CND Daily Nail 09.08.2011 Nearly Neon Coral at Wes Gordon

Please enjoy the following press release from CND!

The CND Daily Nail 9.8.11

Nearly Neon Coral at Wes Gordon

September 8, 2011 - Welcome back to The CND Daily Nail, where we bring you the latest and the greatest CND manicure looks straight from the Spring 2012 runway! Ringing in CND's 15 year anniversary at New York Fashion Week, the first day was filled with power nails, organic textures and oxblood manicures:


At Wes Gordon, Kristina Estabrooks crafted soft almond, nearly neon, coral "Power Nails" with two coats of CND Colour in Poppyfield to complement wispy teased ponytails and fresh faces to embody the height of '60s SoHo sophistication. Toes were clean and neutral with CND Colour in Desert Suede. The namesake designer loved the edgy length of the nails and remarked that his vision's muse was "sleek and civilized, but she might scratch your eyes out."

For Kevork Kiledjian, Candice Manacchio created "Iced Sand" manicures using one coat of Desert Suede topped with CND Jade Sparkle Effect and softened with a finish of CND Colour in Washed Down White. Nails were a modern spin on nude, with added texture for a hi-tech finish to complement military green and cream shades on the runway. Toes were natural and neat with CND Colour in Buff.

For Malandrino's Ready to Buy runway show, Roxanne Valinoti did bold oxblood red manicures with CND Colour in Bloodline and toes were warm nude, Desert Suede, to match poppy red lips and soft wavy hair.

OPI NYFW Coverage

Please enjoy the following press releases from OPI about NYFW:

OPI has kicked off the Spring 2012 shows doing the nails for BCBG Max Azria this morning! Samoan Sand (image attached) was used on models’ nails and toes. The nude look continues for Spring ‘12! Celebrity attendees of the show included: One Tree Hill stars Sophia Bush and Shantel VanSanten, and Happy Endings star Elisha Cuthbert. Please find the show images attached.

OPI continues New York Fashion Week with the Jason Wu and Rebecca Taylor spring 2012 shows today! Like the BCBG Max Azria show, neutral hues from OPI continue to rule the runways, along with the a pop of color from one of the season’s hottest accent colors – red!

Models at Jason Wu wore MonSooner or Later (OPI Classics), a bright orangey-red on their hands. The boldly colored nails, acted as an eye-catching accessory that complemented the beautiful clothes. On toes, models wore Samoan Sand (OPI Classics), a soft pink-hued nude.

At Rebecca Taylor rich neutral shades were in the spotlight. Stranger Tides (Pirates of the Caribbean), a gray-green pastel was painted on fingernails, while nude shade, Tickle My France-y (OPI Classics) was worn on toes.

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Co-Founder continues to be the creative force for every color the company creates.

Fashion Designer Jason Wu has named OPI the official nail care sponsor for his runway show during the Spring 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Co-founder, has been working closely with Wu, finding inspiration in Wu’s color scheme and seasonal trends.  The nail look will be unveiled at Jason Wu’s runway show on September 9, 2011.

“Jason Wu is an amazingly talented designer, so being able to work with him is very exciting,” says Suzi-Weiss Fischmann. “Nail lacquers are a huge part of fashion. It’s a privilege for OPI to be working amongst world renowned designers during fashion week. I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Jason to accessorize his spring 2012 collection with the hottest nail trends.”

Award-winning designer Jason Wu entered the spotlight in 2009 when Michelle Obama wore one of his designs to the Inaugural Ball. Wu is best known for his polished, ladylike styles that evoke the feel of old Hollywood glamour.  Since he began his line in 2006, Wu continues to display strong pieces that incorporate clean, classic lines within his sophisticated and feminine collections, ranging from daywear to full length gowns.

Professional Beauty Association's Nail Manufactures Council

While I normally focus on reviews and swatches, this was sent to me and it's great information that's free and useful!  Please enjoy the following press release.

The Professional Beauty Association’s (PBA) Nail Manufacturers Council (NMC) Expands Content and Online Presence to Help

Beauty Professionals and Consumers Be More Informed

Phoenix, AZ (September 07, 2011) – The Professional Beauty Association’s (PBA) Nail Manufacturers Council (NMC) has recently expanded its online platform and educational reference materials designed for beauty professionals and consumers alike. The NMC comprises the leading manufacturers of nail care products sold to, and used in, professional salons. The NMC, like the PBA, has been active in working with international, federal, and state bodies to maintain high professional standards and ensure the safety of industry professionals and their customers, as well as the communities they serve.

In addition to the NMC’s new web page, www.probeauty.org/nmc, the Council has expanded the many languages of its reports, guidelines, and reference materials. Currently, most reports are in English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese. The materials, which are all complimentary, cover topics such as: Facts About Salon Nail Polish Products and What to Look Out for In a Nail Salon to Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfecting Manicuring and Enhancement Equipment, as well as Guidelines for Controlling and Minimizing Skin Exposure to Nail Products. Along with these and other reports and guidelines, the NMC also provides information and clarification on major media reports relating to nail products and procedures.

“I highly encourage consumers and beauty professionals to use the information provided by the Nail Manufacturers Council, in order to stay better informed, protect one’s health and safety, and finally uphold high professionals standards for the industry,” said Eric Schwartz, Chief Operating Officer of OPI Products Inc. and Co-Chair of the Nail Manufacturers Council.

"The expanded website will be an invaluable resource for our industry, government authorities, and the media," further added Doug Schoon, President of Schoon Scientific and Co-Chair of the Nail Manufactures Council.

For more information on the NMC and to access the information provided, visit www.probeauty.org/nmc.

Nicole by OPI Red Texture

I decided to take yesterday's manicure up a notch by adding a coat of shatter/texture/crackle.  Nicole by OPI's Red Texture is similar to OPI's Red Shatter except without the jelly finish.  This is one coat of Red Texture with a top coat of OPI Top Coat.

I attempted a diagonal pattern on my index finger, but it didn't work too well.  I'm still getting the hang of it.  You can also see that my cuticles need some help, especially my middle finger which tends to go flat instead of curved (like my ring finger).  Oh nail issues!

In the shade, you can't see much of a difference - I kind of like the nude look of the base color (it's really grey).

Finally indoors with the flash - I really like the vibrancy of this color but if you already have OPI Red Shatter, not sure you need both.  I do like that this didn't gunk up in the bottle like some crackles/shatters do.

Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle.  For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

OPI Skull and Glossbones

Note to self: Don't try to take pictures late in the day.  Sigh.  So this color doesn't look as great in the sun as it should.  It's a light grey, no yellow to it.  Skull & Glossbones from the OPI Brights "Pirates" collection is one that I thought wasn't going to really wear well on me (or just be too dull) but I was pleasantly surprised.  I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat (which I added two mini bottles of Rapi-Dry too before realizing they were different top coats.  Oops.).

Do you like the huge chunk I somehow took out of my bottle?  I'm not sure exactly when this broke, but the OPI bottles are made of thick glass so it didn't affect the polish at all.  You can see how red my fingers look (again, the sun) but that this is a nice putty grey.

Here in the shade, the color is much truer to life.  It's a putty grey with no yellow, delightfully creamy - not watery like my Steady As She Rose.  

Indoors with the flash looks a lot like the shade - although you can seem some streaky un-evenness on my index finger.  My index finger is giving me all kinds of issues right now - I have a cut cuticle on the side, and my cuticles need to be cleaned up - polish is pooling around them.  I'll get it done, promise!


Overall - a good office nude, and the name is pretty darn cute.  I want to see if I have some dupes since it is a creme but I'm still having to hold back on comparisons.


OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].  

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.