Nail strips are a simple way to spice up your beauty look and if you're somebody who is strapped for time — and cash — then they're definitely something you should get to grips with. While many designs mimic the trends of the season, from high-shine metallics to the half-moon mani, there are also block colours and prints available, as well special holiday season designs. With a quick and easy application process, they're fast becoming a must-have in our nail kit.
There's no better accessory than your nails so when Fashion Week is on, we always pay close attention to models' digits to spot the new nail trends that you need to know about. Here's our wrap-up from RAFW and, as you'll see, it was all about nudes with OPI's classic Samoan Sands being the most popular hue of the week, taking to the runway five times! It was closely followed by Skull & Glossbones from the new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection. We also saw an increase in nail foils with Camilla & Marc, Ellery, Rachel Gilbert and Romance Was Born all choosing them, while the half-moon mani is still going strong; we spotted it at Manning Cartell, Gail Sorronda and Magdalena Velevska. It's also the time to take in new shades and we saw OPI's So Many Clowns So Little Time and Essie's Topless & Barefoot make their debut . . .
The wings of Sydney's State Theatre served as backstage areas for Camilla and Marc's hair and makeup teams tonight. There we chatted with Lancôme's Michael Brown who was leading the makeup team and creating a makeup palette that he described as "simple, not too busy," because the collection has pops of brights. The star feature was definitely the coral-red lip, which Michael created with a blend of two lipsticks. Teint Miracle served as base, Eclat Miracle was used to highlight the brow bone and inner eye, lids were left bare and lashes and brows were gently combed to separate. Likewise the hair was clean and beautiful. The Cloud 9 team used Redken's Full Effect 04 and blow-dried hair smooth, then used the wide cloud 9 iron on the ends, before running the new Wand tong through the mid ends.
Napoleon Perdis said the Kates — Bossie, Moss and Beckinsale — inspired the Rachel Gilbert makeup palette. It's "effortless, languid, almost indifferent" with a focus on the eyes and cheeks. It was paired with a "very bohemian, '70s hair look" created by lead stylist Ivan Chircop, from Christopher Hanna Hair, working for Goldwell. Blixz nails in 'sexy silver' completed the look.
It's been eight months since Alexander McQueen's death, but his right-hand woman, Sarah Burton, stepped in to carry on the house's legacy and yesterday's show in Paris marked her debut as head designer. Models walked the runway looking like medieval princesses, wearing intricately woven bonnet-style hair 'dos that were fashioned into pigtails and a simple makeup palette. Skin was matte, brows and lashes left undefined, lips were bare and there was a light dusting of white-gold shadow on the lids. The look was topped off with metallic gold nail. Try Blixz Nails in Liquid Gold ($17.50) for a similar effect. The hair is less easy to recreate . . .
