The Polish Roundup: Winter-ific Colors to Coat Your Nails With

May 1, 2012

The festive season is almost upon us ladies. With the weather turning super cold and snowfall around the corner, what better way to get all Christmassy than to give your nails some much needed TLC.

Gone are the long summer days when your nails could be neon bright to compliment your tan. Now’s the time to get sophisticated for all those Christmas parties you will be going to. With these Winter months you should be looking at a much darker and richer color palette. Think vivid reds, deep plums, and warm browns. CocoKouture is here to help inspire and make sure your nails are the talk of the town.

Taupe, burgundy, and plum are just a few of the vampy colors to look out for this Winter. Of course gold and silver never go out of style, and alongside electric blues and deep greens, they’re proof that this season metallics are really making their mark. Nude colors also take precedent in the Winter months as your clothing becomes more neutral in tone.

Zoya do a great ‘Feel Winter’ collection of neutral colors that are anything but bland or boring. Nails Inc have some truly inspiring nail collections out this season that I would recommend: the ‘Autumn Winter Colour Collection’  draws inspiration from the runway with some beautiful russet inspired shades.

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They also inject a bit of London atmosphere into your life as the four colors are named after train stations in the English capital. Their ‘Luxury Winter Collection’ is ideal for everyday AND glitzy nighttime wear.

I simply must talk about some of the Christmas 2011 nail sets that are out. (See CK’s Holiday 2011 Beauty Product Gift Guide  for some gift ideas!) Way back in October, Vogue mentioned the two sets from Chanel and Givenchy out this holiday season. They’re infused with shimmer and ‘continue the metallic trend for the Christmas period’. Both colors offered in ‘Les Scintillantes de Chanel’ Christmas collection and Givenchy’s ‘Nuit Celeste’, look heavenly standalone or when paired with the other items from their holiday makeup collections.

Another really neat nail polish set is China Glaze’s holiday collection, ‘Let It Snow’. With colors such as Velvet Bow, Poinsetta, and Tinsel Town, they are totally inspired by and created for the festive season. These polishes are used in high-end nail salons around the US and UK  and are totally worth the price if you want to recreate that sleek salon look at home. Finally, our ultimate favorites, OPI, have created their own Christmas Glitter Shimmer Collection with the Muppets. That’s right! Inspired by Kermit and Miss Piggy, Pepe’s Purple Passion, Meep-Meep-Meep, Fresh Frog of Bel Air, and Warm and Fozzie are just some of the 12 delectable colors to choose from. If you really want to make sure you stand out from the crowd I vote OPI all the way.

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With these scintillating choices, you can make sure your manicure stands out from the crowd during this wonderful season!

 

Glitzy & Glam Glitter Nail Polish (Get Sparkly for New Years’ Eve!)

May 1, 2012

We all know that New Years Eve is the perfect opportunity to get glam. Whether it’s on your dress, shoes, or accessories, you’re going to want to get as glitzy as possible to stand out on the big night. Perfect, because glitter nail polish is taking over in a big way this season. With all the top polish brands coming out with their own versions of sparkly options it’s easier than ever to get your hands (and finger tips) on it. Let’s discuss the top glittery polishes that you should invest in before the New Year…

It’s no secret that OPI has been throwing out some killer celebrity collections. From the Kardashian’s posh line of nail polish to the mysterious Twilight inspired shades, they definitely know how to make a product fly off the shelf. Things are no different with their latest line inspired by the Muppet’s, which has twelve shades that are just as animated and entertaining as the puppets they’re modeled after! The greatest feature of the line is that nine of the twelve are full on glitter shades. With names like “Divine Swine” and “Fresh Frog of Bel Air” what’s not to love? With show stopping colors ranging from bright blue and green to the traditional pink and red, there is quite possibly a shade for every glitter lover.

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Another great brand that offers glitzy polish is Sally Hansen. They have several lines that offer glitter to their collections. Their most recent line has super chunky glitter in a variety of colors, making it easy to match up with your dress or accessories when you go out to celebrate. If you’re worried that giving yourself a cute manicure before going out will be too time consuming think again, glitter polish usually dries quickly! This comes in handy because they look best when applied with two to three coats. They’re also easy to layer on to a solid color so you can give your simple base coat a quick layer of glitz before going out!

Keep in mind a few rules when applying glitter nail polishes. They’re fun and easy to apply, but they have their downfalls just like everything else. Chunky glitter nail polishes tend to dry quickly but also chip quickly. With how easy it is for touch ups it shouldn’t be too big of a problem, but it’s always a good idea to keep your favorite shade nearby. Also, as previously mentioned, glitter nail polish is a perfect way to spruce up your solid colored nails by applying a quick coat on top, but if you’re using a glitter shade as your primary color, you’ll need to allow yourself time for at least two to three coats. Sometimes with just one coat the color will be dull and won’t show up as thick as you’d like. So giving yourself a few layers is the sure way to get the most glitz out of your polish! Investing in a base and top coat is a must have to keep your nails looking shiny and chip free. (Check out this article for more Winter Must Haves).

Now that you know a couple of the brands offering glitzy nail polishes for this season make sure you stock up. Layer one, two, or all of the shades they have to offer. Glitter and shimmer is always fun and fearless so the possibilities are endless. Match your polish up to your shoes or clutch, or let it stand out as your pop of color with a little black dress! Your glam nails will be hard to miss when you’ll be using your hands to hold your glass of champagne all night! So this New Years Eve make it your resolution to stand out amongst the crowd, which will be easy if you’ve added sparkle from hand to toe!

Nicki Minaj’s OPI Line – We’re Obsessed!

May 1, 2012

Turn that “Super Bass” into a super manicure with Nicki Minaj’s OPI collection, available in January. The six-shade line includes neon hues inspired by the pop singer’s debut album, Pink Friday, and her love of bright colors.

Photo Credit: OPI

The line is one of OPI’s many celebrity collaborations – their work with Katy Perry was the first “shatter” nail polish release, and OPI has also done collections with Serena Williams, Justin Bieber and most recently, the Kardashian sisters. OPI celebrated their 30th anniversary this year, and these high-profile collaborations prove that the brand is as strong as ever. It’s not Minaj’s first beauty venture, either – when her album was released, Minaj created a lipstick with MAC cosmetics, also called Pink Friday.

In the official OPI press release, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director, said she was excited to work with Nicki Minaj because she’s such a great presence in the fashion world. “Nicki has taken the hip hop world by storm, but her music is only part of the equation,” Weiss-Fischmann says. “She’s also become a fashion inspiration, noted for her daring costumes and hair color both on and off the stage.”With colors ranging from bubblegum pink to neon green, the collection doesn’t disappoint fans of Nicki’s bright style. In addition to five neon hues, the collection also includes “Super Bass Shatter,” a graffiti-inspired purple that creates the now-famous shatter effect.

The Nicki Minaj line will be available at beauty retailers beginning in January 2012, and polish bottles will retail at $8.50 each.

Glossy Fall-Inspired Nail Shades Backstage at NYFW

May 1, 2012

You saw the ads about Maybelline being the official makeup sponsor of New York Fashion Week, and if you watch Project Runway, you’ve been saturated with advertisements for L’Oreal and Garnier. But did you know that OPI nail polishes were featured in four NYFW shows?

Photo Credit: OPI

While fashion weeks are undoubtedly about the clothes, the beauty trends are essential too – styling can make or break a designer’s work. Bloggers love writing about hair and makeup trends seen on the runway, but one of the most-covered beauty looks at fashion weeks is nail polish. (more…)