FASHION Magazine

Without a doubt, one of the most inventive beauty looks from Milan was at Prada. Those eyes! Style.com called it a “tricolour layering effort on lids”—shades of deep blue, shimmering purple, electric orange, and greasy black all stacked together. Despite how exciting the Prada look is, it’s extremely editorial and not so much a “try this at home!” style. So rather than toning it down for the face, I took the vibrant makeup to my nails. After all, six colours in one manicure? Totally doable.

See the Prada Fall 2012 makeup mani »

A few hours after the Erdem show ended on Monday, pictures of the lacy, camouflage-esque floral print started popping up across Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. It’s always interesting to see which elements of a collection achieve viral (for lack of a better word) status on social media sites and go on to become ubiquitous within months—Miu Miu’s swallows, anyone? So, in effort to start canonizing Erdem’s vibrant print, I took the Fall 2012 design to my nails.

See the Erdem manicure! »

I have a seriously difficult time making my nail polish look nice when I do an at-home manicure—my non-dominant hand always ruins it! Any training tips?
Since few of us are ambidextrous and gifted at polish application, I wouldn’t sweat your skill set. Leeanne Colley, Revlon’s nail expert for Canada, recently recommended one simple solution for this exact complication: start by painting the nails on your more difficult hand!

It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of inventive manicures (check out our DIY Nails video series and Nail Corner column for further proof) and without a doubt the best inspiration comes from the runways. It’s worth pointing out that nude nails—that is, sheer taupe shades in barely-there colours—continued to dominate in New York. However, despite the abundance of one-colour manicures, CND, M.A.C, and Essie produced some very exciting nail-art designs for Fall 2012.

See our top manicure picks from NYFW! »

If I’m going to put so much effort into creating cool nail art, how can I guarantee it won’t chip away the very next day?
Fixing nail polish that’s chipped already and preventing it from happening from the start are two totally different dilemmas. Investing your time in detailed handiwork validates the placement of a security blanket—that is, a good quality base coat and top coat. But not all protective layers are created equal, and some are more useful in particular instances.

It took less than a split second for me to fall in love with the manicures at Rachel Antonoff’s Fall 2012 presentation. CND tweeted a close-up of the design—which was created to mimic the printed flowers found throughout the collection—and I was hooked. It looks like a cross between a hibiscus and a lotus: wide petals that extend up from the moon of your nail and into a bright-red background. And once you sort out what colours to use it’s an extremely fun design to paint.

See the Rachel Antonoff floral moon mani! »

Performers don’t need to worry about leaving this weekend’s Grammy Awards without taking home the gold—because along with the usual gift bag of luxe products, they’ll receive a nail polish made almost entirely from 24k gold! Created by at-home gel polish company Red Carpet Manicure, “Amor 24” contains more than an ounce of gold in every bottle. It’s sure to be a hit with singers like Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga, who have all mastered the art of intricate manicures.

There’s nothing better than a holiday to inspire a great manicure—and for us, Valentine’s Day sits at the top of the list. After all, pink and red are the most popular polish colours available. From tiny hearts to handwritten love letters, we have five manicures to share that are sure to, at the very least, inspire a night in with your true love: nail polish.

Let’s get romantic! See the manicures »

Spring’s glistening skin and accentuated eyes pair with bold earrings for a lasting impression on our March cover star Anaïs Pouliot. Check out our stunning beauty shoot and read up on the brightest young homegrown thing.

View the photo shoot »

Watch our video with Anaïs Pouliot »
Read our interview »

At some point this week it actually snowed in Toronto—huge fluffy flakes!—and the snow globe-like atmosphere instantly became Nail Corner inspiration. I’ve been dreaming of opaque white glitter for a few months now, but after going down a rabbit hole of searching for such a polish, it seems it’s a mix that’s nearly impossible to acquire. So nail art, paired with two of my all-time-favourite glitters, seemed like an appropriate substitute. (For now, that is!)

See the snow globe manicure! »

It seemed like many were playing it safe on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards this weekend. The dresses were pretty, but there was nothing overtly jaw-dropping, and in terms of beauty the trend seemed to lean towards keeping it simple. Dare we say that the stars (and their stylists!) are holding back until the Oscars? We’ll have to wait until February 26 to find out. But until then, here are four looks that managed to stand out:

Rose Byrne does Joe Fresh! »
Michelle Williams’ bright nails! »
Ashlee Simpson’s short and sculpted hair! »
Dianna Agron’s fishtail braid! »

How can I fix a botched manicure? If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s accidentally smudging, chipping, and or tearing a nail.
Waiting for nail polish to dry is like, well, watching paint dry! A pristine paint job stands practically no chance against a phone beeping with text messages and, unless you’ve got time aplenty, impatience will likely run its course and ruin a paint job before it’s even been admired. Lucky for nail enthusiasts, there’s a new tough guy in town.