Beauty

Nail polish colors hot off the New York Fashion Week runways for spring 2012

 in Beauty / Nail Polish / Trends  tagged essie / new york fashion week / rebecca minkoff / spring 2012 / summer 2012 by

New York Fashion Week spring 2012 nail colors chosen by designers for the runways have been revealed. Pale shades, dark hues and nail art were all present on the New York catwalks, giving nail polish fans a glimpse into the next hottest hues for fingertips.

Rebecca Minkoff spring/summer 2012: Rebecca Minkoff created a feminine and flirty collection with a variety of bright colors. To stay in theme with her “girly” collection, nails on the runway were painted in candy stripes! There were two coats of Essie “Below the Belt” used as the base; which is a creamy white color. Then, two coats of Essie’s “Pink Parka” were used to create vertical pink stripes. Nail art was on the runway!

rebeccaminkoff

Suno spring/summer 2012: the show was inspired by the transition of a young girl into womanhood. The designer wanted to create a “fresh, dewy look that still keeps an essence of innocence.” The nail polish of choice was Essie “Main Squeeze” which is a sheer, iridescent pink.

suno

Edun spring/summer 2012: The collection was described as “fresh, light and airy, creatively juxtaposed iconic floral prints with tribal African patterns.” The designer chose several shades of nude nail polish for the runway show including Essie’s “potato Fields” and “BFF Best Boyfriend.”

edun

Prism spring/summer 2012: Inspired by “avant-garde imagery from the 1970’s,” the collection included burgundy, antique gold, dark green and burnt orange. Nails were painted with Essie’s “Bobbing for Baubles” which is a slate grey hue.

prism

Preen spring/summer 2012: Preen’s collection was all about feminine flair and pastels. Fingers were painted in Essie’s “Pink Lemonade” which is an iridescent shade of light pink. Toes were painted with one coat of “Chastity” by Essie; a solid, deep pink with a hint of lilac.

preen

The majority of the New York designers chose neutral and pale shades of nail polish for their runways. It should be interesting to see which colors appear on the European runways.

Photos courtesy of Essie.

Fall 2011 Fragrance Trends: Heavier perfumes-new designer and perfumer launches

 in Beauty / Fragrance / Trends  tagged fall 2011 by

This fall might be one of the first seasons in recent history to have a large amount of legendary designers and perfumers launch either their first fragrance or a new fragrance which strays from other fragrances in the brands collection. As fragrances trend towards heavy florals, bold spices and gourmand scents, designers and perfumers have been following suit by creating fragrances which can be enjoyed by people close to the person wearing the perfume, rather than producing the “skin scents” which enjoyed popularity for the past decade.

The fragrance trends have been slowing moving towards heavier compositions in the past two years and this fall the trend is exploding. In addition to classic fragrances which already have a heavier fragranceexperience, new fragrance launches are combining heavy florals and gourmand notes in a move towards sharing one’s fragrance experience with others.

The main heart notes which are gaining popularity and being seen for fall include jasmine, amber, vetiver, spices and gourmand combinations with vanilla, caramel, honey and chocolate. With a move towards heavier fragrance trends, shopping for a new fall scent this season may be a little daunting. We have compiled a “Top Five” list to help get you started:

 

  1. Prada Candy: This is a medium-heavy gourmand which can easily be shared by those around you. The dessert-like fragrance experience is light-hearted and sweet; a stark move away from the lighter florals and green notes used in past Prada scents.
  2. CREED Royal-Oud: Iconic perfume house CREED is launching their own Oud based scent; a rising trend in fragrances. Oud is a warm and luxurious fragrance note which is anything but shy and offers a heavier fragrance experience; making it perfect for fall.
  3. Nocturne Alchemy Temple NA: This boutique fragrance is warm, mixing florals, spices and woods while offering a medium-heaviness fragrance experience which evokes a sense of the Sahara Dessert and makes you long for a tour of the Great Pyramids.
  4. Balenciaga Paris L’Essence: Flanker fragrance to the original and lighter Balenciaga Paris, L’Essence infuses a combination of violet, vetiver and moss offering a heavier green floral with a warm, vetiver base which is heavier and more bold than the original; yet offering a fresh zing from the green top.
  5. Chanel No.5: This classic scent may already be in your fragrance collection. The amber base and familiar scent offers a medium strength fragrance experience; making it the ideal transition fragrance for those who have been living in skin scents for the past decade.

 

While shopping for the perfect fall fragrance, be sure to look for heavier versions of what you already enjoy; this will help ease you into a heavier fragrance experience. If you are ready for a change, go for a scent that is completely different from what you normally wear. Generally gravitate towards florals? Why not try a gourmand! The one thing to look for in your new fall fragrance is a slight trail you can leave behind when you pass by; keep people wanting more 

 

fall fragrances by bayareafashionista featuring an orange flower perfume

Fall 2011 nail trends trends: The new nail length

 in Beauty / Nail Polish / Trends  tagged celebrity style / fall 2011 by

Nails are getting a new look for fall 2011. Gone are the days of short, neat nails. Fall 2011 nails are going to new lengths; long lengths. Over the past four years nails have been short and sweet; which has been in line with the dark nail polish colors that have been du rigueur of late. Short fingernails have been the perfect canvas for dark colors. Nail polish does not chip as easily or quickly when nails are short; allowing dark colors to last longer than if they were painted on long nails.

Although dark polish is still very much the look for fall, nails are turning up their nose to practicality and going long; very long. The long fingernail is back and reminding Fashionistas of days when they needed to use a pencil to hit the buttons on their calculator.

The shape of the tip of the nail is very important for fall too. The shape of the tip needs to be very distinct in the form of squared off, sharply pointed or well rounded.  Celebrities such as Fergie, Rihanna and Lady Gaga have been spotted wearing the new length in fingernails with very pointed tips.

Will this bring fashion-savvy nail polish lovers back to having tips applied? Perhaps. It should be interesting to see if this new look in nail length makes it off the runways, red carpets, stages, pages of glossy magazines and onto the hands of the fabulously fashionable.

 

Finger nails by bayareafashionista featuring chanel beauty products