Happy Lunar New Year everyone! To ring in the year of the Snake, I chose a traditional red and gold for my holiday manicure.
Essie Limited Addiction was the base for my French mani-inspired nails. It’s a rich creme red that rings true to the color with a tinge of orange undertones. It reminds me of those beautiful Shanghai women and their siren red lips from the 1940s era.
I have a job interview this morning so I changed my manicure shade from China Glaze’s Grape Juice from their Summer Days collection that I been wearing all weekend to something more neutral.
It’s important to know how to appropriately dress for any event, and on these occasions you want to have all the attention focused on you and your skills in your interview versus how savvy you are on the latest nail trends. Although that doesn’t mean you can’t wear the latest that’s in season.
Today I’m wearing Golden Sand from CHANEL’s Côte d’Azur Summer collection, a peachy gold metallic that looks almost like light copper piping or cookware. I like the shade although the formula was thick and hard to apply evenly on my nails. It’s a nice color for work manicures, bold but doesn’t scream for attention.
If you’re looking for some good polish options for office, here are some others that I’ve recently featured:
I don’t have to tell you that Valentine’s Day is a big day. Whether it’s for those who crave the lovers’ holiday or denounce it for time better spent with friends, I think it’s safe to say that we want primp and prep to the nines for whatever we’re doing.
Now that I have my holiday beauty look down pat, I’m concentrating on how to make my skin irresistibly touchable.
Soft skin starts, undoubtedly, in the shower. I’ve been using LaLicious Sugar Kiss Soufflé Scrub ($34 US) and it’s absolutely yummy. This exfoliator has little scrubbers in it that’s not to coarse and not too fine making it nice for those with more sensitive skin. It’s rich and leaves me skin so moisturized, I almost don’t need a body lotion.
I said, almost. After the shower, I slather on LaLicious Sugar Kiss Body Butter ($24 US) only on the areas where my body is most dry – my legs and arms/elbows. It moisturizes as well as gives off a subtle sweet vanilla scent, making me smell like I just stepped out of the shower for hours.
For my feet, I find that I’ve been giving myself DIY mani/pedis more often than not. Try Miss Oops Pedicure in a Bottle ($18 US). This exfoliating cream made specially for your gams will help to give you smooth skin and with peppermint and lavender in the formula, you’ll smell great as well!
Yes, we’re still right smack in the middle of winter and the rain and clouds outside keep taunting me to wear vampy reds and chocolaty browns on my tips. But I say, the hell with all that, I’m ready for spring and I WILL wear hot pink in January if I want to. 
Essie Spring 2009 Collection includes six nail lacquers in a range of basic colors from nude to bold reds and blue. The collection of creme finish polishes is a bit retro to me, a nice throwback to your basics.
Lacquered Up is a superhero red that reminds me of Wonder Woman and complements my fair skin tone nicely.
I love the soft cotton candy pink of Flawless. These types of pink shades usually don’t do anything for me but this one really won my heart over. I have a feeling I’ll be reaching for this bottle many times this season.
Our friend’s wedding yesterday in San Diego was a lovely outdoor affair on the waterfront with beautiful views of docked boats all along the coast. And while weddings are not really events where I like to be daring with my nail color, I still want to spice it up in my own little way when I can.
For my wedding day manicure, I choose a pale blue color from Essie’s spring collection called Looking for Love. A shade like this is totally in line with the demure and understated look that you would expect for a manicure, but the fact that it’s got a baby blue-ish, lavender undertone versus the regular pale pink really made me feel like a standout.
What are your favorite nail colors to wear to a formal event?
How did you spend your weekend? The wedding was so fun – check out how cute the Boyfriend looks! But I’m completely pooped from my trip and am so looking forward to spending a few days laying low before heading off to Reno and Tahoe for the 4th of July holiday weekend!
Like this post? Subscribe to The Daily Cookie RSS feed and email to see how I’m sassing myself up this summer!
