FASHION Magazine

Oxblood is certainly the colour of the season and from what we’ve seen so far at New York Fashion Week it’s still going strong for Spring 2013. And, like many colour/fashion/beauty trends it’s a shade that’s been in the spotlight before. Deep red lipstick definitely had its moment in the mid-’90s (hello, Drew Barrymore!) and I distinctly remember being obsessed with a special edition bottle of Wet n Wild nail polish that was a rich oxblood shade.

While the trend so far at New York Fashion Week has been minimal makeup that wasn’t the case at Peter Som. For starters, rainbow-hued extensions (dyed the day prior by colourist Aura Freidman) were tucked randomly in hair, styled by Eugene Souleiman. On the face, Tom Pecheux also wanted randomness and he used his finger tips to apply colour on the eyes, with the goal of looking like a child’s painting. Finally, you know how we feel about French manicures at FASHION. (If not, let me bring you up to speed: ewww!) But when done right (i.e., no acrylics and no white, squared off tips) we can get behind the style. A perfect exception-making example: the creamy orange and mint combo that used two out of the three shades from Zoya’s custom nail polish range for Peter Som.

Read on for more backstage beauty at New York Fashion Week »

The Toronto Film Festival is almost upon us, meaning much of the city is in a state of primping and prepping, as one of the best thing about TIFF is that there’s always the chance you’ll find yourself on a red carpet or at a party with A-list stars. Of course, a little bit of wishful thinking can help secure even the most stringent of invites—so why not show how party-ready you are with a sparkling manicure? Featuring a chunky, multi-coloured glitter OPI nail polish and show-stopping Make Up For Ever gemstones, there’s enough bling in this manicure to last the entire festival.

Find out how to do this manicure! »

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It’s always exciting whenever Peter Phillips, Chanel’s creative director of makeup, whips up a new covetable colour, but when a product launch comes in twos, anticipation also doubles. Add in the fact Chanel’s forthcoming Les Twin-Sets collection is a special edition for Fashion’s Night Out and it’s downright collector-worthy.

Well friends, it might be time to admit that we’re into the last lazy hazy crazy days of summer. Fashion is totally focused on fall trends and summer sales are everywhere. But if you can’t decide which of your favourite Spring 2012 pieces are worth an end-of-season splurge, why not test them out on your nails? This week Nail Corner does a medley manicure that takes inspiration from iconic items by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler. Bring on the bows and cactus prints!

Find out how to do this manicure! »

It looks as though 2013 is gearing up to be a big year for Mariah Carey and her little lambs. First the five-octave diva inked a deal with American Idol—making her the highest paid judge on reality television—and now OPI has announced that Mimi will serve as the inspiration for a line of limited-edition polishes that will launch in January 2013.

Summer is still in the air but as fall nail polish collections continue to be announced it becomes hard to resist the allure (and the colours!) of the changing seasons. While Peter Som‘s resort collection is intended for warmer climates, its rich shades of grey, taupe and burgundy matched just-launched polishes from both Essie and Nars. And while the spindly vine and flower pattern on many of the collection’s pieces seems like an unconventional nail art motif, its organic shapes are ideal for practicing your brush skills: no straight lines necessary!

Find out how to do this manicure! »

In the continued tradition of Beyoncé‘s tumblr making us feel simultaneously in awe and beyond envious of her life is her most recent picture post of some pretty incredible nail art. Bey’s always been into elaborate manicures but this really does top everything she’s done before: there are mini prints of her and Jay Z‘s faces!

The Olympics are impressive for a variety of all reasons, but most of all for being the one event to turn even the most athletically disinclined into feverish sporting enthusiasts. Athletes replace celebrities in gossip circles, stringent co-workers suddenly have secret browser windows open to watch the games and, best of all, even Kate Middleton is involved! So once you’re done wrapping yourself up in Team Canada gear get your nails into the game with an Olympic-themed manicure.

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Whether you’re a devout James Bond fan or simply appreciate the series’ commitment to swoon-worthy male leads and great fashion, OPI’s latest 007-inspired offering will undoubtedly be a must-have for any polish fan. While it’s not due on shelves till October, rumours about the 18 karat gold leaf-laden top coat have been flying for weeks.

Created by arts organization No.9 and Toronto-based artists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins, Art Train Conductor No.9 is more than just a wrapped GO train—and it’s also the first time I’ve felt envious of commuters! (If you are a Toronto-area commuter, the train is currently running on the Lakeshore line, but is moving to Barrie as of July 31.) The whole design is beyond visually stunning: from blown-out multi-coloured pixels to bold zig-zags of black and white, there’s a lot going on. So when translating the train into nail art, the biggest obstacle was figuring out which elements to use and which to ignore. After drafting a few different ideas, I decided the best route was to focus on using similar colours and mimicking just a few repeating shapes. The result is a graphic set of striped nails that could serve as a great distraction during any commute home.

Love this look? Here’s how to do it »

With the weather hitting sweltering, record-breaking highs this week, it’s all about seeking relief from the heat in as many creative ways as possible. While a manicure isn’t likely to make you feel any cooler (tempertature-wise, that is!) there’s no denying that even superficial ways of tricking the mind to think about winter can help. So this week, put away your beachy pinks and oranges and turn toward frostbitten colours instead. Chanel‘s new shivering blue shade of nail polish is a great place to start, and the set from their Fall 2012 show provides further direction: the Superman Fortress of Solitude-esque ice crystals inspire an easy bit of nail art.

Ready to cool down? Find out how to do this manicure! »