FASHION Magazine

Start the holiday nail art tutorial » December is well underway and the temperature’s dropping, so that can only mean one thing (okay, a lot of things but just go with it): holiday nail art. If you’ve been steering clear of nail art because it seems time-consuming and complicated, then this is the tutorial for […]

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Want to own two super-exclusive Sally Hansen shades that won’t be available in stores? Of course you do. Sally Hansen’s Official Colour Ambassador, Madeline Poole has hand-mixed two gorgeous shades (a green and a purple) that three of our Twitter followers will win. Only a handful of the colours are available in Canada so you’ll […]

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Holographic studs. Caviar beads. Decals, stickers, glitter and gemstones. The list of objects we’ll eagerly affix to the ends of our fingers has reached a point where manicure essentials could be easily mistaken for scrapbooking supplies. We’ve hit peak nail; in recent years, sales of nail products have reached record highs, backstage manicurists have been […]

The post The latest nail polish trend? Choosing the highest quality lacquers possible 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 atbeautyfix@fashionmagazine.com or ask away in the comments below.

What’s the simplest alternative to professional gel manicures? They’re too time-consuming to commit to!
If you’re not able to commit your time (or money!) to gel manicures done by a pro, rest assured that you have a long-lasting alternative that you can pick up at the drugstore. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel (shown in “Mad Women”, $11, at drugstores) is the latest and greatest from the nail authority, and this formula is heavy-duty without the fuss of a UV or LED light-curing process, boasting up to 14 days of chip-free wear. Simply apply two coats of gel colour (no base coat required) and finish with the Miracle Gel Top Coat. Both the gel colour and top coat formulas contain similar ingredients, but the top coat contains a photoinitiator that cures with natural UV light, so the gel colour becomes more durable as time passes. Bonus: 47 shades in a slew of different finishes means this system is one you’ll definitely be able to embrace wholeheartedly!

See Stella McCartney’s Resort 2015 nails here »

Stella McCartney’s Resort 2015 collection had us in awe last week with models strutting in side cut-outs, bold stripes and prints galore. Making sure the models’ nails were in tune with the collection, the British designer collaborated with Sally Hansen’s Global Colour Ambassador, Madeleine Poole who complemented McCartney’s superhero prints with bold graphic-designed nails. “First, could there be a more inspiring pattern for nails? The superhero fabric is full of mini patterns within itself,” said Poole. “I zoomed in on the characters and cropped the interesting curves and color combinations to make an abstract design.” And because we figured you would love to recreate these looks at home as much as we do, we’re giving you the lowdown—an easy 4-step guide to creating your very own superhero nails. Let the fun begin!

In the days before the Academy Awards, actress Lupita Nyong’o could have stuck to primping for her big night, but instead she chose to speak about “dark beauty” at the annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon. She read aloud a letter from a fan who, after seeing her success, had decided not to buy a skin-lightening cream. Nyong’o explained that she too once hated her skin tone, that she was teased and taunted, and that her “one prayer to God was that I would wake up lighter-skinned.” That fan wasn’t the only one paying attention: When Vanity Fair was accused of lightening the 12 Years a Slave star’s deep brown skin for her portrait in its February 2014 Oscar issue, armchair comments ranged from “Black people like to be adequately lit too” to “It’s so nice to finally see a black celebrity with really dark skin.”

It’s easy to think of Beyoncé, Rihanna and Freida Pinto as symbols of inclusivity; they are, but with their light skin and/or light eyes, they represent a beauty ideal that many women of colour can never hope to achieve. Colourism (or shadeism) is a type of discrimination that occurs within ethnic groups, creating a quiet divide between light- and dark-skinned people of colour. It drives women to choose too light a foundation; use lightening creams with dubious ingredients and results; or opt for surgical treatments. If you’re any type of brown, hearing an auntie say, “Stay out of the sun or you’ll get too dark!” is about as common as being told to eat your vegetables.

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 love under-eye concealer, but I’m worried about the reverse raccoon look showing up in photos. Help?
The most common culprit of the dreaded reverse raccoon look is a concealer that’s light-reflective. Sure, it’s great for bouncing light into the darker undereye area, but less so in flash photography as it can reflect back the light in a pretty extreme way. A more natural finish is your best bet to skirt this issue. Instead, try a satin finish, like Marc Jacobs Beauty Re(Marc)able Full Cover Concealer ($38, sephora.ca). This conceraler will provide you with coverage that looks just as flattering in photos as it does in person and the formula is nourishing for skin, containing shea butter and coconut extract. Bonus: the pinky-peach undertones of the concealer act as a brightener and concealer in one, giving you a two-in-one effect in a single product.

Nail art’s not quite dead, but the baroque period is definitely over, as these five fresh-from-the-runways trends show. We’re in a minimalist phase, embracing subtle detailing, a more subdued palette and considerably less sparkle.

Jump to: CANDY-COATED | WHITEOUT | FRENCH REDUX | MOON PHASE | SPARKLE & SHINE

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 always find statement lips pretty for Valentine’s Day, but when it comes to kissing… not so practical! How else can I rock a romantic look?
Statement lips definitely have a time and a place, , but if your Valentine’s Day plans include getting intimate they’re better saved for another night out. A perfectly understated yet glowing alternative is a soft pink cheek. Use Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Compact in “Rosewood” ($30, thebay.com) to lightly define and contour, blending onto cheekbones and sweeping through contours of cheeks with a synthetic brush. This cream blush has light-reflecting technology that allows it to function as a super-subtle highlight when applied on cheekbones and it also doubles as a lip colour if you desire a monochromatic look! For extra oomph, set the cream blush with a dusting of Clarins Opalescence Poudre Teint & Blush ($40, thebay.com), a holographic compact that contains a pink beige powder accented with coral and brown—which results in a natural blush that brightens the face without any chance of overpowering. No need to fear blush when it’s this flattering!

The eyes, hair and nails have been making most of the beauty statements so far on the Fall 2014 runways at New York Fashion Week. Here are our favourite looks and the top beauty trends so far:

Russet lipstick as eyeshadow at Helmut Lang
Helmut Lang’s textured, masculine collection was complemented with a simple, pared down face punctuated by a soft wash of lustrous burgundy on the eye. “It’s very minimal and clean but with a hint of punk,” said lead artist Hannah Murray, who painted Nars lipstick in “Deborah Audacious” (coming this fall) onto the eye and pressed “Heat” bronzing powder over it to set. She skipped eyeliner, mascara and brow colour, and kept the under-eye area clean to avoid a “pink-eye” effect.

See our haunted beauty picks »

Wraiths and spectres of all kinds haunted the fall runways. At Altuzarra, eyes were rimmed with “spooky” grey shadow and an ominous reddish blur; models wore a “ghostly” pallor and eerily shining eyes at Mary Katrantzou; Gareth Pugh’s soot-washed damsels looked as if they’d just entered the netherworld through a burning house; and nails were scrawled with “redrum” at The Blonds, a nod to The Shining.

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 stuck to sheer gloss for most of the summer, but I think I’m ready for some fall lip colours. Any trends to keep in mind?
Always! Fall tends to involve a transition to bold, rich shades from a summer season of sheer washes of colour. Make a statement with a velvety matte lip, which was featured in the magnificently regal runway presentation at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2013 show. Makeup artist Pat McGrath actually went through a process to achieve the matte finish featured in the show by applying lip liner, mixing and applying two lipstick shades, blotting the colour down and then powdering the lips to eliminate any shine. For a shortcut to the finished look, try Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in “Rioja” ($32, sephora.ca). It’s a featherweight cream formula containing a high dosage of pigments that then dries down to a powdery finish. Don’t fret about lips looking dry, because the formula consists of edible butters and oils that absorb into lips at varying rates, ensuring smooth lips throughout the day.