Nails – I want

I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Fashion, Beauty and Jewellery

It’s that time of year again and I want – I got is putting together massive Gift Guides of things I think would be perfect to give as gifts this season. The fifth edition of the Gift Guides is the one we’ve been waiting for Fashion, Beauty and Jewellery. This is a big one and I could go on for days with selections.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Cabaret Vintage Flapper Dress — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Cabaret Vintage Flapper Dress

Who doesn’t love the 20s? It’s my favourite style era and I love these Vintage Style Flapper Dresses by Cabaret Vintage. They range in price from $195 to 350 and are available online or at the Queen Street location.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Comrags Quartz Border Ed Tunic — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Comrags Quartz Border Ed Tunic

It’s really unfortunate that I don’t own anything by Comrags yet (Note to self, remedy this in 2014). I love the Quartz Border Ed Tunic by Comrags for $335. It’s available online or at their Toronto location.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Philip Sparks Shoes — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Philip Sparks Shoes

Philip Sparks’s Footwear is amazing. I love every style with the tall boots being my absolute favourite. They range in price from $350 to $495 and are available at the Ossington location or online.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Christopher Kane Sweatershirt — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Christopher Kane Sweatershirt

The ultimate sweatshirt is the Christopher Kane Resort 2014 Printed cotton-jersey sweatshirt which retails for $465 at Net-A-Porter. The Room at The Bay also carries Christopher Kane but I’m not sure if this sweater is available there.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Abel Munoz — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Abel Munoz

I finally bought my first pair of Abel Munoz shoes this year. I love Harlow Gold and Black which retails for $495 and is available online. If you are in Toronto you can book and appointment and buy the shoes in person.

SkinnI want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Lazypants — SkinnI want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Lazypants

I’ve purchased sweatpants twice in my life since turning 20. They are just something I don’t wear outside the house. Sometimes, I do need something cute to wear when running to the corner store and the laundry room. I’d be totally happy to receive Green Camo Skinnies from Lazypants are perfect. I love camo print, they are slim fit and they aren’t the traditional grey colour. They retail for $118 and is available online or at TNT.

SkinnI want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Ela — SkinnI want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Ela

I own an Ela Editor’s Pouch in rose gold but it doesn’t have stars. You can get the Ela Large Editor’s Pouch online at eLuxe.ca for $338 or visit a Holt Renfrew location.

SkinnI want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Lancome — SkinnI want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Lancome

It’s not an I want – I got gift guide if I’m not telling you to get some Lancome mascara. The Holiday Makeup Collection by LancÃ´me contains:
– limited edition HypnÃ´se Star Ã‰tincelle for $33
– HypnÃ´se Velours Multi-Wear Eyeliner Patches for $28

This ultra-precious kit contains 3 pairs of eyeliner patches which can be reused up to 3 times, to enhance the shape of the eye and stretch out towards the outer corner for an incredible wide-eyed look.

– Vernis in Love nail polish in Ã‰tincelle d’Agent, Ã‰tincelle de Neige and Lovered for $16 each.
I’m in love with the nail polish this holiday Ã‰tincelle de Neige has a really beautiful effect. The holiday collection is available online or at your local Lancome Counter (try The Bay, Sephora or Holt Renfrew).

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Dean Davidson — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Dean Davidson

No words are needed to describe the beauty that is Dean Davidson’s Spectrum Collar for $425. Available online and there is a select of merchandise available at Holt Renfew. It comes in several options for stones (Black Onyx, Lapis, White Topaz) and metal (Rose, Silver, Gold).

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Lancome Show False Lashes — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Lancome Show False Lashes

There are still HypnÃ´se Show Lashes from LancÃ´me. Get you hands on these false lashes designed by Alber Elbaz for $35. Available online.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Shay Lowe Jewellry Glorious Emerald Statement Necklace — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Shay Lowe Jewellry Glorious Emerald Statement Necklace

Eyecatching statement jewellery is always a great gift and Shay Lowe’s Shay Lowe Jewellery Fall and Holiday Collection definitely fit the bill. I’m quite partial to the Glorious Emerald Statement Necklace which retails for $395 and is available for purchase online.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Jenny Bird — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Jenny Bird

Jenny Bird is such a sweet person. I purchased some earrings from her and she gifted me the Long Horn Tusk Earrings which were inspired by the beauty of elephant tusks. They are amazing and come in a Gold version too. $55USD available online.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Marni — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Marni

Marni Eau de Parfum is my favourite new perfume of the year. It’s exclusive to Holt Renfrew and retails for $125

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Dermalogica — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Dermalogica

Dermalogica – Stock up on their favourite products or introduce them to new ones with the Holiday Skin Sets. Sets start at $32 and can be purchased online or at a licensed retailer like Concepts.

I want - I got's Holiday Gift Guide - Pink Tartan — I want – I got’s Holiday Gift Guide – Pink Tartan

Pink Tartan makes a killer full skirt. I just love the Chrysanthemum Midi Skirt in Black for $325. You can order the skirt online or at the Pink Tartan shop in Yorkville.

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel Appliques

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s - 24K Brocade, BeadedCouture — Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s – 24K Brocade, BeadedCouture

l never thought l would be singing from the rooftops about nail wraps. l haven’t liked any of the ones l’ve sampled in the past like Sally Hansen or Essie. However, I’m here to tell you the Revlon by Marchesa collaboration nail wraps are the best things ever. Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman partnered with Revlon in order to translate their embellishment heavy designs to nail wraps that almost everyone can afford. The Revlon by Marchesa nail wraps are 3D textured appliquÃ©s accented with opulent jewels and beads. They are the most ornate 3D designs I’ve seen applied to nail wraps. The Marchesa nail wraps are a thing of beauty. They really do a great job of representing the brand in a very accessible manner.

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s - Guilded Mosaic, JeweledNoir — Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s – Guilded Mosaic, JeweledNoir

When I received the collection from Revlon, l wasn’t even Sure I wanted to use them. They were too damn pretty. l got over myself though and picked my least favourite pair to test out. I’m still not sure that I’m going to use the other wraps yet. My main problems with nail wraps is that it takes me longer to apply than traditional polish. I have polish application down to a science now and nail wraps throw me off. My second issue is the finish on the nail edge. It’s always puckering and my design OCD goes freaking haywire. the Marchesa nail wraps don’t produce the puckered nail edge.

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s

After the first nail l knew these would be a game changer. Application still took longer than regular polish but the finished edge made me very hopeful about the whole process. With other brands l’d stop application mid hand because I couldn’t stand the finish. Not with these babies. The only complaint I have about the wraps is that there should be more larger sizes in the package. I removed the wraps well before the expected 10 days they claim to last. IÂ guess if you aren’t hard on your hands they could last that long but my experience would put these at a week of wear before getting ugly.

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s -Crown Jewels, EveningGarnet

The Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s get an enthusiastic thumbs up from me. If you were undecided about nail wraps before let me tell you that these are different. There are eight different styles. Each package contains 18 nail strips in various sizes. You can use the extras for statement nails. Some styles can be applied over nail polish for added effect.

Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s - Royal Burgundy, SilkRosette — Revlon by Marchesa Nail Art 3D Jewel AppliquÃ©s – Royal Burgundy, SilkRosette

So far I’ve only seen them for sale at Rexall but the press release says they are available at drugstores and mass retailers. They retail for $8.95 and are available for a limited time only.

images: courtesy of Revlon

Avocados from Mexico: Do it Yourself Beauty Meetup at Tips Nail Bar

Avocado from Mexico: Do it Yourself Beauty Meetup at Tips Nail Bar

It seemed like a random pairing: Avocados from Mexico and Tips Nail Bar. I wasn’t sure what was going on but l immediately replied to RSVP. Who doesn’t love a manicure from my friends at Tips.

What is this Avocados from Mexico organization? Well, the APEAM (Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers Association of Mexico) is a non-profit organization that represents the Mexican Hass avocado industry. Avocados from Mexico is the group’s media arm that spreads awareness about the benefits of Avocados.

Before the polish application we were treated to an avocado hand treatment. This was the first time I’ve ever used avocado topically. l typically eat avocado (Love Guacamole!) instead of spreading it on my skin. The hand treatment contained avocados provided by Avocados from Mexico, egg white, rolled oats and lemon juice. The mixture was spread all over my hands and it soaked for 20 minutes. l liked the hand treatment. My hands were quite dry before the treatment and the avocado really helped in adding moisture again. I’ll have to try this again the next time I make guacamole at home.

Janine Falcon of Beauty Geeks talked to us about other avocado beauty treatments like the classic avocado mask and new things like an avocado oil and brown sugar scrub. You can find some more beauty treatments on missavacado.ca.

I was so very excited to get my nails shaped. The timing of the event was perfect as my nails were long. Luckily, my girl Melissa was my manicurist. Another bonus was the CND Vinylux polish.

“VINYLUXâ„¢ is a breakthrough polish system that endures a week of fashion perfectionâ€¦without a base coat! Exposure to natural light secures the patent-pending Pro-Light technology, creating an enduring, long-lasting polish. While ordinary polishes become brittle and deteriorate over time, VINYLUX dries naturally to a flawless finish and strengthens its resistance to chips over time.”

Melissa used a dark grey colour from Vinylux called Asphalt as the base and paired that with wisps of Chanel Azure to create a dragonfly wing effect. It’s a beautiful design that is quick and easy for the amateur nail artist to master. It doesn’t really show up in photos that well, but it’s a really cool effect. I can’t wait to see how CND Vinylux stands up to the wear and tear of the week. The topcoat looks and feels gel-like. It’s quick drying too. The finish is shiny but it still doesn’t come close to Marc Jacobs shine.

Avocados you can purchase everywhere but so far I’ve only seen CND Vinylux for sale at Tips Nail Bar or online at Nail Polish Canada.

geekiviews: Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer by Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs announced a beauty line earlier this year and the reaction was pretty massive. As a teaser, the press release included photos of of the packaging design. I was in love already. The design was so compelling. Black and silver dominated the packaging that played with long lines and curves. The design was simple but managed to capture a distinct, expensive look of its own. It didn’t matter what the product was like I would be buying some nail polish and mascara.

Marc Jacobs and Sephora are both owned by LVMH. Marc Jacobs Beauty is a collaboration between the designer and Sephora Originals, the company’s private label. This is first foray into cosmetic collaborations with designers from the LVMH family. Originals produced lines for Hello Kitty and a few smaller designers previously.

So fast forward to September and the collection is in Sephora stores. I’m on a mission to buy the Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer by Marc Jacobs Beauty. I spend an agonizing time figuring out which colours to buy. The selection of colours isn’t large and there are only 24 shades but man, they are gorgeous. I selected an army green called Nirvana and a metallic red called Desire Wine. Everyone asks me about the brush and if it was difficult to use. Thankfully, the rounded lid on the Nail Lacquer is just a cap. You pop it off and a regular brush is underneath, like Chanel or YSL bottles.

Marc Jacobs Beauty nail Lacquer gets thumbs up from me. It’s really, really good. The colours are very saturated and opaque. The formula is easy to work with and not too thick. The Lacquer dries flat like glass (similar to my favourite Chanel) and has the shiniest finish. It claims to have the shine of 30 coats. I can’t say that number is right but I couldn’t stop looking at my nails for days. I wore the lacquer for 5 days with minimal wear on the tips before I got bored and needed to change it up. I used three coats for my application because I’ve become a three coat junkie. You could get away with two coats no problem though.

Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer by Marc Jacobs Beauty is $22 and available at Sephora in Canada.

Pierre Hardy x NARS Nail Polish Pairs

I’m all about the NARS Cosmetics Nail Polish collaborations and this summer shoe designer Pierre Hardy brings his spring summer 2013 colour palette to NARS. There are twelve polishes in total but they are available in packages of two. The colours are complimentary. The Pierre Hardy x NARS Nail Polish collection is:

SHARKS (yellow, lavender), SHARPLINES (peach, burgundy)

VERTEBRA (coral, dusty rose), ETHNO RUN (orange, navy)

EASY WALKING (rose gold, camel), VENOMOUS (gunmetal, black) which is exclusive to narscosmetics.ca

The collection is available now at any NARS counters and online at narscosmetics.ca. Each duo retails for $32 and they come in a cute box with a little dustbag.

image: courtesy of NARS and narscosmetics.ca

geekiviews: Layla Hologram Effect Nail Polish

I’m in love with Layla Cosmetics Nail Polish. It’s a 60 year old Italian company whose founder is responsible for bring nail polish to Italy in the 30s. I’ve tried a couple Holo like polishes but the Layla polish really delivers the perfect Holographic effect. I haven’t tried Nfu Oh yet but I’ve heard it’s good too.

I purchased the charcoal/dark grey holographic called Flash Black. I figured I should get a neutral looking one to start. I really love the colour. Layla says you don’t need a base coat for this polish and that buffing your nails before application should be ok. Holographic polishes have a notorious reputation of being hard to apply so I purchased the Nfu Oh holographic base coat. It worked really well and suggest buying it when using these types of polishes.

The application was very easy but I allowed more time to dry between coats. You have to allow the base coat to dry completely first for best coverage. The photo shows two coats but I’d use three for total coverage. Add a top coat and you are done. The effect is beautiful and mesmerizing.

You can see swatches of the polish at The Polishaholic And swatches for the entire collection at Scrangie. You can purchase this and other Layla polishes on Nailpolishcanada.com. The price is $16. I’m obsessed and now going to get some more adventurous colours.

OPI – Instinct of Color

OPI created their first international “brand film” called Instinct of Color. The results are very well done for a completely bizarre concept: “a surrealistic dance-off between four female dancers and a gorgeous Thoroughbred, as trained by equestrian stuntmaster Mario Luraschi.” Umm, WHAT!

OPI is owned by Coty so I wondered about the boardroom in which this concept was decided on. Did they choose horses because of their nail length or because typically chicks dig horses? Did the dance off idea come before the horse was decided upon?

“I always say that nail lacquer can change your look â€“ and your outlook,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director. “Today, nail color can convey feelings and emotions, expressing on the outside what the wearer is feeling on the inside. In this short film, four women communicate through dance and color. With a trained Thoroughbred who could replicate the dancers’ moves with very little digital enhancement, we were able to capture the unique, energetic and creative culture that epitomizes the OPI brand.”(source)

The horse’s name is Lady in Black and was named after OPI’s black nail lacquer (aka Black Onyx in North America). They did a little computer magic on this horse’s moves but I’m curious how much of the dances were performed by the horse. The commercial is bizarre but I’m strangely enjoying it. The four colours featured in the film are Pink-ing of You, Red My Fortune Cookie, Need Sunglasses? and No Room for the Blues.

images: Courtesy of danparis.fr

I want â€“ I got Holiday Gift Guide â€“ Part 4

So, part 1, part 2 and part 3 of the I want – I got Gift Guide Series are complete now it’s for the final installment, Part four.

This is the part four of four in the I want â€“ I got Gift Guide series. I have so many favourite things I wanted to include. This gift guide is very much I want â€“ I got. You’ll see things I want, things I got and other obsessions. Some things are affordable and some aren’t but I’ve tried to mix it up. The list covers fashion, beauty, electronics, art, toys and booze. Basically, all the items on the gift guide are I want â€“ I got approved.

So, here is the last part of this exploration of things I would love to see under my tree at Christmas. I hope you had as much fun as I did exploring my Christmas wants.

Eighty Seventh St. Fashion Inspired Greeting Cards, Acne Velocite Shearling Jacket, Acne Rita Shearling Jacket, Rdio Gift Certificate

Acne Velocite Shearling Jacket ($1,749.99) – gravitypope.com, Acnestudios.com – Acne makes my dream shearlings
Eighty Seventh St. Fashion Inspired Greeting Cards ($7 – $30) – eluxe.ca and Shopgirls in store and online
Acne Rita Shearling Jacket ($1195) – Jonathan + Olivia in shop and online, Acnestudios.com, gravitypope.com
Rdio Gift Certificate (Starting at $10) – rdio.com

Preen Tyler leopard-jacquard peplum top, Preen Blythe pleated stretch-crepe dress, Out of Print A Clockwork Orange Sweatshirt

Preen Blythe pleated stretch-crepe dress ($1,195) – Net-a-Porter – It wouldn’t be an I want – I got Gift Guide without some Preen.
Preen Tyler leopard jacquard peplum top ($880) – Net-a-Porter
A Clockwork Orange Sweatshirt by Out of Print ($42 USD) – Drake General Store, outofprintclothing.com

Essie Winter 2012 collection, Fan di Fendi Pour Homme, Lancome Ã”SCILLATION INTENSITY Vibrating Intensifying Powermascara

Essie Winter 2012 Collection ($11.99 each) – Shoppers Drug Mart, Nailpolishcanada.com
Fan di Fendi Pour Homme ($68 – $88) – The Bay, Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart – It’s for men but I wear this myself. I’m also a big fan of the women’s version.
Lancome Ã”SCILLATION INTENSITY Vibrating Intensifying Powermascara ($38) – Sephora – This new Oscillation mascara from Lancome looks amazing.

Till next year!

Battle Pink aka Nail Art for Rethink Breast Cancer

Rethink Breast Cancer asked me to participate in Battle Pink this October.

What happens when you pit a radio host against a style blogger, or stage a battle with a beauty editor vs. a newspaper columnist? Rethink Breast Cancer presents BATTLE PINK! The charity has gathered writers, on-Ââ€air talent, stylists and bloggers to compete in a FIRST EVER creative battle royale during the month of October to raise awareness and funds for Rethink Breast Cancer.

On October 1st, 2012, Rethink will post images taken by the 24 contest participants showcasing 12 PINK products, and the public will be asked to vote for their favorite photos. Penguin Books Canada has pledged to match each vote cast with $1! Some of the face-Ââ€offs include: Taylor Kaye (KISS 92.5) vs. Anita Clarke (IwantIgot.com), Sarah Kelsey (Huffington Post Canada) vs. Tiyana Grulovic (The Globe and Mail), Afiya Francisco (TheStyleHouse.ca) vs. Sharon and Tara of the Backseat Stylers (BackseatStylers.com), and Jen McNeely (SheDoesTheCity.com) vs. Chenessa Lam (StyleEmpire.ca), amongst others.

My Pink Product was the Root watch pictured. I wasn’t really sure how I was going to style this watch and in the last hour I decided that nail art would be the way to go. I took the Rethink and watch colours as inspiration and went to town. I even did nail art pink ribbons. It took me about a hour to complete my nail art journey. Everything turned out good except for the ring fingers. I was trying to do a fishtail braid mani but I messed it up a bit.

Battle Pink Voting is open right now and it’s free. Vote for me, vote for others, it doesn’t matter because each vote is $1 donated to Rethink courtesy of Penguin Books Canada. Keep voting until October 14, 2012.

Shop Like A Blogger: Anita Clarke

My friend Samra BBMed me with a video project involving Glow Magazine where she works as an online editor. I kinda get a kick out of doing video things so I said yes.

The video is part of their Shop Like A Blogger series. Basically, I went to Shoppers and talked about my top beauty products which were nails and mascara (duh). They also gave me a $100 gift card to make those things a reality. The video turned out really well and I’m pretty pleased with it.

Chanel x Fashion’s Night Out Nail Polish

Chanel is creating another Fashion’s Night Out collection. Last year, Les Jeans de Chanel was only available in the US. I had a friend track them down for me. Luckily, Canadians will be able to purchase them at Chanel Bloor Street, Holt Renfrew Bloor Street and Holt Renfrew Vancouver this time around on September 6, 2012.

Les Twin-Sets de Chanel is a three shade collection of lipstick and nail polish duos. I really like Provocation and InfidÃ¨le with Provocation being my favourite. I’ll be tracking those two down on September 6.

images: fashionmagazine.com

OPI x James Bond – Man with a Golden Gun

OPI is the collaboration kings in the nail world. I think OPI Man with a Golden Gun will be the very best. That’s right, OPI and James Bond. OPI is celebrating James Bond’s Golden Anniversary with this special polish and a whole collection based on Skyfall, the latest Bond movie due out this year. Man with a Golden Gun is a top coat that contains 18 karat gold and comes in a limited edition gold coloured bottle. It will be released in October and will retail for $37.50. I need to get my hands on this badly.

image: OPI Facebook

i got: Dickensian Volume by strangebeautiful

I blogged about one of my latest nail polish interests, The Dickensian Volume by strangebeautiful. I ordered the set from the States and decided to share some photos of some of the colours.

Jane Schub (strangebeautiful) has drawn inspiration from the dark side of Dickensian times. Referencing the Brothers Grimm, Dickens, Edward Gorey’s The Loathsome Couple and dark earth elements such as coal and shale. The moody and mysterious polishes come in ten metallic shades.

The packaging for the Dickensian Volume is really pretty lovely. The forumla on the nail polish is thicker than most I use but it dries extremely smooth and perfect. I found the brush a bit difficult to work with. While I love the packaging to death but a shorter brush would be perfect for this polish.

None of the polishes have names or numbers so it’s a bit hard to tell the difference from photos. Some of the blacks have hints of red, blue or green and there are a number of different shades of grey.

i want: Chanel Fall 2012 Nail Polish

Chanel Fall 2012 Nail Polish – Frenzy, Suspicious, Vertigo

Chanel is one of my all time favourite nail polish brands. It looks great, applies easily and lasts long. When I saw Janine post a sneak peak at the Chanel Fall 2012 Makeup and Nail Polish collection I freaked out.

The three new Chanel Nail colours are Frenzy (milky greige, with a hint of lavender), Suspicious (bright fuchsia red) and my favourite Vertigo (black with a shimmery red undertone).

This beautiful trio will be hitting Chanel counters across the country on August 27, 2012.

image: imabeautygeek.com

Neon Dotty Manicure

I embarked on my most ambitious nail journey this week, a 10 colour manicure.

Essie Poppy Razzi - Camera, Lights, Action, Bazooka

The idea came to me as I was staring at the new Essie collection, Poppi Razzi. I wanted to use all four of these neon shades but I would need to use the dreaded white polish to make the neon pop. I hummed and hawed over using the white base for about half an hour before deciding that I would do this mani properly. I started with two coats of MAC x Liberty London Vestral White. I was very careful with these coats. I took my time, minimized streaking and allowed each coat to dry. I then used two coats of Action for the overall base color.

Chanel Coco Blue, Essie Funky Lime Light

Initially, I was only going to use Camera, Lights and Bazooka for the dots but I realized I needed more variety. I turned to another neon polish from Essie called Funky Lime Light. I felt that some blue and green were essential. I don’t have a neon blue so I used Chanel’s Coco Blue instead.

American Apparel Neon - Purple, Red, Green

The American Apparel neons were perfect for keeping with the neon theme. I used a dotting tool to make my perfect circles. I used two sizes to keep the dots from overlapping as much as possible. It’s a lot easier than it looks but I still feel I don’t have the perfect dot alignment yet. That will come with practice. It took me about an hour to do this manicure which is about 40 minutes longer than my normal times. I really took my time with it as I wanted the white base coats covered by the coloured polish completely.

i want: NARS x Thakoon Nail Polish

NARS x Thakoon Nail Polish

My latest nail polish obsession is the NARS x Thakoon Nail Polish collaboration. I’ve been waiting for over a month for this collection to come out. I absolutely love the vibrant colours. I can’t wait to rock an ombre nails with these beauties or use my new nail dotting skills to come up with something.

In conceptualizing the shade range, Thakoon was inspired by the vibrant colours found in Indian spice markets. The highly saturated, high-shine shades come in an opaque finish, perfect for spring. Formula is long-wearing, chip-resistant and toluene, formaldehyde and DBP free.

The shades are Anardana â€“ Azalea pink, Ratin Jot â€“ Orchid purple, Amchoor â€“ Bright yellow, Kutki â€“ Powder blue and Koliary â€“ Cyan blue.

The collection is available now at NARS counters across the country and online at narscosmetics.ca for $21 bucks a piece. NARS has a great formulation for their polish and is one of my favourites.

image: courtesy of NARS.

Chanel Shade Parade at Holt Renfrew

Chanel and Holt Renfrew are celebrating nails. This month you can get a complimentary shape and polish with one of Chanel’s expert manicurists at the Chanel Shade Parade nail bar.

Come experience the world of Chanel beauty at Holt Renfrew! We are proud to present Chanel’s Shade Parade, a short film featuring a chorus line of fingers decked out in the brand’s luxe lacquers. The cabaret-inspired video showcases some of the French fashion house’s most-coveted nail polish shades with an adorably chic twist. With all of the well-manicured hands and snazzy choreography you can’t help but want to join the shade parade!

You need to call and book an appointment for your manicure. Space is very limited. Dates, locations and phone numbers are below.

Bloor Street (416-922-2333) and Vancouver (604-681-3121) February 27th to March 4th
Calgary (403-269-7341) March 12th to 18th

Chanel invited me to experience the Shade Parade a few weeks ago. I literally squealed when the email from Chanel Canada landed in my inbox. Finally the day was here, my first Chanel event. My manicurist was named Ilona. Maybe I don’t get out much but she was the most elegant and well spoken woman I’ve ever met. I felt a bit like a neanderthal talking with Ilona but she mesmerized me while relaying Chanel nail polish history and influences of the spring collection. The colours are called April, May and June.

I decided to ignore my dark nail polish tendencies when for the raspberry looking April. Ilona expertly shaped, buffed and massaged my hands. The polish application was flawless and I didn’t mess them up before getting to the office. It was a good morning and to top it off was a little swag bag from Chanel with 3 new additions to the Anita Nail Polish Family.

Thank you Chanel and Holt Renfrew.

images: Holtsmuse.com, me

i want: Dickensian Volume by strangebeautiful

Every season there are nail polish releases that make me go crazy. This season it’s the Dickensian Volume from American company, strangebeautiful.

STRANGEBEAUTIFUL Stunningly Provocative and Richly Perverse but wearable colors developed by Jane Schub, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, blends the best elements of beauty, formulation and design. STRANGEBEAUTIFUL colors are deliberately nameless as designer Jane Schub finds it thought provoking and stimulating to remember and refer to each color by its reference or inspiration.

STRANGEBEAUTIFUL is super saturated and heavily pigmented with color.(40% – 60%) Therefore the more pigment in the color the better the coverage and the heavier the polish is, as a result each bottle contains bottle with 5-6 steel mixing balls to ensure the color will always be evenly dispersed throughout. As a result STRANGEBEAUTIFUL is extremely long wearing.

I have to admit that I’m a bit of a nail polish snob so I was salvating after reading the above description of the company.

Jane Schub has drawn inspiration from the dark side of Dickensian times. Referencing the Brothers Grimm, Dickens, Edward Gorey’s The Loathsome Couple and dark earth elements such as coal and shale. The moody and mysterious polishes come in ten metallic shades.

This “I want” is already on its way to becoming an “I got”. I ordered the set from Need Supply Co. today and I can’t wait until delivery. Watch this space for updates and photos.

images: nymag.com

New Year, New Nails

This is the first Nails post of 2012, yay! Shall we take a look at what I’ve been up to recently.

After two great Shellac applications, I decided to try Gelish. They had different colours to CND and I was willing to give them a shot. My nails are on the bottom and have the tie dye effect. I loved the way they looked and the Gelish lasted a very long time. Removal was a huge bitch and my nail were splitting pretty badly. So much so that I don’t’ recommend Gelish at all.

I purchased some nail polish from American brand Rescue Beauty Lounge. This yellow polish called Mellow Yellow went on very well.

I can’t remember what polish I used for this but I think the thumb is YSL Midnight Blue and the digits are NARS

I’m incorporating the glitter polish at lot to. I like putting it on the tips only.Â I believe the thumb is YSL Midnight Blue and the digits are Butter London Blagger.Â The glitter is Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow.Â She does some good glitter.

NARS Galion and Deborah Lippmann Today was a Fairytale

This is from the Daphne Guinness x MAC Collection. This colour is called Hyperion and I love it!

Still playing around with the thumb as a different colour. Here I use a random red I got as a gift from London, England and Dior Apparat.

Chanel Peridot is a classic and I love adding the L.A. Girl Glitter Addict Uninhibited polish to the tips

I love the Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow on the tips of this purple to pink gradient mani. From left to right: RGB pink, Elmspa Anita (yes, the colour is called Anita), Butter London Queen Vic, Cheeky Monkey Brazen Hussy, American Apparel Neon Violet.

This was the product of a boring night at home, Random metallic mani.Â Left to Right: Lancome MF072, Deborah Lippmann Believe, Dior Apparat, Chanel Peridot, Chanel Quartz.

My latest discovery is matte top coat. Its changed my life. Here I’ve used a Lancome red with L.A. Girl Glitter Addict Uninhibited polish. I then decided to try out this Deborah Lippmann topcoat I’ve had laying around. OMFG, I love the results.

On the hunt for some of the polishes you saw here, well hit up the following:
Holt Renfrew
The Hudson’s Bay Company
Donato Salon and Spa

I received the L.A. Girl Glitter Addict polish as a Christmas present but you can order online here. I also ordered the Rescue Beauty Lounge polish off their website.

i got: Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 Nail Binge: NARS, Dior, Chanel

I’ve had some fun buying some of the Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 nail polish options.

NARS

NARS is one of my go to nail polish brands.Â It has a beautiful, slick finish and with a nice brush.Â The polish wears well for me too. Â Â I got the entire Night Series collection (Night Rider, Night Porter, Night Flight, Night Breed) because I couldn’t choose. The Night Series collection is based on the iconic NARS Night Series Eyeshadows. Â I also had to have the Fall 2011 colour, Galion.

Chanel

Tips Gradient Manicure — Left to Right: Chanel Coco Blue, Chanel Blue Boy, Chanel Blue Rebel

I got The Oracle to pick me up the Les Jeans de Chanel colours that were limited edition for Fashion Night Out 2011.Â I had Melissa from Tips Nail Bar to incorporate them into a great blue gradient manicure because I couldn’t choose just one to wear.Â Â I love Chanel nail polish it wears very well and has staying power.

Dior

I saw Apparat, the new limited edition Dior Nail Lacquer for Holiday 2011 on my new favourite beauty site Temptalia.Â The photos on Temptalia looked so good. Â Apparat is a gorgeous ruby colour with a hint of gold.Â Â I immediately started a twitter search to find it.Â Â With the help of the Hudson Bay twitter account, I found Apparat at the Queen Street flagship store.

CND Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 LookBook and Video

The CND Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 LookBook was a neat little take away from my Shellac manicure experience. It talks about CND trends on the runways, designer partners and even step by step instructions to recreate a few styles.

I’ve included a few pages of the lookbook here but you can download the full thing on the CND website.Â Â Jen Kao’s nails (1st photo and below) are amazing.Â So much work and layers of polish were needed.

Our cover concept plunges into the moody, trippy twilight-world of Jen Kao, embellished underwater-Avatar fantasy swirls and dominatrix swagger.Â Our team created cloisonnÃ©-like, decidedly decadent nails edged in golden dagger-tips. The designer’s new collection spins a psychedelic head-rush of peacock tones in silhouettes cut for strutting: cinched, fringed corsets and the pure funk of purple satin platform boots. Flyness overload! Ziggy Stardust era references, like sharp-shouldered jackets in acid-bright prints and lurex leggings, call for nails that can’t wait to boogie down the dance floor. (source Lookbook)

CND also created a video for the fall winter 2011 – 2012 season during New York Fashion Week. They interview the designers (like Jen Kao, Jason Wu, Diego Binetti and) and head CND artists. It’s really interesting to see how much work goes into these shows.

I love this look from Jason Wu.Â The colours are perfect together

For Jason Wu’s show this season, our team crafted almond nails in layers of Dark Ruby and Bloodline,
with baroque, 24-karat tips. (source Lookbook)

I love the look from Diego Binetti’s show. I’d love to have this manicure but I don’t like my nails that long and this style looks like length helps the effect.

For Diego Binetti’s show,Â we created a darkly dangerous nail with a wicked, whip-thin silhouette. This designer’s lavishly beaded fabrics and black headwraps met their match with CND’s slim-lineÂ enhancement contoured and slenderized with a base of Blackjack, then armed and dangerous with Dark Ruby and Bloodline detailing. (source Lookbook)

images: CND.com

geekiviews: CND Shellac Manicure Part 1

I decided to put aside my fears of gel manicures as a TIFF experiment. High View Communications and CND invited me to Shellac SpaManicure Day where guests would be treated to a Shellac manicure and meet CND president and founder, Jan Arnold. The event was just in time for TIFF and I liked the idea of CND reps doing my nails.

There are a couple of things that make me wary of these types of manicures.

I like to change my nail polish up a lot. I worry about being bored with the one colour.
The colour palettes aren’t as extensive as regular polish
I’m pretty good at doing my nails myself. I don’t get a lot of manicures during the year
I have a large amount of nail polish colours
Hmm, I need to return to the salon to remove this stuff.
UV lamps, pure acetone and protective masks
Nail recovery horror stories

The CND team setup their manicure pop-up in the Hazelton Hotel. I browsed the CND lookbooks while waiting for my nail tech. I was feeling adventurous when I accepted the invite and the runway looks from the fall winter 2011 – 2012 season fueled the fire. I would give the nail tech free rein over my nails. My only condition was to use the new Hotski to Tchotchke colour which is a bright teal colour. It was the first time I found a colour I loved from CND. I also learned about the 15 effect polishes that combine with the base coat to produce finishes like shimmer, pearl and sparkle.

Jen Mather of Polished Nail Design Group was my skilful nail tech. She commented on how I didn’t have any visible veins on my hands. Black don’t crack she quipped at me. I laughed my ass off. I was an open canvas to play for Jen to play with. She used Hotski to Tchotchke as the base and Purple Purple (I think) on the tips. Gold foil was part of the initial plan but soon turned into fine blue and green sparkles which she placed in a way to create a sparkly blue-green gradient effect on my nails. I loved it.

The Shellac process is way faster than I expected. My nails had the glossiest shine I’ve ever seen. I was smitten with them and I couldn’t stop starting at them for days afterwards. I can see the appeal now in my pre-removal euphoria. The real test is will happen in a week or so when I book my removal at twitter approved, Tips Nail Bar. I’m hoping for an easy transition back to regular polish.

I love my nails but I’m getting a little bored with them 6 days later. They are holding up very well. There is some wear at the tips but not chips. The glossy shine has dulled a bit too. One of the great things about CND is that you can use regular polish over your Shellac layers. Regular polish can be removed with a non acetone based nail remover without damaging the underlying Shellac layers. Chanel Peridot here I come.

Look for Part 2 of this review, when I get my manicure removed.

Illusions d’ombres de Chanel

Illusions d’ombres is name of the new Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 makeup collection from Chanel. I only really concern myself with the nail polish but I loved the imagery that went a long with the product shots.

There are 3 polishes for fall, Peridot, Quartz and Graphite. They will be available at Chanel counters beginning August 22, 2011.

I’ve placed a lot of my metallic nail polishes on the back burner recently because their bright counterparts are more fun and a bit obnxious. Â However, Chanel’s metallics are making me rethink that decision.

Peridot is a green and gold combination. Graphic sounds really interesting with silver, gold and platinum combined together. Finally, Quartz is a bronze and pink mixture.

images: courtesy of Chanel Canada

More Nail Fun at I want – I got

Here is another installment of my not so regular Nail fun column. This is what I’m wearing these days.

MAC Venomous Villians Mean and Green

NARS Kismet

Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme – IÂ decidedÂ to copy the nail bloggers typical pose with the bottle. Â I love nail polish that matches my ToyWatch. Â This is my favourite orange nail polish at the moment.

Butter London Artful Dodger – I just love this shade of blue.

Deborah Lippmann It’s Delovely – This isn’t the best photo but this is a vibrant coral colour.

For my birthday I got a mani and pedi at ElmSpa. A great feature of the service at Elm Spa is that you get to take the colour you choose home with you.

Lancome Le Vernis Nail Polish Rouge Saint Honore – This polish is from the new Fall 2011 collection coming out in September 2011. I got a sneak peek at the collection thanks to L’Oreal Canada. I’ve never worn the traditional red nail before and now I’m hooked. I didn’t think it would look good.

Essie and I don’t get along. This nail polish always chips immediately which is such a shame, I love this colour.

i want: NARS Summer 2011 Nail Polish

NARS has two new nail polish colours for Summer 2011 that I’m liking. NARS makes great, long lasting nail polish and I really enjoy my Spring 2011 colour, Desperado.

Kismet is described as “Fate, destiny, a predetermined course of events. This metallic sunflower nail polish was simply meant to be.”

Ecume is described as “An opaque white nail enamel that is at once vintage-inspired and avant-garde in sensibility.”

NARS Summer 2011

The entire Summer 2011 NARS collection is quite pretty too. There is lots of bold colour.

images: courtesy of NARS.