I jumped (with my Friends and Family discount) to pick up this advent calendar from Ciaté. And I might have cheated just a little… I opened up three days for a sneak peek. So happy to report the polishes are GREAT colors. Not to mention, these guys do not chip. Here’s your excuse to pick up a little early Christmas present!
Available at Nordstrom (Sephora is out of stock so better hurry!)
Le Métier de Beauté nailed it with their Fall/Winter Lacquer collection (pun intended). Cocoa Crazed are elegant nudes. And Coromandel Collection is more of a edgy, gemstone glam, developed by Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing. The formula is 3-Free without formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Proposition 65-compliant and fortified with strengthening proteins and hydrators. I’ve found these polishes to be perfectly on trend and last longer than other brands. What do you think? Which are on your holiday wish list?
Cocoa Crazed: A Nuanced Twist on Neutral Nails Shades include (from top to bottom):
Coromandel Collection: Ming [Dynasty] meets Modern. Shades include (from top to bottom):
Floss Gloss was founded by three students from California College of the Arts. While developing their nail polishes over late nights, the deemed their burgeoning company, Floss Gloss, for nails that ‘Flossed and Glossed like a Boss’. Their spunky, funky attitude translates into contemporary but ultra-wearable shades with sassy names. Floss Gloss will knock your socks off with the best glitter polish (yes, I really mean the best), not to mention awesome color lacquers and adorable packaging. While they are advertisesed as one-coat, I needed two, but the payoff was surreal. Some shades I tried pictured above from left to right: Gloss, Perf, DimePiece, Stun, WavePool and Bassline.
My favorite of their polishes is Stun (a gold glitter). Here, I used Stun to cover some chips in OPI’s My Private Jet.
My next Floss Gloss mani was Perf. I was tempted to do an accent nail in DimePiece but opted to let the sugary pink stand alone. I might have gone a touch too Katy Perry Teenage Dream… But that’s okay because I liked it (see what I did there?).
Below is WavePool and DimePiece. I like the unexpected look of two accent glitter nails. You can see the glitter polishes stand up on their own (this photo from flossgloss.com)
I’ve been trolling the beauty section of my local drug store and want to report on some of my current favorites. I’m keeping in mind the fall trends and drier air. Not to mention the big holiday parties we have coming up. Not included in the round up was the obligatory candy corn I stocked up on yesterday. Why is that stuff so good?
CoverGirl & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation: I’ve been really impressed with this foundation. It has medium coverage with a matte finish, without requiring a ton of product. I love the addition of skin care, so you are working to improve the appearance of your skin. It plays especially well with my drier skin.
Visine Maximum Redness Relief Eye Drops: At first I was skeptical of this red carpet staple. But I am so glad I picked some up at the store. I used it recently before a big event and my eyes were clear and bright. I needed less eye makeup and I appeared more awake. I probably wouldn’t use this in my daily rotation, but I now consider this a “must have” for big nights out.
Olay Age Defying Instant Hydration Serum: Olay is definitely a forerunner in the skin care game along side so many luxury contenders. This hydrating primer would be a perfect moisturizer for someone with oilier skin. I use it as a primer – it has very similar consistancy to Smashbox Hydrating Primer. And I keep it at my desk to treat dry spots throughout the day.
Bio-Oil Scar Treatment: While marketed as a scar treatment, Bio-Oil also makes for a great body oil. While I do use this on some older scars, hoping to see some improvement, I’ve found it makes for a great moisturizer post shower. It has a baby powder scent with a smooth, non-greasy finish.
Essie Miss Fancy Pants: Essie did it again with their fall collection. While the bolder colors are also fabulous, I love this grey taupe for an understated elegance. If you want something more festive, try Stylenomics.
Shop the post:
One of the thrills of Fashion’s Night Out are the exclusive launches fetting the occassion. This year, Chanel amped up its offering with three lip and nail duos. As always, Peter Philips, the creative director of Chanel Makeup, has hit the trend perfectly with the purples, plums and beiges. There are three new colours for lips – Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Délicate, La Provocante and L’Infidèle – and three new nail varnish colours to go with them – Chanel Le Vernis Délicatesse, Provocation and Infidèle. I’ve got my eyes on the vampy, purple set! How about you?
These shades will be available at select Chanel boutiques on September 6th.
I admit, there is something comforting about going out for a mani/pedi. I somehow feel more prepared to face the world with fresh polish on my digits. But you can’t always make it to a salon (or perhaps those mani/pedis were cut from the budget). I’ve been the queen of at home manis these last couple of months (just check out my Instagram feed – username bellebellebeauty). Yet, I never would have imagined I could get a Gel Polish manicure at home.
Enter the Couture Gel Nail Polish System. This at home gel polish kit made these long-lasting manicures possibly and easy to achieve. Gel nail polish is a light-sensitive lacquer that quickly dries to a shiny, indestructible finish under a UV lamp. I’ve done two manicures and they both lasted 10 days on me. This is an eternity in my books. I think with diligent use of gloves while doing dishes and a gentler approach to using nails as tools (guilty), you could get three weeks.
The colors are really impressive with a range of 65 options. Below, I am wearing Painfully Hip.
The kit, priced at $129, contains:
When you price out $30 gel manicures at salons, this is an amazing deal. And I love the flexibility of being able to do a gel mani at home. It is my current favorite for right before travel, ensuring there won’t be any chips on my trips!
