Holiday Gift Guide: CND

What I'm about to tell you may shock you: I hate getting my nails done. I know others look at it as this as a relaxing and pampering experience, but I find the process annoying and time consuming. If you're a DIY-er CND has some great new goodies that make cute holiday gifts for your friends, or yourself. 

Scentsations Sparkling Champagne Gift Duo houses a rich, foaming hand wash and hand and body lotion in CND's Sparkling Champagne fragrance, which I absolutely love. The formulas are hydrating and leave behind a slight little shimmer, which makes me feel very festive and holiday. $23.00

Scentsations Lotion Gift Set contains three hand and body lotion minis in scents that just scream holiday such as Cranberry, Black Cherry & Nutmeg and Sparkling Champagne. These minis are great to stash in your purse or your office drawer so you always have a moisturizing lotion on hand. $11.70.

Almond SpaManicure Snuggle Set contains an 8oz. bottle of Almond Hydrating Lotion, a .25oz bottle of Solar Oil, which keeps nails and cuticles nourished with jojoba, sweet almond oil and vitamin E, and a pair of snuggly soft toeless socks perfect for a DIY pedi. $20.90.

There are also gift duos of nail effects and treatments, which I'll write about in another post when I have time to swatch.

These sets are only available for a limited time at salons and professional beauty supply stores, so visit cnd.com to find locations.

OPI on the Set of How I Met Your Mother

The chic and trendy shades of OPI can now be seen on CBS' How I Met Your Mother!  With OPI’s 200+ shades, the show’s key makeup artist Jennifer Turchi declares, “we will have just the right color for any look.”

Alyson Hannigan, who plays Lily Aldrin, especially loves the shade Ski Teal We Drop from the latest Fall/Winter Swiss collection, as well as the classic color Siberian Nights.

I am obsessed with Ski Teal We Drop, a blue-based teal with grey undertones. I don't know when I got on this blue nail kick, but I think it started sometime last spring. Some people immediately think OMFG blue nails? But the right blue - a la Ski Teal We Drop - looks chic, fashion-forward and is just more fun than the usual deep plums/wines/chocolates that we see every fall and winter. Word to the wise though; keep nails short and square when wearing this shade.

New: NARS Limited Edition Vintage Nail Shades

NARS went into the old nail polish shades of seasons passed vault and brought some oldies but goodies back by popular demand for a limited time. The new, er, old polishes are available now at the NARS site for $16 each and feature a high gloss, water-and chip-resistant finish. Check out the shades and their original launch dates below:

Mash (1996)
Army green infused with gold
The comedy about the staff of a Korean War field hospital using humor to keep their sanity in the face of war. The film inspired the TV series M*A*S*H. 

King Kong (1996)
Copper brown infused with gold
A classic movie about the infamous giant ape who becomes smitten with beauty

Midnight Express (1996)
Deep navy
The 1970s film for an inmate’s opportunity to escape from prison

Zulu (1996)
Forest green
A British war movie starring Stanley Baker and Michael Caine, directed by Cy Endfield in 1964

Full Metal Jacket (1998)
Gunmetal grey
An epic Vietnam War movie directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1987

I need Mash and Midnight Express on my fingers immediately. Which ones are your faves?

Essie Fall 2010 Collection

Essie is my favorite nail polish brand because the formulas tend to be user friendly and the seasonal color collections are always spot-on. The new fall roundup of shades is no exception. I love that there's some unexpected pops of color mixed in with the blackened wines and browns we've come to expect. 

Here's the rundown of shades:

In Stitches (cheeky blush pink)

Limited Addiction (racy garnet red)

Sew Psyched (cashmere-soft sage pewter)

Merino Cool (sensuous autumn mulberry)

Velvet Voyeur (intense chocolate amethyst)

Little Brown Dress (beguiling black coffee)

 

My faves are Sew Psyched (I've been having a major green moment lately), In Stitches (love seeing a nice dusty pink shade appropriate for fall) and Velvet Voyear (I'm always a sucker for a deep rich shade in the purple family). One thing to note about Merino Cool: if you own Sephora by OPI in Metro Chic, you may want to skip this since they look really similar in my opinion. (Side note: were you one of those psychos like me who trolled every Sephora in a 100 mile radius just waiting till they got Metro Chic back in stock and then scooped up like five at a time? The things we do for beauty).

Each polish retails for $8 each, or you can grab the four piece mini collection which includes Sew Psyched, Merino Cool, Limited Addiction and Little Brown Dress for $17.

New: Les Khakis de Chanel

In honor of Vogue's Fashion's Night Out on September 10th during NY Fashion Week, Chanel created three new shades of Les Vernis Nail Colours, Les Khakis de Chanel. I'm really loving this trio of polishes - Khaki Brun, Khaki Rose, Khaki Vert - because they're the perfect fall transition shades for when you're over the corals, blues and brights for summer but not quite on board yet with the superdark plums and navys for winter. Click here to see swatches on nails via Sophy Robson's blog. 

Which is your fave? Pick them up beginning September 10th for $25 each.

MAC Alice + Olivia Collection

MAC Cosmetics has teamed up with one of my absolute favorite designers, Alice + Olivia - they are IT if you're looking for a fabulous party dress moment. So of course it's no surprise that the collection is definitely party makeup-esque (or everyday if you're adventurous). I've been having a serious turquoise and pink fetish as of late (it all started with Chanel's summer collection) so I'm all over this. The goods hit counters July 8th or you can just be sneaky and buy online now. If you spend $50, you get free shipping.

MAC Cosmetics Alice + Olivia Collection:

Nail Lacquer ($12)

    * Morning.After – Creamy, get-noticed turquoise
    * So Rich So Pretty – A party-ready purple with a hint of frost
    * Military – Black matte with silver suede

 Dazzleglass Creme ($18)

    * Sparklicious – Creamy, softest pink with multidimensional pearl
    * If It’s Pink – Shimmering, hot to trot pink
    * I.Want.Candy – Electric yellow with a sparkling edge

Pigment ($19.50)

    * Later – Deepest black with a hint of purple pearl
    * If It Sparkles – Frosty white plus a touch of pink
    * Partylicious - Groovy turquoise mixed with silver sparkle