Spring 2012: Nude Nails

Seen at NY Fashion week :
DKNY, Alexander Wang, Versace, Derek Lam, Giorgio Armani, Christopher Kane, The Row, Rochas et al...

I embraced this trend in Summer 2009, when it was last in full swing. There does seem to be some bloggers who really don't like this trend - think 'fake plastic Barbie' nails, however I wholeheartedly disagree! Nude nails look chic and they match any outfit.

Here are four polishes already in my stash (clockwise from top left):

1. Jessica: Naked as a Jaybird.

2. OPI: Coney Island Cotton Candy.

3. OPI: Tickle My Francey

4. OPI: Barefoot in Barcelona

 These polishes would suit a wide variety of skins - everyone's nude is, after all, very different.

And here are a few more nude polishes I am currently lusting after...

As you can see from my photos, it can be hard to match your skin to a polish. It depends on the undertone of your skin, the light you are in and how much tan you have - what looks right in April might not match in July. Here are a few pointers:

Fair skin: Tends to have red undertones, this means pale creamy beige polishes work best e.g. Essie 'Intimate'.

Medium skin: Olive skin can look sallow if they polish has yellow undertones so pick a pinky nude e.g. Jessica 'Temptress of the Sea'.

Dark Skin: Looks good if you play up the red undertones - pick a warm deep colours such as Essies 'Over the Knee'.

Review: Aveda 'Be Curly Curl Enhancer'

Cost: $21 USD

The Blurb:
"Wheat Protein and organic aloe infused formula expands when hair is wet and contracts when hair is dry to intensify curl or wave.

To use: Smooth generously on damp hair. Dry naturally or blow dry with a diffuser for added volume and curl definition."

First Impressions:

I have actually been using this product for a little while, however I decided to include in my reviews as it can be very useful in the frizz battle.
Widely available in Hong Kong, and globally, Aveda plays upon the natural and organic market that is currently incredibly popular in the beauty world. It is therefore a little surprising to check out the ingredients list...
Out of interest I looked it up on the 'Skin Deep' website and found out that it is rated as a 'moderate' hazard to health! Ingredients can cause irritation to skin, lungs and eyes amongst other concerns. This site bases its' review on the 2005 formula so it may be out of date.
Whilst this is something that I am interested in I will not be giving up my favourite cosmetic products until there is conclusive and widespread proof of ill effects. The main reason that I looked in this instance was due to Aveda's heavy emphasize on the 'natural' which does not ring quite true.

The Test:

As I find with all Aveda products the first thing that you notice is the smell. It is a herbal smell which is slightly sweet. To me it invokes memories of relaxing spa visits and pampering. It is a clean scent that does not overpower, however you do continue to get whiffs through out the day which I find pleasant.
The product is a white cream, it is not sticky. I applied a blob around 4cm by 4cm to my towel dried and combed shoulder length hair. This is a little more that I used to use, however this is what the instructions dictated. I ran the product through my hair using my fingers and then used a hair dryer and diffuser to dry my hair fully. High temperature, low speed. I finished off with hairspray to hold the curl longer.

The Verdict:
This product claims to tame frizz and enhance curl. It definitely does both of these to a certain extent, however in my opinion it is much better at curl enhancement.
Though the packaging instructed 'generous use' I felt as though I had added too much product to my hair, and after drying my hair felt a little dry and stiff. This effect was increased by the use of hairspray, which is necessary to hold the curl and volume in the humidity. After an hour or do outside in medium humidity the frizz was creeping back around my hair line.
Overall I think this product is better for enhancing the curl in shorter length hair, it seems to weigh longer hair down. It is not really a frizz fighting contender...