Fall 2012 Nail Trends

Another season, another fancy manicure. Fall 2012′s nail trends go from one extreme to another. Rich, deep lacquers to iridescent nudes are forecasted to dominate the runways, magazine spreads and Pinterest boards in the coming months.

Let’s see a roundup of the trends.

1. I’m Ron BURGUNDY – Classic, deep burgundy shades are sultry and beckon the leaves to change. Pictured: Wet n Wild Megalast Haze of Love
2. Deep Blue Sea – Rich navy and teal shades are stirring up the storms. Pictured: OPI Ski Teal We Drop
3. Mirrored – I doubt these rockstar nails will replace my trusty Les Tais Tais Model Mirror, but I’m ok with adding an extra, healthy, 10-digit dose of mirror exposure in my life. Get yourself a Minx manicure or play around with some nail tattoos and press-ons for this rockstar look. Pictured: Elegant Touch Metallic Nails in Molten Silver
4. The New Nudes – Pearlized pale shades are taking manicures to the other extreme. Barely there “mannequin” nails are perfectly polished and oh so on trend. Pictured: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Parchment (limited edition).
5. Mix and Match French – Using the above trends to play around with the classic French manicure. A pearly, nude base is preferred with a pop of a rich, dark shade on the tip. Pictured: Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Parchment (base), Wet n Wild Megalast in Haze of Love (tip)

Check out the last collections of my favorite brands: OPI Germany and Essie Yogaga.

Time for a girl’s night mani & pedi party!

MsLauralai

Roaring Twenties Fashion: Paris without End

If you know me, you know I’m a huge bookworm. I especially love historical fiction, which is why The Paris Wife, on everyone’s summer reading list, appealed to me so much. The Paris Wife tells the story of a midwestern woman, Hadley, who becomes Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, and recounts their years together in Paris during the roaring twenties. After finishing the novel, I read Paris Without End, the True Story of  Ernest Hemingway’s First Wife (only .99 on your Kindle!).

Both books highlight the fashions seen on women in the 1920s. Pauline Pfeiffer, Hadley’s BFF and (scandal alert) Ernest Hemingway’s second wife, was an editor for Vogue, and was highly stylish especially compared to Hadley, who lived frugally and was stuck in her conservative upbringing, leftover from the Victorian era of fashion.

Hadley Richardson Hemingway (left) and Pauline Pfieffer Hemingway (right)

The Paris Wife & Paris Without End mention several popular writers, artists, and fashion designers of the era. By the 1920s, Coco Chanel was an established designer in the fashion world. Her easy to wear jersey dresses were a hit with the roaring twenties lifestyle. She even invented the little black dress AND made sunbathing a popular activity for young women (although I can’t imagine they got much sun in the bathing suits of the time). A true modern day woman, she helped women break out of the stuffy Victorian lifestyle. Chanel was also the first designer to create her own perfume, Chanel No.5, which is still iconic today.

1928, California style

1930s Paris style

Inspired by this era and the anticipated movie, I just finished The Great Gatsby. You can see the influences of the twenties fashion in the trailer, the loose silhouettes, fringe, embellishments, geometric patterns, and headpieces.
 

 
Do you wear trends of the twenties? Do you see the simplistic silhouettes and embellishments making a return?

Erin

WWMD – What Would Mikala Do?

Emerald City

1. Equipment Signature Sleeveless Blouse in Emerald 2. Current/Elliot Flare Jeans 3. Elizabeth & James ‘Antler’ Cuff, Kenneth Jay Lane 22-Kt Gold Plated Bracelets, House of Harlow Evil Eye Bracelet 4. Banana Republic Sarah Wedges 5. Etro Emerald multicolored Dress 6. Herve Leger Taylor High Heel Sandal 7. Bottega Veneta Cashmere-Silk Cardigan 8. J. Crew Vintage Straight Leg Jean 9. YSL Arty Ring, Marc by Marc Jacobs Watch 10. Alexander Wang Chloe Sandals 11. Collette By Collette Dinnigan Lace Dress 12. Alexander McQueen Swarovski Flower & Skull Cuff 13. Costume National High Heel Sandals

I know when I said Wizard of Oz last week; some of you were probably like WTF is she thinking. No, I’m not going to do the cliché, translate Dorothy and friends into something we can wear today. That would be boring and a little predictable. So obviously when you saw all the green you realized, it’s Emerald City translated into amazing clothes. Plus emerald is the birthstone for the month of May so that works out well too.

I honestly tickled myself silly on this post because I would take out a loan for some of these items I included. My favorite two outfits would be the middle ones but I can definitely see myself wearing any of them. I think I made an outfit for everyone from the preppy girl who goes to Georgetown to the Lolita of the LES.

The first ensemble is the basic way to incorporate the color emerald into your wardrobe; it’s the tamest out of the four outfits. Just adding the pop of emerald gives an extra touch to an everyday classic look. One thing that I’m a big fan of is mixing gold and silver jewelry together. I love pieces that are comprised of both metals like the Elizabeth & James cuff.

The second choice is for those who aren’t afraid of prints in a huge way. Wanting to keep emphasis on the dress, I just chose to include a pair of shoes that compliment the work of art done by Etro. Honestly, I knew that Herve Lerger made shoes but didn’t know they had a kick ass pair like the ones I chose to pair with the Etro dress.

The last two getups are more on the lines of the first choice I made with the jeans & sleeveless blouse. The Bottega Veneta cardigan and J.Crew jeans is an outfit that I would wear everyday for a solid week. It gives you casual glam, is that a saying? If not, it is now. Finally, Collette Dinnigan rounds out the emerald inspiration for this week with the lace dress. To add a slight sharpness to a very girly look I did with the strappy-heeled sandals, I added the cuff by McQueen to polish this look off.

I’ve been noticing that this is a color that is making a dip into the wardrobes of people for spring so far. I can see emerald becoming one of those go to colors in a person’s wardrobe. Most people hesitate due to it being such a dark and intense color but you shouldn’t. It’s definitely a color that can complement any skin tone, which is why I love this color so much. So the next time you’re out shopping and you see an emerald colored garment try it on; you never know it might become your favorite new color to wear

Tot Ziens! (Did I say that right, if not I blame Google Translate)

- Mikala