Nails

Space Bound! The China Glaze Hologlam Collection

March 21st, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

QUESTION: What do stylish space cadets wear on their nails?

ANSWER: One of the 12 out-of-this-world nail polishes in the China Glaze Hologlam collection, ba-dum-bum!

Sorry. Bad pun, but with these polishes having names like “Strap on Your Moon Boots,” “Sci-Fly By” and “Don’t Be a Luna-tic,” you knew I had to go there, right? If I hadn’t, the piece of my heart that dreams of attending Star Fleet Academy and exploring strange, new worlds would have stopped…

Always have to pick the low-hanging, intergalactic cheesy joke fruit. 🙂

Now, let’s just assume that Star Fleet is lax about their nail polish regulations, and that painting your paws in zero-gravity is easier than it looks.

When you’re ready to rocket with glimmering, holographic nails, check out…

Get Outta My Space: A powdered violet
Astro-Hot: A soft baby pink
Infra-Red: A warm magenta-ish pink
When Stars Collide: A warm maroon
Not In This Galaxy: A bright warm coral
OMG A UFO: A warm mossy green
Don’t Be A Luna-Tic: A turquoise-aqua
Sci-Fly By: A light silver blue
Take A Trek: A cool denim blue
Strap On Your Moonboots: A midnight sky blue
Galactic Gray: A warm gunmetal
Cosmic Dust: A silver metal

So what are holographic nail polishes?

Two coats of China Glaze Hologlam in Infra-Red

A long time ago (2007), in a galaxy far, far away, China Glaze started experimenting with reflective nail colors, or holographic shades (holos), and they were one of the first lines to do so in a big way.

Holos contain fine flecks of micro-glitter, finer than regular glitters, that appear to change colors in the light (from green to yellow to purple, for example).

CG’s first two holographic nail collections, OMG and 2BKEWL, were was so well received that they quickly sold out.

Arresting effects

Two coats of China Glaze Hologlam in Astro-hot

With holos, you get galactic nail effects without the drama of full-fledged glittery nail polishes (plus, I think they’re much easier to remove).

One of my favorite things about holos is how they can look like a regular nail polish one minute, but then take off at warp speed in bright or directional light (like when you walk outside in the sun).

One minute, you’re an inquisitive Vulcan — calm, efficient, restrained. Next minute — BAM! — you’re a rambunctious Romulan ready to play!

But these are subtle, and this kind of subtlety comes at a price…

Two coats of China Glaze Hologlam in Get Outta My Space

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Blasting Counters With Brightness This April: The New Guerlain Le Vernis Maxi Shine Nail Polishes

March 20th, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine — Guerlain’s new Le Vernis Nail Lacquers ($23 each), for when you get over your matte nail polish phase

Maybe it’s the glittering wet rooftops I’ve been gazing at from my office window today, or the dream I had last night (Surfing at daybreak in Waikiki. Between sets I’d plunge my hands into the water and check out how shiny my nails were, haha! I’m a nerd.), or perhaps I’m just tired of the whole matte polish trend.

Lately, all I’ve wanted to wear on my tips and toes are super shiny finishes. Shiny, like Kate Spade spring patent-leather shoes gleaming on a pristine shelf, or shirtless Ryan Gosling’s oiled torso and glistening white teeth.

I want a maraschino cherry-like shine so blasted bright that passersby whisper, “Did you see her nails? Is she wearing three layers of Seche Vite? Who has the time?”

“NO MORE MATTE NAILS!” I yell to the universe, arms wide and head tilted back. “I want shine like I’ve never seen before!”

Of course, I suppose I could patiently wait for a shiny top coat to dry, but my schedule’s pretty packed. I have to budget time for episodes of that dumb-@ss celebrity diving show (Splash) and the slow-slow-quick-quick-slow-ing on Dancing With the Stars. (Who knew Lisa Vanderpump could werk like that?)

No, I’d rather have the polish do all the work — have it harness the high-voltage brightness of the sun — and I’d also like it to dry quickly.

Blasting counters with brightness this April

Ideally, I’d like something like the 10 new $23 Guerlain Le Vernis nail polishes coming to Guerlain counters (and the permanent line) at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores next month.

Part of the Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection

The polishes are part of Guerlain’s Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection, a family of 20 glosses and 10 polishes with a wet-look finish inspired by classic ’60 pink-up girls.

Mirror-like shine

The biggest draw for me? The glistening finish, which still looks wet after it dries, gleams so brightly that I could probably wave my hands and flag down a plane (I kid you not).

Quick drying

Guerlain doesn’t market these as quick-dry polishes, but they probably could if they wanted to. Each of the shades I’ve tried dries within 10 minutes (two coats).

Granted, that’s not 30-40 seconds, but still. Not bad. Next time I have a nail polish emergency (you know what I’m talking about), I just might grab one of these.

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine 165 — Guerlain Le Vernis in 165 (two coats)

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine 143 — Guerlain Le Vernis in 143 (two coats)

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What Are Your Nail No-Nos?

March 20th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

what-nail-no — Things that make you go hmm…

Most of my nail no-nos pertain to my toes.

I have freakishly long toes — like “E.T. phone home!” long — so I don’t get too crazy with nail art or french manicures on my feet.

Much more than plain polish, and my toes begin to look like alien fingers/toes…

For the same reason, I don’t grow out my toenails. Open-toed shoes with my long digits, with even longer toenails hanging over the tips of my toes?

No, no thank you. Not a good look for moi.

The moment I start to feel my toenails nudging up against the inside of my running shoes, I immediately stop whatever I’m doing AND CUT THEM.

I don’t really have many nail no-nos for my fingers, which are also freakishly long (came in handy when I played piano), other than keeping my nails short. My fingernails are like the Wild West of Lacquer Land, although I don’t do a lot of nail art, but that’s mostly because of my schedule and Tabs (he keeps me on a pretty short leash).

There was an incident in college where a friend of mine accidentally scratched her cornea with one of her acrylic talons (yikes!). Ever since then, I’ve been afraid of long nails. The longest I’ll wear mine now is just a fraction of an inch beyond my fingertips. Longer than that, and my typing (and iPhone) error rate skyrockets, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s Your Take on Textured Nails?

March 14th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

Getting down to the nitty gritty with two layers of $9 Zoya Pixie Dust in Godiva, available now at Zoya counters and also online

I had a very long, very beauty nerd-seque conversation with a friend a while back about nail polishes with unconventional textures, ala bumps and grit.

I was wearing Zoya’s $9 Pixie Dust in Godiva on my tips at the time, walking around with nails that looked like they’d been dipped in sugar.

New for spring, Godiva’s brimming with fine bits of gritty glitter.

My buddy said the feel of the finish gave her the heebie-jeebies — like clawing a chalkboard or sandpaper — and I can see where she’s coming from. I mean, why purposefully put something lumpy and bumpy on a smooth set of nails?

But then there’s also the question, “Why not?” 🙂

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Nodding to Nostalgia, the Mad Men of EstÃ©e Lauder Want to Paint Your Paws Pink Paisley

March 13th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Estee Lauder Mad Men Nail Lacquer Pink Paisley swatch — Wearing the new EstÃ©e Lauder Mad Men collection Nail Lacquer Pink Paisley ($24), available now at counters and online

“Young people of the world!” she boomed from the podium, “I know this is hard to fathom, but there was a time when it was a lot harder to find funky nail polish colors!”

Back when Jen, Cindy and I cruised around our suburban hometown listening to TLC on tape (from a portable boom box set on the front passenger seat floor of Jen’s old, white Datsun 510), the craziest drugstore polish I can remember was Revlon Cherries in the Snow.

We had no python greens, gunmetal grays, hexagonal glitters or holographic formulas. Our standard issue nail polish colors were pink, beige, red and occasionally a really, really dark wine…for when you were feeling extra rebellious. 🙂

Maybe that’s why I feel the past tugging at the corners of my mind when I wear limited edition EstÃ©e Lauder Nail Lacquer in Pink Paisley from the new Mad Men Collection…

This shimmery, cool-toned pastel pink was created to evoke the swingin’ late 60s, the time during which the latest season of Mad Men is set, but I’m also getting a decidedly late ’80s/early ’90s vibe.

I’m pretty sure I sported something similar to the prom…

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What’s Your Current Nail Polish Routine?

March 12th, 2013 by Karen 44 Comments

time-to-paint-the-paws — Time to paint the paws!

I was just sitting down to paint my paws when I got to thinking about lacquer-loving ladies (and gents) and our various nail polish routines.

My friend Jen, for instance. She likes to regularly treat herself to nail salon visits, whereas a college friend of mine used to just plop a huge drop of polish on each nail, spread it around with the brush, and that was that.

I usually do my nails at home because 1) I like to change colors every few days, 2) I find it relaxing, and 3) I’m very particular about my nails, so I don’t visit nail salons too often.

First, I paint my right paw, then my left. Then I like to follow up with an extra coat or two to enhance whichever colors I’m using. If I’m feeling ambitious or have some extra time, I’ll start with a base coat and finish with a top coat, but it depends… I don’t always go that extra mile (again, because I like to change my polish often).

How about you? What’s your current nail polish routine? Do you prefer at-home manis or nail salons? And do you like to go all out with multiple layers, ombre effects, neon nail art or stickers, or do you tend to stick to a single coat?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Hello and happy Tuesday, friend! 🙂 You know what I realized last night after watching Pretty in Pink for the ga-jillionth time?

That movie has an excellent soundtrack! When I woke up this morning, If You Leave was humming in my head…

In other news, it’s supposed to be another warm one here in the Bay Area today, so if Tabs sees fit to allow me to take a break, I think I’m going to head over to an outdoor mall for some window shopping and vitamin D.

Have a great one today.

Aw, Snap! These New Physicians Formula Endless Color Custom Nail Trios Snap Together

March 4th, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

Two things I could do all day, every day…

1. Window shop for cute spring bags

Window shopping in person and online. Just point me toward a window, and I’m there. 🙂 Right now I’ve got my eye on a few things, like…

The Poverty Flats by Rian Stripy Hobo ($68), which I LOVE!

origin=category&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Coral&resultback=0">Big Buddha Zig Zag Clutch — This Big Buddha Zig Zag Clutch ($55)

2. Paint my nails

I don’t know when it happened, but I turned into one of those gals who paints her nails a different color every single day.

Maybe it’s a phase. 🙂

Who knows? But if you also like to change things up often on your claws, these new Endless Color Custom Nail Trios from Physicians Formula ($10.95 per trio of 0.45-ounce bottles; eight trios to choose from) make that quite fun and easy.

Each of the stackable bottles in these trios snaps together (like Lego) to form a sort of nail polish wand.

When you feel like wearing a different color, SNAP!

No, I mean the bottles snap together. 🙂 Just break apart the wand.

The colors in the trios can be worn alone or layered together to create your own nail art.

So far I’ve gotten my finger into four of the eight trios…

Physicians Formula Endless Color Custom Nail Trio in Fashion Icon: sky blue (three coats), dark green (two coats) and yellow (three coats)

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March 4th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Kicking off the week with a beautiful start! Well, trying to at least. 🙂

Last weekend, ugh! — totally floored me. That two-day migraine felt like a symphony of jackhammers in my head, and it was rough. It’s gone now, thank goodness, and I’m feeling more like myself again.

So, earlier today, just as I was about to jump back into the pet assisting grind, I thought, “Ya know what? What I need right now is to do something that makes me feel really, REALLY great, even if it’s just for a half an hour.”

I needed a beauty pick-me-up, so I made a cup of chamomile tea, grabbed a few new fave beauty products from RenÃ© Furterer, Repêchage, Dolce & Gabbana and EstÃ©e Lauder, and told Tabs that I’d back to work in a few.

RenÃ© Furterer KaritÃ© Intense Nourishing Mask ($46), available now at salons, beauty stores and online

First order of business: a hot shower and RenÃ© Furterer’s KaritÃ© Intense Nourishing Mask ($46 for a 6.93-ounce jar), a five-minute deep conditioning treatment for dry hair that smoothes and hydrates with a mix of fair-trade shea butter and plant oils.

I just started using it last week, and I think it’s the reason why I had a series of near-epic hair days — like, the best I’ve had in months. KaritÃ© adds body, shine and leaves my hair smelling like lilies. I love it!

Repêchage Hydra Dew Illuminating Cream Mask

Have I mentioned that I’ve been on a face mask kick? I don’t know, but there’s something about a good face mask that gives me…hope, LOL! I’m also a big fan of sitting on my butt and doing absolutely nothing while I wait for a mask to work its magic.

My skin’s been a little dry lately (you know, ’cause winter) so after I jumped out of the shower, I applied a layer of Illuminating Cream Mask for Normal to Dry Skin ($38 for a 2-ounce tube) by Repêchage, an under-the-radar brand actually carried in spas all over the world. Their whole line contains products with “nutrient-rich seaweed” harvested off the Brittany Coast of France.

After 10 minutes, I tissued off the mask and could almost hear my skin sighing with relief. Ahh…

Dolce & Gabbana Desire

If I could, I’d hug every single one of the perfumers over at Dolce & Gabbana. I feel like they get me, ya know (says the girl who wore Light Blue on her wedding day)?

Desire’s, a de-lovely fruity floral, is their newest scent ($93 for a 1.6-ounce bottle). It lasts all day long for me and brings to mind overseas adventures, exploring foreign cities at night with a new love.

The official fragrance notes include…

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Nails

So what are holographic nail polishes?

Arresting effects

But these are subtle, and this kind of subtlety comes at a price…

Blasting counters with brightness this April

Part of the Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection

Mirror-like shine

Quick drying

Two things I could do all day, every day…

1. Window shop for cute spring bags

2. Paint my nails

RenÃ© Furterer KaritÃ© Intense Nourishing Mask

Repêchage Hydra Dew Illuminating Cream Mask

Dolce & Gabbana Desire