Yellow
Celebrity Nail Watch – Julia Allison
Julia who? That’s the exact question I was asking just a few months back when my pal Amber from Beauty Blogging Junkie excitedly shared a link to her interview with Julia (a fab read btw). The former Editor-At-Large for Star Magazine, Julia Allison was a “talking head” on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. Currently she writes a weekly dating column for Time Out New York and lifecasts on NonSociety.com, the website she co-founded with her friends.
Thanks to Amber’s article, complete with a link to Julia’s lifecast, I’m now obsessed with following her daily happenings on my feed reader. She’s beyond stunning, wizard smart and dresses like Blair Waldorf. What’s not to love? Oh and I’m also convinced that I need a shih tzu puppy like her precious Lilly (pictured above).
Anywho, in the interview Julia discussed her beloved beauty products and application tricks. When the topic of nails came about, she mentioned her favorite brands (Essie, Sally Hansen, Rimmel) and that she wears fakes. Oh the horror! You girls know how I feel about that. I’m all natural baby! Now even though I’m opposed, I get it. When you’re on TV and being photographed regularly, having nice nails is essential and not everyone has the time for a mani each week. Though that is not in ANY way an endorsement for acrylics on my part.
I have to give the girl props though. Julia loves herself a bright, funky nail. I was scrolling back through her lifecast archives when I came across a couple of her past nail looks. Yay, I’ve found another green lover!! How can you not adore her?
Being my nosey self and a green fanatic, I tried get in touch with Ms. Julia to find out what she was wearing. FAIL!! Sad that I would never know the name of that lovely green shade, I was delighted and surprised to see a picture of her fridge (pictured below), filled with nothing but nail polish and water, show up on the NonSociety talk show, TMI Weekly. Lo and behold the mystery green revealed!
I spy Nars Schiap, Essie Shorty Pants, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Marine Scene and Sinful San Francisco. What do ya know? Sinful Colors are loved by people outside the nail fanatic world. Good times!
Well Ms. Julia, you may be too busy to email me back but your fabulous nail style is worthy of an All Lacquered Up Celebrity Nail Watch. No matter what Mary Rambin says, I love that you aren’t just a sheer/pink/nude wearing gal.
images: Nonsociety.com and TMIWeekly.com
China Glaze Operation Colour for Fall 2008
 POW! BANG! SPLAT!
Operation Colour from China Glaze will certainly make an impact when it hits shelves this month. Inspired by the bold splashes of color found in graphic novels and comic books, this is not your typical Fall look. You won’t find any burnt, vampy or dreary shades here. Instead, China Glaze is taking on Fall in technicolor. |
 With the Costume Institute’s Superheroes exhibit coming to a close this weekend, it seems appropriate for this collection to come along as a way to keep a little superhero fashion alive in everyday life. It’s almost as if these shades were ripped right from the exhibit and red carpet. Just look at the Emilio Pucci dress Joy Bryant donned for the exhibit’s gala in May or the Thierry Mugler graphic novel inspired bodysuit on display at The Met and you’ll see what I mean. |
Overall, I think this collection is a fun change of pace. A nice twist on what we’d normally expect for the colder months. Though I must admit that I’m more in love with the concept and palette as a whole than I am with the colors individually. But I am impressed with the pigmentation. It makes the formula a bit thicker than I would prefer but even the lighter shades only take two coats. The first will be a bit streaky but the second smooths it out. The only one I had any major issue with was Agent Lavender, it didn’t spread out on its own. It required a bit of coaxing.
Secret Peri-Winkle is by far my favorite color in the collection. A gorg mid-toned combo of violet and sky blue, this creme is perfect for cool and neutral tones. I just love it!
Code Orange, like the other shimmers in the lineup, isn’t at all sparkly. The shimmer just adds a little glint of sheen to this tangerine hue.
As I mentioned above, Agent Lavender was my problem child. There’s one in every bunch, isn’t there? But what I love is that unlike most light purples I wear, this one doesn’t make me look like an alien. I find it quite flattering.
Golden Opportunity reminds me of the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz. Gleaming goldenrod at it’s best.
Revolution is a tomato ketchup red creme. Not utterly unique but a nice warm red.
Pink Underground is a shade with a twinkle in its eye. The fine bright pink shimmer gives this polish a slight blue/berry cast in the sun. This isn’t your average pink.
The Operation Colour collection is on sale NOW at 8ty8Beauty.com and I’m sure Head2ToeBeauty.com will have it up soon. What I really love… is that they’re releasing the set in minis (pictured right). I first saw them with the Immaterial Gurl collection and they’re just adorable.
So what do you think girls? Comic book colors for Fall. Is it genius or not for you?
Images: All Lacquered Up, China Glaze, Style.com & Flickr.com
Rise & Shine With Chanel Robertson Exclusive – L.A. Sunrise
For any beauty fanatic, there’s nothing better than coming home after a long day at work to find a little box (L.B.) of beauty goodness on your doorstep. Whether it be a swap package or a purchase it always feels like my birthday when something new arrives. Well today’s L.B. was a doozie. After stalking the Chanel website like a crack fiend for the past month (I know they said July but you never know), the Robertson Collection FINALLY went on sale last Thursday. In fact, I was running late to see a movie as I scrambled to place my order. But now L.A. Sunrise is mine, ALL MINE!
Holy yellow hotness, Chanel! You have seriously made my day. I’ve been on the search for the perfect lemon nail polish and L.A. Sunrise is it. Not too mustard, too light or too gold. Just pure lemon pudding with a whisper of silver shimmer. Perfection!
I just wish that fabulosity (yes, I’ve watched Kimora’s reality show) translated to the formula. I’ve been pretty pleased with the application of Chanel polishes in the past and I don’t know if it’s just the nature of yellow polish but I can’t get one, NOT ONE, to apply well. Every yellow I own is thicker and more streaky than its collection counterparts and they all require three coats. For $25 a bottle, I expect more.
Unfortunately, I don’t own a yellow with the same softness and opacity but if you find one shout it out in the comments! Until a twin is found, I direct you to the Chanel.com website where L.A. Sunrise is still available along with the rest of the Robertson Collection.
It’s A Neon, Neon World With Essie & Orly
As my favorite nail color queen, Rihanna, has already shown us, bright, bold, in-your-face shades are what’s hot right now. She’s been spotted wearing orange, teal, purple, etc. and even though she’s driving the bandwagon other young celebs are jumping on board. Take Lindsay Lohan for example. She wore a hot pink to match her prom-tastic dress at her 22nd birthday party and was caught lighting up (don’t do it!) with glowing orange tips.
To feed your need for neon, Essie and Orly have hit us with a one-two punch of bright, four color collections for Summer.
The Essie Neons are quite a departure for the usually subdued brand. They tend to target the conservative, classic nail fanatic. I give Essie two thumbs up for addressing the trend. Unfortunately I have to give a thumbs up/thumbs down to the formula. While half the shades (Mini Shorts & Short Shorts) were OK, the others (Bermuda Shorts & Shorty Pants) were pretty nightmarish. As expected, the neon pigments cause these polishes to dry matte but for some reason they don’t smooth out easily. You have to put in some work to avoid an uneven texture. But the colors, love them! Mini Shorts is definitely my favorite.
Orly High Voltage is a mixture of saucy shimmers and punchy cremes. The gold shimmer in Heat Wave is captivating. As soon as I picked up the bottle, I had to have it on my tips. It’s really a stand out lacquer for me. Charged Up is a nice grape but it’s also the only polish I had application issues with. I needed three coats to get even, full coverage. And if I were picking a hot reddish pink, Hot Shot would be my choice. It’s way more vibrant in person, somewhat shocking.
The polishes pictured are shown with a top coat since the majority dry matte. I chose images for each lacquer that best represented the color so they aren’t all shown in sunlight.
The Essie Neons and Orly High Voltage collections are available now online and in stores including hair and nail salons, Trade Secret, ULTA, Sally Beauty Supply and Regis. Contact your local retailer to check availability.
Chanel Robertson Boulevard Nail Colour Collection
When I was in LA last month, I desperately wanted to stop by the new Chanel boutique on Robertson Boulevard but time wasn’t on my side. The reason for my desperation… the Robertson Boulevard limited edition Nail Colour Collection. Sold exclusively at the Robertson boutique from now until the online launch in July, this collection was created by Peter Philips, the new Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup.
Based on the bold pop art imagery, I wasn’t expecting the slight softness I saw in the shades I tested. It’s this quality that makes them very wearable, even for Chanel’s more conservative clientele. As expected, the lacquers applied flawlessly and with excellent pigmentation, I barely needed two coats to reach bottle color. At $25 a bottle, they better.
Rodeo Drive is a warm grapey purple with subtle silver shimmer. In the sun it reminds me of the cartoon character Grape Ape. Of all the polishes in this collection, Rodeo Drive was the one I most looked forward to seeing so I’m glad it lived up to my expectations.
L.A. Sunset is a creamy melon orange with a high gloss factor. I wouldn’t classify it as a bright per se but it’s definitely bold and summery. A perfect pedicure shade.
With the popularity of yellow polish this season it’s no surprise to see one included in this collection. However, I was surprised at how sweet and sexy L.A. Sunrise looked on Selma Blair’s tips in InStyle‘s June edition. No mustard or neon here, just a gorgeous lemon sorbet. I plan to order it the day of the online release.
Melrose, L.A. Sunrise, L.A. Sunset and Rodeo Drive will be available for purchase exclusively on Chanel.com in July. You can sign up on the CHANEL site to be notified of their release.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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