This past weekend P. Diddy hosted his annual 4th of July fete, The White Party. It’s always great for celeb watching as the Hollywood set gather to celebrate Independence Day and support a cause decked out in their finest white garb. This year Diddy co-hosted with Ashton Kutcher to benefit Malaria No More.
With a strict “white only” dress code I knew there would be some fab white nails on parade like the ones on my fave Kardashian sister Khloe. I just LOVE her. Khloe, as Chelsea Handler so eloquently put it, “you’re a real bitch and I like it!”
But Khloe isn’t the only celeb who’s been sporting bright, white tips, the trend has been spreading like wildfire. Over the past couple weeks I’ve tested a whole mess of shades so if you’re looking for suggestions on the best whites to buy for summer, read on.
Even style icon Gwen Stefani who’s known for her retro chic makeup & hair has ditched her signature red nails in favor of white and I’m liking it. Like black, white goes with everything and it can accent a look by making it more mod, fresh, funky, etc. It’s a statement color in spite of its neutrality.
Take Gwen and Lea Michele, star of my new fave fall show Glee. On Gwen white tips look rocker and edgy. On Lea the color adds a girly, upscale feel.
Though one thing plagues most white polishes… application. I’ve found that all white polishes I’ve tried have one of two major issues:
1. Thick, chalky and streaky 2. Thin, milky and semi-sheer
So you’re either putting on three coats to get the thick lumpiness even or you’re applying four coats to get the polish opaque. Even my all time favorite, China Glaze White Kwik Silvr (below), needs three coats and it’s the BEST white I’ve ever used. Yellows have the same problems so I believe it’s just a side effect of trying to make light colors opaque.
So what can you do to wear white tips with ease? My best suggestion is to wear a shimmery/glittery hues because they hide flaws better than cremes. White Kwik Silvr and Orly Gogo are hands down my favorites in the shimmer/glitter category. WKS brings on the bling so if you want to kept it subtle, opt for the Orly.
China Glaze White Kwik Silvr
Orly Gogo
If sparkle isn’t your thing, look for a softer white. Yes, you need multiple coats to get it opaque but the formulas on these are easier to control and even with 3-4 coats they don’t look thick. My faves are Essie Marshmallow and OPI Peace Baby!. Peace Baby! doesn’t offer as much coverage but it’s workable.
Essie Marshmallow
OPI Peace Baby!
If you’re dead set on the stark, creamy look then go for it full-on. You need a Wite-Out shade that isn’t overly chalky. It has to have major shine or else you may as well just paint your tips with correction fluid or, you know, OPI Alpine Snow Matte. Of all the truly opaque whites I tested these three are your best bets for decent application that won’t make you want to throw the bottle against the wall.
China Glaze White Out
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On
Shades by Barielle Enduring
What do you think of this trend? Are you on board or jumping ship?
Do you have a favorite white that I didn’t mention? Have you found one with perfect application that’s still in production? I’d love to hear which ones tickle your fancy.
I’m not gonna lie, I love me some Joey McIntyre. As a teen, Joey and Donnie were my fave New Kids and somewhere in my basement I still have my Step By Step VHS concert tape. Wow I’m old! I even started watching Boston Public, when it was still on, just because my adorable Joey joined the cast. His crystal blue eyes and curly mop top still get me!
Anywho, I’ve been following Joey and the rest of the NKOTB on Twitter as they tour the country and tonight they made their way to the CLE. I couldn’t make it to the show but I did check out Joey’s pre-concert vlog on the Let’s Get This foundation website where he revealed a set of multi-colored tips.
We’ve debated men wearing polish and we’ve discussed multi-colored nails but how do we feel about a combination of the two? I think it’s fun and applaud his bold combo though he could use a proper filing and neater paint job. Fanatics?
Being that I spend most of my living days leaving the house with random polishes on each of my fingertips, or worse only one hand painted, I’m the last person to really judge someone for rocking a funky nail style. Even though I can’t get on board with the over-the-top, bejeweled nail art thing that’s happening, I don’t begrudge someone who does.
Now, you’ve seen my “skittles” nails, my sports themed manis to support the Browns & the Cavs and my interpretation of the Dexter hand. And as I see more and more celebs working the multi-colored manicure look, I wonder if it’s a passing fad or just coming into style. Will I no longer get stares for having three obviously different shades of purple on my nails?
Is it fun, fugly or fabulous? Cast your vote and see if you can guess who’s been sporting the trend after the jump!
At the recent “Only the Brave” NYC Diesel Fragrance Launch Event, The City‘s Erin Lucas accented her bold turquoise mani with taxi cab yellow middle fingers that matched her toes. I’m not sure it’s apropos for the cocktail dress but I love it otherwise.
And for the Kai Kuhne Fall ’09 runway show, CND’s Roxanne Valinoti put her twist on the gradated manicure by painting each nail a different shade of gray working from pinkie to thumb (light-dark).
Though this look isn’t exactly new. A few years back, Lauren Koslow, who plays Days Of Our Lives‘ Kate Roberts, regularly appeared on screen rocking two black tips with a pale manicure.
Fun fact: An online pal of mine met Lauren at a fan event and asked for the story behind her offbeat manicure. Lauren said that it’s something fun she does with her daughter and that Days’ producers don’t mind her wearing it on the show.
Now I’m sure most of you guessed that nail trendsetter Rihanna was going to be mentioned, right? Per usual Rihanna was ahead of the times when she donned a pink and black combo back in the summer of 2007 at the Live Earth concert in Tokyo.
This is totally something my MUA pal Nikki would wear. She’s been known to do the mismatched mani in the past.
More recently, Australian supermodel Tallulah Morton was shot with nails that take multi-colored to the extreme wearing a different shade on each finger. Is it too much or edgy cool?
And just last summer former MTV VJ and singer, Christina Milian, paired her sunny yellow frock with a tonal yellow and tangerine look.
So are we feeling this? Who’s been wearing the multi-colored mani? What are your fave color combinations?
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 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.
This past weekend P. Diddy hosted his annual 4th of July fete, The White Party. It’s always great for celeb watching as the Hollywood set gather to celebrate Independence Day and support a cause decked out in their finest white garb. This year Diddy co-hosted with Ashton Kutcher to benefit Malaria No More.
Even style icon Gwen Stefani who’s known for her retro chic makeup & hair has ditched her signature red nails in favor of white and I’m liking it. Like black, white goes with everything and it can accent a look by making it more mod, fresh, funky, etc. It’s a statement color in spite of its neutrality.
Though one thing plagues most white polishes… application. I’ve found that all white polishes I’ve tried have one of two major issues:
What do you think of this trend? Are you on board or jumping ship?
