CND Monday – Asphalt Colour & Sapphire Sparkle Effect

Welcome to CND Monday, a new feature here on ALU. Each week I’ll be sharing a new layering combination from CND Colour & Effects to show you the versatility and creativity of the line.

With a launch this large, an entire brand revamp, it would be a very time consuming project to show you all 50 Colours and 15 Effects. So instead, you’ll be getting your CND fix in bite-size portions. First I’ll show you the Colour and then the layered look with an Effect. I’ll also be highlighting Colour layering ideas and styles from behind the scenes at NYFW.

First up, a combination I meant to wear during my NYFW NOTD Challenge. I packed these two polishes, intending to wear them near the end of my trip. As you learned in my Wrap-Up, things didn’t go exactly as planned. Check out CND Asphalt and Sapphire Sparkle after the jump!

I’ve already raved about the new CND formula. The quick dry time, the dense pigmentation, the smoothness of the application but I have a tip for you courtesy of CND Educator Angelina Wingle.

We were backstage at NYFW discussing our love for the new brush, with its flat shape and triangular bristles, when Angi mentioned that she adjusted her polishing method a bit. Normally she quickly dips her brush to reload before moving onto the next nail BUT this brush tends to act like a squeegee when it inhales the lacquer. CND Pro Tip: Allow your brush to hang out the bottle for a few extra seconds to really absorb the polish.

CND Asphalt is a deep creamy, grey that reminds me of dolphin skin or wet cement. It’s definitely cool toned though due to the intense pigment power you don’t see any telltale blue or green in its base, just pure, rich color.
I experimented with different Effects on a nail art wheel before deciding on CND Sapphire Sparkle. To me, it just made the most sense for the look I wanted. I didn’t want to change the base shade too much, just add a little glitz. As you can see Sapphire Sparkle lifts the overall color depth a step or two yet it maintains that overall cool, greyed tone.
You can find CND Colour & Effects at salons nationwide and online at our fave e-tailers (see sidebar). Oh and if you’re looking to hoard some of your old CND faves Angi is clearancing out a lot of her stock on GoIndulge.com for only $2/ea!!

So are you feeling CND Mondays? Are there any specific combos you’d like to see? Do you have a favorite look to share? What do you think of Asphalt with Sapphire Sparkle? Sound off!