I could just keep yammering away but seeing will make you a believer.

Tassel was the shade selected for the Tracy Reese runway show. This rich, warm gold was the perfect neutral complement to Tracy’s designs. You have no idea how happy I am to find a metallic that applies smoothly. No brushstroke city. No streaking or unevenness. I did need three coats to get it opaque and perfect but it was worth it.

I showed you Night Hydrangea in a NOTD post a few weeks back. For me, this is pretty much the perfect purple shimmer. It’s that elusive “purple in every light” we’re all looking for and it does so without hitting neon territory. I KNOW tons of you will be hunting this one down.

Nasturtium brings out my love of coral that has been hiding the past few years. You don’t even know I was such a coral fiend. One of my first bottles was Essie Carousel Coral and it set me off on a streak for pretty much an entire summer. Nasturtium is just so effortlessly spring and casual that I can’t help but love it.

Honeydew – THANK YOU Tracy Reese for throwing in something for us green lovers. It has this light, watery feel that isn’t full on green yet not blue either. Does that make it teal? Aqua? Blue-green? Green-blue? Does it matter? It’s stunning! Naturally, Honeydew is the shade I popped open first and all I could say was, “come to momma you gorgeous thing!” This is the only one whose shimmer does more than add depth. It’s clearly visible.

When I saw Forsythia, all I could think was, “Oh no! Pantone’s color of the year, Mimosa, has leaked into the polish world!” My polish fears had come true. But you know what? Forsythia is a lot less golden than Mimosa and much more flattering than I expected. Its muted tone differs from the day-glo yellows we’ve seen in years past. Is it the easiest shade to pull off? No but I’m oddly drawn to it.

Beet Stain is a kissing cousin to Fall’s Night Lily, only a tinge more red so, if you missed out on it last season, now is your chance. It seems the berry trend that was so prominent in makeup last season is carrying over to spring for nails. Zoya put one in their spring collection as did OPI.

Azalea is a bold red-pink creme. It’s a bit softer than what you’d think of as a “hot pink.” A perfect pedicure shade for when we finally get to break out our sandals.
The Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Spring color collection is set to hit shelves in March but you know the drill. These babies aren’t easy to find and when they finally go on sale, they’re gone in a flash. So keep your peepers on your local drugstore displays and let us know when you find them. We all want to know!