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2011 Hot Holiday Nail Trends

Posted on: December 15th, 2011 by Becca No Comments

holiday-nail-trends-ss25571845Though the weather outside is frightful, your nails can be delightful. You might not be sporting your fancy flip-flops; you may need your mittens more often than not, but that does not mean that your fingernails and toenails can’t look great year round.

Due largely to the economic decline, women are opting for more budget-friendly splurges. Many women are willing to sacrifice expensive haircuts and highlights in order to treat themselves to something less pricey. For the first time in recorded history, nail products are outselling the ever-popular lipsticks and glosses. Trendy talons are all the rage this year!

As the holidays approach, it is time to step up your game with glitter and glitz nail designs. Nail art, including gems and tattoos, have taken the market by storm. Once a luxury afforded only to those who regularly visited a nail salon, DIY manicure sets and at-home accessory packs make glamorous nails a reality for everyone this holiday season.

A new season means new nail polish. Greens, golds, silvers and reds are the colours vying for the top spots this time of year, though taupe nail polish and earthy tones are making a comeback. Glitters and crystal gem nail designs add that extra sparkle and eye-catching appeal.

Prime up your favourite pumps with metallic flash. Exude class and sophistication with matte black. Use your nail colour to make your party dress pop. Nails are the ultimate accessory when creating your perfect outfit and flashing your unique flair.

This season marks a return to the prim and proper of traditional times with nail colours that not only match your lipstick but also your clothing. However, unlike the hushed tones of our sisters in the Forties, extravagance is the word of the day.

Special effects that shimmer and shine are the hottest trends; the bolder the better. Elaborate designs, ombre fades, stellar studs, and magnetic polishes catch the oohs and ahhs of the crowd. Your nail polish provide the ultimate opportunity for risk-taking. Nothing is permanent. From the crazy to the classic, nails are the place to let your personality shine through.

Watch the runways to confirm the latest trends of richly jeweled colours. Keeping your nails short paired with sleek colours guarantees to have you party-ready all day long. Abandon the idea of matching. Mixing and contrasting hues, shades, and tones sends the message of glamour and style.

Make a statement with two-toned nail nail polish. Try glossy nails with matte finish lipstick or vice versa. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a variety of colours and textures.

For a new twist on the French manicure, try painting the tips with a metallic sheen that glimmers in the light. Blending colors and varying tops coats are other great ways to achieve a unique look.

It is no secret that your nails can tell a lot about you. Your nails are like your personal canvas of expression, ready to display your true colours. Be sure that your nails are sending the right message with shapely nails that are sporting this seasons hottest colours and styles.

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2011 Holiday Party Countdown: Hot Holiday Accessories

Posted on: December 1st, 2011 by Becca No Comments

holiday-party-accessories-ts78631586In addition to serving as the best time of year to reconnect with family and friends, the Christmas and New Years holidays are also one of our best occasions to slip into something a little more festive. Many ladies look forward to holiday parties each year and use them as an opportunity to finally wear their favorite pair of statement shoes or sexy party dress. This holiday season, one-shoulder, strapless and boatneck dresses will be quite popular. Fashionistas will need to accessorize their favorite formal wear with holiday-inspired jewelry, belts and hair adornments made from fun materials like velvet, feathers and stones.

Accessorize With Color
This holiday season, every woman will need to purchase a holiday dress in an exciting and vibrant jewel-tone color like red, blue, orange, gold or purple. Luxurious fabrics like satin, taffeta and silk can set the stage for beautiful stone or beaded statement necklaces and earrings. If you want to opt for a strapless or boatneck dress, try pairing it with long feather earrings for a touch of glamour. While color is cool, some ladies will prefer to go with a classic black or sophisticated white dress, which can be the perfect neutral backdrop to showcase iridescent jewelry like diamonds and pearls.

Holiday Hair
One of the most popular accessories for holiday parties in 2011 are feathers. Feathers have been incorporated into a number of accessories such as earrings, necklaces, hats and headbands. One of the more festive approaches to this style include headbands made from a mixture of lace and feather designs or a fascinator hat adorned with a few feathers. A less noticeable, but equally sophisticated, approach to pair with your hot holiday dress is the use of a random feather plume that can be incorporated in to a ponytail or chignon.

Old Hollywood Glitz
One of the things woman can look forward to at holiday parties in 2011 is a return to the striking glamor and utter sophistication of the 1930s and 40s. Old Hollywood is making a comeback this season with stylish bedazzled accessories and head wear. If feathers aren’t your style, opt for a crystal embellished, sequined or metallic hair accessory. Channel your inner Jessica Rabbit with sleek and smooth waves secured in place with stone-encrusted hair clips or jeweled barrettes. Or, opt for a head full of curls managed by a skinny crystal-adorned or velvet headband.

Floral headpieces are a dramatic choice for the holidays. If you’re daring, try a blossom-adorned headband with a low ponytail or opt for a sleeker approach with an over-sized flower tucked under a chignon or elaborate bun.

A hallmark jewelry item from the 1940s are cocktail rings. Add a little drama to your holiday dress with over-sized rings, which can serve as fun conversation pieces during parties. Also, women will want to invest in a small, but stylish, clutch purse. Be sure to pair your clutch pursue with a pair of statement shoes. Holiday parties are the perfect time to break out your favorite patent leather, glittered or multi-colored shoes. The colder weather might steer women in the direction of pumps, but don’t forget to show your sophisticated sandals love too – as they make the perfect accompaniment for New Year’s Eve party dresses.

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Hot Hair Trend: Digital Perms, the Curling Revolution

Posted on: November 23rd, 2011 by Becca No Comments

kristen-stewart

Looking to get Kristen Stewarts boho waves? (Courtesy of Bria Cullen via Flickr)


Perms. We all tried it – or at least thought about trying it – in the 80s and 90s, right? And for a the majority of us, it probably turned into a frizzy nightmare that we regretted a few years down the road.

But perms are making a comeback this year – they’re just not the kind of perms that you remember.

They’re called hot perms or digital perms, and while they’ve been around for awhile in places like South Korea and Japan, they’re starting to crop up in Europe and the U.S. these days, too.

And unlike the old-school perms that either gave you tight, wild spirals or nothing at all, digital perms provide a great deal more flexibility and variability. So instead of frizz, you get anything from beachy waves to loose curls, turning your locks from bland to Hollywood style that lasts for months.

So how does it work? Well, unlike traditional cold perms that use just rollers and a solution, digital perms use heat the set the curl. There’s still a solution, but it’s a different kind, and you have more options regarding where you want the curl to start. Do you want it root-to-tip? At the cheekbones? At the chin? Then the hair is rolled up in different sized rollers depending on how much curl you want, and the rollers are plugged into a machine that digitally controls the heat and sets the curl.

Best part is that, while chemicals are still involved, the whole hot perm process thermally reconditions the hair, so your locks are softer, smoother and shinier leaving the salon. The curls stay through blow drying and generally don’t even need to be touched up with curling irons or hot rollers.

Sound too good to be true? Well, for some people, it is. If you take a look around the Internet, you’ll find some stories of digital perms gone wrong – where the curl didn’t set in so all the customer is left with are the chemicals. Stylists are cautioning that women with bleached or heavily processed hair probably shouldn’t shell out for a digital perm. Our best advice if you want to give this a shot is to make sure you hunt down an experienced, licensed cosmetologist who is fully trained in performing digital perms.

Keep in mind finances, too. It’s not a cheap procedure, running anywhere from $200 to $400 depending on the salon, and it takes a chunk out of your day, too. It has to be repeated, too, every 4 months or so as your hair grows out.

Still, we got to say that we’re excited about a new kind of perming system that doesn’t leave us looking like poodles. We can’t wait to see how other hair innovators refine and evolve the hot perm process in the coming years.

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Hot Hair Trends: Try Hair Chalking for Color without Commitment

Posted on: November 17th, 2011 by Becca 46 Comments

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that people are always going to come up with creative ways to make a beauty statement.

We have feathers, we have lobe stretching, and now we have a hot new way to add some temporary color to your locks: hair chalking.

In case you haven’t watched the how-to video above, here’s how it goes:

  • Nab some colored chalk. You can use sidewalk chalk, but we’ve found you get more vibrant results using soft chalk pastels like the ones artists use. We’ve got some links below to show you what we mean.
  • You either soak your chalk in water or wet down small sections of your hair.
  • You rub the chalk product into those sections.
  • If you’re using pastels, then you just need to set it with heat. If you use a more traditional kind of chalk, then hairspray it down before you style.

And that’s…about it. Hair chalking is that easy and that low-commitment, which is probably why it’s kicking up in popularity. Feel like going wild and crazy tonight? Don some blue or hot pink streaks and then wash it all out in the shower the next day. Switch up the colors as often as you want or need. Color just the tips or entire lock lengths or maybe just your bangs. Who doesn’t love a hair trend that allows so much room for not just creativity but also variability?

What do you guys think? Have you tried hair chalking? Or are you sick of the flash-in-the-pan hair trends and think we just need to get back to basics already?

Try these colored chalks to do hair chalking at home:

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Makeup Trends: The Hottest Makeup Looks for Spring 2012

Posted on: November 15th, 2011 by Becca No Comments

The Spring 2012 fashion shows were full of two distinct makeup looks: natural, ethereal beauty or hard-edged “glamazons.” No matter which is your preference, each aesthetic can easily be accomplished in a daily look. We bring you the top makeup trends we saw coming down the runway during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

2012-makeup-trend-red-lips-ts82457285Make Me Up!
Vintage-inspired makeup was the all a flutter amongst modern eyes and pouty lips. Easy does it for the spring by keeping the focus on the eyes or mouth.

Red Hot Lips
Many designers, including YSL and Dior, put the classic red lip on their models. Choose a shade that suits you skin tone so that the color does not wash you out.

Fresh Eyes
Twiggy made the cat eye iconic, but we saw fresh takes on this look by everyone from Dolce & Gabanna to Armani. We saw it defined and simple with no outrageous lines extending from the eye socket. We also saw bold, non-tapering cat eyes and cat eyes in color. Liquid liner works best for the precision required.

Strong Brows
Think Brooke Shields. Full eyebrows were all the rage at Jill Sander, Burberry, Derek Lam and more. If you do not have naturally strong eyebrows, then it can be created using a dark eye pencil by drawing a dramatic arch to make them stand out.

2012-makeup-trend-smoky-eyes-ts105774153Smoky Extreme
Silent film stars seemed to take over the stages like Gucci, Rodarte, Ungaro and Dsquared thanks to the heavy dark eye that was found on models. The darker and stronger the eye, then the more Gothic this look seemed. Try it in navy for a look that will not be as punk.

Sun-Kissed Skin
Michael Kors, Christopher Kane, Isabel Marant and more sent their models down the runway in an all-out glow inspired by outdoorsy athleticism. You can get this look by using a peach shimmer bronzer all over your face for fresh and sunny look.

White Silver Metallics
Chanel and Ralph Lauren washed their models eyelids in shimmering whites, grays and silvers. Go for subtle moonlit glow or dramatic shine – either way you’ll be ahead of a hot trend.

2012-makeup-trend-pop-of-color-ts200289825Pop Art
Make a statement like Miu Miu or Richard Chai or Rebecca Taylor and add vibrant color somewhere on an otherwise nude face. Think orange eye shadow or blue mascara for a fun look that will make every day more interesting.

Doll Lashes
We’re all always looking for a mascara that will make our lashes longer and fuller, but why not follow Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs and just go for fabulous fake lashes that make your eyes seem bigger and give you that fantastic, doll-like look?

Glittery Eyes
They’re not just for Halloween anymore. Fashion Week makeup artists for Dsquared and Fendi utilized everything from tin foil to fairy dust to create super-shiny looks. Maybe a bit much for every day, but don’t be afraid of sparkle this spring season.

Rosy Lips
If the vampy, red lip look is not your style, take the approach of Peter Som and Oscar de la Renta and go for barely-there roses and pinks. Use a creamy lipstick or – if you have natural pink pigment in your puckers – just go for a light gloss.

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Nail Art and Nail Designs: Spring 2012 Trends

Posted on: November 8th, 2011 by Becca No Comments

nail-art-nail-designs-ts82663367

 

While many fashionistas and photographers were focused on clothing and shoes during Mercedes Benz’s Spring 2012 Fashion Week in September, less attention was paid to the tones and colors that appeared on models’ fingers and toes. This spring, women can look forward to interesting nail art and nail designs trends – from updated neutral tones to pair with wild spring prints to brightly colored shades of red, pink and yellow.

Ladies who are interested in less conservative nail color will enjoy funky prints and patterned designs, which are better described as nail art rather than nail color. Women will also see a return to sparkly nails with glittered, crystal embellished and metallic nail designs.

If you’re a fan of the French manicure as a neutral option, breathe a sigh of relief. This classic nail design will remain popular throughout the spring. However, if you want to get creative with your neutral nails, try a manicure in white, gray or beige topped with a super shiny finish. If you’d rather go the opposite route with color, you’re in luck! Bright and bold colors will also be a popular nail designs trend this spring. Fire engine reds, candy-colored pinks and taxicab yellows can add a pop of color and a little personality to any manicure.

One of the wilder nail art trends to emerge this spring are patterned nails. You may remember Lady Gaga’s infamous houndstooth ensemble that featured a vintage-style houndstooth suit, shoes, handbag and houndstooth nail art. Taking a page from her book, designers showcased stunning nail art featuring interesting stripes, geometric patterns, crystal embellishments and chic ombre designs.

If you’d like to try out more daring nail designs, opt for a silvery metallic or glittered polish. However, if you prefer to wear neutral tones rather than metallic polish, try a manicure with a less obvious pearlescent finish instead.

In addition to metallic polish, glittered and crystal embellishments will also be a popular nail designs trend for spring. If you are not afraid to walk on the wild side, opt for a manicure featuring contrasting colors in a racing stripe pattern or houndstooth design. You may also want to experiment with a chevron stripe or checkerboard pattern as well.

One of the most wearable nail designs for spring are ombre-inspired color schemes. Ombre patterns feature two colors that bleed from one color to the other. This versatile look can be achieved with bold, bright colors like black and green or red and pink for a dramatic look. Ombre designs can also be achieved with less dramatic tones such as pink and beige or gray and white for a more neutral approach.

Winter is still coming, but fashion is nothing if it’s not forward-looking. Get ahead of the curve by embracing some of these spring 2012 nail art and nail designs trends right now, while everyone else is still stuck in the present.

Want to learn more about nail art and nail designs? Look into beauty schools near you that offer nail technology programs.

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