NYFW Nail Edition | OPI covers Houghton SS/15

The barely-there nail trend that has been sweeping red carpets and runways for the past few seasons now, is apparently still going strong at NYFW. At the Houghton SS/15 show held at Milk Studios, designer Katharine Polk worked very closely with Miss Pop to create a “light feminine look with an unexpected edge on both fingers and toes”.

Nails were first painted with OPI’s Base Coat, followed by 2 coats of Samoan Sand – a sheer nude colour – sealed with Matte Top Coat, and finished with a few hand-placed Swarovski crystals. The gemstones were personally chosen for each individual model by both Katharine Polk and Miss Pop: their nails were adorned with one, two, or three Swarovski crystals in clear or black and then vertically stacked on the middle finger nail of both hands (starting from the cuticle edge), while the toes had one crystal on the big toe to match. This understated look still managed to give an unexpected sparkle against the matte backdrop and worked beautifully to compliment the show’s bold accessories and feminine prints. This is definitely a look I can’t wait to recreate on my own nails.

All images credit: OPI

NYFW Nail Edition | Houghton SS/15

NYFW Nail Edition | OPI covers BCBGMAXAZRIA SS/15

September 6, 2014

Heralding the start of the fashion season, Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is currently presenting designers’ Spring/Summer 2015 collections (we haven’t even felt Winter’s first touch of cold and they’re already showing Spring/Summer … sigh), with nails once again playing as important and cohesive a role in the overall theme of each collection, as hair and makeup do.

Kicking off the shows at Lincoln Center for BCBGMAXAZRIA, lead nail artist, Miss Pop, created a softly neutral look using OPI’s Base Coat followed by 2 coats of Bubble Bath – the brand’s bestselling soft pink shade – and finished it off with 1 coat of OPI Top Coat. This sheer neutral look was in line with and complimented the collection’s bohemian silhouettes, mutes pastel floral pieces, and earthy tones.

All images credit: OPI

NYFW Nail Edition | BCBGMAXAZRIA SS/15, featuring lead nail artist Miss Pop

NYFW Nail Edition | BCBGMAXAZRIA SS/15, featuring OPI’s Bubble Bath

MAKE UP FOR EVER | Artist Shadow event

September 5, 2014

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, MAKE UP FOR EVER has recently released their Artist Shadow range – 210 highly pigmented eye shadows with “superior blendability and an intense even colour payoff”. In going back to the product that launched this brand to the public, Creative & Artistic Director Dany Sanz worked for 3 years to create a breakthrough formula based on “Pigment Atomization and Water-Blend Technology”, or eyeshadows made with up to 88% concentrated pigment (the highest in the market at the moment) and that will maximize colour delivery. Light as air in texture, the new Artist Shadow range is available in 5 finishes: Matte, Satin, Metal, Iridescent and Diamond and is the most extensive lineup of eyeshadow shades available to consumers. Forget pre-bought store palettes that may or may not include shades you love; Artist Shadow is fully customizable and is available as single shades, duo or even trio palettes – all in generous sizes, I might add.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Montréal Artist Shadow event at the MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Loft in Montréal, where we were not only treated to the most amazing eye candy any beauty lover would kill for (seriously, it was like walking into the beauty version of Ali Baba’s cave), but got our hands dirty (literally) with some arts & crafting by creating our very own mood boards, the intention being that they would be used as our personal inspiration. I confess that my mood board turned out as a cross between surreal art/psychedelic hallucination (the Proseco I was enjoying while “creating” may have had something to do with that), and wound up having nothing to do with the shades I was to choose later on, but I definitely enjoyed making it just the same.

Once our mood boards were done, and with the keen eye and help of Trinidad, MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Regional Educator, we were invited to choose 3 shades to create out own customizable palette – a choice made that much harder by the overwhelmingly beautiful selection of shades before us. In the ended, I opted for shades I can see myself wearing often (review forthcoming) – a matte caramel, metallic copper, and metallic bark brown. To go with our new palettes, we were also given our choice of an eye brush from the brand’s amazing range of makeup brushes, and I decided on #240 Round Shader Brush (Medium), a size and shape that was missing from my collection.

A huge thank you to everyone who made the event such a fabulous experience – the best play date ever!

A room with a view: my beautiful city of Montréal, as seen from the MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Loft

My mood board in progress – the glass of bubbly is for extra inspiration

The finished mood board with my customized trio palette and eyeshadow brush

With Lindsey, rep for MAKE UP FOR EVER (who will be bringing forth her very own creation in 3 weeks!) & Trinidad

Available now through the MAKE UP FOR EVER boutiques in Sephora and Sephora.ca. Find more information via:

*Disclaimer: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara

September 5, 2014

The newly released mascara from Urban Decay, Perversion, has “Bigger. Blacker. Badder” as a tagline, and I can tell you right here and now how correct that is. From the brand that started the cruelty-free cosmetics trend and continues to titillate its loyal fan base with not only provocative names, but outstanding and cult-fave products (hands up if you own any one of their Naked palettes), comes a mascara that will make others cry uncle – it really is that badass.

Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara

Perversion Mascara (CAN $26.00) | Mascara is my Kryptonite & the only beauty product I would want to be with if stranded on a deserted island, but finding one that meets all my strict criteria can be a challenge. Perversion comes in a pewter outer casing with violet lettering and bears a densely bristled thick brush and promises to provide length, volume and a rich deep coating of colour to your lashes. One thing I immediately noticed, is how easily the wand/brush slides out of the tube – a good sign, as I hate those super tight seals which can result in excess product collecting there and gunking up the opening. There’s no nasty scent to this formula, perfect for those with sensitivities, and application is relatively straightforward. As this is a wetter type of mascara, I recommend doing the upper lashes first – wait a couple of minutes – then go in for the bottom lashes. Some people may find that this type of larger brush head can be a bit cumbersome to manoeuver, but holding it at a slight angle to your lashes can solve that.

From the very first swipe across my lashes, I could see that major length, volume, & a lustrous black colour were reached, and while I actually could have stopped there, I went ahead with a second coat (my usual). The impact is immediate: this is what they refer to, when they say “sooty lashes”. I can honestly say that Perversion has got to be one of the blackest (if not THE blackest) mascaras I have come across to date – and I’ve tried billions (give or take a few). Wear time is excellent as well, staying true until removed 12 hours later, with zero smudging, flaking, smearing, or fading. Using a dual-phase remover (my personal fave has been the one from Neutrogena for many years now & I totally swear by it) works best, otherwise you may find yourself scrubbing to get it all off – something you should never, ever do. Ever.

The following swatches show Perversion at both 1 coat and 2 coats respectively, without any lash combing. A mascara this intense will clump at some point – in this case at the 2-coat level, but then again, I don’t know of any mascara that won’t clump to any degree.

Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara

Urban Decay | pre-Perversion Mascara

Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara, 1 coat

Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara, 2 coats

Urban Decay | Perversion Mascara

As a self-proclaimed ‘Mascara Mistress’, Perversion pushes all my buttons (see what I did there? Perversion/buttons … a little beauty S&M) and for those who love a lush lash look (triple ‘L’ factor or beauty alliteration this time. I’m on a roll), then this product can definitely provide all that. There’s really not much more to say, other than the proof is definitely there and that I absolutely love it.

Available through Sephora, find more information via:

*Disclosure: Product sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

CHANEL | Le Vernis Secret, Atmosphère & Orage – Collection États Poétiques Fall 2014

September 4, 2014

CHANEL has released three new nail lacquers with their Fall 2014 États Poétiques Collection, #625 Secret – a nude crème, #629 Atmosphère – a pearly duo chrome, and #631 Orage – a dusty navy. I absolutely love Fall launches (the cosmetics, not the fact that the weather’s cooling) and look forward to wearing deeper and more jewel-like tones, but I also appreciate how these 3 new CHANEL shades will work beautifully throughout the entire year – versatile, as well as gorgeous.

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #625 Secret, #629 Atmosphère, #631 Orage

#625 Secret (CAN $27.00) | A nude crème hue with a combination of pale pink & light beige/mauve undertones (will suit both cool and warm skin tones), in a formula that bears jelly-like properties: self-levelling, plush finish and ultra glossy. Managing to be both crisp/clean looking as well as diffused, this is a modern yet totally feminine shade with no hints of chalkiness whatsoever. On shorter nails, 2 coats will give good coverage, while longer nails may need a 3rd layer for complete opacity. Biggest surprise? How much I absolutely LOVE the way this shade looks on me – not to mention how easy it is to apply. Coats: 3 (thin), plus top coat

With 1 coat of #629 Atmosphère layered on top, it gives a unique iridescence to #625 Secret – at times grey-tinged, at others golden, but always with a pink shimmery glow in the middle. So hard to capture in photos, but a truly gorgeous combination.

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #625 Secret (in sunlight)

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #625 Secret with 1 coat of #629 Atmosphère layered on top

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #625 Secret with 1 coat of #629 Atmosphère layered on top (in sunlight)

#629 Atmosphère (CAN $27.00) | A semi-sheer pearly grey base hue with violet/pink, gold and more random green prismatic colour shifts – although the pink/violet colour flashes the most dominant. A steady hand is needed here to avoid any visible brush strokes, which does tend to level out somewhat on its own just the same. For a subtle look, this shade can be worn alone (1 coat gives decent coverage, 2 coats intensifies the duo chrome effect and adds to the opacity) and depending on your preferences, anywhere from 2-3 coats should do but layering #629 Atmosphère over any other shade is best for bringing out its multi-dimensional beauty. Coats: 2, plus top coat

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #629 Atmosphère

#631 Orage (CAN $27.00) | A dusty navy blue with strong charcoal grey undertones with CHANEL’s ‘secret’ shimmer (mainly visible in sunlight), in a jelly-esque formula: self levelling, cushiony look, and super glossy at the finish. The first coat lays down slightly sheer, but becomes totally opaque by the 2nd layer and even though the shimmer is ultra-fine and all but invisible in deeper light, it still serves to add an overall lustrous depth of tone. BONUS: non staining upon removal. Coats: 2, plus top coat

One coat of #629 Atmosphère layered over #631 Orage, does all kinds of crazy wonderful things, with too many colour shifts to count: pink, green, gold, amber, grey, as well as unique gradient effects seen under certain lighting.

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #631 Orage (in sunlight)

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #631 Orage with 1 coat of #629 Atmosphère layered on top

CHANEL États Poétiques Collection | Le Vernis #631 Orage with 1 coat of #629 Atmosphère layered on top (in sunlight)

While all three shades are new releases from CHANEL, nothing I’ve come across lists them as limited edition so I’ll assume they’re to become permanent (if anyone has other information on that, let me know). Of the three, I absolutely adore #625 Secret – mainly for how beautifully this nude works against my skin tone, but for the formula as well, and #631 Orage because I find near-black shades like this very sexy. There’s no denying #629 Atmosphère is pretty to look at, but I find that it didn’t impress me as much and therefore not a must-have … unless you’re a CHANEL collector like me (damn this addiction).

Available now, I purchased mine through The Bay (Canada)