Celebrity
Gray Nails – Still In or Totally Out?
 A month or so ago, I spotted one of Hollywood’s hot, young starlets wearing creamy gray tips. While I’ve been all about the grays since early last year and they’ve been popping up on runways and in editorial layouts for a while now, I haven’t really seen a celebrity embrace the color. Does this mean it’s officially over or set to pick up momentum and go mainstream?
Can you guess who the red carpet & paparazzi darling is? Find out after the jump and cast your vote in my gray trend poll. |
Did you say Megan Fox? If you did… DING DING DING! We have a winner! Megan rocked the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards wearing a gorg gray. Since flash washes color out, I’m guessing she’s wearing a shade like China Glaze Recycle or Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy.
Yellow Nail Trend – Blazin’ Hot or Nail Fail?
 Yellow is popping up everywhere these days. Celebs like Natalie Portman and Cassie have been spotted recently sporting bright yellow manicures. And who could forget Rihanna’s lemon smiley faces from last winter (below)?Granted, yellow isn’t exactly new for nails. We’ve been talking about it here since ALU began and the writers over at one of my fave daily reads, the Nylon Blog, have been obsessing over it since early 2008 but it seems that right now, yellow is having its moment. |
 The only major downside is that yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Wearing it will draw attention and choosing the wrong shade can make you look downright sickly. On the upside, a punch of lemon on your tips or toes can be the perfect accent to your summer wardrobe. Are you ready to make the leap and try the trend for yourself? Then you’ve come to the right place. My top yellow polishes are listed after the jump. |
 They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Last summer, the image of Selma Blair in InStyle rocking Chanel L.A. Sunrise from the Robertson Boulevard Collection was worth way more than a thousand bottles as nail fanatics flew to scoop one up the day it went on sale. This fanatic even went so far as to order two, the first time in years I’ve bought a backup. |
Soft, buttery shades like this one are definitely the most flattering form of yellow and the least intimidating for newbies to the bright nail scene. You can still pick up a bottle of L.A. Sunrise on Chanel.com or opt for one of the alternatives below.
 Each year Pantone, the authority on color, names its Color of The Year and for 2009 it’s Mimosa. A warm, golden shade chosen for the hope and reassurance it expresses, I was bit leery of Mimosa leaking over into the polish world. It’s a bit too warm for my skintone making me look sallow but against olive or dark skin it’s fantastic. My top rec’s for Mimosa-esque shades are… |
Finally, if you’re ready to throw caution to the wind and really go for it with something sunny and vibrant, you can’t miss with one of these beauties.
How do you feel about yellow nails? Is it the hot color of the summer or too scary for words? Do you have a fave I overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
Yellow Nail Trend – Blazin’ Hot or Nail Fail?
| Yellow is popping up everywhere these days. Celebs like Natalie Portman and Cassie have been spotted recently sporting bright yellow manicures. And who could forget Rihanna’s lemon smiley faces from last winter (below)?Granted, yellow isn’t exactly new for nails. We’ve been talking about it here since ALU began and the writers over at one of my fave daily reads, the Nylon Blog, have been obsessing over it since early 2008 but it seems that right now, yellow is having its moment. |
| The only major downside is that yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Wearing it will draw attention and choosing the wrong shade can make you look downright sickly. On the upside, a punch of lemon on your tips or toes can be the perfect accent to your summer wardrobe. Are you ready to make the leap and try the trend for yourself? Then you’ve come to the right place. My top yellow polishes are listed after the jump. |
| They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Last summer, the image of Selma Blair in InStyle rocking Chanel L.A. Sunrise from the Robertson Boulevard Collection was worth way more than a thousand bottles as nail fanatics flew to scoop one up the day it went on sale. This fanatic even went so far as to order two, the first time in years I’ve bought a backup. |
Soft, buttery shades like this one are definitely the most flattering form of yellow and the least intimidating for newbies to the bright nail scene. You can still pick up a bottle of L.A. Sunrise on Chanel.com or opt for one of the alternatives below.
| Each year Pantone, the authority on color, names its Color of The Year and for 2009 it’s Mimosa. A warm, golden shade chosen for the hope and reassurance it expresses, I was bit leery of Mimosa leaking over into the polish world. It’s a bit too warm for my skintone making me look sallow but against olive or dark skin it’s fantastic. My top rec’s for Mimosa-esque shades are… |
Finally, if you’re ready to throw caution to the wind and really go for it with something sunny and vibrant, you can’t miss with one of these beauties.
How do you feel about yellow nails? Is it the hot color of the summer or too scary for words? Do you have a fave I overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
Get The Look – Fergie's Striped Nails at the Wolverine Screening
 At last night’s screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, one of our fave nail trendsetters, Ms Fergie Ferg, rocked the red carpet sporting some flashy nail art. You all should know by now that I’m not really a nail art kind of girl but the occasional polka dot or stripe can be fun.
To accent her black and metallic dress, Fergie donned a silver and black striped nail that looks like a futuristic easter egg. She wore this same design for her birthday bash in Miami a few weeks back which is why I suspect that she’s actually wearing Minx, not polish. But fear not nail art lovers. You don’t have to plunk down a pile of cash to have a pro give you this look, you can recreate it at home on the cheap. I show you the tools and technique after the jump! Edited to add: Celebrity Manicurist Kimmie Kyees just confirmed that she did apply Minx on Fergie for the screening. |
Tools: China Glaze INK with Nail Art Brush and Sally Hansen Shooting Star Technique: 1. Apply two to three coats of Shooting Star and let dry. 2. Lightly swipe the INK nail art brush against the bottle to remove excess polish but leave a very small blob on the brush. 3. Place the tip of the brush at the side of your nail and gently roll the nail to create the swoosh. The brush will drag the blob across the nail, getting thinner as you reach the other side. 4. Repeat to create the number of stripes you prefer. 5. Let the design dry completely before applying top coat. Application tip: I rest my arm on a hard surface and hold the brush steady while rolling the nail to create a fluid, smooth line. Shaky hands + moving brush = uneven lines. Or if you prefer the straight lines, try Sally Hansen’s Nail Art Pens. The tip is like a small felt tipped pen and because the formula is water based, you can wipe off any mistakes without having to start over. So are we feeling this look? Would you try it at home? How do we feel about nail art? Share with the class.
Instead of recreating the look dead-on, I chose to do an inspired design with swoosh-like stripes.
You can use any foil-like silver polish if you can’t find Shooting Star. Finger Paints Easel Come, Easel Go! is a great substitute. China Glaze INK with Nail Art Brush ($2.60-$2.99) can be purchased online from Head2ToeBeauty.com or TransDesign.com.
Get The Look – Fergie’s Striped Nails at the Wolverine Screening
| At last night’s screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, one of our fave nail trendsetters, Ms Fergie Ferg, rocked the red carpet sporting some flashy nail art. You all should know by now that I’m not really a nail art kind of girl but the occasional polka dot or stripe can be fun.
To accent her black and metallic dress, Fergie donned a silver and black striped nail that looks like a futuristic easter egg. She wore this same design for her birthday bash in Miami a few weeks back which is why I suspect that she’s actually wearing Minx, not polish. But fear not nail art lovers. You don’t have to plunk down a pile of cash to have a pro give you this look, you can recreate it at home on the cheap. I show you the tools and technique after the jump! Edited to add: Celebrity Manicurist Kimmie Kyees just confirmed that she did apply Minx on Fergie for the screening. |
Tools: China Glaze INK with Nail Art Brush and Sally Hansen Shooting Star Technique: 1. Apply two to three coats of Shooting Star and let dry. 2. Lightly swipe the INK nail art brush against the bottle to remove excess polish but leave a very small blob on the brush. 3. Place the tip of the brush at the side of your nail and gently roll the nail to create the swoosh. The brush will drag the blob across the nail, getting thinner as you reach the other side. 4. Repeat to create the number of stripes you prefer. 5. Let the design dry completely before applying top coat. Application tip: I rest my arm on a hard surface and hold the brush steady while rolling the nail to create a fluid, smooth line. Shaky hands + moving brush = uneven lines. Or if you prefer the straight lines, try Sally Hansen’s Nail Art Pens. The tip is like a small felt tipped pen and because the formula is water based, you can wipe off any mistakes without having to start over. So are we feeling this look? Would you try it at home? How do we feel about nail art? Share with the class.
Instead of recreating the look dead-on, I chose to do an inspired design with swoosh-like stripes.
You can use any foil-like silver polish if you can’t find Shooting Star. Finger Paints Easel Come, Easel Go! is a great substitute. China Glaze INK with Nail Art Brush ($2.60-$2.99) can be purchased online from Head2ToeBeauty.com or TransDesign.com.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
