Trends
Multi-Colored Nails – Trendy or Tacky?
 Being that I spend most of my living days leaving the house with random polishes on each of my fingertips, or worse only one hand painted, I’m the last person to really judge someone for rocking a funky nail style. Even though I can’t get on board with the over-the-top, bejeweled nail art thing that’s happening, I don’t begrudge someone who does.
Now, you’ve seen my “skittles” nails, my sports themed manis to support the Browns & the Cavs and my interpretation of the Dexter hand. And as I see more and more celebs working the multi-colored manicure look, I wonder if it’s a passing fad or just coming into style. Will I no longer get stares for having three obviously different shades of purple on my nails? Is it fun, fugly or fabulous? Cast your vote and see if you can guess who’s been sporting the trend after the jump! |
Fun fact: An online pal of mine met Lauren at a fan event and asked for the story behind her offbeat manicure. Lauren said that it’s something fun she does with her daughter and that Days’ producers don’t mind her wearing it on the show.
This is totally something my MUA pal Nikki would wear. She’s been known to do the mismatched mani in the past.
So are we feeling this? Who’s been wearing the multi-colored mani? What are your fave color combinations? image credit: Wire Image and Mark Hunter CobraSnake.com
At the recent “Only the Brave” NYC Diesel Fragrance Launch Event, The City‘s Erin Lucas accented her bold turquoise mani with taxi cab yellow middle fingers that matched her toes. I’m not sure it’s apropos for the cocktail dress but I love it otherwise.
And for the Kai Kuhne Fall ’09 runway show, CND’s Roxanne Valinoti put her twist on the gradated manicure by painting each nail a different shade of gray working from pinkie to thumb (light-dark).
Though this look isn’t exactly new. A few years back, Lauren Koslow, who plays Days Of Our Lives‘ Kate Roberts, regularly appeared on screen rocking two black tips with a pale manicure.
Now I’m sure most of you guessed that nail trendsetter Rihanna was going to be mentioned, right? Per usual Rihanna was ahead of the times when she donned a pink and black combo back in the summer of 2007 at the Live Earth concert in Tokyo.
More recently, Australian supermodel Tallulah Morton was shot with nails that take multi-colored to the extreme wearing a different shade on each finger. Is it too much or edgy cool?
And just last summer former MTV VJ and singer, Christina Milian, paired her sunny yellow frock with a tonal yellow and tangerine look.
Gray Nails – Still In or Totally Out?
 A month or so ago, I spotted one of Hollywood’s hot, young starlets wearing creamy gray tips. While I’ve been all about the grays since early last year and they’ve been popping up on runways and in editorial layouts for a while now, I haven’t really seen a celebrity embrace the color. Does this mean it’s officially over or set to pick up momentum and go mainstream?
Can you guess who the red carpet & paparazzi darling is? Find out after the jump and cast your vote in my gray trend poll. |
Did you say Megan Fox? If you did… DING DING DING! We have a winner! Megan rocked the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards wearing a gorg gray. Since flash washes color out, I’m guessing she’s wearing a shade like China Glaze Recycle or Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy.
Yellow Nail Trend – Blazin’ Hot or Nail Fail?
 Yellow is popping up everywhere these days. Celebs like Natalie Portman and Cassie have been spotted recently sporting bright yellow manicures. And who could forget Rihanna’s lemon smiley faces from last winter (below)?Granted, yellow isn’t exactly new for nails. We’ve been talking about it here since ALU began and the writers over at one of my fave daily reads, the Nylon Blog, have been obsessing over it since early 2008 but it seems that right now, yellow is having its moment. |
 The only major downside is that yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Wearing it will draw attention and choosing the wrong shade can make you look downright sickly. On the upside, a punch of lemon on your tips or toes can be the perfect accent to your summer wardrobe. Are you ready to make the leap and try the trend for yourself? Then you’ve come to the right place. My top yellow polishes are listed after the jump. |
 They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Last summer, the image of Selma Blair in InStyle rocking Chanel L.A. Sunrise from the Robertson Boulevard Collection was worth way more than a thousand bottles as nail fanatics flew to scoop one up the day it went on sale. This fanatic even went so far as to order two, the first time in years I’ve bought a backup. |
Soft, buttery shades like this one are definitely the most flattering form of yellow and the least intimidating for newbies to the bright nail scene. You can still pick up a bottle of L.A. Sunrise on Chanel.com or opt for one of the alternatives below.
 Each year Pantone, the authority on color, names its Color of The Year and for 2009 it’s Mimosa. A warm, golden shade chosen for the hope and reassurance it expresses, I was bit leery of Mimosa leaking over into the polish world. It’s a bit too warm for my skintone making me look sallow but against olive or dark skin it’s fantastic. My top rec’s for Mimosa-esque shades are… |
Finally, if you’re ready to throw caution to the wind and really go for it with something sunny and vibrant, you can’t miss with one of these beauties.
How do you feel about yellow nails? Is it the hot color of the summer or too scary for words? Do you have a fave I overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
Yellow Nail Trend – Blazin’ Hot or Nail Fail?
| Yellow is popping up everywhere these days. Celebs like Natalie Portman and Cassie have been spotted recently sporting bright yellow manicures. And who could forget Rihanna’s lemon smiley faces from last winter (below)?Granted, yellow isn’t exactly new for nails. We’ve been talking about it here since ALU began and the writers over at one of my fave daily reads, the Nylon Blog, have been obsessing over it since early 2008 but it seems that right now, yellow is having its moment. |
| The only major downside is that yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Wearing it will draw attention and choosing the wrong shade can make you look downright sickly. On the upside, a punch of lemon on your tips or toes can be the perfect accent to your summer wardrobe. Are you ready to make the leap and try the trend for yourself? Then you’ve come to the right place. My top yellow polishes are listed after the jump. |
| They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Last summer, the image of Selma Blair in InStyle rocking Chanel L.A. Sunrise from the Robertson Boulevard Collection was worth way more than a thousand bottles as nail fanatics flew to scoop one up the day it went on sale. This fanatic even went so far as to order two, the first time in years I’ve bought a backup. |
Soft, buttery shades like this one are definitely the most flattering form of yellow and the least intimidating for newbies to the bright nail scene. You can still pick up a bottle of L.A. Sunrise on Chanel.com or opt for one of the alternatives below.
| Each year Pantone, the authority on color, names its Color of The Year and for 2009 it’s Mimosa. A warm, golden shade chosen for the hope and reassurance it expresses, I was bit leery of Mimosa leaking over into the polish world. It’s a bit too warm for my skintone making me look sallow but against olive or dark skin it’s fantastic. My top rec’s for Mimosa-esque shades are… |
Finally, if you’re ready to throw caution to the wind and really go for it with something sunny and vibrant, you can’t miss with one of these beauties.
How do you feel about yellow nails? Is it the hot color of the summer or too scary for words? Do you have a fave I overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
Fall Nail Trend Alert – Smoky Tips
 OK so who else has attempted the smoky eye look and failed? Come on, it’s not that easy, I can’t be the only one. Well, here’s a beauty trend you can actually achieve. Forget the smoky eye, this season it’s all about the smoky nail. From the runway to the red carpet, the look for nails is dusty, muted and smoked out.
We all know by now that I jumped on the gray nail bandwagon months ago but this look is not just about the grays. Brands have taken gray’s hazy cast and brought it to other shades like purple, khaki and blue, making the trend more wearable and versatile. Those of you afraid of looking ghostly in gray, fear not. |
Light Grays to try: Carolyn New York Handball Courts, CND Heather Gray Creme, CND Nordic Gray Creme, Rescue Beauty Lounge Concrete Jungle
Medium Grays to try: China Glaze Recycle, Carolyn New York Hangin On The Stoop, Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy, CND Spring ’09 Custom Blend.
Looking for more gray polish recomendations? Then check out StyleBakeryTeen for an article written by my pal Jamie from The Beauty of Life. Violet/Khaki shades to try: OPI Parlez-Vous OPI?, OPI You Don’t Know Jacques, Sephora by OPI Metro Chic, Sparitual Solitude Blues to try: Finger Paints Bada Bing, Bada Blue, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Gunmetal, Sally Hansen Salon Stormy Blue, Butter London Big Smoke What do you think kids? Are you into the smoky nail look? Tell us your favorite shades from this genre. images: All Lacquered Up, Elle.com and Getty Images
For day, you can keep it simple with a subtle hue.
If you’re feeling a bit bold, try a mid-tone. I’ll admit, these shades aren’t for everyone. They’re a bit unusual but oh so fun.
And of course there’s the ever popular gunmetal shades. They’ve been featured in years past but have really come to the forefront this Fall. Just last week Petra from Glamour’s Girls In The Beauty Department blog contacted me in search of a dupe for the shade seen on Mena Suvari (right). My guess… Sparitual Mood (below right) because I know Mena is an eco-beauty fan and Sparitual is a Vegan line.
Graphite shades to try: Sparitual Mood, Yves Saint Laurent Tuxedo Gray, Dashing Diva Black Diamonds, Zoya Freja
To shy to jump into gray or just not feeling it? Then how about a purple or browned version of the look instead?
Finally, those jewel-toned and almost-black blues of the past have transitioned into something more steely. They’re grayed out with silver shimmer or charcoal bases that aren’t too dark.
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