beauty : lavender-gray nails

One of my favorite blogs to read is Temptalia's makeup blog. There is a photograph for everything, which is why I like it. You can't write about a lip color and then not show us. And one trend she has been highlighting particularly well in the beauty department is the new take on nude nails - a fusion of gray and purple. Gray nails have been on our radar for a while now - it's been going on for the past few seasons, from dove gray shades to dark charcoals. But now there is a new spin to it.

By itself, it really is a beautiful color. It's not as pink as mauve, and not simply a warm gray, but like a slightly violet-tinted nude warm beige gray. Now that I've made it really complicated I'll just show some pictures.

Estee Lauder "Surreal Violet", photos from Temptalia - my favorite take on this trend. Perfect marriage of an overly Eastery color (lilac) and a warm neutral (gray). The effect still works for the nude nail trend, yet tons more feminine.


Essie "Merino Cool", photos from Temptalia.


Pop-up: my absolute favorite polish for this Spring, NARS "Pokerface". However, this is too bright for me. I usually stick to nothing more than a pale pale pink nude nail (red every so often). A more gray version may be how I ease into this one. Photos from Temptalia.

Before this trend hit beauty, it of course came from the runway. "Greige" (gray-beige) has been a prominent color feature of the past year. When it met violet, everyone fell in love.

Elie Saab Spring 2010 couture show


Chanel Spring 2010 RTW debuted a mushroom-violet polish.

So why is this color so nice for nails? It is actually extremely wearable. It also mixes well with any skin tone - the iciness of the lavender is showcased against cooler toned pale skin, olive skin tones are complemented perfectly by the warmth, and darker skin tones allow both colors to pop fantastically. It is also a wonderful fall or winter shade that transitions well into spring.

Some other good polish suggestions for this trend (besides the ones above) are Essie "Demure Vixen", China Glaze "Channelesque", MAC "Cool Reserve", and Sephora by OPI "Metro Chic". I just ordered "Demure Vixen" - the trend sucked me in and hey, I just finished a tough quarter.