BRONZD

OUI, OUI, MERCI(ER)

2012-01-25T20:04:00.000+10:00

Laura Mercier has released a little polish range.

Hoorah.

The last on the right could be the answer to my quest for a replacement for CND 'burn'.

STONE COLD BEAUTY

2012-01-19T21:12:00.001+10:00

Lara Stone is an Amazon.

You may remember a month or so back, I posted Tom Ford's glistening new signature beauty spot in New York City.

Here is the full range of polishes.

They retail at thirty U.S. dollars, so WHO knows just how much we'll ~~get ripped~~ pay here.

Tom Ford stocked exclusively at David Jones Australia.

Stay tuned.

STRIP FOR STRIP

2012-01-19T08:45:00.000+10:00

MinxNails has, without question, had a revolutionary effect on the nail and beauty industry with their groundbreaking 'nail armour' patented strips. Since cracking the scene back in 2004, the company has skyrocketed into mainstream consciousness and beyond, taking prominent marketshare, from backwater nail shops to the runways of haute couture.

As the adage goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so enter a million (okay, maybe a hundred...) other enterprises coming up with copycat products.

There comes a point, however, where original innovation inspires beyond imitation and certain exceptions are ushered to stand beside the industry standard.

Even though I've been a Minx advocate for the last 2 years it's actually been available in Australia, I've found myself stuck on the same handful of designs regardless of the ever-widening range available. No amount of celebrity nail-tech collaborations with the brand has helped my plight.

So what is one to do? Sometimes, look elsewhere.

ncLA's nail wraps have gone the other way with design inspiration. Instead of staying within the beauty industry, they've partnered with LA-based luxury t-shirt line, Succession for the limited edition designs above. This is definitely something I can get with.

ncLA's nail wraps are a little D.I.Y. product and are currently not available in Australia (but hey, neither were Minx for the first 5 years...).
Hopefully these dope creative collaborations can help change that fact... (suggestion - sass+bide, Romance Was Born, Mary Katrantzou et al for ncLA???).

Full article over at vibevixen.com

BLACK AND WHITE (AND BRONZE)

2012-01-17T23:08:00.000+10:00

Even in black and white, they got the bronze right.

Magnifique!

Image via Paris Vogue

AMBER ALERT

2012-01-15T21:28:00.001+10:00

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has never really been my cup of tea, but this weird little shade of yellowish-orange definitely has. She is killing it in this January/February 2012 Australian Harpers Bazaar shoot, though, I'll give her that.

The CND varnish pictured above (Kumquat Dahlia) has been discontinued (don't even get me started on that subject) - but it gives you the idea.

Go forth and match.

Images via Harpers Bazaar Australia

2012 REFINED

2012-01-15T21:13:00.000+10:00

There are alot of websites and blogs dedicated to nail polish. My pick for new directions is always Refinery 29.

Being that they are so dope, they've got the 2012 polish trends already sorted.

It's the middle of summer (and a heatwave...) here, so my favourite picks from their 8 directions are the two above.

I've already ripped their images, so I'm gonna let them lead you through the other six trends and tell you why all eight are so special.

Click on the link above (or just below).

Images via refinery29.com

TRUE BLUE

2012-01-12T22:50:00.004+10:00

Bit of mint with your cobalt?

Images via Australian Grazia magazine

THIS POLISH IS ACE

2012-01-12T22:32:00.002+10:00

ACE Hotel has collab'ed with Uslu Airline cosmetics to come up with their very own signature nail varnish.

2-odd years ago I had the pleasure of staying at ACE's West 29th Street Manhattan location with my very best friend and we really did have an ace time whilst there (although the Breslin coffee shop had not opened at that stage, which was not even close to being ace.)
I can however, vouch that the interiors are indeed this same colour of above polish.

Outstanding.

I will now stop saying 'ace'.

Images and full article via ny.racked.com

POUCHETTE OR POLISH??

2012-01-12T22:15:00.001+10:00

Would you like a LV bag or some nail varnish??

Those good folk at Racked.com managed to unearth this incredible vintage Louis Vuitton nail polish box set (wwhhaaatt??) over at fashionphile.com .

Soooo, it's all yours for $595. (...yes, that right - the decimal comes after the second '5'...).

I've got a couple of bottles of polish around the 8-9 year mark - but this is something else completely. Racked suggests the can of Tab gives some reference to the age of the varnishes.

Gosh...

Images and full article via Racked National

ALL BLACK EVERYTHING

2012-01-12T21:51:00.002+10:00

If you've ever owned two (or more) black garments, you'll be familiar with the concept that there is absolutely more than one shade of black.

Enter STRANGEBEAUTIFUL's new boxed collection of every version of black (and an odd grey and olive) varnish you could ever need.

Delightful.

Image and full article via tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com

HOW TO WEAR WHITE

2012-01-09T19:29:00.000+10:00

Get a bangin' spraytan to start with....

Australian Grazia does it again.

Nails are on point. As per, there is no credit for the talent. (Boo).

Images via Australian Grazia

CITRUS FRESH

2012-01-08T11:34:00.001+10:00

'bekka'

So, my husband found these images and since watching 'The September Issue' (and developing a style crush on Grace Coddington), he now insists of the title of Creative Director of this blog.....

Images via Vogue Italia

PINKTASTIC

2012-01-05T09:04:00.001+10:00

It's ba-aaack......

Pink reigns supreme.

Celine called it first (it gets no better than Phoebe Philo), with Michael Kors following closely behind.

Here's my 2 picks for nails. They're both getting serious mileage at the moment.

essie - bermuda shorts

essie - chastity

Get your pink on.

Essie available nationally at Myer.

THE FIT WOMAN'S SECRET REVEALED

2012-01-03T22:47:00.003+10:00

A couple of months back, Lorna Jane Clarkson launched her book - MOVE, NOURISH, BELIEVE.

Lorna Jane, the woman and the company has been a client of mine for a minute now, and I was honoured when she handed me a copy of the book the week it debuted. And I was even more honoured to see images included within the book that Bronz'd tanning+nails had been involved in the production of (above).

I settled down to have a flick through it, and found myself unable to put it down. I read the whole thing in one sitting. What an inspirational book, career and person!

Lorna's healthy, active, positive lifestyle philosophy is one I share with her - but there was part of one particular quote that jumped up and clubbed me over the head.

Working within a handful of industries (beauty, modelling, fashion) that tend to overlap and are all concerned entirely with external appearance, I've found it can become an extremely slippery slope into gossip, bitchiness, judgement and criticism all under the guise of day-to-day operations, getting the job done, and not to be forgotten, socialising. So, on pages 42-43, Christian D Larson hit the nail right on the head in espousing that,

"....give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others..."

This nugget of brilliance is nestled into an entirely larger quote and could have been easily skimmed over - but there it was - some of it in particularly bold typeface.

Imagine if you only lived by this credo, the type of life you would develop and all the various by-products created as a result...

Incredible.

Definitely something to aspire to achieve each and every day.

Bronz'd says Thanks, Lorna! :)

All images via MOVE. NOURISH. BELIEVE.

HAPPY 2012

2012-01-03T21:43:00.000+10:00

The jewellery/accessories issue of Italian Vogue has set it off.

Yes - those are 4 hands, in total.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Enjoy.

MAC ATTACK

2011-12-31T10:39:00.002+10:00

MAC are keeping it sooo fresh and always manage to stay ahead of the pack with their truly inspired creative collaborations.

Fashion maverick and the late Lee McQueen muse, Daphne Guinness is the latest in an illustrious line for her own limited edition collection.

Not quite sure why, but she decided to multi-task her nail polish as lipstick. NOT recommended by anyone, really - including the make-up artist for the shoot above.

Next on MAC's radar - Iris Apfel. This lady has always had the goods. I last spotted her in the documentary, Bill Cunningham New York - which has my vote for best film of 2011.

Check her out.

Full credit to mediabistro.com

FAREWELL 2011

2011-12-31T10:05:00.003+10:00

Who found 2011 more than challenging??

By many, many accounts this year, it's been a long, tough one. But we are still here standing, so...

Hooray for us. And hooray for 2012.

This image makes me happy.

Happy New Year, to all of you who support Bronz'd tanning+nails year after year, and continue to help make my life amazing.

Immense love and respect.

Image via my husband's iPhone....

MAGNETIZE MY MIND (WITH YOUR NAILS)

2011-12-29T21:55:00.001+10:00

This is a trend that I've been a smidge slow to report - probably because I haven't seen any out here in little 'ol Brisbane yet (...and that is not to say it isn't here...).

Behold magnetic nail polish! (Be gone, fugly shatter polish...ugh).

I've read a handful of reports, reviews and tutorials, but the real proof is in the playing with the product.

Will be on the look-out in the new year.

Watch this space.

GOING WAH-WAH FOR MINX

2011-12-29T21:43:00.004+10:00

Monster London nail salon, Wah Nails, have collab'ed with Minx Nails (well, who hasn't, really??) but this one is truly dope - and it should be, coming from Wah.

This nail spot really is one of the true originals in the game, and is one of the reasons the UK girls are leading the charge in the resurgence of nail art and the growing reverence, relevance and respect (finally!!) for the art that is nails.

Magnificent collaboration.

Image via mydaily.co.uk

RACK 'EM UP FOR 2011

2011-12-29T21:28:00.001+10:00

Racked.com (always the foreword in fresh...) has fairly succinctly wrapped up ('racked up'?? (corny...)) the year in nail trends.

They've got the real-deal-Holyfield top 10 that I just can't argue with, or better.

Thanks, racked!! We love it!

P.s. Minx NailArmour might need to watch their backs with the Sally Hansen Polish strips - same basic concept, (dare I say it????...) better overall product?? Individuals may have to be the judge.