 While I was backstage at the ADAM show, I had the chance to chat with Deborah Lippmann whose team was polishing the models’ nails with Fashion for the runway. We talked about the look of the show of course (more on that later) but we also discussed what’s next for her line.
First off, while there was no official announcement, the brand name has changed to Deborah Lippmann as opposed to Lippmann Collection. The nail polish packaging is different as well. The white and blue paper boxes have been replaced with clear acetate so the gorgeous bottle and color are no longer hidden on display shelves.
For Spring 2010 Deb created a duo of soft pretty cremes named I’m Not Innocent (semi-sheer) and Waking Up In Vegas (opaque). Check them out after the jump along with some exciting advance info on her upcoming Summer, Fall & Holiday colors. |
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 The palette for the Spring 2010 Chanel collection, Les Impressions de Chanel, is all about chic, wearable neutrals. Creative Director Peter Philips wanted to honor Coco Chanel’s legacy of creating classic, timeless pieces with a wardrobe of color that never goes out of style.
Included in the collection are three new Le Vernis nail lacquers including Particulière, Tendresse and Inattendu. You may recall the frenzy that erupted when Particulière was spotted on the Chanel Spring 2010 runway. We all wondered, is it a khaki, grey, mushroom, dusty purple, mauve? Would it just end up being a You Don’t Know Jacques knockoff? See for yourself after the jump! |
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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!
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 To be Strange is to be Beautiful. This is the concept behind the StrangeBeautiful line of nail polish and it’s what makes their libraries of color so intriguing. Founder Jane Schub’s love of art, architecture and design has been translated into a set of eight seasonal hues that I can only describe as achingly unusual.
I’ve long said the reason I adore nail polish and started this site is because of my lifelong obsession with color. That while I don’t wear a lot of colorful clothing, I express my creativity and mood through nail color. This is why I was immediately drawn into this 3rd Volume of color from StrangeBeautiful. I swear I must have sat, staring at the polishes, for a good fifteen minutes remarking over and over how wonderfully brilliant and unique a collection this is. Let’s explore this new-to-me brand after the jump! |
 Taking inspiration from design pieces like the vibrant red typewriter by Ettore Sottsass and everyday objects like a lobster shell, each season StrangeBeautiful creates an eight shade limited edition collection that is both provocative and wearable. Using a creme finish for all the polishes makes them refined and chic.
The formula is 3-Free, including Formaldehyde Resin, highly pigmented and flows smoothly on the nail drying with a high gloss finish. The 220 strand brush is thin, long and pliable, easily spreading out for the perfect three stroke application. Like I said, the polish is pigmented, even the lighter shades, so you only need two coats to achieve complete opacity.
What I find interesting is that because the polishes are sold as a library, the individual shades are unnamed. They are also produced once in extremely limited edition so when a volume sells out, that’s it. |
Because the inspiration for each color is so specific, and there aren’t descriptive names for each polish I thought including descriptors straight from StrangeBeautiful would be helpful in understanding the concept.
The saturated rusty iron color of an Irish bog caused by the reaction between tannin, wood and iron. The rich warm color of this polish reminds me of the peanut sauce that comes with chicken satay. It’s definitely best suited to a neutral or warm skin tone but I love its fabulous fall feel.
The veins of green mold running through Roquefort. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that this deep teal green was the one I rushed to put on first. My love of all things green is infinite and there’s something about the aged feel of this hue that I can’t get enough of.
The dreadfully wonderful dirty almond color used on kitchen appliances. Growing up in a home that reveled in the 60s avocado, almond, red shag aesthetic, this shade takes me right back to the adorable ranch-style house I grew up in that my Dad built for us.
The belly of a pigeon. I suppose I’m fortunate to say that I haven’t been up close and personal with a pigeon though I doubt the Lake Erie seagulls are any less annoying. Regardless this moody, lilac tinged gray is so me it’s not even funny.
Aged Armagnac. There’s something about this burnt sienna that makes me long for a bonfire, hot cider and the smell of pumpkin pie on a cool, fall night.
The artist Sean Scully. Deep and vampy, this dark plum looks like Grape Dimetapp in the bottle but dries pretty dark on the nail. Think OPI LPAD.
The rich black olive green color of Loden cloth. Hellooooo luvah!! There just aren’t enough mossy, olive greens in this world for me. So even though I own RBL No More War and Illamasqua Hectic, I love that this Swamp Thing hue is less yellow based therefore much more wearable on a range of skin tones.
The dull brown red of Redrope files. I truly wish the creaminess and slightly browned base of this red had translated better on camera. It’s very luscious and rich in person.
Color Volume 3 from StrangeBeautiful is available now on LuckyScent.com. The library of 8 shades retails for $79, which is less than $10 each.
Who has tried StrangeBeautiful before? Thoughts? How do you feel about these colors and that they come as a set?
Exciting news on the gray nail front! Megan Fox is donning the shade on the cover of October’s Cosmo proving that gray is still having a moment. Some may say it’s “so last season” but didn’t they do that with Chanel Black Satin only months after its release? Well I’m not ready to give up on gray and I’m happy to see it popping up on celebs and magazine covers.
Green Celebrity Manicurist Jenna Hipp (@JennaHipp on Twitter) did Megan’s nails using Orly Mirror Mirror, a light cement gray creme.
So what’s your take Fanatics? Are you beyond over gray? Still on the bandwagon? Or could you care less because you weren’t buying what gray was selling in the first place?
While I was backstage at the ADAM show, I had the chance to chat with Deborah Lippmann whose team was polishing the models’ nails with Fashion for the runway. We talked about the look of the show of course (more on that later) but we also discussed what’s next for her line.
