Tag: manicure

Chanel Fashion’s Night Out

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.

Couture Gel Nail Polish

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:

  • Your choice of 3 gel nail polish shades, plus a base coat and a top coat
  • A salon-quality 36-watt UV Espree Salon Lamp
  • A step-by-step brochure and instructional DVD on application and removal
  • A zip-up nylon carrying case
  • Professional manicure tools

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!

RGB Nail Color in Coral

With my golden accent nails intact from my LuckyFABB manicure (glitter polish lasts FOREVER!), I scoured my stash for a color to finish my nails. What stood out was the very on-trend coral from a brand new line to me: RGB. I was thrilled with the formula and wear of the RGB polish. It lasted for a solid five days which is a long time for me. The formula is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP (dibutyl phthalate), Formaldehyde Resin, or Camphor. All RGB products are cruelty free and made in the USA.

Next, I can’t wait to try out the RGB x Jenna Hipp nude polishes that were all over the Met Gala red carpet last week. The classic and low-key shades are a great way to take a break from this season’s vibrant hues. They come in four shades each of foundation and tint. Foundation (or F) is opaque, while tint (or T) is sheer.

Essie Spring Collection 2012 – Orange, It’s Obvious! Nail Polish

To accompany my recent acquired “tan” thanks to Xen-Tan, I need a shock of a bright color for my manicure. It is finally spring, after all. I picked up one of my bottles from the Essie Spring Collection – Orange, It’s Obvious!. The shade is perfectly on trend and looks great with darker skin tones.

If the orange shade doesn’t suit you, the spring collection is full of other options. Rock mint green with Navigate Her. I love the fuchsia shade, Tour de Finance. Or the timeless neutral, A Crewed Interest.

Nicole by OPI’s Kardashian Kolor

I can take or leave the Kardashians. I fully admit to watching some of their shows. And defending their savvy business sensibilities, but I think they are a bit over-saturated at this point. Irregardless, I love the new nail polish collection that just happens to feature their name. This is a set of seven new colors in addition to the colors launched last year. The formula is fantastically creamy, with complete coverage in two coats. And I find it lasts a full week.

Most of the colors are very bold, but I wouldn’t expect anything less. I really think they all are wearable but my favorites are “Our Fuchsia’s Looking Bright” (below), “Ladies in the Limelight” (great on tanned toes) and “Paparazzi Don’t Preach” (a creamy, opaque nude). So put aside your misgivings and take advantage of these vibrant spring colors!