Nails

Even Ruffians Like Long Nails: The New MAC Ruffian Manicures in Spectator, Demoiselle and Demilune

June 18th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

mac ruffian manicure

Press on, fellow lacquer lover! Press on…these new beige, red and black temporary press-on nails from MAC.

Leave it to MAC to make press-on nails neat again… They took something I enjoy doing — painting my nails — and said, “Yeah, but check this out.”

The 24 nails in each of the three new MAC Ruffian Manicure sets come in a variety of nail shapes and sizes, and they aren’t just pre-painted in solid colors. They’re like straight up nail art!

In the first set, Demilune, a black matte sits atop a golden chrome strip along the base; Spectator, the second set, bookends a glossy cream-colored center with glossy black stripes; and the third set, Demoiselle, paints thin white and black arches at the very tip and base of a gorgeous, glossy red.

mac ruffian demilune

All three sets are available online now in North America ($25 US, $30 CDN) and coming in September to select international locations.

They’re designed to be applied to bare, natural nails, and they’re pretty easy to apply…except for one potential sticking point, but more on that in a sec.

It’s nice that the sets come with 24 nails each, so you stand a good chance of finding 10 among them to fit the shape and size of each of your fingernails (MAC, what about mah toes?!).

When you go to put these on, be careful lining them up along the base of your cuticles before pressing them down, because that adhesive? — that stuff is no joke. Way stronger than Lee Press-On Nails from back in the day.

Granted, the adhesive is probably not strong enough to keep your nails from moving while you play an epically long piano sonata or type out a novel…but it should be sticky enough for a night on the town.

And despite the uber-glue, the nails are still relatively easy to remove. Just ease each one off by peeling slowly from the side. If you’re careful, you should be able to get in another 3-4 uses before the adhesive loses its mojo.

I think it’s also cool that they don’t leave behind any sticky residue once they’re removed.

mac ruffian manicure spectator
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The Essie Summer 2012 Bikini So Teeny Collection and Life Lesson No. 389

June 13th, 2012 by Karen 48 Comments

essie summer 2012

Life lesson No. 389, or “When not to wear a teeny bikini”

Dear Self,

Please note that wearing a teeny bikini is perfectly fine when you’re posting up in a beach chair or chilling on a towel on the sand, and for such occasions, Tabs also offers the following advice: 1) suck in your tum when the paparazzi stop by, and 2) always apply sunscreen liberally to your bum.

essie bikini so teeny
WERK!

Also, it should be noted that teeny bikinis aren’t great apparel choices if you plan to go surfing.

Should your tiny triangle top get knocked off as you try to catch that six-foot wave you/I foolishly thought you could handle (FYI: you are so NOT ready for that jelly), hilarity will almost definitely ensue. 🙂

It takes great skill to keep a long board from floating away while simultaneously searching for a missing bikini top in the surf, without flashing everyone on the beach.

You may consider yourself a fairly coordinated person, but few among us are coordinated enough for this.

Perhaps this summer, if/when you get the urge to go surfing in a teeny bikini, reach for Essie’s Bikini So Teeny Summer 2012 nail polishes instead ($8 each; available now at select salons and beauty supply stores).

essie bikini so teeny

That way, while you’re bobbing on your board in your sporty two-piece, waiting for the next set of waves to come in, you’ll be able to admire sky blue Bikini So Teeny, shimmery carnation pink Cascade Cool, molten bronze All Tied Up, creamy hot pink Off the Shoulder, creamy orange Fear or Desire, or creamy Mojito Madness on your fingers and toes, basking in the knowledge that no one will accidentally see your boobies today.

Two coats of these juicy, sumptuous colors should do ya just fine…

essie off the shoulder
Off the Shoulder
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The MAC Casual Colour Nail Lacquers Are Like Jeans and a Tee

June 2nd, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

MAC Casual Colour Nail Lacquers from the left: Delicate, Fiestaware, Please Me and Style Tip

There’s a time and a place for crazy glittery nail polish, but when you’re more in the mood to kick back, there’s also MAC Casual Colour ($16 each).

The four new laid back limited edition nail lacquers released with the MAC Casual Colour collection get nails ready for everyday tasks, like grocery shopping, watering the plants, cleaning the back of the stove and catching the bus on time. Nothing too outrageous here. Just four basic, user-friendly, wearable shades.

Here I’m wearing two coats on each of my nails…

The MAC Casual Colour Nail Lacquers from the left: Delicate, Style Tip, Please Me and Fiestaware
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The MAC Beth Ditto Nail Laquers Look Sweet, But $16 Buys a Lot of Starburst

June 1st, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

mac beth ditto nail lacquer

I can’t decide if the new candy-colored MAC Beth Ditto Nail Lacquers ($16 each) remind me more of Starbursts or Jordan Almonds…but Nocturnelle, the black crÃ¨me, has to be licorice.

The lot of ’em (all limited edition) had me craving candy and humming happy tunes all afternoon.

I applied three coats of three of them, the brighter ones — Near Beth Experience (the light yellow crÃ¨me), Life and Beth (the milky peach crÃ¨me) and Vagabondage (the mid-tone lavender crÃ¨me) — and two coats of Nocturnelle.

Is it just me, or do these remind you of candy…?

And they’re not half bad as nail lacquers, either. I think MAC’s stepped up their nail polish game over the past few years. I used to have big issues back in the day with their durability, and with their finishes falling a little flat, but these high-shine shades here would probably shine just fine without a top coat.

They also seem to be getting more durable. With MAC’s more recent shades, when I wear them with a good base coat, I can usually get at least 6-7 days before chipping; if I add a top coat, that tacks on a couple more days.

MAC Beth Ditto Nail Lacquer swatches from the left: Nocturnelle, Vagabondage, Near Beth Experience and Life and Beth
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MAC Hey, Sailor! What’s That on Your Nails?

May 26th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

mac hey sailor nail lacquer

Hey, Sailor! What’s that you’re wearing on your nails?

Oh, the two new nail lacquers from MAC’s Hey, Sailor! collection? Ya don’t say… Well, in that case, drop anchor for a spell, and tell me what you can about these nautical treats.

Hmm… They’re expensive, you say? Wow, $17? That does sound like a lot, even if the packaging is cute and limited edition.

But what about the individual shades? What do you think? Are they worth it?

TOUCH OF RED

I only need one or two coats of this bright, creamy yellowish red for full-coverage color, and it dries in a decent amount of time. Say 30 minutes.

I dig how well it matches the red lip products also released with this collection, but I feel like I’ve seen similar colors for much less…
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

MAC touch of red
Touch of Red
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BOOM! These Neon Nails Hit Me Like a Ton of Bricks, or a Bright Orange Bazooka: The Essie Poppy Razzi Nail Polish Collection for Summer 2012

May 18th, 2012 by Karen 40 Comments

essie poppy razzi

Lights, Camera, Action…Bazooka?

LOL! Which one of these things is doin’ its own thing? Maybe someday I’ll figure out what Bazooka, one of four bright shades in Essie’s Poppy Razzi release for summer 2012, is doing in this collection, but until then I’ll just try to enjoy the neon-ness of it all.

Why a bazooka?

Lights (an electric pink), Camera (a brilliant coral), Action (a vibrant orange) and Bazooka (a bright orange) — again, Bazooka? What am I missing?? — are darn near picture-perfect summer shades. All four apply smoothly from my cuticles to nail tips, despite having a formula on the thicker side, which is pretty typical, from my experience, of Essie polishes.

All I need is one coat of Camera (my fave!) or two of Bazooka and Lights. Action, however, likes being babied. It goes on a little streaky, so I usually apply a third coat.

With a good base and top coat, I can get a solid seven days (at least) from these before any signs of chipping.

essie lights
Lights

essie camera
Camera

essie action
Action
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Neon Helps Nails Do the Bright Thing: Dazzle Your Digits With This Easy Neon Nail Art Look…and Then Enter to Win $600 in Prizes!

May 17th, 2012 by Karen 46 Comments

This series is brought to you by Buxom Color Choreography Eyeshadow. Buxom wants to inspire you to live life vividly.

You know why summer is one of my favorite seasons?

Okay, I mean besides the sun, the warm weather, the blockbuster movies, the lighter traffic on the highways (because school is out), the beach days, swimming pools, and aaaaaaall of that stuff. Besides all of that, do you know why summer is one of my favorite seasons? 🙂

One word: color! Summer is a fantastic excuse to go buck wild with color.

For those three months, it’s everywhere you turn — on lips, cheeks, eyes, and yes, also nails.

And what better way to celebrate the coming color storm than with some of the neat neon nail colors popping up in summer collections.

Here’s an easy neon nail art tutorial that you can do even if you’re pressed for time. And you can also try some different color combinations to suit your mood.

Step 1: Start with a bright base

First things first, apply a base coat, followed by a layer (or two) of your favorite neon nail polish. Here, I’m using a creamy bright orange (just because I think it’s summery and fun).

Wait until that’s completely dry before moving on to the next step…

Step 2: Add your stripes

Tabs, a self-proclaimed feline expert in stripes, insisted that I do mine freehand, painting them directly on my nails. For this look, I used a bright creamy neon pink.

Before I let the brush touch a nail, I try to remove as much excess polish from the brush as I can by running it against the mouth of the bottle. Then, with the lightest touch I can manage, I draw each stripe, beginning at the base of the nail and brushing up toward the tip.

When I’m done with the first layer, I wait for it to dry, and then repeat the process (if necessary, depending on the opacity of the color you’ve chosen) for extra intensity.

Now, you can draw your stripes anywhere you want. Remember, this is all about you going buck wild. 🙂 But I prefer to draw them slightly off the center of each nail.

Why? Because I like my stripes like I like my cat — bold and kinda chunky!

But thin stripes are cool, too. I’ve done it both ways.

If you have trouble painting your stripes freehand, clear scotch tape can help. Just lay two strips of tape down along the sides of each nail to create a homemade stencil, and then paint in the middle.

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An Island Holiday Would Be a Delight: The Summertime de Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polishes

May 4th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

summertime de chanel les vernis nail colour

High up on my list of things to do this weekend: 1) pluck my brows and 2) paint my nails.

This morning I found one of those scary long stray hairs sprouting out of my left eyebrow that just sort of showed up today like a mushroom, BAM! If it gets any longer, I’ll be able to wrap it ’round my finger.

Oh, but look at that — my nails, they’re not much better. We’re talkin’ chip city.

I plucked and painted early last week, but somewhere between here and Kauai, all hell broke loose.

Needless to say, I’ve got some beauty catching up to do, and I’m starting this weekend with the three Le Vernis Nail Polishes from the new Summer de Chanel ($26 each; available now at Chanel counters and chanel.com).

Have you peeped this launch in person yet? It’s pretty hot. 🙂 Every year, I look forward to Chanel’s (almost always) fabulous summery shades. Thirteen toasty bronzes, pinks, corals, peaches and golds for eyes, lips, cheeks, faces and nails, all inspired by our very own celestial sol-mate, our great giver of warmth in the sky, the sun!

After these swatches, I’m still undecided as to which colors to wear on my fingers and toes, but I know this much: barely three days back from Hawaii, and I’m already itching for another seaside vacation.

Something about these colors is speaking to me, and I think it’s saying, “Amalfi…”

Italy’s Amalfi Coast

I can see it now… I’m walking down a cobblestone street in a crisp white linen dress, peer down at my toes and see Holiday, a creamy reddish orange, peeking out from my gold, t-strap flats. I stop and buy a fresh lemonade from a street vendor, wrap my fingers around the paper cup and see Delight, a shimmery bronze, shining on my fingertips.

I guess that’s it for my weekend mani/pedi then. Delight on my fingers and Holiday on my toes. 🙂

chanel holiday

chanel delight
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