Deborah Lippmann Oscars 2016 Nail Report

As one of the most sought-after celebrity manicurists, legendary Hollywood manicurist Deborah Lippmann, has worked with several Oscar nominees and winners. For the 2016 Oscars, the master manicurist decorated the nails of nominees and presenters Alicia Vikander, Charlotte Rampling, and Daisy Ridley, to name a few. Here's how the nails of these three lovely ladies shone on the red carpet.

Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner, Alicia Vikander, stunned on the red carpet with a romantic look in a gorgeous strapless dusty yellow Louis Vuitton couture gown. To compliment her red carpet winning gown, Deborah opted for a nail look that was soft and ethereal, with a bit of a shimmery feel; Deborah Lippmann's Bring On The Bling, a divine diamond shimmer, was the ultimate finishing touch for Alicia’s fingers and toes.

TO CREATE ALICIA’S NAIL LOOK:

Deborah prepped the nails using her signature 5-step manicure technique:

• First, she cleansed the nails with The Stripper nail lacquer remover ($19.00), shaped the nails with her Smooth Operator 4-way nail buffer ($12.00), exfoliated with Cuticle Remover ($20.00), and hydrated the hands and nails with Rich Girl SPF 25 Hand Cream ($28.00) and The Cure ($24.00), respectively.
• Deborah applied a layer of All About That Base ($20.00) to correct and conceal discoloring and imperfections before lacquer application.
• Next, she applied one coat (one coat for pedicure as well) of divine diamond shimmer, Bring On The Bling ($20.00), for a hint of glitter.
• She topped off the look with a layer of Gel Lab Pro Top Coat ($45.00, part of set with Gel Lab Pro Base Coat).
• After allowing the nails to dry one minute, she applied a drop of the quick dry drops, The Wait Is Over ($20.00).

Making her Oscars debut as a presenter, Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Daisy Ridley looked absolutely stunning in a shimmering silver and lavender Chanel couture dress. To compliment her look, Deborah Lippmann kept her nail look understated with Naked, a clean bare beige, on her fingers and toes.

TO CREATE DAISY’S NAIL LOOK:

• After prepping the nails using her 5-step manicure, Deborah Lippmann applied Naked ($18.00), the clean bare beige, over one coat of Gel Lab Pro Base Coat.
• She then sealed the look with a coat of Gel Lab Pro Top Coat ($45.00, part of set with Gel Lab Pro Base Coat).

To match Lead Actress nominee Charlotte Rampling's printed and textured Armani Prive dress, Deborah Lippmann used Single Ladies, a flirtatious red, for Charlotte’s fingers and toes to complement her earrings.

TO CREATE CHARLOTTE’S NAIL LOOK:

• After prepping the nails using her 5-step manicure, Deborah applied Single Ladies ($18.00), the perfect flirtatious red, over one coat of Gel Lab Pro Base Coat.
• She then sealed the look with a coat of Gel Lab Pro Top Coat ($45.00 part of set with Gel Lab Pro Base Coat).

All products can be found on www.deborahlippmann.com, Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Sephora

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Tips & Tricks: How-to Remove a Gel Manicure at Home by Skyy Hadley

We all love a gel manicure; you don't have to worry about smudges, because it dries instantly when cured, it lasts a very long time and looks ultra glossy, and two weeks later, your gel mani looks as fresh and new as the day you got it. Then comes the removing your gel mani. Since it's a longer process than just using nail polish remover, we can sometimes get impatient, and may try removing the gel the wrong way. A way that is very hurtful to the health of our nails.

Skyy Hadley, owner of As U Wish Nail Salon, says, "It’s important to take your time when removing a gel manicure yourself, as it can be a slow process and you want to treat your nails very delicately and carefully to avoid weakening them." She provides the following tips and a step-by-step tutorial to safely remove your own gel manicure:

• File – Use an emery board to lightly buff each nail to remove the shiny top coat so you’re left with a powdery finish. Be careful not to over buff so you don’t hit your natural nail underneath the gel.
• Soak – Next you must soak your nails in 100% acetone polish remover. To do this, take a piece of cotton ball the size of your nail and pour the acetone on it, place it on your nail and cover your nail with a piece of aluminum foil or tape to keep it in place. Do this on every nail and let soak for 15 minutes to relax the gel.
• Remove – Remove the cotton pieces from your nails and take a wooden cuticle stick to push the gel polish off your nails. If you have trouble, instead of forcing it, soak your nails with a cotton ball for 5 more minutes and try again.
• Moisturize – After the gel has been removed, wash your hands and apply a cuticle oil to the nail and cuticle. This will rehydrate your nails after using acetone on them to keep them strong and healthy between polishes.

Do not under any circumstances try peeling off your gel mani. By peeling off a gel manicure, you are not only removing the gel, but also the top layers of your nails. This can result in white patches and textural irregularities throughout the nails.

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NYFW Runway Nail Report: Morgan Taylor at Carmen Marc Valvo and Thakoon

Our last Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer NYFW runway nail report ends with the Fall/Winter 2015 collections of  Carmen Marc Valvo and Thakoon. The nail looks for these two exceptional designer are at opposite ends of the spectrum with Danielle Candido going to a dark, steely mani for Valvo, and Gina Edwards going for pretty pale nails at Thakoon.

Carmen Marc Valvo - The Look: Mid-Century Modern

The mid-century modern mani by Danielle Candido was a custom blend of Matte's A Wrap with a hint of Metalling Around, followed by a thin stripe of Little Black Dress hand painted along the outside cuticle line adding Make It Last top coat for a black high-gloss contrast against the matte gray base.

Thakoon - The Look: Glacier Dreams

Thakoon's collection lead us through a dreamscape. The glacier-esque manicures by Gina Edwards for Morgan Taylor inspired by sleepwalking under the Northern Lights featured opalescent violet beams of light with a sheered blend of Something To Blog About and Make It Last on a soft pink base of Sweet Surrender.

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NYFW Runway Nail Report: Morgan Taylor at Chris Gelinas

Nails at Chis Gelinas were a decadent creme. To compliment his Fall/Winter 2015 Collection, Celebrity Manicurist, and Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer's Gina Edwards, created a modern day mauve look for nails.

The Chris Gelinas collection, which featured lots of neutral and muted tones for fall, accentuated the female form in American work wear. Gina Edwards modernized the stunning collection with the mauve manicure, using Morgan Taylor Lacquer in Polished Up, a soft dusty mauve.

Will you be "mauve-ing" up your nails this Fall?

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NYFW Runway Nail Report: Morgan Taylor at Tanya Taylor, Sally LaPointe, Monique Lhuillier

Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer is once nailing (pun intended) backstage beauty with their stunning runway manicures by Gina Edwards and Danielle Candido. This season, the ladies continue to wow with their amazing nail looks. Today we highlight the must-have manis from the Fall/Winter 2015 Collections of Tanya Taylor, Sally LaPointe, Monique Lhuillier:

Tanya Taylor – The Look: Dark Dive

Manicures, created by Gina Edwards for Morgan Taylor, were inspired by marine life. The first look emulates the depths of the ocean with a high-gloss black while another highlights a hand painted holographic spine motif atop the high-gloss black. Using a base of Little Black Dress, the motif is hand painted using metallic Could Have Foiled Me, and layered with prismatic Fame Game glitter. Adding two top coats Make It Last and quick drying Need For Speed to complete the look with ultimate shine.

Sally LaPointe – The Look: Lady Grey

Sally LaPointe’s collection both awed and inspired with dramatic, decadent yet simple tailoring. The manicures created by Danielle Candido for Morgan Taylor featured a decidedly strong dove grey with a custom mix using Scene Queen, a grey-beige with subtle shimmer, and a hint of Sweater Weather, a creamy grey for sophisticated elegance.

Monique Lhullier – The Look: Confidence in Color

The Monique Lhuillier woman is confident to the hilt and living a colorful life. Created by Gina Edwards, the manicures mimicked three moods from a demure custom blend of In The Nude and a touch of Latte Please for a chic classic, to a pearlized disco teal in Bright Eyes, to unabashed glamour with a rich Bordeaux base of Take The Lead topped with metallic plum If Looks Could Thrill.

Which  of these amazing Morgan Taylor Runway Nail looks are your favorites?

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NYFW Runway Mani Report - Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer at Angel Sanchez & Zero + Maria Cornejo

Creamy sheers from Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer took center stage at the Angel Sanchez and Zero + Maria Cornejo Spring 2015 collection shows during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The pale hued nails were brought to life by Morgan Taylor’s lead manicurist, Gina Edwards, highlighting the continuous trend of nude nail colors for the upcoming spring season.

Angel Sanchez, Nails by Gina Edwards

Gina Edwards created a captivating geometric blue nail for Angel Sanchez’s S/S 2015 runway. A custom blended pale aquamarine composed of Morgan Taylor in Varsity Jacket Blues and Make It Last clear top coat was applied as the base and was topped with a cuticle-hugging, asymmetrical swoosh in Morgan Taylor Who-Dini, a gray blue crème, that transitioned to the outside edge of the nail. The look was given a high-shine finish with Morgan Taylor in Need For Speed. The transitional manicure complemented Sanchez’s perfectly juxtaposed collection of soft, feminine fabrics cut in hard lines and geometric shapes.

Zero + Maria Cornejo, Nails by Gina Edwards

It was all about classic nude at Zero + Maria Cornejo’s spring 2015 runway collection. Lead manicurist Gina Edwards kept it clean with two coats of Morgan Taylor in New School Nude, a universal nude hue with pink undertones. The shade was applied to both fingers and toes and coordinated perfectly with the solid palette of Cornejo’s European romance-inspired collection. The look was finished with Morgan Taylor Need For Speed, a fast-drying topcoat.

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Morgan Taylor S/S 2015 Runway Mani Report - Chris Gelinas, Sally LaPointe, Carmen Marc Valvo, & Monique Lhuillier

Let's hear it for spring 2015 nail trends. Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer continues to rule the runways one nail at a time. This season they're up to almost a dozen shows and Celebrity Manicurist, Gina Edwards and Danielle Candido is wowing everyone with their amazing work this season. Today we highlight their work for the Chris Gelinas, Sally LaPointe, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Monique Lhuillier Spring 2015 Collections Show.

CG Chris Gelinas, Nails by Gina Edwards

Manicures motivated by this rising star's graphic individuality created interest with contrasting texture and understated colors. Matte pastel pink using I'm Charmed and Mattes A Wrap top coat at the top third of the nail finished with a crisp horizontal line before contrasting to classic glossy beige in New School Nude. The abstract makeup similarly juxtaposed white brows with pink lashes to illustrate a break from conformity.

Sally LaPointe, Nails by Danielle Candido

The nails at Sally LaPointe were an understated, youthful, foggy pigment to complement the designer's 'less-is-more' inspiration.The matte, dusty lavender nail was created by custom mixing Morgan Taylor iridescent purple Something To Blog About with gray shimmer Scene Queen finished with Mattes A Wrap top coat.

Carmen Marc Valvo, Nails by Gina Edwards

Celebrating the designer's silver anniversary, Gina Edwards created a sophisticated dual-finish black and silver manicure using Little Black Dress muted by Mattes A Wrap top coat then she edged the cuticle line with Oh Snap, It's Silver, an iridescent silver. A slice of silvery grey also swept through a piece of the hair to a sexy side bun giving an overall look of modern sophistication.

Monique Lhuillier, Nails by Gina Edwards

The manicure at Monique Lhuillier was a triumph — elegant and feminine. A custom mix of Morgan Taylor's coral creme Color Me Bold and light mauve cream Coming up Roses was applied at the very base of the nail. The color burst morphed from saturated to high gloss clear at the tip. Gina Edwards was inspired by the gorgeous thick, clear Lucite heels featured in the show and Lhuillier's own inspiration of the pastels illuminating the sky just before sunrise.

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Morgan Taylor Backstage at KaufmanFranco Fall 2014

For their Fall 2014 Collection, designer's Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco's red-carpet ready collection boasted sophisticated, edgy looks in uncommon fabrics complete with asymmetrical hemlines, animal-inspired prints and structured outerwear. The array of artfully architectured runway looks in hues of black, white, grey and metallics were completed with a sophisticated, edgy mani from Morgan Taylor's lead stylist Gina Edwards. Ms Edwards chose an opaque stone grey shade called Birthday Suit. The look was finished off with natural makeup and sleek, slicked-back ponytails.

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E! News' Alicia Quarles Goes Red w/ Red Carpet Manicure for NYFW

E! News' Alicia Quarles walked in the "Go Red For Women The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection 2014" show at NYFW wearing Red Carpet Manicure's “Nominated For" on her nails.

Celebrity Manicurist, Lisa Logan, polished Alicia's nails with the deep purple with slight shimmer, to offset the red dress and added a bit of glitter to her index fingers for some extra pizazz!

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Game of Thrones's Emilia Clarke Rocks Sally Hansen Manicure at Golden Globes

Game of Thrones star and presenter, Emilia Clarke, hit the red carpet in a sultry, custom nail look created with Sally Hansen Nail Polish for the Golden Globes. The sophisticated, Cabernet-colored look was created by celebrity nail artist, Lisa Postma, using Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Wine Not to complement her custom embroidered lace and black Proenza Schouler gown. To create the nail look, Postma used two coats of Wine Not on Emilia’s natural nail shape and sealed the manicure with Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Dry + Go Drops for a smooth, flawless finish.

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure ($7.99) is an all-in-one formula that combines all the 7 benefits of a professional salon manicure - base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, rich color, top coat, gel-like shine and chip resistance - in a single multitasking polish. The Dry + Go Drops ($6.99) is a quick dry formula packed with Vitamin E and jojoba to help hydrate and nourish dry cuticles. A few drops and nails are dry to the touch in 60 seconds and completely dry in less than 2 minutes. Both are available at chain drug stores and mass retailers nationwide

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Katy Perry's Polka Dot Sally Hansen Nails at the American Music Awards

Katy Perry "nailed" her American Music Awards red carpet appearance with cool polka dot nails that perfectly complimented her Oscar de la Renta gown.

To accent her black tulle and white sequin polka dot Oscar de la Renta gown, celebrity manicurist, Kimmie Kyees created a white polka dot nails using Sally Hansen nail color exclusively. To create Katy’s nail look, Kimmie used two coats of Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color in Slick Black as a base color and Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in White On to create the dots. For a flawless finish, Kyees used Sally Hansen Triple Shine Top Coat to seal the nail art and enhance shine.

ll three Sally Hansen products are available at chain drug stores and mass retailers nationwide.

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JINsoon Fall 2013 Nail Polish Collection

For their Fall 2013 Nail Polish Collection, Celebrity Manicurist JINsoon collaborated with designer Amy Smilovic of Tibi to create a shimmering nail color collection that mirrored the polished and utilitarian look of Tibi's Fall 2013 Collection. Featuring five extraordinary shades and a matte topcoat, the glimmery nail colors are named for their mineral-like appearance.

The Fall 2013 collection colors (featured above from left to right) are Obsidian (black w/ galaxy-like flecks), Mica (gray w/ mica & chromatic pigments), Epidote (a multidimensional, iridescent metallic green), Jasper (a dark red w/ subtle shimmer), Azurite (a classic deep blue w/ galaxy-like specs) and a Matte Maker Top Coat h(idden in the back) that takes any shade from shiny to matte.

JINsoon Nail Polish is a high gloss nail lacquer that is known for being long-lasting with a chip-proof finish and a rapid drying time. Its double patented formula delivers a long-lasting mani with a rich and lustrous color payoff in a single coat. The nail formula is free from the top 5 toxic chemicals - formaldehyde, toluene, DPB, formaldehyde resin, and camphor.

The collection retails for $18.00 and is available at Nordstrom Beauty Shop.

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Christina Aguilera Rocks Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

Christina Aguilera wowed everyone with her new sultry and sleek new look on the latest episode of The Voice. Adding a bit of rocker sparkle to her new look was her Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in “Lust-rous”. Christina has gone through a complete transformation from wild to smoldering and her glam nails make her look even more amazing.

Christina’s manicurist, Farah Songhorian, explains that the “Lust-rous” pattern “compliments the dress and adds some sparkle and glam to the nail”. Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips offer DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde Free, no dry-time nail looks for style that lasts up to ten days.

This easy and affordable at-home nail technology puts bold color, high- shine, and intricate design at your fingertips - just peel, apply, file, and go. Grab these and other designs for only $9.00 at Duane Reade, Drugstore.com and other mass retailers.

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Wet Paint Nails Dresses Your Nails for Halloween

You've got your party invitation, you've got your costume ready, accessories done, makeup planned and ready.....or it is? Makeup doesn't just apply to your face. What are your nails wearing this Halloween? Not too many people think about that but thank goodness there a few that do like Celebrity Manicurist, Julia Palmer, whose celebrity clients include Angeline Jolie, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, to name a few, created this awesome new collection for Wet Paint.

Wet Paint reflects the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood lifestyle. Wet Paint’s six-bottle Bitten Collection feeds off the vampire craze, with colors like violet (Lewd), red (Fetish), blue (Numb), gray (Moonstone), black (Onyx), and a clear top coat glaze called (Mirror), all of which can be worn on their own or layered. That is the true beauty of Wet Paint Nails, this unique and innovative nail polish brand allows you to create semi-custom color shades by layering colors on top of each other. Of course you may remember all this from my "YOU WANT WET PAINT NAILS" post and WET PAINT NAILS GIVEAWAY, so you already know with the Wet Paint Nail Glaze System, the possibilities are endless!

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