essie dresses nails on the 2011 Primetime Emmys red carpet...

if you're like me, you find that award shows are one of the best places to get style inspiration. these days, it's not only for hair and makeup, but nails, too! since i have a special place in my heart for lacquers, i'm always overjoyed to discover what shades are featured in magazines {many mags are now listing what brand and shades the models wear in their fashion and beauty spreads}, on tv, and red carpet events.

at this past weekend's Primetime Emmy awards, some very fabulous essie nail polish shades were seen dressing the nails of tv's leading ladies...

Connie Britton {Friday Night Lights} wore Luxedo, a gorgeous dark mulberry, complementing her stunning scarlet gown.

Laura Linney {The Big C} was spotted wearing Hi Maintenance, a light-pink neutral hue on both hands and feet.

Mireille Enos {The Killing} chose to keep it neutral with Brooch the Subject from the winter 2011 collection.

Maria Bello {Prime Suspect} also went neutral on her fingers and toes with another light-pink classic, Limo-Scene

a BOGO not to be missed: butter LONDON at Ulta!

bonjour, beauties...

hope you're day has been fabulous! just had to share that you must. not. miss. Ulta's amazing buy one get one free {!!!} sale on butter LONDON nail polish! i personally have no experience with the brand {though they do have an awesome reputation and are loved by many a nail polish fanatic, not to mention are creating some killer nail looks at fashion week}, but plan to take advantage of this so i finally can!


and if you haven't already guessed, i think you should, too...

so visit your local Ulta or go online to Ulta.com on september 20th, 2011.

some popular shades i'm considering: Come to Bed Red, Fash Pack, Yummy Mummy, Marrow, Royal Navy and Wallis.

happy shopping!

nail color of the week: Zoya Tao

fresh from the fall Smoke and Mirrors collection, i picked up Tao and Jem {will share that beauty soon!}, along with some other things from a recent trip to my local Ulta...

well, it's 30 minutes away, but definitely worth the drive!

Tao is a gorgeous metallic, light smokey grey that leans a bit toward blue, giving it a very edgy, rock and roll vibe...

yet another reason to love the fall season.

pics taken by me :)

video: Zoya Smoke and Mirrors Collection

have you seen the Zoya Smoke and Mirrors collection yet? it's gorgeous! i can't decide which shade i am loving most-- they are all fabulous.



check out this video, featuring various runway looks that inspired each new shade.







which shade {if not all!} has caught your attention??

stepping out of my nail color comfort zone...

recently i've found myself craving to wear a nail color i've shied away from most of my life...

red!

don't get me wrong, i love red polish on nails. they're classic. they're uber-feminine. they can even be edgy.

truth be told, the very first nail color i ever wore was red {thanks, mom}.

but...

i've never been a red-nail-polish-wearing gal. i admit it, the color has always been a bit intimidating to me. that, and i love all shades of neutrals, pinks and purples; those are my go-to, safe colors. for fall/winter seasons, i typically go with "deeper" versions of them.

so...

i'm adding the shade that adorned my nails first into my color rotation-- especially for fall. i've gathered my small stash of red lacquers, and plan to rock them like nobody's business {and yes, the number of reds in my collection will be expanding}. Chanel Lotus Rouge {pictured, above}, a gorgeous berry-red, started me on my not-afraid-to-wear-red-nails-anymore path this past week...

and i just changed my polish to nubar's Competition Red this morning. :)

btw, i tore this Piperlime.com ad for my fall ensemble inspiration journal, then noticed a few days later: the model's nails are red!

all pics taken my me :)

nail color of the week: Essie Sew Psyched

over the weekend i gave myself a manicure using essie's Sew Psyched, a shade i discovered thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Daneen, when she shared it first on twitter {and then her blog}.

this color is described as a cashmere-soft sage pewter, and i couldn't agree more. it has a sheen like pewter, but definitely leans on the grey-green end of the spectrum.


in the bottle, Sew Psyched looks lighter, but is darker once it's on the nail. this gem is fabulous and a great color to choose if you're looking to be daring yet still a bit understated.

this one's a keeper. :)

worth the wait...OPI Black Shatter!

i have been waiting (and waiting...) for OPI Black Shatter for some time now. it seemed everywhere i could possibly get it didn't have it because they sold out so quickly (obviously, i'm not the only nail polish fan in my area!).

boo.

until wednesday when i took a chance at Trade Secret and found they had just received a new shipment-- yes! i was beyond excited. i have been telling my daughter all about it and she, a huge nail polish fan, didn't stop asking me every other week, "did you find it yet?".

haha!

in any case, i did find it and as soon as i was able, swpied a coat over my fresh manicure (pic at top; the color is an old fave, Color Club Ms. Socialite). i have to say, i love it! it's no wonder it's so popular. plus, application is so easy-- one coat, let it sit, and within a minute you've got a most fabulous shattered mani! a top coat is necessary if you want it to be shiny, but other than that you really can't mess it up.

my baby girl's nails, Shatter over Sally Hansen Choco-Latte...cute, no?

have you tried OPI Shatter yet?