Filed In: Trends
Nail Trends at the 2011 83rd Academy Awards
The red carpet event at last evening’s 83rd Academy Awards did not fail to elicit awe & envy for the fabulous evening wear, from those of us avidly watching. There were hues in every shade of the rainbow, all the major design houses were represented and the elegance that prevailed, was simply breathtaking. One thread in common that I noticed, as with every other award show of late, is the continuity of the latest nail polish trend: the ‘barely-there’ or neutral look, was still riding strong, and while there were very few exceptions, it seems like celebrities have been playing it rather safe and letting their gowns versus their makeup/nail polish, do the talking. Then again, I like to view this nail colour choice as being somewhat avant-garde, and do admire the elegant and modern simplicity of a nude nail.
The followers of the neutral look varied, from a ‘barely there’ hint of sheen, a modern French manicure, a delicate nude, a pearly beige and a glossy tan on an elongated nail length (hello, Céline Dion):
Best Actress winner Natalie Portman in Rodarte
Amy Adams in L'Wren Scott (nominated for Best Supporting Actress)
Jennifer Hudson in Versace
Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture
Michelle Williams in CHANEL (nominated for Best Actress)
Cate Blanchet in Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci
Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein Collection
Scarlett Johansson in custom-made Dolce & Gabbana
Mandy Moore in Monique L'Huillier
Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang
Halle Berry in Marchesa
Penelope Cruz in L'Wren Scott
Nicole Kidman in Dior (nominated for Best Actress)
Reese Witherspoon in Armani Privé
Host Anne Hathaway during the show wearing Deborah Lippmann's 'Naked'
Céline Dion wearing Armani Privé (elongated tan nails)
Florence Welch in Valentino (sporting a dusty rose polish)
The celebrities breaking out of this nude mold, were very few and far between, with Helen Mirren taking the prize for the edgiest look, sporting mysterious gunmetal grey nails….kudos!
Host Anne Hathaway in Valentino (with fiery red nails)
Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood
Virginia Madsen in Romona Keveza
Dame Helen Mirren in a custom-made Fitriani
Final thoughts: Once again, I find that celebrities, for the most part, opted for a more toned down manicure. I would have loved to have seen more of a variety of nail polish shades, but to be honest, even among neutral hues, there is still a vast choice, albeit much more subtle. The nail shapes themselves stayed rather short, with a ‘squared oval’ being the chosen silhouette, unless you’re Céline Dion who donned a more tapered & longer nail…..always on the leading edge of trends!
*Photo of Anne Hathaway wearing ‘Naked’ courtesy of Deborah Lippmann PR Department
*Photos courtesy of Vogue
Nail Trends at the 2011 Golden Globes
A while back, manicure/nail polish icon Deborah Lippmann was asked to give her predictions for this year’s Golden Globes nail trends. She predicted that a more natural or ‘nude’ nail look would prevail, and she was absolutely right. With the exception of a select few, the overwhelming manicure look at this year’s Golden Globes was indeed a natural/nude look, some seemingly without any lacquer at all but with nails buffed to a gleaming shine. Nail length was also kept rather demure — no talons in sight. Even with this ‘undone’ look, nails still had a polished perfection to them…the better to offset those glamorous gowns and exquisite jewelry.
The devotees of the natural/nude look were many & varied in tone, but all sported clean natural looking nails:
Amy Adams in Marchesa
Michelle Williams in Valentino
Emma Stone in Calvin Klein Collection
Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace
Nicole Kidman in Prada
Clair Danes in Calvin Klein Collection
Julianne Moore in Lanvin
Carrie Underwood in Badgley Mischka Couture
Catherine Zeta Jones in Monique Lhuillier
Eva Longoria in Zac Posen
Halle Berry in Nina Ricci
January Jones in Atelier Versace
Jennifer Love Hewitt in Romona Keveza
Julia Stiles in Romona Keveza
Jane Lynch in Ali Rashimi
Kelly Osbourne in Zac Posen
Megan Fox in Armani Prive
Then there were a few who opted to still keep an understated nail, but in a pearly finish for a star-struck gleam:
Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive
*On Anne: a starry opalescent pink by Deborah Lippmann named ‘I Dreamed You’
I Dreamed You
Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta
Mila Kunis in Vera Wang
Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
*Jayme Mays of Glee sported a more platinum shade, but still falls in the pearlized category
Jayme Mays in Alberta Ferretti
Lastly, the following ladies opted for a classic Hollywood nail look, ranging from flaming red, to a deep vampy hue…but all highly noticeable:
Christina Aguilera in Zuhair Murad
Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs
Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier
Tina Fey in L'Wren Scott
Helena Bonham Carter in Vivienne Westwood
Natalie Portman in Viktor + Rolf
Diana Agron in J. Mendel
Final thoughts: This list is by no means complete, but it’s a pretty fair sampling of the red carpet looks on display at the 2011 Golden Globes. I found it interesting that brooding, dark shades were so noticeably absent; neon or eclectic hues were banished to the back of the drawer as well. Whatever motivated the stars’s choice of nail lacquer, obviously was the idea that colour choice adds the final perfecting touch!
*Photo of Deborah Lippmann nail polish courtesy of their PR Department
*Red carpet looks courtesy of Vogue
Nail Trends at the 2010 American Music Awards
I don’t normally have the patience to sit through elaborate awards shows, but watching the celebrities arrive on the red carpet is a whole other ball game; the clothes, the jewels, the hair…….the MAKEUP & NAILS!!! Now THAT”S what I’m all about!
These awards shows are usually a fairly good barometer of the latest makeup & nail polish trends as cosmetics companies can use these events as a launchpad for their upcoming collections, with the added bonus that the rest of us get a sneak peek into what direction trends will be heading.
This year’s American Music Awards, I noticed 2 predominant nail choices: vampy/glittery red and nude/natural looks. I’m sure there must have been more variations, but those are the ones that stood out for me.
In the Vampy/Glittery red camp, there was Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and a more gothic nail on Kelly Osbourne. What I liked here was that while each of these celebrities wore something quite intricate & detailed, their dark nails enhanced rather than competed with the entire look.
Closeup view of Miley's deep red mani-pedi
Heidi Klum opted for a nude look on her nails, presumably to not compete with her smoky eye makeup, while Taylor Swift, not surprisingly, went with a natural nail as well….an excellent choice as her dress (loved it!) and glittery sandals, not to mention her straightened locks and dramatic eyes, did not need any further embellishment. The one who actually did surprise with her nail choice was Fergie, going with an almost clear rather than over the top nail.
Personally, I thought that overall the nail looks were fabulous; you can never go wrong with a red nail, be it vampy, bright & cheery or glittery, and clean/nude nails are always a classic which and when done right, can complete & enhance your entire look. If anyone watched the show, let me know what other nail trends you noticed and who got it right (or wrong!).
