The Best Nail Art from Fall 2011 New York Fashion Week
We at are shamelessly obsessed with nails. My desk is almost always covered with a rainbow assortment of glitter, creme, jelly, and even glow-in-the-dark formulations, and Eva has been known to change her nail color daily. For a polish freak, Fashion Week is one of the most exciting times of the year, so we thought we'd share some of the coolest nails we've seen at the shows.
1/13From neon french tips to serious sparkles, flip through our favorite backstage nail art looks.
Photo courtesy of Fairchild Archive2/13Deborah Lippman created a half-moon manicure for Badgley Mischka using her own polishes in Ruby Slippers and Believe as a base. To get the look, "Buy some French manicure guide stickers from the drugstore," says Lippman. "First, paint your whole nail the lighter color, wait for it to dry, and then place the French manicure guide where you want the half-moon to start. Just paint the remaining portion of your nail with the darker color!"
Photo courtesy of Red PR3/13At Jen Kao, nails got a rainforest-inspired treatment! The funky look came from the imagination of Kristina Estabrooks at CND, who was inspired by "organic, living things in the swampy depths of nature." Neat! Estabrooks used Gold Chrome and Midnight Sapphire as a base, and then added drops of Gold Pearl, Iced Blue Shimmer, and more Midnight Sapphire to create a stained glass effect.
Photo by Ann Lawlor courtesy of Sam Dark Public Relations4/13Celebrity nail artist Pattie Yankee and the Dashing Diva team created this supercool caviar nail look for Cushnie et Ochs. Here's how to do it at home: "First, apply two coats of Dashing Diva's Limo Service polish," says Yankee. "Next, apply nail glue all over your nail and dip it into a pot of black glass seed beads. Then sprinkle the nail with black glitter and finish with a spritz of activator spray to make it all stick!"
Photo courtesy of Pierce Mattie Public Relations5/13Butter London founder, Nonie Creme, created this "out of the box" look for Vena Cava. Using her new-for-spring (and yet to be named) fluorescent orange, Tramp Stamp, Scoundrel, Royal Navy, and Union Jack Black lacquers, Creme painted stripes directly onto the models’ fingers! "If you want to recreate the look, start with clean, dry skin," she advises. "Pick a spot on your finger where there isn’t a lot of movement and be sure to swipe the area with acetone before starting! Paint on a few bands, or go crazy with a lot more for a tribal feel!"
Photo Courtesy of Red PR6/13At 3.1 Phillip Lim, nail rockstar Angi Wingle for CND created a superpretty half-moon mani dubbed "Yazuka's flesh and ink" by the designer himself. Wingle used warm opaque Desert Suede (one of my fave hues) on most of the nail, and then Midnight Sapphire for the arcs.
Photo by Ann Lawlor courtesy of Sam Dark Public Relations7/13Pattie Yankee and Dashing Diva were also the masterminds behind the neon pink French manicures at Tibi! Too cute!
Photo Courtesy of Red PR8/13Nothing is ever subtle at The Blondes show, and this season nail artist Kristina Estabrooks for CND did not disappoint! Among the many designs for the show (nails that read "Blondes Have More Fun," nails covered in googly eyes . . . you name it, they made it!), these superglitzy digits stood out. Estabrooks used Swarovski crystals and crushed glass with ombre undertones. So fun!
Photo courtesy of Sam Dark Public Relations9/13Pattie Yankee with Dashing Diva also went wild with glitter at Jeremy Scott! To get this hyper-sparkly look, first apply nail glue all over your nail. Next, dip or sprinkle your nails in the glitter color of your choice. "Top coat is optional. If you want a ’rough around the edges’ effect as seen at Jeremy Scott, skip it!" says Yankee.
Photo courtesy of Pierce Mattie Public Relations10/13Not to be outdone, Nonie Créme created a lu navy mani with just a touch of glitz for Yigal Azrouel. She dipped the ends of the nails into glitter to "break up the heaviness and capture light." Recreate the effect by swiping two thick coats of Butter London’s Union Jack Black onto the nails and applying West End Wonderland just on the tips.
Photo courtesy of Tractenberg Public Relations11/13To round out the glitter fest, we have Deborah Lippman’s hot new hue, Jessica Rabbit, which was worn by Lindsey Wixson and Karlie Kloss at Rodarte. We’ll keep you posted on when you can find it in stores!
Photo Courtesy of Red PR12/13CND's Roxanne Valinoti pumped up the glam factor at Jason Wu with shiny, gold-tipped manicures. To get the look, she layered Dark Ruby and Bloodline, and then created "gilded smile lines" using Gold Chrome.
Photo Courtesy of Red PR13/13Finally, my absolute, hands down (get it? har, har) favorite nails at NYFW were created by CND's Kristina Estabrooks at Ruffian. How cute are those teeny-weenie, itty-bitty tudos? Ah! Proceed with caution because this look is probably a bit too challenging to attempt at home, but here's how Estabrooks did it: "First, I used Asphalt as a base. Then I topped it with Ice Blue Shimmer, Violet Shimmer, and then did the detail work with Blackjack!"
