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Archive for February, 2010

Meet Ginger + Liz Nail Colour

By on February 19, 2010
in Blue, Ginger + Liz, Gold, Green with 37 Comments
ginger-+-liz-colour-collection-nail-polish Being the lone nail blogger at NYFW means that everyone either looks at my nails, hides their nails in embarrassment (I’m so NOT judging) or asks me about different polish brands.  Well this season was a bit different because when I’d run into my blogging friends backstage the majority asked if I had met Ginger and Liz.

Ginger Johnson and Liz Pickett are the brains behind their eponymous polish line Ginger + Liz which recently had its retail debut at a Henri Bendel trunk show.  Before this week I’ve tweeted and emailed with the duo but never actually met them.  Well let me just say, these ladies are not only beautiful and charming but they have a fabulous sense of style and color.

Meet Ginger and Liz, check out my funky multi-colored manicure and swoon over the appropriately named metallic, Swagger, after the jump!

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ALU NYFW NOTD Challenge – FW 2010 Day 3

There is no rest for the weary at Fashion Week and while most people were enjoying their Sunday morning in bed, I was up with the roosters (like there’s farm life in NYC) to head backstage at Lela Rose. There are a few shows that I can’t miss each season and Lela Rose is one of them. Why? Because the dream team of Ted Gibson and Deborah Lippmann is more than enough reason to get out of bed in the morning. Add in Tina Turnbow for Tarte and Supermodel Carol Alt with her Raw Essentials skincare line and well, can life get any better? Seriously, there was so much magic in that room, I could barely handle it.  I spoke with Carol for over 15 minutes and couldn’t stop myself from going gaga inside over how fabulous she looks.  Total fan girl moment!

Of course I’ll spill the deets on the backstage action with you later but let’s get back on track with the nails. I had this whole plan set in motion about how I would plot out my polish based on who I’d be seeing that day.  Sally Hansen for the Tracey Reese show, China Glaze for Charlotte Ronson, etc.  Though I made the mistake of telling Deb’s publicist that I would be wearing Marquee Moon on Sunday. So even though I woke up with a massive hangover from being out WAY too late Saturday night, I somehow managed to drag my happy ass out of bed extra early for a polish change.  It’s a good thing I did because she totally checked up on me!

I’ve showed you Marquee Moon before so you know about its origins but in case you need a refresher, this is the shade Deb created with sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy the brains behind Rodarte.  It’s a silver metallic base with hexagonal silver sequins that look like tiny mirrors on the nail.

The whole point of Marquee Moon is to have a perfectly imperfect manicure.  It’s not about getting the same number of sequins on each nail.  If some end up with no sequins, so be it.  Which actually makes this an ideal last minute manicure choice.  You can just slap it on and not worry about the end result. If you biff it, the world isn’t going to end.

BTW am I the only person one the planet still saying “biff” because everyone who’s heard me use that word this week is all, “aww, ‘biff’ I haven’t heard that in forever.”  Well, I’m bringing it back people!

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Marquee Moon retails for $16/ea and can be purchased online from DeborahLippmann.com or Beauty.com. You can also pick up Deb’s polish at a Nordstrom near you.

ps I hear that Badgley Mischka selected this shade for their runway show this morning.  That there was a whole Avatar theme happening.  Can’t wait to see pics from the show!

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me Deborah Lippmann. For more information view my Disclosure Policy.

ALU NYFW NOTD Challenge – FW 2010 Day 2

By on February 16, 2010
in NARS, NOTD, NY Fashion Week F/W 10, Purple with 18 Comments

Day 2 of my NYFW experience started relatively late (noon). Knowing my usual travel patterns, I purposely left Saturday morning free so I could sleep in and catch up on the rest I missed while packing for NYC.

Since I had time for a full manicure (no matte polish needed today), I opted for NARS Purple Rain from the Spring collection that is inspired by Catherine Deneuve’s role as Lucille in La Chamade.  You know how I love a purple and I have to say this is one of the best colors NARS has put out in a while.

When I first saw the promo pic I thought there was no way this polish could live up to it.  We all know the story, vibrant under flash, almost black everywhere else.  I’m happy to say that Purple Rain surpassed my expectations.  Is it the blue-based purple we were teased with on their site?  No, it’s more of a red-grape but the metallic shimmer really gives it something special.  Literally everyone who looked at my nails that day asked about the polish and when I say everyone I mean other brands too.

FYI, being in NYC is so outside my normal swatching element that it’s throwing me off my game in terms of photography so know that this pic was taken in my hotel bathroom meaning it’s not 100% accurate.
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NARS Purple Rain retails for $16/ea and is currently out of stock on the NARS website but I found it online at Bloomingdales.com and Sephora.com.  You can also check with your local NARS counters and Sephora stores.

What’s on your nails today?  Have you checked out Purple Rain yet?  Is purple still in fashion or totally out?

Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by NARS.  For more information view my Disclosure Policy.

ALU NYFW NOTD Challenge – Day 1

Hi Fanatics! Have you missed me? I’ve been running around NYC like a crazy person, checking out the nail, beauty and hair looks at a bunch of fashion shows, visiting with some of my fave beauty bloggers and wandering around this beautiful city. Like last season, I was inspired by SeoulDiva Heather Park’s NYFW Makeup Challenge to continue my NOTD Challenge, changing my nail color each day that I’m here for Fashion Week.

Considering how many polishes I own, planning out and packing my polish for the week was a challenge in itself. More so than doing a daily polish change. In the end, I thought about the brands I would be seeing each day and brought a color from their range. Since my first show was Charlotte Ronson with China Glaze, I gave myself a middle-of-the-night manicure with China Glaze Flyin’ High before I flew out Friday morning.

Those of you who own Flyin’ High know that it gets attention. It’s not just because I’m “the nail polish girl” that people stopped to ask about the color. It’s because it’s such an eye-catching creamy shade of blue-green. Being that Pantone named Turquoise “The Color Of The Year” for 2010, I found Flyin High extremely appropriate for such a chic and edgy show.

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China Glaze Flyin’ High is part of the Up & Away Collection for Spring and it can be purchased now online at your fave e-tailers. Look for the collection to hit Sally Beauty Supply in March.

What do you think Fanatics?  Are you loving my choice or not a fan?  What’s on your nails today?

ALU at New York Fashion Week F/W 2010

new-york-fashion-week It’s that time again Fanatics.  New York Fashion Week has kicked into high gear and I am here in NYC once again to bring you the nail scoop as it happens.  I’m kicking things off tonight at the Charlotte Ronson show where Cleveland based manicurist Julie Kandalec (from Jennifer & Co. in Mentor) will be keying the show using China Glaze colors.  I can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with!

NYFW officially started two days ago and unfortunately I was still in the Cleveburg while some hot nail fashions rocked the runway.  butter London, CND and Dashing Diva all put out some stellar looks over the past couple days and I’ve got a quick recap on what we’ve missed after the jump!


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