Browsing Tag

nails

GTL: The Boldest Beauty Looks of the 2018 Met Gala

GTL – Get the Look, not Gym, Tan, Laundry, duh!

When this year’s Met Gala theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” was announced, I instantly had visions of crystal tears in homage to the weeping statues of saints, Della Robbia blues of the Virgin Mary, some swaths of silver to symbolize the Crusades, but definitely lots and lots of gold. And I was not disappointed, as many not only took the theme head-on with the amazing array of gorgeous gowns and headpieces but also extended it into their beauty to create looks that are true works of art that I couldn’t get enough of. With proms, dances, and even weddings coming up on shortly on everyone’s social calendars, I scored the details on how to recreate the looks straight from the hairstylists and makeup artists should you want to channel Catholic chic at your next big event.

May 8, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

Show Your Stash: KillaCrytal’s Mani Musts and Much More!

Photo courtesy of Crystal Leung.

I know I’m not the only one curious about celebs and influencers’ favorite beauty buys as well as who and what shape their view of beauty in the biz.

Mercury retrograde has been devastating for so many, but it has also served up a few amazing surprises. The astrological phenomenon is known to bring people back from our past, and it occurred a little earlier than expected when I was recently scrolling through my Instagram feed and stumbled on a set of decadent digits belonging to @KillaCrystal, aka Crystal Leung. The designer and former MindBodyGreen art director, who’s worked with brands like Anthropologie, Thinx, and Starbucks (just to name a few), and I went to college together but had lost touch since we graduated. She was not only open to reconnecting with me but even invited me over to her home office and mini salon, filled with everything from foils and glitters to crystals and photo-ready props, for a magnificent manicure of my own that I’m honestly having a hard time giving up right now.

“My nails are always done, and I wanted to see what I do to them throughout the year and to document my nail art game to hopefully improve,” she told me of the start of the budding Instagram account. She explained that she had played around with nail art in the past, even curating her work on herself and her circle of friends under the hashtag #killacrystalnails. But she saw 2018 as the perfect time to launch a separate Instagram account as well as its own hashtag, #killacrystalnailfiles, where she showcases her serious skills in the form of vibrant metallics and holographic hues covered in crystals and fresh foils on a weekly basis. And after becoming totally taken with her intricate tips, I had to find out how she used her eye for design for her magical manicures plus a few of her current nail art necessities.

One of KillaCrystal’s Ultimate manicures, courtesy of Crystal Leung.

On her approach to beauty: “[D]iscover and experiment. One of my cardinal rules for my personal style is to try everything out (twice even) because you never know how it will turn out on you. The moments when I try something I didn’t think would work on me and then it becomes my new fave item feels a bit magical. Everyone should try it, I dare you. My personal style, fashion-wise, has evolved like everyone else throughout their lives, but the thing that remains consistent is my fearlessness to try out all the weird things just to see what it looks like.”

On her beauty idols: “I don’t remember who my beauty idols [were] growing up because no one looked like me in the magazines that I read. But I do remember appreciating those who had a more daring eccentric style and personality that still holds true today.”

On her first beauty memory: “My cousin and my mom putting lipstick on me for pictures at a family wedding. It was a dark burnt maroon and it looked horrible on me. Even as a kid, I knew it was not a good color for my skin tone. I never really cared for lipstick anyway. It is always [the] last priority [in] my makeup routine.”

Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow Duo, discontinued.

On her first beauty buy: “A Maybelline duo smoky eyeshadow palette from CVS to use with my forever-borrowed eyeliner from my mom.”

On the best beauty advice she’s received: “[Use] sunscreen and moisturize, and don’t pluck your eyebrows when you’re in your twenties.”

On her best beauty tip to share: “[Use] Jojoba oil for your face and/or whole body moisturizer.”

On Her favorite beauty buy of 2018, so far: “Boy brow by Glossier in clear and in black. Clear is for my baby hairs, black is for my brows.”

April 4, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

#OnMyVanity: Sally Hansen Big Polish Guards Cuticle Protectors

I receive a slew of samples, and when I find something I like, I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m the worst when it comes to manicures. Aside from the fact that my nails easily bend and break (making chips inevitable), I can never keep the polish just on my nails during application. I always end up splashing a bit of whatever shade I’ve selected onto my cuticles, resulting in a messy manicure. Sure it only takes a day or so for the excess polish to shed off of my skin, but it’s still not something worthy of showing off on Insta. In fact, I’ve been called out about it in the comments section a few times.

March 19, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

Madeline Poole Finally Scores A Sally Hansen Nail Color Collection

Photo: Sally Hanse via The Cut.

To call Madeline Poole a mani maven would be a complete understatement. The Insta-famous nail artist stepped into the spotlight on the platform, and it led to becoming Sally Hansen‘s global ambassador. Throughout her tenure, she’s not only shared her insight during the brand’s color curation process but has also crafted eye-catching manicures that have rocked the runways at New York Fashion Week. She’s even helped beauty editors (like myself) customize their own colors. But she’s never had a collection to call her own…until now.

The Complete Salon Manicure Madeline Poole Collection features six shades inspired from Poole’s own childhood during the late ’80s and early ’90s, with each bottle topped off with Poole’s MP Instagram logo wrapped around the silver cap. Color cues in the collection range from Say It Lycra You Mean It, pulled from the reddish-orange plush velvet interior of the family Dodge Aries to the metallic pink sheen of her mother’s aerobic leggings that to sparked the shade Material Pearl to even an electric lime, aptly called Slime Scene, inspired by the era’s obsession with the green-hued goo (which you can thank Ghostbusters and everything on Nickelodeon’s The Splat for). Plus, there are a few subtler shades you can rock no matter the atmosphere, including Vinyl Tap, a pale blue-gray; Mallratz, a hunter green hue, and Call Me On My Shellphone, a bisque with a mauve undertone (whose name goes well with this phone case from Valfré).

But regardless of which shades you decide to snap up, you won’t have to worry about your mani getting messed up. The Complete Salon Manicure boasts a wide brush for a streak-free application that won’t breed any air bubble and a formula that stays put for up to 10 days — as long most gel manicures but without the danger of UV lamps or the acetone-soaked removal process.

I’ve already got my eye on Mallratz, Say It Lycra Mean It, Slime Scene, and Vinyl Tap — all awesome shades as we (slowly but surely) transition to spring. Want to get a closer look at the colors? Check them all out below and let me know which ones are your faves in the comments!

March 7, 2018 by Val

Beauty, Body

#ManiMonday: 4 Tough-As-Nails Top Coats

A photo posted by Val’s Vanity (@valsvanity) on Apr 9, 2015 at 4:37pm PDT

Most manis never last long on me. Having soft nails that easily bend and break, most top coats don’t stand a chance of lasting more than a day before I’ve either chipped or ripped off half of my nail. While I am a fan of gel manicures, my wallet doesn’t share my affections unless there’s an occasion that calls for a long-lasting look. Thankfully, the industry gets my — and many other’s— predicament and has answered the call with a series of top coats designed to mimic the lustrous look and long wear of the salon service, no lamps necessary. These are the top coats that ensure my nails stay in tip top shape!

July 19, 2016 by Val

Beauty, Body

#ManiMonday: Butter London Links Up with Shoes of Prey

Courtesy of Butter London

Butter London‘s looking to perfect your pedicure with the perfect partnership with none other than Shoes of Prey.

The collaboration includes six shades inspired by the shoe line’s fall array of lush fabric options paired with names of the shoe styles available for customization on the site. The colors include

“We feel the partnership is directly in tune with our brands’ mutual mission to inspire women to embrace their individual style, authentic selves and have some fun,” Butter London President, Sarina Godin shared in a press release. Jodie Fox, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Shoes of Prey shared the same sentiment, stating, “We’re so excited to give our customers the unique opportunity to add another dimension to their fall outfits by colour coordinating their shoes and manicures and pedicures with our curated trend colours for the season.”

Aside from the fact these chic shades are on trend to be a big sensation this fall, according to Pantone — earthy tones of taupe, dusty cedar, potter’s clay, and lush meadows will be everywhere in a variety of textures and finishes, customization (albeit on the fashion side this time) has become a big driver of the beauty market. It began appearing a few years ago in the form of palettes that allowed you to pick the shadow shades housed within from the likes of Buxom, Urban Decay, and more and have evolved to incorporate other parts of the beauty counter, like Cover FX and Dr. Dennis Gross offering skincare boosters that could be combined with your established skincare routine. And it shows no signs of slowing down, as custom complexion products may lead to higher profiles for companies who can customize nail shades to suit any swatch you serve up and more.

The collection will be available exclusively on Nordstrom beauty counters and online during the retailer’s annual Anniversary Sale where mani mavens can snap up the shades in a set for $39 as early as July 14th for those with early access. Those not part of Nordstrom’s inner circle won’t have to worry, as it will be ready for purchase for everyone else on the 22nd. Mark your calendars now, so you can avoid the mani madness later!

June 27, 2016 by Val

Beauty, Body

6 Chic Mani Tutorials to Try for Star Wars Day

“May the 4th be with of you!” If you haven’t heard that phrase, seen the Snapchat filter, or seen the memes, it’s Star Wars Day, the unofficial holiday of George Lucas‘s sci-fi phenomenon that’s alive and well decades after its 1977 release, thanks to The Force Awakens. With endless merchandise available (some of which I’m dying to get my hands on), I feel like it’s much more fun to craft your own tribute to the franchise, namely with nail art. I scrolled through my subscription feed to find a few fun ideas that you can replicate with your own color collection, regardless of your skill level, to show your love and choose a side. Happy Holiday!

Storm Trooper Nail Art — Nobody keeps the Empire or the First Order running like the soldiers suited in white. And who better to teach you to recreate the iconic Stormtroopers than Darth Vader (aka cutepolish) himself. Whether you feature one soldier solo or a whole squad on your fingertips, it’s sure to stand out. #SquadGoals

May 4, 2016 by Val

Beauty, Body

#ManiMonday: 10 Bright Polishes for Pedicure Perfection

Yay, it’s May! As I banish my winter wardrobe to the back of the closet, I’m also brightening up my vanity with more vivid hues. While a punched up pink lip or a bold bolt of blue liner can add instant pizzazz to a spring ensemble, I love to look vibrant from head to toe. I’ve dug through my nail drawer as well as searched beauty supply shelves for a rainbow of rich hues to help your tootsies say hello to the sunshine in style. Whether you match your mani and pedi or just select a shade to rock with a pair of chic sandals, these lovely lacquers will brighten up a bad case of the Mondays.

May 2, 2016 by Val

Beauty, Body

#ManiMonday: 5 Nail Vloggers to Subscribe to ASAP!

I’ll admit I’m not as talented when it comes to nail art—sometimes just getting the color to lie right can be a pain. But I, like the rest of you, spend hours on YouTube learning new techniques and getting inspired by a slew of mani mavens who create works of art on a weekly basis. With inventive, eye-catching looks and undeniable talent, these are the nail ninjas you need to add to your feed ASAP.

NinaNailedIt — I first heard of Nina when she became a finalist in Sally Hansen’s I Heart Nail Art annual competition, which pits the best nail ninjas against each other to highlight their skill and creativity. So far, Nina’s covered the natural elements, including fresh flora, fauna, and white marble, she’s also taking nail art into another galaxy with her array of tutorials. Though her channel is new, it looks like there’s nowhere to go but up!

April 25, 2016 by Val