Anyway enough melodrama!  To pick the winners,  I did the high-tech thing and generated a random number via random.org.  Drum roll please!

Congratulations to Liesbet from Belgium and Ana from Pakistan – two countries I would love to visit in the hopefully not so distant future!   And to make it up to you guys for being DEAD for the past few weeks:

1) I’m adding two more “consolation prize” winners to the list who will get surprise packages from me – Sarah from the USA and Lizzy from Malaysia!

2) I shall be sending out emails for those who want custom purchases in the next couple of weeks.  I would love to help out fellow polish fanatics to get their latest finds, but I will be able to do this once my mom has fully recovered. :s

I am about to send emails to all of you ladies shortly. 

Thanks everyone and shall be back with more updates probably after the new year!  Happy Holidays everyone!

Just had to post this quickly even if I’m still busy going around the world.  This has to be one of the most exciting collaborations as of yet.

Eva Chen, Teen Vogue’s beauty editor, just posted on Twitter that OPI is coming out with a Glee inspired collection in February of next year!  Yay!

I will make sure to update this post as soon as I have more info.  Meanwhile, can we start thinking of the shade names that OPI will come up with as well as the color inspirations?  I just can’t wait and listed down some theories.  Feel free to chime in!

• For sure there’s going to be something inspired by Sue Sylvester (her track suit perhaps?)
• colors of Rachel Berry’s cardigans?
• a red the color of The Cheerios uniform?

I’m just too excited to keep this to myself!

Source

Hopefully I’ll be back into posting again (after all the stuff going on in my life) sometime December.  Or January.  Or I don’t know!

Thanks for your support.

Although I’m not a huge fan of the core Chanel nail colors (which have way cheaper alternatives out there in my humble opinion),  I die at the mere sight of their limited edition nail lacquers.  Sucks, because I’m usually in some remote place when the limited stuff releases.

The Internet was abuzz when close up photos from Chanel’s 2011 Resort Collection runway show was released with a closeup of a baby blue nail lacquer.  Everyone waited with abated breath wondering if Creative Director Peter Philips would indeed release this trendy yet delicate shade.  And now we know they’re going to release it – and we now know its name!  I present to you, Chanel Riva:

There’s not too many baby blues out there and this may just end my search for the perfect baby blue polish.  I wonder if it would have discrete shimmer like Chanel Jade?  The promo pic seems to suggest that:

And another bit of exciting news on the Chanel front: Eva Chen, the beauty editor of Teen Vogue, tweeted a preview of what’s to come for Chanel in May 2011.  I assume this is their Summer collection.  Look at that canary yellow!!!  Finally, looks like yellow polish is headed for the mainstream.  I only know very few people who like yellow polish as much as I do.

I will make sure to update this post as I get more info.

And because I love the concept of Chanel’s Resort collection, I am sharing a few more photos from the collection.  I love breezy, beachy clothes – I wish I could wear them all year long!

 

Don’t forget about my Asian polish giveaway!  I’m extending it until November 15, to allow more people to enter (and more time for me to go through entries).

This may be the most brilliant collaboration yet!  OPI has teamed up with one of my nail idols – Katy Perry!!!  The 5-piece collection will be released sometime January 2011 and it includes Black Shatter, which I’m guessing is OPI’s answer to crackle polish (which, btw, is not a new concept).  Here are some bottle pics and descriptions:

L-R: Last Friday Night, Not Like The Movies, The One That Got Away, Teenage Dream, Black Shatter

Named after some of Katy’s songs (I would have loved to see a polish named I Kissed A Girl!):

• Last Friday Night - a fierce glittery blue
• Not Like the Movies – a sultry silver
• The One That Got Away - an amazing deep berry
• Teenage Dream – a dreamy pink glitter
• Black Shatter – crackle top coat

Here are some photos of how these would look like used together:

I honestly don’t think this collection offers anything new, but for a collector like me, all of these are most probably must haves!

To keep the fans excited, OPI has also released a preview of how the colors in this collection (as well as their first collaboration with Serena Williams) in this video.  Exciting!

Way to go OPI!  I hope this paves the way for cooler collaborations in the future!  And because I love Katy Perry’s nails so much, wanted to post a couple of her past nail photos that I found real cool.

Her most recent ground breaking nail look, the glove tip lace nails:

Her uber cool homage to her fiance, Russell Brand (by having his photo placed on her nails! Super cool!).

Her uber cute floral Minx nails (that got me really interested in trying Minx out myself):

And a couple of bling bling for good measure (personally my fave of all of Katy’s nail looks so far):

And finally, her screaming neon yellow nails which I would totally do (minus the crystals and blue hair).

If you like seeing what’s up with Katy (and her nails), be sure to follow her on Twitter!

Oh, btw, please don’t forget to join my giveaway!

Sources: OPI, Katy Perry

I will be giving away a bottle of the beautiful Elianto Racing Green polish from the Sparkling Diva line as well as a few other goodies from Asian brands.  For those of you not familiar with this absolutely breathtaking green, I will try to post an old swatch within the next few days (or if you’re impatient, you can Google it!).

To enter the giveaway, you must accomplish a short survey that will help me move forward with Belle Bath & Beyond.  I would like to get to know more nail polish fans from around the world and get a feel of what you guys like/dislike.  Here are the rest of the mechanics:

• This giveaway is open until October 31. until November 15! You still have time!
• I will be choosing 2 winners at random.
• It is open to anyone and everyone from all over the world!
• I will be contacting the winner via email.
• Finishing the survey will automatically enter you into the giveaway.  One survey per person, please.
• For additional entries, you may Tweet about this giveaway, blog about it, or post about it on Facebook!  (must provide links)
• Prizes will be shipped out within the first part of November from wherever I am going to be (I am not sure yet) via registered mail/courier.  I will not be responsible for lost packages in transit.  I will obtain proof of postage for our mutual protection.

There you have it – short and sweet! Obviously this giveaway is more for those outside of Asia than for those who have ready access to brands like Elianto.  However, anyone can join.

Go direct to the survey here for your chance to win!

Here’s some preliminary collection photos of China Glaze’s 2011 Summer collection called Island Escape.  I liked Poolside, but I think this is going to be a better collection!  Can’t wait!

GLITTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  108 Degrees looks like a new version of one of my favorite pinks, 100 Proof Pink.  Blue Iguana – will this be another Blue Sparrow?  Cha Cha Cha – maybe a new version of Moonpool (oh my!).  And I hope Electric Pineapple is a unique yellow!

Oh China Glaze, please remake something like Grape Crush.  Or since you guys are awesome, why not a polish that would kill my desire for Essie Starry Starry Night?  A polish lover can dream.

Source: Nailmall

I have quite a number of polishes for sale.  Most of these are Brand New, some were used for at most 2 manicures.  Since I don’t have time to go through each (and take pictures), hence the prices are very low (although for US-based gals these may turn out pricey – take into account I had to ship all of these stuff to Manila). These are all in stock.  Only 1 bottle of each polish is available.

Click here for the list of polishes.  If the link doesn’t work, email me (bellebathandbeyond [at] gmail [dot] com) and I can send you the file.

Terms and Conditions (PLEASE READ):

For those based in Manila, Philippines:

• Shipping for Metro Manila starts at 50 pesos depending on weight.  Provincial shipping starts at 78 pesos depending on weight.  All packages to be sent through Xend.
• All polishes will be shipped earliest September 28 (since I still have to pick up polishes from my friend if they sell).  Please make sure you are ok with this.
• Payment options: bank deposit (BPI/Unionbank) at no extra charge or Gcash at 1% add on to cover fees.
• This sale will only be good until October 3 after which I will no longer be selling these polishes.
• Email me first to check availability: bellebathandbeyond [at] gmail [dot] com.  First come, first serve.  Polishes will be sold to whoever could commit to paying first as these need to GO!

For those located outside of Manila, Philippines:

• For those looking for polishes from Asian brands, I can do custom purchases.  Some stuff I could get hold of: Elianto, Etude House, The Face Shop.
• Since I am in Manila, Philippines this month, I will be shipping polishes from here.   You may email me for shipping rates at bellebathandbeyond [at] gmail [dot] com.  By default I will be sending via registered airmail hence no insurance (with this I will not be liable for lost packages).  If you want your package insured, let me know so I can give you a price quote.  And just to let you know, I’ve sent packages to Europe, US, and Australia without problems from here!
• This sale will only be good until October 3 after which I will no longer be selling these polishes.
• Payments through Paypal only.  Need to add additional % to cover fees (will calculate later) if payment is not going to be through gift option.
• Email me first to check availability. First come, first serve.  Polishes will be sold to whoever could commit to paying first as these need to GO!
• All polishes will be shipped earliest September 28 (since I still have to pick up polishes from my friend if they sell).  Please make sure you are ok with this.
• Feedback link will be available upon request (from reputable sites like Ebay, etc) for your peace of mind.

Way to go Essie!  You’re luring me in since you named an otherwise boring polish Masquerade BELLE!

Did you see that new green?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

And the boxed set that looks so awesome.

Some color blocks to get us all giddy!

Definite must haves, just from bottle photos: Hot Coco, Going Incognito, Masquerade Belle (you now know why), and Smokin’ Hot.

Essie does vampy and greige colors best!  And when they release a green, it must be FAB! Can’t wait!

Source: Lushious Beauty

My collection list, which I maintain in an Excel spreadsheet, states that I have over 2300 polishes: How many have I used?  Even if I change polish every single day I wouldn’t even get to use everything up in a year.  So imagine how overwhelming this can be.

At this point though I realized that :

• I’ve been buying way too much – even stuff that I am not sure would work on me.  Been buying dupes and “normal” colors that don’t make my heart skip a beat.
• I should only buy those colors that I really like and just keep stock of “basic” colors like a basic nude, black, red, pink, and white.
• I could still buy polishes but not at the pace I was at for the past months.  I should really be a bit more relaxed and patient when polish shopping and not hoard.
• I should allot time to do an inventory of my collection and swatch everything, even on nail wheels.
• I still want to blog, but only once I’ve sorted out everything in my collection.  I think that with the number of polishes I have, I could really help other people out by coming up with a swatch gallery or something, but that kind of thing requires a lot of planning so I need a few weeks to get everything down pat.  I do a lot of project management for a living and I should apply it to my hobbies too!

Having said all these things, I’m going to be back in the groove of things in a few weeks or months.  I definitely want to keep the blog running and might post a few random posts here and there (if something excites me).  But when I do decide to be back in the groove of things, I should have sorted out what I really want to do with my home in cyberspace to be of better use to everyone!

Ok, this is lengthy, so I better stop now.  But I hope you guys will still be there when I do come back…more..permanently.

Thanks for visiting and see you soon!

Zoya Nail Polish wants to Spoon with you!

Do you REALLY love nail polish? Have you ever purchased a color online or from a color chart only to
find that it doesn’t match the picture? Have you always wanted to be able to try on nail polish the way
you do clothing?

Well, what if you could see EXACTLY how any Zoya color would look on YOU before you buy it? What
if you could make sure you ALWAYS get your perfect pink? Or perfect red. Or purple! ANY color! Any
shade, EVERY TIME! Well now you can…

Zoya presents a new way to shop for nail color – The Zoya Color Spoon!

Every incredible Zoya nail color made will now be available as a spoon so you can try it before you buy
it! This is a revolution for the online nail polish consumer and salon and spa buyers alike who previously
only had online color representations or printed color charts as a guide. Never before have you been
able to try so much color for so little money out of pocket. This is same Zoya color that comes in the
bottle poured into small nail shaped wells to create a tester color spoon – you can see every subtle
detail of the color and hold it up to your nail to see exactly how it will look. Plus, the amount you pay for
the spoons will be added to your account in the form of code that will be available for use on a future
Zoya purchase and BONUS Zoya will ship the spoons to you at no charge. “It’s amazing that we will
be able to do this for our customers – there really is nothing else like it in the nail polish market today”
stated Leo Reyzis, VP of Marketing at Zoya.

So quit the color guessing game when purchasing nail color online and try any one of Zoya’s over 300
formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate and camphor free, vegan friendly shades. Now you can be
sure that the color you try is the exact same color you buy! See it – Try it – Buy it!

Zoya Nail Spoons – $0.50 ea. (free shipping on all spoons – value of spoon(s) will be added to your
account for a future zoya.com purchase).

Zoya Nail Spoons will be available at www.zoya.com starting September 1, 2010.

Here’s how it works…
Simply visit www.zoya.com, select a color(s) to try, click on the coordinating Zoya Color Spoon option
in the product ordering area to add the color spoon to your shopping cart. Order as many as you would
like. After your order has been approved and processed, zoya.com will ship your selected color spoons
out for you to try and email you a confirmation along with your spoon value code (code will also be
available under the “my account” section of www.zoya.com so you never have to worry about losing it).*

* All Zoya Color Spoon sales are final. One time personalized spoon value code. Zoya Color Spoon value code can be applied
to any polish or treatment item at www.zoya.com. Code cannot be used to purchase additional spoons.

I think it’s nice that they are allowing us nail polish lovers to try on colors first before making decisions on the colors to purchase.  Technically the spoons are FREE because you get the $ you paid for the spoon/s as credit on a succeeding order.  I think I’m going to place an order for spoons soon since I’m bound to buy something from Zoya anyway!  Their collections always wow me.

I like knowing and reading about information on these things but lately I’ve been more conscious of the nail looks that go with these fashion choices.

Here’s a sneak peek on some of the less conventional (not nude/sheer) nail looks on the Emmy red carpet this year.  I will write a more comprehensive post soon.  Meanwhile, let me show you some teaser pictures and try to match the fingers to the face (and dress).

Any fave nail look so far?

Back on track, let me share some photos with you of most of my BB Couture polishes (I think I’m missing 2 or 3 when this picture was taken).

To start things off, can I just profess my love for this brand?  They come out with pretty unique colors and they have the BEST collection of green polishes out there.  Yes, this  is coming from a fanatic who has over 2000 polish colors.  BB Couture greens could kick the butt of other green polishes out there.  Here are most of their greens (just missing some of the most recent releases).

Another bunch of greens in the old bottle:

And yet another set of greens, this time for the BB Couture for Men line (don’t worry ladies, it’s just a marketing thing but they’re the same polish!):

Another color that BB Couture does well is purple.  They have so many – and very unique ones at that.

I have a few of their bright polishes too.

And some metallics and grays with a few odd colors mixed in.

Finally…the blues!  I love BB Couture blues!

(There’s a green mixed in here, sorry for that)

I apologize for the dim quality of these pictures – I have yet to set things up to take proper product photos!  I just wanted to share my BB Couture collection because I love them so much.  I wish they had more frequent sales.

And just for old times sake, here’s a comparison of the old bottle (.6 oz) versus the new bottle (standard .5 oz):

Too bad they changed the bottle – I loved the old ones.

Their official website is here.  I buy their polishes through the fabulous etailer Overall Beauty, owned by the gracious Kim.  Her customer service is out of this world!  And yes, she ships internationally!   Tip: If it’s your first time to order from Overall Beauty, use coupon code CB222 to get $2 off purchases of at least $25.  She also offers free US shipping for orders of at least $50.

I also did a review of one of the colors photographed here, Paradise from the Hands of Hope Collection, which you can view here.  Hopefully I will be able to show you more colors in the future!

I totally did some impulsive clicking and shopping the other day at Forever 21 and ended up buying two pieces from the Brian Lichtenberg collection (I told you, I’m such a sucker for collaborations).  This is one of them:

I haven’t seen that many tees with nail polish prints so I bought it.  One of the quickest purchases I’ve ever made.

Shopping tips for Forever 21:

• They occasionally offer a free 1-year magazine subscription with a $25 purchase.  This only applies to US purchases though.  I got Teen Vogue the last time around.
• If you see something you like and your size is pretty popular, GRAB it!  Things go so fast on the website I’m telling you.  I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.
• Try to buy a bunch of stuff to reach free shipping at $75.  Once in a while they offer Free Shipping at lower minimum order values, so make sure you sign up for their newsletter to be updated.  Right now, you can use the code FREESHIP to avail of free shipping for purchases of $40 and above!
• They have a bunch of cool spin off lines that caters to every size and taste.

I personally don’t care much for Forever 21 clothes though I do buy pieces once in a while when I find something I like.  I totally pass on shoes and bags from them because the price for the quality/material they use is not worth it for me.  What I HOARD from Forever21 though are accessories – I’ve got a about a million pieces of costume jewelry from them and have no plans of cutting back on purchasing!    I am notorious for losing jewelry, so I quit wearing expensive stuff and just have fun with fashion jewelry.  Also, check out their nail polish line, Love & Beauty.  Polishes are just at $2.80 and are made of fantastic quality (made by the makers of L.A. Girl polishes, another underrated brand of polish).  I do find their nail polish selection better in store (in the US at least.  Too bad they don’t carry the nail polishes in Manila.).

Happy shopping!

NARS almost got me last year when they re-released some of their vintage shades:

L-R: Blue Lagoon, Hunger, Zizi, Cha Cha Cha, Tallulah

I eventually bough Tallulah, but I’m still undecided on Blue Lagoon.  It’s pretty, but based on reviews, it applies very sheer.

So I thought I was safe from NARS even when I wrote about the impending re-release of Zulu a few months back.  What’s $16?  Well, NARS seemed to push back the release of Zulu for good reason, because it brought along some friends!!!!

L-R: Mash, King Kong, Midnight Express, Zulu, Full Metal Jacket

And some fantastic looking friends, I must say!  I’m definitely going to get Mash.  Midnight Express may go home with me too if it’s not too dupey to all the navy blue cremes I have.

Argh!  Chanel, NARS, and MAC.  Why oh why?!?!?!?!??  I hope Dior doesn’t come out with any more fantastic ideas or else I’m gonna go broke.

Some tips in shopping:

• Use this direct link.
• Have a list of what you want beforehand.  The site takes a LONG time to add colors to your cart, so knowing what you want and clicking through your selections helps.  Imagine 10,000+ people trying to place an order all at the same time (ok, that’s clearly an exaggeration but you get the idea).
• Be patient.  Make sure that you are ready to spend a good hour in placing an order.  I have been quite busy these weeks but still managed to place an order late night Friday.  And get this – I fell asleep in front of my laptop in the middle of placing an order!  That’s how slow the site loads.
• For those using credit card to place the order, make sure to add the issue date of your card and the additional info they ask for (some code that I don’t have on mine) on the payment info, only IF your card has it.  That will authorize your purchase.
• Wait for the site to finish loading before doing anything else, like checking out again.  You might place in an order twice!  If you aren’t sure if your order went through, check your email and see if you got an order confirmation.
• If the site won’t load, try clearing your browser’s cache and reload the page.  Or try using a different browser!
• If you are still having problems, go and post a message on Models Own’s Facebook page.  They respond pretty quickly!  I think their customer service makes the effort worthwhile.
• Make sure you make this a huge order to make the effort worthwhile and the shipping cost (10 GBP for international) worth it.  For UK-based folks, shipping is free for purchases of at least 20 GBP.

I have already posted individual reviews for about half of the Models Own polishes I own here but let me put in all the photos here in this post, along with some other swatches I haven’t posted before, to help you guys.  I actually swatched a few more, but can’t find the photos.   If you have time to read through thorough reviews, go ahead and check out the Models Own category on the drop down list to the right of the page.

Enough chitchat, here are the polishes!

Models Own True Blue

Models Own Peacock Green

Models Own Green Tea (w/o top coat)

Models Own Green Tea (w/ top coat)

Models Own Top Turquoise

Models Own Green Grass

Models Own Lime Green

Models Own Pastel Pink

Models Own Orange Sorbet

Models Own Nude Beige

Models Own Moody Grey

Models Own Misty Grey

Models Own Grey Day

Models Own Coral Reef

Models Own Blue Gem

Final thoughts: I think Models Own makes great polish.  They have some unique and pretty colors that are worth the trouble.  I highly recommend the cremes – the formula is fantastic;  a little on the thick side but IMO this makes it easier to apply on the nail.  Take note though that of all the polishes I swatched above, Green Tea actually dried matte (maybe a neon pigment), so you may need to apply top coat to get the effect you want.

So sorry couldn’t find my swatches of Purple Grey and some of the glitters.  By the time I finish re-doing my swatches, the sale might be already over.   Oh well!

Hope this helps you decide!

I hate it when they do exclusives.  I could still remember how much I grieved when I thought that the Moscow Collection was going to be ultra difficult to find.  Luckily, I was able to snag Nuit De Russie and Feu de Russie at reasonable prices on Ebay after a few months.  (If I’m talking Swahili for you, check out All Lacquered Up’s feature on the Chanel Moscow Collection here.)

Word is out that Chanel is going to launch a limited edition trio of nail lacquers come September for Vogue’s Fashion Night Out (Exact Date: September 10).  These much-awaited nail varnishes were created by the famed Chanel makeup director Peter Philips especially for this event. From what I’ve gathered, those attending the FNO will have first dibs on the collection while the rest of the world will have their chance come October.  PLEASE, let these NOT be boutique exclusives!

Sophy Robson,  a British manicurist/nail artist  (btw, Pam wrote an awesome article on her here), posted some teaser photos of prototype nail lacquers on her blog.  She mentioned that this collection was tentatively called the Camouflage collection.  I am not surprised with the theme because it seems that Fall 2010 is going to be a fresh take on military fashion (read: fatigue green, camouflage colors).    Here’s a repost of her quick and dirty swatches.

And then, several magazines this month have already posted pictures of this collection (including Vogue and Elle international editions).  Though I don’t have scans of those pictures, here’s some initial bottle photos I found online.  Drool with me, please.

Chanel Khaki Rose

Chanel Khaki Brun

Chanel Khaki Vert

Help me piece together pieces of the puzzle if the  Sophy did mention that it was for Fashion Night Out too so this may be the nail lacquers IN PROGRESS – meaning it may still change.  The bottle photos look WAY different.)

I still think that Sophy’s swatches may be closer to the real colors than the bottle pics.  If my hunch is right, then I may have to buy all of the colors!!!!  Ahh!!!  But based on the photos above, only Khaki Vert is calling my name.

Let me reiterate that the fabulous Sophy only posted prototype lacquers so these may not be the the actual colors placed in production for all we know.

For more on the fabulous Sophy Robson, check out her website.

Image Source: Sophy Robson, Vogue

Join China Glaze Nail Lacquer this October in the battle against breast cancer, one nail at a time! The professional line of nail lacquers brings on the fight with three powerful pinks. Inspired by the women who fight everyday and those that support them in their battle, these fabulous shades are sure to help you defeat the toughest opponents with style and class. China Glaze representative Rachel Schafer voiced that “in an industry dominated by women, for women, it is important that we strive to work together towards finding a cure”.

The three colors in “Fight Like A Woman” include:

• Encouragement – A baby pink shimmer that brings on the cheer
• Endurance – Power through the punches with this raspberry shimmer
• Empowerment – Stand up tall with this cotton-candy crème on your nails

A portion of the proceed will benefit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization dedicated to the science of cancer and promoting international collaboration in cancer research.

The “Fight Like A Woman” Collection will be available at professional beauty supply stores and select salons this September. Availability will be very limited internationally.

My favorite nail blogger in the whole wide universe, Scrangie, has swatches of the polishes up on her site.  I will definitely get both of the shimmers, and potentially the creme too!

FingerPaints Yellow Bikini

Isn’t it so pretty?  I love this polish.  This could very well be my favorite yellow polish of all time, and that’s saying a lot.  Unfortunately, this was a limited edition polish from last year’s FingerPaints Summer collection.  Wanted to post it nevertheless because I love it so much I wore it for days.

Here’s my usual review.

Formula: You know what everyone says about yellow polish being difficult to work with?  This is NOT an exception to that unwritten polish rule.  But as you can see, with three coats, you can eventually overcome the streaky nature of this polish.  I’m going to give it an average rating for that (oh yeah, I’m biased).

Rating:

Opacity: Three coats needed to be even and opaque.

Rating:

Removal: Consolation is that yellows are quite easy to remove, so no complaints here.

Rating:

Color: This is where you’ll hear me gush again – I’m so in love with this yellow.  It’s soft and bright at the same time.  The shimmer makes the brightness subdued somehow, making it an interesting but not exactly overpowering.

Rating:

Extra! Extra!: In spite of the inherent flaws of this polish most probably due to the pigment being used to produce yellow nail colors (don’t quote me on that though, no scientific claim whatsoever), I still give this a perfect rating.  This is a refreshing change from all the neons and bright cremes we’ve seen in summers past.  A yellow shimmer is very hard to come by.  This is a definite keeper in my book, and I’m going to cherish my bottle since it was limited edition.

Rating:

Another extra photo for you with this nail color: when I wore FingerPaints Yellow Bikini, it reminded me so much of the color of one of my favorite skincare (and hair care) brands, Garnier Light.  Coincidentally, I bought the Garnier Bright Brightening Eye Roll-On on the same day I wore this mani (talk about the subconscious messing with my buying decisions) since I’ve been very curious about this product ever since it was released in Asia.  I hope I get conclusive results to write a complete review soon.  Meanwhile, a matchy-matchy mani is in order.

FingerPaints are exclusively sold at Sally Beauty Supply.  Watch out for the monthly specials and get a Sally card – it’s totally worth it!

I was so excited to hear that celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann (who is actually a recording artist herself, hence the naming of all her nail polish colors after songs) worked with Gaga for the September 2010 issue of Vanity Fair.  And I’m loving the look!  Here is the cover that has sparked so much interest in the cyber world since the word leaked out:

I love the nails – and the entire look for that matter!!! Although I love bright colors, I like donning a monochromatic look once in a while, even with my nail color.  I think that the monochrome look lends a chic and timeless vibe, and this cover is no exception.  Here’s another luscious photo from the magazine feature.

You can check out a preview and some excerpts from the Vanity Fair feature (written by Lisa Robinson, photographed by Nick Knight) here and a glimpse into the behind the scenes of the actual photo shoot here.  My favorite part of the article so far, wherein Gaga explained the inspiration behind her hit song Bad Romance (which is, coincidentally, one of the newest shades from the Lippmann line of nail lacquers that I initially wrote about here).

Regarding men, she says, “I’m drawn to bad romances. And my song [“Bad Romance”] is about whether I go after those [sort of relationships] or if they find me. I’m quite celibate now; I don’t really get time to meet anyone.”

Back to the cover look, I would love to don that kind of hair but my Asian features would clash with this washed out color.  I will just settle for the look of her nails using the Deborah Lippmann Spring 2010 shade, Waking Up In Vegas, described as a “putty-liscious gray”.  I have a few nail colors like it, but since I love this hue, I think I’m going to go ahead and shelf out $16.

Deborah Lippmann Waking Up In Vegas

The September issue of Vanity Fair should be out at newsstands now.  Deborah Lippmann nail lacquers are available at Nordstrom’s in the US, and Rustan’s in the Philippines (though the stocks are not very good, I heard).  You can also order them online via Beauty.com and direct from the Deborah Lippmann website.

Image Credits: Deborah Lippmann and Vanity Fair.