The explosion of nail trends has taken over from the runways to the office. I’ve seen some that I love but I personally prefer to stick with designs that are more subtle with sexier feel and not something my teenage niece would be doing. Flowers and stars are cute on her but since a Shellac mani lasts a while, I tend to stick with something a little more sophisticated. In any given week I could be heading out to a corporate event with hubby or to an opening party at the art gallery. So, although I love the trends, some are a little too “cute” for me.
CND World the creators of Shellac are on the cutting edge of some of the most incredible nail art today transforming from a mere beauty accent to being accessories themselves to compliment any outfit.
Recently, I had a chance to meet with CND experts during TIFF (and had my nails done, of course) to discover the latest trends hot from the fashion runways for Fall/Winter 2012. Some were pretty wild and “inspirational”, some were stunningly beautiful and minimalist.
Two of my favourite trends for this Fall and Winter…
IF LUXE COULD KILL: It’s dark and daring with a flash of excitement. It’s all about the look of texture and the feel of metallic chic. The nails bring mystery and allure to complete a night out. It feels feminine yet high tech with deeper, richer tones and striking metallics. Designers who favoured the edginess of this look at their shows include like Behnaz Sarafpour, Alexandre Herchcovitch and The Blonds.
VINTAGE NUDE: A new feminine touch emerges with the neutral tones. Where old is new with a fresh approach like instagram photos. Shown here is “terra cotta” ombre trend that is going strong this fall going from dark to light at the tips. Considered artful, this trend was seen on the runways of Monique Lhuillier, Christian Cota, M. Patmos, NAHM, and Joy Ciocci.
And I also got a sneak peek from the most recent fashion week in NY for the upcoming Spring/Summer season – photo gallery below.
The one theme that really caught attention was the PSYCHO BEACH PARTY showing nail detailing including inspirations from shark bites, red caviar and in skinny dip blue! CND’s creative team worked directly with the designers to created the look for each of the collections.
Want to see more inspirations from the runways? Visit the CND WORLD website and also check out founder Jan Arnold’s Blog from the runway shows.
I had my ROCK ROYALTY Purple with the metallic ICED CAPPUCINO brush effect (see above) done at the TIPS NAIL BAR on the Danforth in Toronto. A list of recommended salons across the country is available on the CND website as well. If you’re wondering about costs. My CND Shellac mani would be about $8 to $10 more than the straight forward Shellac Mani.
And by the way…I had my nails done on September 5 and now it’s September 23rd…and this is what they look like today…
The Shellac manicures can lasts as long as you can take the growth of your natural nail. I usually go for about 3.5 weeks with mine. But you’ll see there’s no fading or chipping when it’s done at a salon that knows how to apply it properly. I have strong nails to begin with and I moisturize my hands all the time but it’s a good idea to maintain your nails healthy with almond oil especially in our cooler climates.
And this is the look I’m going for next as shown at the Behnaz Sarafpour Fall Winter presentation. Metallic Tips French Mani.
So, what about you? Have you been having some fun with your nails?