Cotton Candy at Eiffel Tower by Catrice

While I am definitely a natural makeup look lover, be it on the face or or my nails, I also think wearing nude nails is appropriate when going for a very bright outfit (unless you want to go for colour blocking). Since Spring and Summer are all about pastel and bright clothes, nude nails seem very popular on this season runway. While Loewe paired nude nails with darker colours and Max Mara with nude, khaki and brown shades, De La Renta contrasted the brighter clothes with some cream nails (see images below).  

Catrice Ultimate Nudes

020 Cotton Candy at Eiffel Tower

                                                   Loewe                                      Max Mara

De La Renta

What about you, do you like nude nails? Or do you prefer brighter shades?

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Waiting for Spring....

I don't know about you but I am extremely excited about Spring. I can't believe Spring will start in 10 days. This is definitely my favourite period of the year. The weather is starting to warm up and the days are sunny, brighter and longer. I am already day dreaming about all the outfits pairings I can come up with, now that the weather allows light layering. I can't wait to start going for long strolls along the coast or visit small villages and their local markets. 

Around this time of the year my husband and I love going out early, especially during the weekend, buying a sweet pastry for breakfast and eat it somewhere nice before we go for a walk. This is also the perfect time of the year for picnics, jogging, family outings, shopping and dining outdoors. And it's also Easter time which is the perfect holiday for all those of us who love chocolate and figolli. I also believe that Spring is the perfect season for getting inspired and being creative. 

While I am waiting for Spring, I decided to share few PRE-SPRING posts with you. These will range from outfits inspiration boards, outfit of the day pictures, recipes, fashion trends and much more. I hope you enjoy these months which are going to follow and make the most out of them, especially if you like me live in a country where Winters are cold and Summers are extremely hot.

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Olives on my nails....A Kiko nail polish

If you have read my Fall Winter 2012 2013 Fashion Trends post, you would have already seen that I listed military and army green as one of the main fashion trends for the season. If you like this trend a lot or if you simply one to try a new colour on your nails, you should go for a military olive green colour like the one I am wearing below. 

This one is by Kiko and it's the shade "verde oliva" 394. I really love it because it's a totally different colour from the ones I am used to and it's a way in between very dark and light or bright nail polishes. It goes well with many Fall and Winter outfits and colours and it can definitely be worn both during the day and at night, also with both casual and smarter outfits. 

If you really love this colour, you should have a look at my Max Mara Fall Winter 2012 2013 collection post.

Have you tried wearing a military green on your nails? If yes, let me know which brand you used.

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Wine on my nails.....Rapid Ruby by Rimmel

Remember my Maroon Nail post at the end of September? Well here is a similar nail colour. The brands are different and the shades are not the same but they are both deep reds. While the first gives a completely different colour from what you expect from looking at the bottle, this Rimmel 60 seconds nail polish is the exact shade both out and in the bottle. The colour is perfect, not too dark and not too light or bright. Although dark it does warm a little my complexion colour and goes so well with darker outfits, especially with black paired with wine. For me that I don't love glitters on my nails, except during the Christmas time, is the perfect rich colour while still being a solid one. It can definitely be worn both in the mornings and evenings but I thinks this is a great colour to wear on a night out. Although, my husband bought it for me  last year (on my request) as one of my Christmas presents, I only wore it yesterday for the first time. We had a fancy family dinner out and it really made my outfit more classy and put together. Below are few more pictures (which I took the day after in day light).

Rimmel London 60 Seconds Rabid Ruby 320

What nail polish is on your nails? Leave your replies in the comments.

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FALL WINTER 2012 2013 NAILS TRENDS

I decided to finish my Runway Trends series of posts with nails. Although I already made a post on my Fall nail polishes haul ,where I also briefly talked about my favourite shades for the season, I wanted to give you some insight into  nail colours were seen on the Fall Winter Runway for this year. Below the nail polish trends I spotted on the runway, which I think are worth trying.

LOOK 1: CREAMY NUDES

Herve Leger

Elie Saab

Jason Wu

LOOK 2: SHADES OF BLUE

Blue was a popular colour on the Runway. Stylists like Anna Sui, Alberta Ferretti, Erdem, Balenciaga, Carven, Celine, Giorgio Armani and Chanel presented various looks in this shade. Anna Sui took the blue to a further level by incorporating it in her models' makeup. No wonder why blue seems to be also popular on nails. Below you can see three examples.

Used by Rebecca Taylor

Anna Sui

Deep navy

LOOK 3: FRENCH MANICURE

French tips on the nails seem very in this season, but they come with a twist. Rather than the classic white or french pink tip go for darker tips like wine and deep reds as well as black lace tips and also metallic ones.

Metallic silver French tip

Maroon French tip

Lace French tip

LOOK 4: DEEP REDS

Since these shades are so in for what concerns clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup we must wear them on our nails too.

LOOK 5: REVERSE FRENCH TIP

If you are bored of wearing the same nail look and want to try something new and fun you should go for a reverse French nail look. Choose the colours you prefer and have fun playing with this trend.

Chanel Haute Couture

LOOK 6: LIGHT, METALLIC & DARKER GREY

I think this is a very appropriate nail look for the Winter. It's not as dark as wearing black on your nails and you can go as light and as dark as you prefer by wearing either a very light shade of grey, like the one worn by Chanel ready to wear models, or go for more charcoal greys which I really like. 

Chanel Ready to Wear

Alice & Olivia

Which is your favourite nail trend for the current season? I must say I really like them all, apart from the bright blue. Let me know in the comments below.

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Fall 2012 Maroon Nail

Burgundy, maroons and dark reds are very in this Fall and Winter 2012 2013. They also happen to be one of my favourite colour for the colder months. And they are a great way to inject colour in your look without being too bright and bold but also shift away from the usual black and grey shades. For me the deep dark reds are the new browns, especially for what concerns clothing. I used to love brown clothes but now I sort of see them boring and too mature looking. In this post I want to share with you my first time this Fall in which I incorporate the deep reds in my look. I decided to go with a dark maroon nail because it's still to early, too warm and too sunny to wear darker colours where I live. If you would like to see the outfit I wore with this nail look, you can click here (Fall 2012 Day 1 Outift 1).

The colour I am wearing is by Kiko in shade 243 Rosso Prugna that is Red Plum. I applied 2 coats because one coat only would have been too sheer. From the bottle this nail polish appears to be more plum than dark maroon, but I still like it. I like how it goes with my complexion and I also think it's a very versatile colour, especially for the colder months when I tend to wear darker and deeper (less bright) clothes.

If you would like to know more about Kiko nail polishes, I have two posts in which I shortly review them. These are Kiko Nail Polish, Fall 2012 Nail Polishes Haul: Kiko, Kiko 372.

Do you like maroons and deep reds on your nails during Fall? Let me know in the comments.

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Nail Top Coats: Rimmel vs Sally Hansen vs Professional Nail Care

Few weeks ago I wrote a post about nail hardeners in which I compared Rimmel, Maybelline and Sally Hansen. For this week I would like to review and compare top coats. Every woman needs a good long lasting anti chip top coat, especially those of us who do a lot of chores around the house and have their hands always in contact with water. Most nail top coats promise to last for 7 days, even up to 10 days. But in my experience the most they can last without one single chip is 3 days, when applying one coat. So I have really stopped expecting my nail polish to last longer than 5 days on my nails because so many top coats have not maintained their promises. Now, what I want is a top coat which can at least last me 3 days but most importantly which dries fast and is not messed easily after being applied. After all we cannot really sit for 3 hours waiting the nail polish to be completely dry and solid. We need to keep on doing what we have to and that certainly involves using our hands. So below are 4 nail top coats I have been using for the past year which I am going to give you my opinions on.

 

PROFESSIONAL NAIL CARE FINISHING TOUCH TOP COAT by Markwins International

This top coat was part of a manicure set I got as a gift about 2 years ago. Initially, I really enjoyed using this top coat especially on clear or very light nail polishes. I cannot really remember how long it lasted when applied on my nails because it has been a very long time since I last used it. However, I have been using it more on my toe nails and it does a great job at keeping my nail polish on for weeks. I guess it's because I wash my hands all  the time that my nail polish doesn't last as long on my nails as it does on my toe nails.

RIMMEL LONDON PRO SUPER WEAR ULTRA SHINE TOP COAT Up to 10 Days

I initially hated this top coat because it used to solidify after drying in such a way that my nail polish would start peeling as a whole rather than chipping. Sometimes it would happen after one day and I would have to take my nail polish off. Then after few months using it, it stopped doing it. It might also be because I started applying thinner coats of nail polish and waiting longer before applying this top coat. Again this doesn't last on me more than 3 days without starting to chip. So it doesn't live up to the 10 days advertised on the bottle. Price 5.35 euros.

 

RIMMEL ULTRA MATTE PRO MATTE FINISH Up to 10 days

I discovered this mattifying top coat at the beginning of this Summer. I had no idea you could get a top coat which could make your nail polish matte. And I really liked to have that option. In fact, many times I don't like certain nail polish colours simply because of their shine and this top coat solves that problem for me. Plus it can really transform a nail polish colour by simply mattifying. In terms of how long it lasts, I must say this is the best top coat I have tried because it lasts even 4 days (vs 3 days with most other top coats). 

One thing I would like to add is that you must wait a little longer than usual before applying this top coat if you really want your nails to be mattified. In fact, if you apply it too soon the mattifying formula just doesn't work and your nails remain shining. Price 5.35 euros.

SALLY HANSEN INSTA-DRI ANTI CHIP TOP COAT

I really had high hopes and expectations for this top coat. Sally Hansen is a well known brand which many people rave about. So after trying the nail hardener, I decided to give this top coat a go. I thought it would make my nail polish last longer than 4 days, may be a week, but it doesn't do that for me. Today on my nails I am wearing a nail polish colour with the Sally Hansen top coat on my left hand and the Rimmel Matte Finish top coat on my right hand. I applied the colour and top coats last Friday and you know what, today I have only one chip and it's on the left hand where I am wearing the Sally Hansen. So I can conclude that the Rimmel Matte Finish top coat is better than the Sally Hansen Insta Dri in terms on how long it protects your nail colour from chipping.

I am definitely going to give Sally Hansen one more chance to wow me. Next time I will buy a more expensive top coat and see whether it works better. Price 4.99 euros.

The best top coat among the above 4, in terms of anti chipping properties, is in my opinion the RIMMEL ULTRA PRO MATTE FINISH mattifying top coat.

What about you, which is your favourite top coat? And does it make your nail polish colour last longer than 4 days without chipping? Let me know in the comments below.

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First Fall 2012 Nail Look.....Kiko 372

Tomorrow will be the first day of Fall 2012. All the fashionistas are enthusiast about the beginning of fall because they get to wear and try new trends for what concerns clothes, shoes, handbags and jewellery as well as makeup, hair and nails. Today I am going to feature my first Fall nail look. It's a nude beige with a pink undertone. It's by my favourite brand Kiko on which I have done an entire post few days ago which you can read here.

 Kiko Nail Lacquer 372

I think this colour is a very nice nude beige with a beautiful pink undertone which goes perfectly with my complexion. I think this will be one of my top choices for nail polishes for work when you want your nails to look put together and have a light colour without being too bold. I also think it's a great colour to wear in the evening when you are going out on a date or a fancy night out and you want a soft nail look which will help focus the attention on your outfit, hair or makeup rather than on your nails. And finally it's also the perfect nail to wear with light coloured garments. A similar nail look was used throughout the Chanel Fall Winter 2012 2013 Runway Show, and in my opinion it worked great with the highly embellished and detailed outfits. 

What about you? Which is your favourite nude colour for this Fall?

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FALL 2012 2013 NAIL POLISHES HAUL....KIKO

As you might know if you follow my blog, Kiko is my favourite nail polishes brand. Until yesterday I only owned one Kiko nail polish which you can read more about it here. You might be asking yourself why on earth I only own one colour of my favourite nail polish brand. The reason is simple. I bought my first Kiko nail polish in Sicily while visiting my father's family. And although I fell in love I couldn't buy more because there is no Kiko in Malta and I do not like to buy online. So when my parents told me they were going on holiday again in Sicily this Summer I asked them to buy me a few nail polishes. I gave my little sister a list and she went in the shop in one of the many shopping centres and bought them for me. I know she is very sweet and a great sister and so are my parents. Anyway, last Sunday I got to see my parents and sister after 2 weeks and they gave me my nail polishes which I loved. Only one wasn't exactly how I had expected it but I still love it. I have already applied one on my nails and I love it.

Kiko not only has gorgeous colours; in fact you can find practically any colour you'd like in their shops. Their quality is great: the consistency is perfect, not too tick not too runny; it's not streaky at all; it dries quickly and lasts a fair amount of time, if topped with a good top coat. Anyway after this small review, here are my Fall Nail Polishes Picks from Kiko. 

I think these five nail polishes are a great addition to my nail polish collection especially for what concerns the coming seasons. The nude pink and pastel pink are great colours for work or when you want to have your nails look put together without too much colour. The green one is perfect to complement the military trend during Fall and Winter 2012 2013. The dark plum is also a very fashionable colour and great for the colder months. The fourth one, although not what I expected, is very beautiful and because I have nothing exactly in that shade I am happy to own it. I think that the above colours together with a black, a silver, a nude grey, a darker beige (like Kiko 220), a burgundy and a dark blue will be my go to colours for the colder seasons.

What about you? Which are your nail polishes picks for the coming Fall? Let us know in the comments below.

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Nail Hardeners Rimmel vs L'Oreal vs Sally Hansen

Having healthy and beautiful nails depends on various factors including how healthy is your eating, how much water do you drink, and how well you protect your hands and nails from the most damaging source that is water, especially water which contains detergents. If you are a clean hygienic freak like me, you surely wash your hands at least 50 times a day (may be even more). Apart from this, you will have to clean around the house and shower too. All of the water and detergents or soaps which come into contact with the nails make them weaker and fragile and this is the first step in the nail breaking process. For this reason it is very important to use gloves as much as possible when cleaning around the house and when cooking, so that you are washing the gloves in between not your hands. 

To get and maintain stronger nails you also need to give yourself frequent manicures. I try to do so at least twice a week. This normally involves removing nail polish, pushing back my cuticle, filing, applying nail hardener and then a top coat, sometimes followed by a coloured nail polish and again top coat. Lately, however, I have been keeping my nails bare from any colour because I am liking the clean fresh look of glossy transparent nails. This is also a great way to give my nails a break, since many times applying too much colour can stain them even if you use a base coat.

The most important part of my manicure which most determines my nail strength is applying a good nail hardener. Today, I want to compare and review three of the nails hardeners I have been using during the past few months.  

The first is the Rimmel Nail Rescue Save Me 14 Day Nail Hardening Treatment. This costed about 5.25 euro. And for several months it has done a great job at keeping my nails strong and saved them many times from getting super weak. So far this is my favourite nail hardener because I actually saw a difference in terms of my nails being stronger and chipping less.

The second one, the L'Oreal Resist & Shine Pro-Keratine Strong 5 Plus Stronger, was actually not my purchase but a gift from my sister. I don't think I would have otherwise tried this if it hadn't been for my sister. In fact, I don't normally buy L'Oreal nail polishes because they are kind of expensive for being drugstore. The L'Oreal nail hardener is not as good as the Rimmel one.  Actually, this nail hardener didn't help my nails strengthening that much and it doesn't hold that long on the nails. So for being at least 7 euros or even more, I think it's not really worth the money. I have another L'Oreal nail polish and it's not good either. It's very thin and it gives me a streaky application. I am definitely not into L'Oreal nail products.

The nail hardener I am currently using is the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener. This is the least expensive one, 4.99 euros, and so far it has done a good job at protecting my nails and keeping them in a good condition. I have been using it for only a week so I cannot compare it to the Rimmel hardener but I can definitely say that it is better than the L'Oreal one.

What about you, which is your favourite nail hardener? Let me know in the comments below.

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Birthday Manicure....in less than 15 minutes

For my birthday dinner, which was yesterday, I decided to go with a classic nail look...the french manicure. Although, I normally love bright colours in the warmer season I thought that wearing a coloured nail polish would clash with my outfit which you can see here. That's why I gave myself this super easy but very nice and lady like french manicure. And this only took me about 15 minutes, after which I still had time to enjoy some time on you tube, rest, do my hair and makeup and get dressed for my night.

I used the manicure strips as well as the french white and pink polishes which came in my manicure set I did a review on here. This is a gift I received a year and a half ago and it still is going great. As a top coat I used my Rimmel London Pro Super Wear Ultra Shine Top Coat. I loved this nail look especially since I have not worn it in a very long time. Plus the thin white tips made the look more modern.

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Coral and red nails for Summer 2012

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our second year wedding anniversary. And  we did so by going out on a dinner date in the evening after spending the morning shopping. I planned my outfit about 2 weeks in advance because I wanted to know what I needed to purchase to make my outfit complete. Apart from planning my outfit I obviously couldn't leave my nails out. So I decided to go with a coral and red colour combination plus a touch of gold glitter. These are not normally the colours I would go for Spring and Summer as I prefer pastels and fun bright colours. But because I wanted a more classy and feminine nail look I went for this look which you can see below. I think it really complemented my outfit which you can see here.

For this nail look, I decided to apply a coral all over my nail and then use a deep red to create a french tip on top of the coral. I then finished with gold glitters and of course a top coat.

I had this colour combo in mind but I decided which nail polish colours to use only after swatching them on a piece of transparent tape. I like to do so whenever I want to combine colours which I have never done before. This helps me make sure that the colour combinations are not too much and are flattering for my skin tone. The colour combo I wore is the second one from left to right. And in the last swatch you can see how nicely the gold glitter goes on top of the coral nail polish. Below are the products I used.

 Rimmel 60 Seconds in 430 Coralicious, Florelle 86 Red and Cristin & Ross Gold Glitters.

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