IT'S ABOUT TIME

When I first started doing nails, Creative Nail Design was the only brand any self-respecting technician would use. 

That was a long time ago. 

I started to lose interest when they discontinued their Pro-Heat topcoat and then I was done when they discontinued their complete nail polish range in favour of a concept they called 50/15 (50 standard colours, 15 effects all mixed and matched to create any colour you could ever want). It was meant to revolutionise nail polish colour collections forever. For most techs working day to day in a salon environment, it was a fail. Luckily for CND, Shellac launched not long after and brought them a whole new customer base. 

Now this is their newest innovation - a 'weekly' polish with technology that apparently doesn't need a base coat.  

With 62 initial colours and a topcoat, this is the product range that will hopefully replace the 50/15 polishes and reach out to customers that have (wisely) steered clear of gel polishes. 

Fingers crossed they revive a few of the old faithful shades. There has been no better summer red on the planet than CND 'burn'... 

Image via professionalbeauty.co.uk

NARSxPIERRE HARDY

Dope shoe and bag creator, Pierre Hardy is teaming up with Nars cosmetics to collaborate on a range of blushes and nail polishes. 

Might have to go with the whole collection as he's managed to get almost all of my fav's in there. 

Not sure on release date... can't be far off. 

Image via bellasugar.com

THESE ARE TOPCOATS...

There's just no stopping the creative heads in varnish labs around the globe. 

The beauty nerds at YSL have come up with what they are calling 'tie-dye' top coats, and there's a few different ways you can use them - just dip the brush into the top third of the bottle for a clear coat, go deeper for a water-marked version of the middle colour or dip right to the bottom to get the glitter - or shake the bottle to get a mix of all three. 

Cool, Pop, Hip and Ice. Take your pick.

Image via shefinds.com

THE BLACKBOARD IS ON YOUR NAILS???

Well, this is turnaround...

Ciate's latest venture beyond the 'caviar' nail trend they exploded everyones' minds with early last year, is their new 'chalkboard' nails kit. 

Just as gimmicky as the Caviar Manicure (trademark!) albeit, not as dangerous (try wearing it for a few days and then walk around your floorboarded house in some heels...), I could probably have a little go of this kit. 

This actually looks super cute, and the creative spirit behind developing this concept and the actual products is very cool. 



Image via fashionista.com  Video via youtube.com

PURPLE PITTER PATTER

butter LONDON has launched their polish ode to Kate Middleton's impending 'arrival'. 

I'm loving all these rich, jewel tones for our Southern Hemisphere winter. 

I'm sure this will sell truckloads.

Hoorah.  

Image via butterLONDON's facebook page. 

SPRAY SAFE

Some months back, hysteria erupted when mainstream media reported that spraytans cause cancer (that doesn't sound definitive or simplistic at all, does it??). 

They made this 'qualified' jump in conclusion when information recently came to light that 30 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (A U.S. government body) had approved DHA (di hydroxyacetone - the ingredient in tanning products that makes your skin brown (or orange, depending on your spraytan purveyor of choice...)) for topical use in lotions only. 

The reports carried on to say that since the invent of liquid tanning solutions, clinical tests had been done on inhaling DHA from off-spray of the solutions and the results returned with a somewhat dubious outcome. 

Statements from clinical findings claiming, 'DHA may show to cause some cell mutation', were quickly mutated themselves by media into 'spraytans cause cancer'. Hence, the FDA's current stance on having only approved the chemical in a form that cannot be inhaled or ingested in anyway.    

Enter the CTPA (The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association - a European standards group). They've come out in defence of tanning solutions and the whole spraytanning industry in announcing that DHA in a liquid and mist form has, indeed, been approved, causes no plausible health risks - and then goes on to shoot giant holes in the whole FDA-quoting cancer-scare reporting bonanza (take that, 'The Sun' newspaper...) making some really, really sensible and factual (how novel!) points, leading all tanning professionals to breathe a big (DHA-filled - just kidding...) sigh of relief. 

The Examiner has the whole story and it's pretty great. 

Check it out for yourself if you get regular (or sporadic) spray tans. 

LEATHER LOOK

This is late, but what the hell. Nail news is nail news. 

Nails Inc. came up with a black varnish that when dry looks alot like leather. Then they packaged it up with some little skull decals so all the tough luxe girls (and boys?) would love it. 

Then Alexa Chung wore it somewhere and it was reported on and then the world lost it's mind. 

Sales for the polish went berserk and the waiting list for re-issue hit almost a thousand. 

Just as a side-note, Illamasqua did a really similar black a couple of years ago as their first foray into their rubber finish collection. It was pretty dope too. 

If you managed to get a bottle of this Nails Inc. little precious, you'd probably be feeling pretty good about yourself.

Well done.

Image via style.mtv.com

LAYER UPON LAYER

My brain is starting to hurt from just how many gimmicks can be packaged into one 15ml glass bottle. 

Hoorah for the creative geniuses at Essie who've manage to
to get three into their latest magnetic collection, Repstyle. 

Until very recently, Essie would not venture into the shimmer arena, but aren't they happy they did? The next progression is the magnetic formulation, and this latest manipulation of the magnet.... making the shavings move into a reptilian pattern. 

Wow. 

Image via fashionista.com 

DIAMOND GLOW

Some people may tend to think getting a regular spray tan is an excessive way to spend cash. St Tropez has found a way to push that into a whole new arena - a tanning product containing real diamonds. 

By all accounts, this is an in-salon treatment and then you get a take-home bottle for a little top-up before you head out. If A$300 per treatment doesn't make a dint in your in your wallet, then you probably won't be feeling any kind of way when you get home a few hours later and wash all that diamond crush down the drain. 

For the truly opulent only. 

Image via dailymail.co.uk

'O' DOT 'P' DOT 'I' DOT

So... Fox News has a, ah, particular kind of reputation in the States and this report is no exception. 

Watch Dagan McDowell butcher the name of the company (say it with me - OH PEE EYE), then ask the C.E.O. of a company that has been the market leader for 31 years and was recently bought by cosmetic behemoth, Coty for close to 1 billion dollars, just how do they deal with the pressure of all the innovation and competition in the market place (the same company that invented most of that pressure), and then she hits him with the burning question of his own personal opinion about how he feels as a 'wealthy person', particularly in California with the impending tax hikes.  
Watch Dagan McDowell butcher the name of the company (say it with me - OH PEE EYE), then ask the C.E.O. of a company that has been the market leader for 31 years and was recently bought by cosmetic behemoth, Coty for close to 1 billion dollars, just how do they deal with the pressure of all the innovation and competition in the market place (the same company that invented most of that pressure), and then she hits him with the burning question of his own personal opinion about how he feels as a 'wealthy person', particularly in California with the impending tax hikes.  

George Schaeffer is truly a gracious man. Not sure why he agreed to go on Fox News, but the statistics in the report are nothing short of awe-inspiring, and further confirmation that the nail biz is the one to be in. 

Video via foxbusiness.com

WHAT. IS. SHE. DOING. (QUESTION MARK)

Proving it really is that hard to try, reigning queen of Idon'tgiveaflyingf-landia, really did, huh-hum, lie low (ha!) when the spray tech insisted on finishing the treatment. 

No pants on deck, Lundz? (I'm sure that isn't the first time she's heard that question... but I digress!).

And I thought she'd already shown us just about every tanning monstrosity possible. Well, that just serves me right, doesn't it. 

Gosh. 

Image via eonline.com

THIS VIDEO IS TOPS

Topshop are following Chanel and O.P.I.'s lead, producing a video showcasing their latest extensive collection of polish colours. 

It does not have dance-fueding horses or can-canning fingers, but it is super cute in it's own right, hitting their core demographic right between the eyes.

Top job.

Video via styleite.com

I HEART SUMMER

VOGUE Australia and Harper's Bazaar Australia have both done ripper jobs of their respective January issues. 

Seems both publications have shed their winter padding and are looking so lean, yet have still managed to be jam-packed to the gills with everything and everyone you want to look at and read about. 

With cover girls Carolyn Murphy and Kate Bosworth respectively, then a combined lineup of Shanina Shaik (not that she needs help from anyone with a spraytan gun... ps. are they kidding with that headshot??...), Emma Balfour, Karlie Kloss, Jennifer Lopez, Stephanie Gilmore, Diana von Furstenberg, the Victoria Secret's angels, Kate Moss, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Massimiliano Giornetti with Jess Hart and Penelope Cruz, you'd best grab these two mags and go get lost in a hammock somewhere. 

Gosh, I love an Aussie summer... 

All images via Vogue Australia and Harper's Bazaar Australia

DOSE IS THE ILLEST

What's going to set your nail polish range apart from every other broad and her poodle??

First of all you need to be a creative genius like Jane Schub.
Her cosmetic anomalies brand, strangebeautiful is constantly turning the ordinary on it's head (click on the link - best website i've seen in a while...). Her inspiration for new concept products is always fresh to death. 

Here we go this time with a capsule collection (get it??) called Dose Polishes. Tiny polish pigments for the die-hard beauty junkies that come in 'doses' of 3 pigments per package (6 packages in total), so you can get triple-y hooked on the ill-ness (so puntastic). 

Jane Schub has done it again. 

Images via refinery29.com and shefinds.com

IT'S NUANCED

The beautiful Salma Hayek has expanded her skin care/cosmetic range, Nuance to include nail polishes this month. 

Here's a look at one of the first bottles. 

With 30 colours in the full range, it boasts some interesting ingredients to keep your nails healthy - especially the base and top coats. Maybe these are the subtle differences the name refers to, to set her products apart from the pack. 

Available exclusively from CVS in the States.

Images via people.com and harpers bazaar.com

ES DOPE

Precision execution can take the average to the absolutely exceptional. There's nail art and then there's.... well, there's the professionals at esNAIL. 

These are beautiful. 

Aspirational. 

NYFW

New York Fashion Week was a few months ago, but I've just now perused all that was on offer in the accompanying world of nail styling.

This was my favourite of all the showings. CND turned out these deceptively simple beauties for Rachel Anotnoff. 
Looks like white varnish on a short manicured natural nail with a clear tip adhered over the manicure. Rachel then had the CND team write the names of her closest loved ones on each individual nail. 

Extremely cute. 

Image via instyle.com 

NERVO FOR COVERGIRL

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!! 

Go, the Nervo twins for CoverGirl U.S.A.!

The fashionable musical duo have cracked a beauty (literally!) by signing on as CoverGirl's latest ambassadors, specifically for the Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss products. 

We love a good Aussie invasion, Stateside. (Shoutouts to Grbac getting it in!!) 

Story via dailyglow.com

LEASE A LACQUER

Taking a cue from enterprising businesses like lovemeandleaveme.com and bagborroworsteal.com, who rent out the latest luxury fashion/beauty must-haves, lacquerous.com has come in on the nail varnish frontier. 

Sounds kind of genius to me, but not too sure what Australia Post would make of it all, Down Under. 

Refinery29 (always) has the full story. Get over there or go straight to Lacquerous and see what all the glam fuss is about. 

Image via refinery29.com

EN GARDE!

My husband would almost (almost...) want me to wear these, if only that it would literally make it impossible for me to do anything while my nails are drying - which, I think, is the exact opposite of what they are 'designed' for. 

I'll leave it to your judgement to arrive at a conclusion for this one.... 

Image and full 'explanation' via glamour.com