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Lips, skin and hair were a study in texture on the Fall 2013 runways, and the same went for nails. Now, beauty brands are launching gritty, matte and high-gloss polishes, and top coats flecked with chunks of glitter or fabric. Global nail artist for L’Oréal Paris Tom Bachik offers his take on the trend.

Listen up country music fans: Nicole by OPI has just announced their upcoming 2014 celebrity nail polish partnership and it is none other than six-time Grammy award winner Carrie Underwood. Inspired by the experiences and interests of the country star singer, the Carrie Underwood and Nicole by OPI collection will feature 14 new nail lacquers. […]

The post Carrie Underwood is doing a nail polish collection with Nicole by OPI appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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 like to give my nails a break from polish every so often, but they look so dull. How can I make them look their best?
While we can all be slaves to the polish bottle, bare nails can be quite modern and, right now, are remarkably on-trend. If your nails have taken a bit of battering after multiple polish changes with minimal breaks in between, using a nail buffer, such as Quo’s Ergo Buffer ($6, at Shoppers Drug Mart), can actually help stimulate circulation to your nail beds. Buffing encourages nails to grow while smoothing out the nail surface, thus making them look and feel healthier. Use the black nail file side of the Ergo Buffer to shape nails, moving on to the blue side to buff nails lightly, and finally use the purple interior side of the buffing tool to bring nails to a smooth, glossy shine.

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! »

Enter to win today’s prize! » See what else you can win in our contest » Today in our twelve-day giveaway, five winners will receive complete sets of two of the best OPI nail polish collections this summer. You’ll be able to paint every nail a different colour with this prize! The OPI Bond Girls […]

The post [CLOSED] The Ultimate Roadtrippin’ Contest: Win 1 of 5 OPI nail polish prize packs! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the new Quo by Orly GelFX Duo-Chrome Shades »

It’s common knowledge that Rihanna doesn’t wake up looking the way she does when she hits the red carpet. From hairstylists to makeup artists, an entourage is key to getting our favourite Barbadian songstress camera-ready. But have you ever wondered who does her nails? (The megastar is credited with setting the pointy nail trend, after all!) Well, the talent behind the look is L.A.-based nail guru Kimmie Kyees.

Kyees, whose Instagram is flooded with images of Ke$ha, Nicole Richie and Kim Kardashian (you know, the usual), has a list of celebrity clients as long as Rihanna’s pointed talons.

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.

See the backstage pictures from Greta Constantine Fall 2013 »

“A sense of tribal,” is how Stephen Wong—one half of the Greta Constantine design duo—described the beauty look for the label’s Fall 2013 collection. When presenting the looks last night, models were turned into fierce warriors, goddesses and Amazonians with textured hair, smoky eyes and geometric, neutral nails. “We took our cues from Oribe [Canales], a hairstylist who did all the supermodels in the ’90s,” Wong says. “I remember looking at the shows he’d do and thinking the hair was amazing. It had a sense of tribal, but very cool and modern feel to it.”

Sebastian core stylist Daniel Di Tommaso was the lead for the three different hairstyles, inspired by three variations of tribal. “All three hair looks were tight on the sides but textured on top to blend all the girls together.”

See the entire OPI San Francisco collection »

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.

See all four Big Pony fragrances and matching Essie nail art »

If there’s one thing the fashion and beauty world loves, it’s a good collaboration. So nail polish and fragrance lovers will be more than pleased to know that Essie has collaborated with Ralph Lauren to create an exclusive set of nail polishes for the Big Pony fragrance collection for women. It’s a move that makes perfect sense—each of the four Big Pony fragrances is packaged in such bright colours, so matching nail polish seems pretty much inevitable.

But wait! There’s even more goodness! Essie Canada has taken the collaboration one step further by having their lead nail artist, Rita Remark, create a unique nail art look to pair with each fragrance and polish set. The nail art designs complement the Big Pony fragrance personalities—sporty, sensual, free-spirited and stylish—and make use of the polish colours, which were created by Essie Weingarten herself. I sat down with Remark earlier this week to talk about the Essie polishes and the Ralph Lauren Big Pony fragrance collection for women—and to film a tutorial for the exclusive nail art looks. You can watch the nail tutorial above, but keep reading on for all the intel on the Essie polishes for the Ralph Lauren Big Pony fragrance collection and Rita Remark’s nail art designs.