4 Super-Sweet Nail DIYs & The Kit To Match!
DIY Girl Crush Kit
$29
6 flirty nail colors. 1 signature nail art brush. Snag yours now –– we made it just for you.
Photographed by Shanita Sims
OPI's Ballet-Inspired Spring Collection Is En Pointe
Ever since Black Swan exposed us to the nightmarish undercurrent of the world of ballet, we've been a little freaked out. Won't someone please bring us back to the dreamy world of dance that we remember from our kindergarten days? Apparently, OPI read our minds, and they're coming to the rescue!
They've partnered up with the New York City Ballet for the spring, and the colors in the collection are as soft and gentle as the opening strains of Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux. For those readers with an office environment that's not so pro-polish, this group of sheer neutrals (and one twinkler!) will keep you cube-friendly . Click through to see why we're almost inspired to bust out our leg warmers.
New York City Ballet by OPI, $8.50 each, available in April at OPI
Photos: Sara Mearns in Peter Martins’ Swan Lake, Photo by Paul Kolnik; Courtesy of OPI
New York City Ballet by OPI, $8.50 each, available in April at OPI
Photos: Sara Mearns in Peter Martins’ Swan Lake, Photo by Paul Kolnik; Courtesy of OPI
Breaking News: MAC To Custom Design Nails At Fashion Week
Backstage at Fashion Week just got a zillion times more awesome: For the first time ever, MAC will be doing nails! MAC senior artist Keri Blair, whose expert makeup skills have graced the faces of countless models backstage, is taking her creativity to the nails by custom designing the looks at some of the hottest shows of the season: Zac Posen, Ruffian, Nicholas K., Ohne Titel, and ICB by Prabal Gurung. In addition, she'll also be working closely with nail guru Honey at the Proenza Schouler show to select shades from MAC's forthcoming Nail Lacquer palette (we'll get to that in a minute).Fresh Fingers: 2012's Raddest Nail-Art Trends
We've already shown you the 2012's hot nail polish colors, so now it's time to talk about our favorite subject: nail art. We paid close attention at fashion week in the fall, and we're ready to report our findings.
As always, the designs backstage at the spring '12 shows ran the gamut from demure to outlandish, but overall, there were five stand-out trends for spring: Foiled Metallics, Freehand Ombré, Futuristic Lucite, Duo Tones, and Punk Rock Pretty. We spoke with four of the most influential ladies in nails — Deborah Lippmann, Butter London's Nonie Creme, CND's Jan Arnold, and OPI's Suzi Weiss-Fischmann — to find out which looks we're going to be rocking on our fingers this year. These gals are in the backstage trenches coming up with all those those dreamy designs, so you can bet they know a thing or two about what will be hot in 2012.Read on to get the scoop and learn how to translate the trends to your digits.
Photo: Courtesy of CND
Photo: Courtesy of CND
Indulge Your Inner Goth With This Moody Nail Polish Set
To quote the late, great, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez, "they say my life is 10 shades of gray" — or rather, our nail polishes are. The Dickensian Edition by StrangeBeautiful is a collection of 10 polishes in varying shades of grays and blacks. Creator Jane Schub says she was inspired by Charles Dickens, the Brothers Grimm, Edward Gorey's The Loathsome Couple, a "velvety lump of coal, and the dull, yet metallic shards of broken shale that line the hills of the Hudson Valley."
While we wouldn't go so far as to wax poetic on all things bleak and foreboding, we are kind of digging the gothic polishes. Each metallic hue is indeed different than the last, although most of the variations are quite subtle. A range of shimmers help transform the shades with a washed-out rainbow of undertones, from lilac and mauve to greenish-gold. There's no denying the polishes are great quality — super-opaque, multi-dimensional shimmer, not easily chipped — but we're not sure we can stomach the $85 price tag. No one really needs 10 different shades of gray nail polish, especially at that price, but apparently there were more than enough polish fiends out there with deep pockets — the set is currently sold out at Lucky Scent, the set's exclusive retailer.
Would you drop that much dough on nearly-identical nail polishes, or do you think this is depressingly whack?
Photo: Courtesy of Lucky Scent
Kitschy Nail Art Designs We're Smitten With
Audible squeals were heard around the office when we first unwrapped these impossibly twee stick-on nail wraps from Nail Rock. The designs were created exclusively for the Meadham Kirchhoff spring '12 "A Wolf In Lamb's Clothing" runway show, but people went so crazy for them that Nail Rock founder Zoe Pocock decided to release them to the masses. The designs, which will be on shelves next month at CVS as well, are made of vinyl, but they function the same way as nail polish strips in that you just press them onto your nail and file off the excess. The difference with these nail wraps is that you simply peel them off, no polish remover required.
The saucer-eyed kittens, fuzzy bears, and gleeful hearts have a retro feel that made us nostalgic for those delightfully cheesy cartoons of our youth, but when we lined all the designs up, we found ourselves playing a game of One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other. The cheeky addition is definitely a surprise surrounded by all the cuddliness — can you spot what got us snickering like teenage boys looking at their first Playboy? We're not sure if this risqué little print was put there on purpose or if it's just a case of us taking something innocent and warping it with our dirty minds, but either way, we're amused.
Nail Rock Meadham Kirchhoff SS 12 Designer Nail Wraps, $8, available in February at Nordstrom.
Photos: Courtesy of Nail Rock
Show Off Your Manicure In These Fingerless Gloves
We think we've finally hit the tipping point of winter where the bitter cold is subsiding to something a bit more manageable. That means it's time to stuff away the bulky mittens in favor of much more fashion-friendly fingerless gloves. Besides being easier to text in, fingerless gloves also give you the chance to show off your rad manicure, so why not make the most of the opportunity by pairing your digits with a complementary polish hue? Here, some of our favorite gloves and the nail polishes that best accessorize them.
Photo by Mark Iantosca
Photo by Mark Iantosca
The Illustrated History Of Nail Art
The next time you pull that bottle of nail polish out of your medicine cabinet, think about how people have been engaging in that exact same ritual for 7,000 years now. That's right — the history of nail polish (or nail art, to be exact…read on and you'll see!) is a long one, and full of ups and downs, blingy accoutrements, Victorian chaste, Eureka moments, and dull spans of non-inspiration.
We've trekked back through history to better understand the dear practice of digit décor that has spanned civilizations and continents. Apparently, we're not the only ones who like getting our nails did! Presenting: The illustrious, illustrated history of nail art.
Avril Lavigne: Nail-Art Guru?
Coming to a drugstore near you this April: Avril Lavigne nail art! The queen of Sk8er Boi angst has teamed up with Sally Hansen to release her own designs of the brand's popular nail polish strips, reports WWD. We've seen celebs collaborate with brands to launch their own polish collections (what's up Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry?), but this is the first time we've seen a celeb get into the nail polish strip game. We're not obsessing over all 12 of her designs (the yellow and black checkerboard makes us think of a taxi cab on acid), but there are a few cooler prints in the mix."It’s super-cool because the designs that I came up with are my personal style and vibe — they’re rock ’n’ roll and fun and bright and colorful," says Lavigne. "You have sparkles and little stars — they are cute. I’m a really visual person; I like creating, and I love to have fun with colors. I think this offers self-expression, and it’s a really smart, versatile way to show your style. I think my fans will really like it, because it’s easy and simple and fun.” (WWD)
Would you wear Avril's designs or are you going to give this collection a pass?
Photos: Via WWD
A Hassle-Free Way To Do Ombré Nails
Ombré nails are pretty much our favorite type of nail art — they look awesome in a wide range of colors, can be jazzed up with glitter, and are pretty simple to do. The only major downfall is that it can be difficult, not to mention expensive, trying to stock up on just the right mix of colors. Who actually owns the five different shades (of the same color) that the look requires? Well now, thanks to The New Black, you don't have to worry about finding the right mix of polishes — they've done the work for you with their Ombré Nail Shades 5-Piece Set.
Each set features five curated polishes that create the perfect graduated shades for your ombré nail art. These babies are a melting pot of of textures and finishes, meaning your fingers will be all fancied-out. So instead of wasting your polishes trying to DIY-mix each hue, leave it to the professionals. It's ombré made easy!
The New Black Ombré Nail Shades 5-Piece Set, $22, available at Nordstrom.
Photo: Via Nordstrom
Score A Lisa Frank Mani With This Nail-Art Tutorial
Like any girl who came of age in the '90s, we worshipped at the altar of Lisa Frank and we had the Trapper Keeper to prove it. Dolphins dancing across starry waters, Technicolor tie-dye, kittens on pastel clouds, unicorns surrounded by rainbows — we owned every folder, sticker, notebook, and pen adorned with her colorful dreamscapes. We couldn't think of a better inspiration for some super-colorful nail art, so we asked mani maestro Fleury Rose to come up with some cool designs based on our favorite Lisa Frank motifs: Tie-Dye Stars, Rainbow Leopard Print, and Rainbow Unicorn. They look tricky, but once you see our handy breakdown, you'll be sporting some Frank-ified nails of your own in no time flat.
Photographed by Shanita Sims
Photographed by Shanita Sims
Zooey Deschanel's Tuxedo Manicure Was Our Fave Golden Globes Beauty Moment
While we weren't big fans of her Golden Globes hair, we couldn't help but gush over Zooey Deschanel's sweet tuxedo manicure. "I am wearing a gown but my nails are wearing tuxedos," she tweeted last night. We saw a similar mani backstage at Ruffan's fall '11 show and are thrilled that someone finally decided to take the look for a spin on the red carpet. Zooey said she had hers professionally done, but we don't see any reason why you can't do this one at home.Are you digging Zooey's dressed-up digits?
Photo: Via Instagram
Tailor-Made Deals. Get Them Now!
-
From Paris, With Love: The 6 Exclusive Scarf Designs We’re Living In Until Summer
-
6 Flirty Polishes + 1 Nail Art Brush = The Ultimate Girl Crush
-
Come Hither Comfies: The Lust-Worthy Loungewear You, Your Wallet, And Your Valentine Will Love
-
Half Off The Ultimate Sexy Shapewear That’ll Trim And Tone Your Bod In Seconds
-
From Bracelet Stackers To Leather Earrings: Half-Off The Indie-Chic Jewelry Every California Girl Is Wearing
More Style At Your Fingertips
