It would be an understatement to say that nail art hasn’t completely saturated the beauty world. From Anne Hathaway’s neon manicure at the Met gala to Hailee Steinfeld’s pop art nails at Comic Con, nail art is still going strong throughout summer.
While A-list stars turn to nail gurus like Kimmie Kyees (Rihanna’s go-to) and Tom Bachik (he does Beyoncé, Zooey Dechannel and Jennifer Lopez) DIY nail art can look just as red carpet-worthy. Although scrolling through thousands of nail art images on Pinterest may be one way to get inspired, the Beauty Panel is here to lend us a hand. This week they’re sharing top tips and tricks on the best nail art looks for summer. From pastel shades to chevron nail art to glitter top coats, we’re pretty sure you’ll be reaching for a bottle of nail polish before you finish reading this post.
Challenge 22: What’s your favourite nail polish colour to wear this summer? See the answers now! »
With Canada Day just around the corner, it’s time to start planning those red and white outfits! Whether you’re spending the long weekend at the cottage or celebrating in the city, Canada Days calls for the addition of a patriotic ensemble. But if there’s nothing in your wardrobe that suits the occasion, consider inserting some red and white into your beauty routine. No, we’re not suggesting you go all out with a maple leaf flag face paint situation—instead take it to your nails with some Canada Day nail art.
The best part about doing a themed manicure for Canada Day is that no matter your talent level, there’s a nail art option for you. Whatever combination of red and white nail polish you end up applying will get the patriotic message across! To get the Canada Day nail art ideas rolling, we asked the Beauty Panel to share their long weekend manicures. From simple red and white dots to intricite maple leaf designs, these manis are sure to inspire some Canada Day nail art of your own, adding the perfect dose of patriotic pop to your long weekend.
Challenge 17: Happy Canada Day! What are you wearing on your nails this weekend? See the answers now! »
Nail art enthusiasts, it’s time to show us what you’ve got! Our sister publication, Glow Magazine, and Shoppers Drug Mart have teamed up to create the ultimate summer nail art contest. To enter, all you have to do is try your hand at one of the four nail art designs currently featured on the Shoppers Drug Mart website. Each look makes use of the best nail polish colours for summer and is served up in a very easy-to-follow video tutorial.
Here’s some Friday morning fun for you! The show that brought us One Direction and the country that gave us the Spice Girls have pretty much done it again: Little Mix is a new girl group that formed on the UK’s X Factor in 2011. If you’ve been missing the upbeat pop music and feisty lyrics that dominated the charts in the late ’90s, it’s time to give Little Mix a listen. (The video for “How Ya Doing” could easily be mistaken for a Destiny’s Child song and makes us want to dye our hair bright colours ASAP.) The four-girl group not only won X Factor, they launched a debut album, DNA, that dominated the charts in Britain—which is why they’re now in North America to do the same.
And because any girl group worth their salt is all about individual style coming together in one sassy package, Little Mix has created a custom nail art tutorial with Toronto’s Pinky’s Nails.
Photography: left by Peter Stigter; right by Revlon
With many nail bloggers turning to the runway for nail art inspiration (Miss Ladyfinger and Move Slightly are two of our faves) beauty companies are starting to take hints from this thriving trend. Getting ahead of the game, Revlon has partnered with Marchesa on a series of runway-inspired beauty products.
As the official makeup and nail partner for Marchesa’s New York Fashion Week shows, the forthcoming Revlon by Marchesa line will take this collaboration a step further. According to WWD, the partnership will include nail polish, lip products, eye products, nail art and beauty tools—with the first launch being a set of nail art stickers inspired by the patterns of Marchesa’s gowns.
Though we’re just on the brink of summer, who doesn’t appreciate the chance to preview an upcoming fall collection—especially when it involves new shades of nail polish? Set to launch this August, the OPI fall collection takes inspiration from the sights and sounds of San Francisco. OPI has long paired their nail polish collections with international locales, from Europe to Asia to Australia, making a manicure at home feel just a little bit like a mini vacation.
Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.
I seem to have some clogged pores that won’t budge. Is there a good way to clear up my skin without getting a facial?
Clogged pores are pesky! They’re not quite a full-on breakout, but they definitely detract from the overall health of your skin. Dead skin cells, dirt, debris or excess oil can clog pores. So let me quickly reiterate how important it is to remove makeup and cleanse skin nightly! Doing so will drastically reduce the likelihood of clogged pores, but no one is entirely immune from them. Attack with a mask, such as SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque ($50, skinceuticals.com). While this is a clay-based concoction, which is always optimal for purifying skin and controlling sebum production, the formula is actually boosted by 5 per cent mixed hydroxy acids. The blend of hydroxy acids includes glycolic acid, which will alleviate the accumulation of dead skin cells, as well as citric, tartaric, and malic acids, which are all antioxidants that, when applied twice a week, will help get your skin to the state you want it to be in.
You’re making your way down your prom checklist and you realize something is missing: Your nails! You want to do something special, but without spending a lot of money. (After all, why blow your budget now when we’ve shown you how to style a complete prom look for less than $500 and do your own hair?)Thankfully, creating an impressive manicure is easier than ever, thanks to the abundance of nail art products, bloggers and ideas. Bring on the nail tutorials! All you need is an afternoon to practice your painting skills, a couple bottles of your favourite nail polish colours and some inspiration—may we suggest taking a cue from your prom dress, shoes or even your date? From polka dots and florals to glittery patterns and Jackson Pollock-inspired splatters, we’ve found 18 of the best nail tutorials out there that are perfect for prom. Scroll down to see them all and get ready to receive more compliments on your nails than ever before!
Amidst the neon nail polishes, textured manicures and creative nail art, sometimes all we want is a simple, polished manicure. Enter the new nail polish collection from Revlon that is giving us exactly that. The iconic beauty brand has just launched Nude Expressions, a collection of eight neutral nail polishes. The shades are designed to match many skin tones for a minimalist style that is right on trend with the 1990s beauty look of the moment.
Modeled by actress and Revlon representative Olivia Wilde, the limited edition polishes include shades such as “Cool Beige” and “Natural Tan.” Both light and dark hues are included, and they vary from pink to yellow undertones—making the colours seem more like foundation or concealer than a typical nail polish range. Indeed, the “mannequin hands” look is back.
As Essie Canada’s lead nail artist for World MasterCard Fashion Week, Rita Remark certainly had her hands full last week. She was in charge of creating nail looks for eight shows, including Mackage, Chloé Comme Parris and Pink Tartan—and with some shows casting more than 20 models, that meant Remark and her team had to file, prep and paint 1500 false nails in advance. Curious about the process of painting so many nails, I met Rita in her studio space at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel. After getting a sneak peek at the nail art designs for upcoming shows, it was my turn to try painting.
There’s some debate right now as to whether nail art is still thriving as one of the biggest cosmetic trends. One one hand (see what we did there?) new nail art polishes, products and tools are being released almost every single day. On the other, when it comes to runways and red carpets, we didn’t see as many nail art designs this season as we have in the past. Whatever the trend, we’re still in love with nail art and it seems like most of the internet is too. Read on for some of the best tutorials and news stories that we’ve come across this week—and see how long you can resist reaching for a bottle of nail polish.
Photography courtesy Move Slightly16. More than reason enough to still love nail art: This Prada Spring 2013 design is simply sublime [Move Slightly]
The punk rock-inspired beauty look at the Marc Jacobs Fall 2013 show had many elements worth obsessing over. Models all wore cropped, shaggy wigs which were done as homage to Joan Jett (remember when Kristen Stewart had the same hair?), covered in so much hairspray that they looked authentically rock show sweaty. The makeup—which cited Marianne Faithful as muse—was equally gritty, with heavily-lined eyes that had “cool girl” style. “The eye is smoky, but round and defined and we created really matte, perfect skin,” explained lead makeup artist François Nars of the look.
However, it was the nails at Marc Jacobs Fall 2013 (it always comes back to the nails, doesn’t it?) that had everyone excited.
