Burgundy Nails

As any fashion aficionado knows, this season is all about deep shades of reds. Personally, I have fallen hard for burgundy nails as they are classic with a punky edge. Danina totally turned me on to Essie’s Bahama Mama (shown below)... I tell you, that girl knows where it’s at!

 

 

To keep this look on trend, I think it’s best to keep your nails short. Remember that once dried, the colour will appear much darker than in the bottle. Let me know which one you are planning on using!

 

1. Deborah Lippmann Good Girl Gone Bad / 2. Dior Graphic Berry / 3. Chanel Vamp / 4. YSL La Laque Couture Fuchsia Cubiste / 5. Essie Bahama Mama / 6. Sephora by OPI Beauty Junkie

 

 

Holiday Wish List

PANIC ATTACK. How did the holiday season creep up on us so fast? Less than a month to go and I still haven’t started gift shopping... For those who know me: your jaw just dropped! I’m normally a nauseating on-the-ball shopper. By December, my tree is up, gifts are wrapped and I’ve sent my cards to friends and family.  This year: nothing. Eek! Time to get on it! To get us in the mood, here’s my Holiday Wish List:

 

 

1. Lauren Elan’s Everly necklace / 2. Agnelle Pony leather gloves / 3. Feathers, feathers, feathers! If money was not an issue, this Alexander McQueen feather trimmed top would be mine / 4. I’m loving all shades of grey (pun unintended... get your mind out of the gutter!) I sure love this Rag & Bone Lund Pullover / 5. Kate Spade gold iPhone case / 6. Nine West Cosy Bootie in black / 7. Chanel's Vamp nail polish / 8. Oh-so-glam Diptyque Feu de Bois candle.

 

Winter Ready

No doubt about it: winter has arrived in Montreal! I got to enjoy a little shopping this weekend and between every shop I was unbuttoning my coat, removing my gloves... geez, shopping in the summer is so much less hassle! That being said, during the cold months, we get to purchase the best items: coats and boots! Ahhh... a slice of heaven... To get you winter-ready, here are a few suggestions as well as some fellow-blogger-slash-pinterest inspiration. Let me know what you think! Cheers, Emily xo

FAUX FUR: Baukjen Erin Faux Fur Stole / BEANIE: H&M Hat / GLOVES : N. Peal Cashmere Gloves / NAILS: Essies’ Bahama Mama / COAT: Paule Ka Belted Wool Blend Coat (check out the one I just purchased by visiting our facebook page) / JEWELS: Isabelle May Kashmir and Mercury bracelets / BOOTIES: Yves Saint Laurent Gisele 80 Suede Ankle Boots

 

 

{ Source Unknown }  { Atlantic Pacific }  { D K M T L }  { Crazy Style Love }

 

 

 

Sunny Disposition

Oh yeah... Did I mention that I’m the luckiest girl alive and that I recently spent a week in the heavenly state of California? Truth be told, I’ve never travelled as much as this year – I feel both giddy and blessed at the idea. Since fall/winter has so quickly washed over Montreal, it was fun to pack my summer brights before storing them for good and feel the sun on my snow-white skin once again.

 

1. I dare you to name one other tree that can brighten up your day like a palm tree / 2. Welcome to California! Wearing my silver bangles on the plane and my summery Isabelle May bracelet / 3. On trend with Song nail polish by Butter London / 4. Hubby and I’s first stop: yup, In-n-Out! I couldn’t wait to take a bite of my burger before snapping this shot.

Should My Nails Match My Makeup?

Here’s a brand new question posted on PMT’s facebook page: "I just purchased new nail polish by Essie: Merino Cool. Now my question is... does my makeup need to be in similar tones?"

Well, my dear, I’m glad you asked. In short: no. There are no rules! I tend to paint my nails on Sunday afternoon (right smack in the middle of doing chores... “Oh, soooorry... No, I can’t help you fold the laundry... my nails are drying...”  Evil, I know). I chose my nail polish in function of my mood (...and trends). Your everyday makeup should also reflect your mood and improve your complexion. If the shades found in Merino Cool aren’t suitable for your skin tone, don’t force it! Your fingers are nowhere near your face, so you don’t need to worry about them clashing. However, if you feel more comfortable with the uniformity of matching makeup and nails, the easiest colours to pull off are orchid and red (both super hot trends this fall).  Here are two different options for you to rock your new nail polish:

 

 

 

To Match?

1. Kate Von D’s Shade Shifter Eyeshadow in On The Road / 2. Essie’s Merino Cool / 3. Rouge Shine Lipstick no. 43 by Sephora / 4. NARS Illuminator in Copacabana, a glistening pearl shade / 5. Revlon’s lip gloss in Lilac Pastelle

 

Or to Mix?

1. Kate Von D Tattoo Liner / 2. bareMinerals eye shadow duo The Phenomenon, combining Azure Iris and Golden Iris / 3. Creamy Lip Colour by Bobbi Brown in Pink Ballet / 4. MAC’s new Light Dirty Rose Beige / 5. Essie’s Merino Cool

 

Top 10: Fall Edition

Yesterday afternoon, Montreal was hit with torrential downpours. This morning, the city woke up to a beautiful crisp fall morning. Hubby and I will walk downtown to breathe in the change of season... and I’ll be stocking up on a few beauty essentials. You’ve read my “Top 10” beauty posts, but here is September’s updated version:

 

1. FOUNDATION: Cover FX, pressed mineral powder foundation with SPF 10 / 2. LIPSTICK: Orange Flip by Revlon. I often layer mine with Artdeco’s pale pink Lip Brillance #64 / 3. BROW PENCIL: Lancôme's all-in-one essential for natural-looking brows: Le Crayon Poudre / 4. CONCEALER: The miraculous Boi-ing by Benefit / 5. PRIMER: It’s smooth sailing with Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer / 6. EYELINER: I can’t live without eyeliner and Stila’s has proven the test of time / 7. MASCARA: Artdeco All-in-one Mascara. I have it in black and blue, layering both shades / 8. NAIL POLISH: Geranium by Essie is a great “in between seasons” shade / 9. EYE CREAM: Kiehl's creamy eye treatment with avocado... now that I’m 30, I’m realizing that eye cream is not a luxury purchase. Pout. / 10. DRY SHAMPOO: The best of the best is Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo.

 

Birthday Extravaganza

Well my dears, in but a few hours, I will no longer be in my twenties. And you know what? That’s A-okay. My birthday party was a wonderful success ...and I was spoiled rotten! Balloons, cupcakes with my picture printed on them, a full dance floor, way too much food, and best of all: being surrounded by a fantastic group of friends. It doesn’t get better than that, does it? Oh, but when your friends get together to buy you a Kate Spade camel clutch and your loving husband puts a Michael Kors watch on your wrist: it does!!!

1. As mentioned on my Facebook page, I sported Ciaté’s caviar nails on Saturday night. Lots of work: yes. Worth it? Umm... I would recommend going to this trouble for a day event. At night, it’s not so obvious how cool they are. After my morning shower, they were ruined. / 2. My Kate Spade beauty (Thank you to my wonderful and crazy-generous girlfriends: the Kikster, D girl, AJ, MC, Isabelle, Keren, Mel, Nicole, Carole, Suzanne, Julia and Amélie, xoxoxo) / 3. A gift from Hubs. I love you, for all of time / 4. Sunday afternoon nails – to match my birthday outfit tomorrow!

Bright Summer Nails

My sister-in-law, Melanie, brought me the ULTIMATE hostess gift: nail polish! Now that’s a woman who knows me well! One of the shades was this gorgeous orange: Paisley Attention To Me. What do you think? Here are a few suggestions if, like me, you fell hard for this summer look: 

Sephora by OPI: Paisley Attention To Me is an opaque tangerine orange / Dior’s Riveria is a bright orange coral / Westbourne Grove by Nails inc. is a bright neon orange with a hint of yellow / Revlon ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel in Marmalade is a bold coral.

Hot Nail Polish Trend

I have gone overboard with my love for blue nail polish. Any brand, any shade, any day: I’m digging it. As an art consultant, I have many liberties regarding my fashion statements, so blue nails are perfectly acceptable at the office. Lucky me! Have you been rocking this trend? Do you have a favourite nail polish brand or colour? If so, please do share!

Wearing Essie’s Mint Candy Apple

Above: NARS, Kutki / Ciaté, Skinny Jeans / Dior, St-Tropez / Essie, Bikini so Teeny / Chanel, Coco Blue / Illamasqua, Force.  On this long weekend celebrating Quebec’s National Holiday, I’d say blue is the perfect choice! Happy weekend!

Date Night

We are in a celebratory mood here at the Hubs-and-Emily-Casa. Time for a well-deserved date night! I’m wearing my new Zara dress, my go-to Isabelle May bracelets and debating which colour to paint my nails: Turquoise and Caicos or Action?

Wishing you all a wonderful evening!

Why nails are the biggest trend

Whether your fingertips are painted with a discreet nude, vampy red, bold blue or pantone-inspired tangerine, the color on your nails speaks loudly to your sense of style. When tastes and trends seem to be ever-changing, nail polish provides an easy way to update your look with minimal effort and money. Here’s a little glimpse of the trends to come and those that were:

1994 Vamp: Created to mimic the colour of dried blood, this shade was made popular by Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction (remember how revolutionary it was when she rocked the super short nails? Thank you, Uma, thank you!) / 2006 Black Satin: Lindsey Lohan and Madonna were sporting this gothic-glam shade. Black Satin flew off Chanel’s shelves – to the point where bottles were sold on eBay for 100$! Chanel saved the day by making Black Satin a permanent addition to its collection – ouf! / 2010 Particulière: The greige craze began here! If Victoria Beckham is wearing it, so are we! / 2011 Péridot & Nouvelle Vague: It’s a tossup between greenish metal and tropical blue. Chanel actually started waiting lists for these shades before they were made available to the public. / 2012 June: Have you purchased it yet?

Colour Block - The Nail File

I love a good manicure. Last week, my nails were a great shade of gray-blue by MAC, and then a nude by Chanel (and by nude, I mean literally my skin colour... which made me look nail-less... What can I say people?  You win some you lose some.) Today, I am embracing colour, as I have opted for a flashy red-orange by OPI. This got me thinking about the concept of colour blocking which I mentioned earlier this week... I’ve seen so many multicoloured nails both on the runway and on celebrities, and I’m wondering if I’d dare give it a try. For those who know me, this is saying a lot. I’ll admit it; I’m OCD about having matching nails and toenails. Mismatched fingernails seem... reckless! Ha! What’s your take?

Image via / Check out the new spring nail polish collections by Yves St-Laurent, Essie & Deborah Lippman