DARIO CANTATORE/GETTY IMAGES

 A model walks the runway at the Diego Binetti spring 2013 presentation during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Hotel Americano on September 9, 2012 in New York City.

Fashion designers are taking hands-on approach to the manicure.

Nail art, once associated with cheesy decals, has become nail fashion — and no designer would think of sending a model down the runway without a signature polish, specially coordinated to complement the colors and theme of a collection.

LIVE BLOG: MANICURE MANIA! ALL THE NAIL LOOKS AND MORE FROM NY FASHION WEEK

“Nails are the ulimate accessory,” said Candice Manacchio, a nail and fashion expert from CND Nails. “They’re just as important as your hair, your makeup, your iPhone case and your shoes for putting together a coordinated look.”

Some designers choose to keep it simple — others demand mini-masterpieces.

One particularly gasp-worthy example? The “woven” nails at Rodarte, which wowed its attendees with its “Modern Medieval” theme on Tuesday at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

JENNIFER GRAYLOCK-GRAYLOCK.COM, KATY WINN/ GRAYLOCK.COM

A model shows off her nails for Angel Sanchez Spring 2013 Collection; Woven art: The intricate designs made by CND for the Rodarte Spring 2013 Collection.

In order to create the “basket-weave” look, ten CND nail stylists hand painted each nail tip. Next, they painted pieces of wax paper a subtly different color and then sliced them into slivers.

Using tweezers, they wove the strips into a lattice.

Each set has 22 nail tips, to accommodate the varying nail size of each model.

“There were so many left over,” said Manacchio. “It was a little heartbreaking after so much work.”

Her team spent over 200 hours creating 30 complete sets of nails. That’s 15 minutes per nail.

CRAIG BARRITT/GETTY IMAGES

Caviar dreams (and nails!) at Joy Cioci Spring 2013 fashion show presentation during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

JENNIFER GRAYLOCK/AP

A model poses during the Rachel Antonoff Spring/Summer 2013 Collection held at Drive In Studios during New York Fashion Week in New York City.

Designers work with companies like CND, Essie, OPI, Deborah Lippmann and Dashing Diva to create eye-popping manicures with contrasting colors, patterns, textures and dimensions.

Still, doesn’t it seem like a lot of work? After all, aren’t people looking at the clothes, not the makeup?

“The nails are becoming more and more important,” said CND rep Hannah Longman. “The photos of the manicure will be appearing online and in magazines for months. And besides, it’s a piece of the collection that fashion fans can actually imitate at home — for a very small cost.”

The best thing about nail fashion is that you can be as creative or detailed as you want to create a runway look.

FERNANDA CALFAT/GETTY IMAGES

Goth nails at the Nicole Miller Spring 2013 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

While it may look like Manacchio used an expensive paintbrush to create the black and silver nails for Nicole Miller, the truth was much more budget-friendly.

“I dipped the edge of a makeup sponge in polish after creating the diamond pattern,” she said. “That’s all.”

A great place to start? A colorful take on the simple French manicure.

“Seafoam green was huge on the runway,” she said. “Why not paint the nail while and create a green tip?  Or vice versa?”

Some designers stepped away from nail art this season, choosing to stick with simple grey pinks and rose shades.

Victoria Beckham, Christian Siriano, Donna Karan and Elie Tahari chose to stick with pale pink and nearly nude polishes.

The nail brand Zoya teamed up with Peter Som, delivering soft shades of pink, lilac, silver, sea green and this season’s signature color: tangerine.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/nails-ny-fashion-week-nail-art-trends-recreate-runway-home-article-1.1157529#ixzz26PCC7dyQ

TODAY ON FASHION FRIDAY… MILLY

Sometimes two brights make a beauty right. Case in point: The models at Milly’s spring 2012 show wore CND Electric Orange on their nails and hot-pink matte lipstick on their lips. Since the hot hues are far away from each other (unless you go around with your hands on your lips, like this lovely lady), the overall vibe isn’t too wild or clash-y.

NAILS:

For Milly, Candice Manacchio fashioned neon bright nails using a blend of CND Colours in Brillant White, Bicycle Yellow, and Electric Orange, to accessorize fuchsia pink lips and vibrant shades of vermillion, tangerine and jade in the collection.

Lots of serious backstage beauty trends emerging this season, and one of the most-prevalent looks we’ve seen is: clean face, fluttery long lashes, and pink lips (we’re talking all different levels of pink lips—from gloss to stain to lipstick).Milly’s spring 2012 show look tapped into this trend, with a carnation pink highly-pigmented mouth and unbelievably gorgeous lashes

THE FASHION:

MONDAY…MANICURE MONDAYS

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

TUESDAY TRENDS… SNEAK PEAK OF WHATS TO COME IN FALL… YES , I KNOW IT’S NOT EVEN SUMMER, BUT, I AM AHEAD OF THE GAME BECAUSE OF MY INDUSTRY AND WANT TO KEEP YOU IN THE LOOP! AND.. I LOVE HOW ELEGANT & CLASSY THE STYLES ARE THAT I FEEL YOU CAN WEAR THEM NOW. SIMPLE HAIR, LOOSE BRAIDS, FABRICS WOVEN INTO HAIR… SOPHISTICATION & SIMPLICITY

STRAIGHT TO YOU FROM BEHIND THE SCENES OF FALL/WINTER 2012 FASHION WEEK :)

TOMORROW…WHATS NEW WEDNESDAY

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

LOOK… IM QUOTED IN TEEN VOGUE!

CND Styles Summer’s Hottest Nail Trends! 

Hot Off The Presses

May 18, 2012

(audience reach: 10,251,000)

After the weeklong marathon of fashion shows that is New York Fashion Week, we admit all the shows have already blended into a blur of bright lights and brighter clothes. But last night David and Phillipe Blond of The Blonds put on a show that people won’t forget so easily.

Since their runway debut in 2007, Florida native David and Puerto Rico-born Phillipe have been creating outfits that don’t take fashion so seriously. This season they paired up with Playboy and sent out big hair and leotards with sequins, pom-poms and fur. Stars such as Patricia Field, Jay Manuel and Johnny Weir sat front and center to witness it all.

While we can’t rock this in the office, celebrities such as Katy Perry, Britney Spears and “The Girls Next Door”’s Holly Madison have already worn designs from the label. And who could blame them — the looks are as crazy as they are creative. Whoever said fashion wasn’t fun clearly hasn’t been to a show by The Blonds.

The CND Daily Nail 9.14.11

Glitz & Glam Perfection at The Blonds

September 14, 2011 - CND’s 15 year anniversary at Fashion Week is almost coming to a close, with only one more day to go. Today’s runway nails were Playboy Bunny-approved, feathered and furious, fleshy, and neon bright:

At The Blonds, Kristina Estabrooks created”Glitz & Glam” manicures for a collection inspired by 60’s Playboy glamour infused with razzle dazzle spectacle we all know and love. The 20 sets of nail tips took over 100 hours of manual labor to hand detail, and included a “Stockings Series” of manicures portraying fishnets, lacy tights and sexy seams. Vintage cosmic-shaped glass was imported from Germany to shape diamond-decadent nails that shined out loud in the spotlight.  

Talk about a fierce cat eye! The Blonds playboy inspired, corset heavy collection needed sexy, theatrical makeup that could pull off ears and a tail. MAC delivered.

Check out the fun, but far from office attire collection at the Stylelist.

FACE: Mineralize Charged Water Face & Body Lotion (available Spring/Summer 2012) — applied with fingers to hydrate and smooth skin.Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation — applied with fingers to achieve a medium-full coverage and natural matte finish to skin. Select Cover-Up — chosen in a lighter shade and blended down the nose and under the eyes with 195 Concealer Brush for a highlight. Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder — dusted all over the entire face with 116 Blush Brush to set. M·A·C Pro Shadester Sculpting Powder Pro Palette — blended under cheekbones and over temples to contour with 116 Blush Brush. Immortal Flower Powder Blush (available Spring/Summer 2012) — blended over the apples of cheeks with 168 Large Angled Contour Brush for a flush.

EYE: Untitled Paint — blended onto the eyelid as a base and highlight with 195 Concealer Brush. Blacktrack Fluidline — a thick line was drawn on the upper lashline, through the crease, winged upwards, and lined underneath the eye with both the 266 Small Angle Brush and 210 Precise Eyeliner Brush. M·A·C Pro Shadester Sculpting Powder Pro Palette — applied with 224 Tapered Blending Brush to contour the inner crease and down the sides of the nose to accentuate the entire shape of eye. 36 Lash — trimmed and stacked on the outer corners of the eyes.Optimum Black Opulash Mascara — applied through the upper lashes.Lingering Brow and Duck Powerpoint Eye Pencil — blended together to define and sculpt the brows.

LIP: Flamingo Lipstick (available Spring/Summer 2012) — blended over the entire lip from the bullet. Stripdown Lip Pencil — applied to define and enhance the fullness of lips.

HAIRSTYLES, FULL & SEXY WITH VOLUME

THIS WEEKEND, GET YOUR GLITZ AND GLAM ON! WILD MAKEUP, BOLD WINGED LINER, SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL NAILS… HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

MONDAY…MANICURE MONDAY

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

TODAY’S FASHION FRIDAY POST IS ALL ABOUT DESIGNER KAREN WALKER. MAKEUP LOOKS, FASHION AND NAILS FROM SPRING/SUMMER 2012 NYC FASHION WEEK

No girl can resist Karen Walker’s cool-girl style, and, as expected, the designer gave us more to look forward to with her Spring 2012 collection. Her “American Girl” theme, inspired by the classic flick Taxi Driver, showed gorgeous prints and soft tailoring. Described as “equal parts Betsey and Iris,” the collection highlighted a mix of painterly florals, checks, and polka-dot prints. Silhouettes were soft and louche as models — accessorized with the cutest printed turbans, killer sunglasses, patent loafers, and baseball caps — walked down the runway in a range of silk and crepe de Chine peplum blouses, strapless jumpers, shirt dresses, and pyjama trousers. In a perfect world, we’d own every piece from the cute-meets-cool collection. Read below for more details.

• Trends: Printed shirt dresses, pyjama styles, knee-length hemlines, mixed prints.
• Colours: Yellow, cobalt blue, navy, forest green, pink and brown.
• Key Look: A bold multicoloured horizontal stripe wool blazer coat.
• Accessories: Amazing round sunglasses, patent clutches, lace-up booties, patent loafers, and cap-toe pumps.
• Who Would Wear It: Girls who crave classic looks with a twist like Alexa Chung.
• 

Floral Row

For spring, designers favor head-to-toe florals on slim-cut suits. The flowery prints descend from tailored blazers to skinny pants—or very short shorts—for surprisingly cool summer suits (and easy-to-mix separates).

Karen Walker

So here you have it! Another Fashion Friday, Keeping you in the loop for what’s HOT now. Go shopping and express your style this weekend , Happy Friday :) 

MONDAY…MANICURE MONDAY

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

Diego Binetti – Spring 2012 Review – Fantasy Plays-FASHION FRIDAY

Some of the most delightfully unusual makeup, hair, and nail looks surfaced at the Diego Binetti Spring 2012 show, which took place on Tuesday, September 13th, at nightlife hot spot Provocateur. Fusing together carnival references with medieval hardware, circus motifs, harlequinade color influences, and masquerade ball theatrics, makeup artist James Vincent painted models’ faces in purple, blue, and pink tones, adorning them with lace stencils, theatrical artificial lashes, and feathers (some perfectly arranged to line the periphery of the eye, resembling masquerade ball masks). The idea of makeup as mask, as playful disguise, guided the entire process.

The hair looks created for the show were equally theatrical. Rodney Cutler, owner of the Cutler/Redken Salons, masterminded numerous sweeping updos, including a French twist and a bouffant-style chignon. The common denominator for all these looks was the texture — after blow drying the hair roughly with Redken Fashion Work 12, he took small 1/8” sections of hair and crimped them using a mini crimper. These crimped strands of hair were then gathered with the straightened strands and twisted section by section, then twirled into dramatic updos and secured with pins. For greater hold, he sprayed Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray all over the head.  

For the final touch of drama, CND nail artist Candice Manacchio created pink ombré manicures with gilded tips. To craft the “Harlequin Hardware” manicures, Manacchip began by staining nails with CND Colour in Raspberry and CND Colour in Frosting Cream, allowing the periphery of the nail plate to appear darker than the centers, then capping tips with gold or silver metal for a glitzy take on a French manicure. Models with exposed toes had their nails painted with CND Raspberry Parfait.

NAILS

Backstage at Diego Binetti’s Spring 2012 fashion show, manicurist Candice Manacchio perfected “harlequin hardware” nail art. The ombré finish complemented the Bueno Aires born designer’s fanciful collection, which was full of chiffon and lace fabrics dipped in pink, coral and cream. However, it was the metallic French tips, in what Binetti described as “a little ghetto edge” that enticed me to dress up my digits with this look.

To recreate this design, start by filing nails into a square shape. Apply a base polish and once dry, paint on two coats of CND Nail Colour in Frosting Cream (a sheer pale pink). Then brush on CND Raspberry Parfait (an opaque pink) to the outer corners — forming a “U” shape. To achieve the “acid-wash” center, rub gently with acetone. Finish by capping with silver or gold tips.

What do you think about this “harlequin hardware” manicure? Tell us in the comments section and shop the products below to give it a try.

I mentioned the nails from the Diego Binetti, but this time it is the makeup that I’m calling attention to. Isn’t it amazing? Makeup artist James Vincent used carnival references, medieval hardware, circus motifs and masquerade balls as inspiration for the different looks he created for the show; two of the looks are pictured here. Lace stencils, artificial lashes and even feathers were used to create these looks that played on the idea of makeup as a mask. Well done, sir.

HAIR

Stylist Rodney Cutler took inspiration from the theatrical and highly editorial show when crafting the crimped look. Here’s how to get the look.

1. Blow-dry the hair roughly with Redken Fashion Work 12 Versatile Working Spray.

2. Take small eighth-inch sections of your hair and crimp with a mini crimper for texture.

3. Finish by twisting the hair up section by section into various updos and twists. Lock your style into place with pins.

4. Finish with Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray.

The collection is full of dreamy creams, corals, and touches of neon pink. As with previous seasons, the designer has a strong love for combining textures and embellished elements which are prevelant in this collection. Full of flowing chiffons, tiers of lace and encrusted mirrors, the designer also incoporated a new construction tecnique involving origami.

SO HERE YOU HAVE IT, THE INSIDE SCOOP ON DIEGO BINETTI, COLORFUL MAKEUP, UNIQUE FASHION PEICES AND EASY TO DO TRENDY HAIR STYLES. GO OUT SHOPPING TO FIND EVEN ONE PIECE OF INSPIRATION TO JAZZ UP YOUR LOOK. HAPPY FRIDAY!

MONDAY…MANICURE MONDAYS

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

HERE’S WHAT IS HOT ON “MANICURE MONDAYS” I ALWAYS HAVE YOU COVERED!

April 2012 Marie Claire features quotes from CND’s Roxanne Valinoti about Shellac and SolarOil in an article on 10 beauty disasters and quick tips to correct them.

 CND’s SolarOil was featured in the April issue of Allureas an essential addition to your at-home anti-aging mani and nail routine!

(audience reach: 2,707,183)

Irish-born and London-raised designer Dean Quinn has the Midas touch when it comes to his Spring 2012 sportswear-inspired ready-to-wear collection. Quinn, fascinated by the novel The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, sees his woman plainly strutting out of a swimming pool and putting on her evening wear. This take on nautical meets old Hollywood called for wet, slicked back hair, and earth-toned makeup accents (if only we could all look as good as Quinn’s girls when we came out of the pool, drenched and scrambling for the nearest towel).

“She is the woman who has literally gotten out of the pool, put her hair back and just gone out. I came up with the idea and said, ‘That’s it,’” Quinn explained.

The former Versace embroidery designer implemented what he knows best into his Spring 2012 collection, using stained glass, beads, and lace – all done by his own hands. Quinn says his embroidering techniques he picked up at Central St. Martins and his time at Versace come in handy with every collection. The models, ushered into a line by Quinn himself, stare doe-like at the snapping cameras. Cottons and silks of sea foam green, coral and white fill the room in pleats and cutouts on his futuristic, wearable gowns. Quinn avoided colorblocking, stating, “I sketch, and sketch, and sketch, and then I paint it one color. When I see it, I know what’s right.” Shoes, provided by Manolo Blahnik, compliment his theme by adding the perfect twinkle of nude and black patent leather, as they poke out from underneath his designs.

Dean Quinn’s 70’s-inspired collection of tangerine crush and mild mint pieces were accessorized with “Sunday at Studio 54” manicures designed by Wanda Ruiz using CND Copper Shimmer Effect on the whole nail topped with one coat of CND Colour in Putty and iced along the cuticle in CND Colour in Desert Suede. Nails complemented peachy bronze makeup and intricately woven basket hair buns.

TODAY IS ALL ABOUT THE HOTTEST TREND… BODY JEWELRY! I THOUGHT THIS WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND ALSO CAN BE REALLY FUN! I FIRST SAW THIS AWHILE AGO, AND NOW IM STARTING TO SEE IT MUCH MORE..

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES, WETHER GOLD OR SILVER, AND THERE ARE MANY DESIGNS THAT CAN FIT EITHER CERTAIN PARTS OF YOUR BODY OR EVEN YOUR ENTIRE BODY. I FEEL THIS CAN BE ELEGANT AND CRAZY TRENDY, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WEAR IT.

IT’S ALL ABOUT FINDING WHAT FITS YOUR INDIVIDUAL STYLE. TAKE THIS HEAD PIECE FOR INSTANCE… THIS CAN WORN ON A NIGHT OUT, OR EVEN TO A FANCY EVENT, OR SOME BRIDES MAY EVEN BE SPOTTED NOW WEARING THIS, WHICH IS NOTHING NEW WHEN IT COMES TO INDIAN OR PAKISTAN WEDDINGS…

THEN YOU HAVE THE BODY CHAIN….

I PERSONALLY THINK THEY ARE AMAZING HAHA BUT THAT’S ME…WHAT DO YOU THINK? WOULD YOU WEAR ANY TYPE OF THESE? I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND THE RING CONNECTED TO A BRACELET VIA A CHAIN WAS THE “IN” THING

SO THATS WHAT’S “NEW” THIS WEDNESDAY! NOW FIND YOUR STYLE AND OWN IT!

TOMORROW….THRIFTY THURSDAY!

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

On September 11^th, 2011 marking the 10^th anniversary of our Nation’s & City’s devastating terrorist attacksJen Kao bright color and happiness back into the gloomy and somber day. Her Spring 2012 show started with a lingering moment of darkness where all the houselights went.  About 30 seconds later, glowing spotlight lit up a model’s tummy in a circular shape, almost like a radiant crystal ball of stars. With the most perfect music to compliment the scene, the lights slowly began to lift revealing very large and remarkable headpiece that was made out of paper. It was a very dramatic opening, but it fit.

Hairstyles were “a bit of glam-grunge, inspired by Tank Girl” explained Peter Gray of Cutler salons. The look featured an undone, off-center bun on top of the head with two tiny braids with embroidery thread (each model had a different color) going up the back. The style “looks like it’s fastened down” by the braids, in Peter’s words. To get the look, he started by prepping the hair with Redken Full Frame 07 Mousse from the mid-lengths to the ends: “You need some guts in the hair in order for the hair to bounce and have this soft feeling.” He sectioned the hair off and created the braids, then twisted hair into a top knot, fastening with U-shaped pins. He finished by messing up the bun a bit and coating the style with Redken Fashion Work 12 spray.

Charlotte Willer, Maybelline’s Global Makeup Artist, created a makeup look that leaned toward the polished, with a bit of an playful vibe thanks to a flick of gold liner on eyes (Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Give Me Gold) and a bold, orange-red lip (Color Sensational Lipcolor in Coral Crush around the outside of the lips, with Are You Red-dy in the center). Eyes also got four bits of false lashes and a coating of The Falsiesmascara, plus Baby Lips Lip Balm (out in October) on the lids for gloss. Charlotte used Fit Me! Foundation and Powder to create a flawless complexion, and Fit Me! Blush in Medium Coral on the apples of the cheeks. 

With each new season, Jen Kao spreads her creative wings a little further. Her Spring runway show began with a drawn-out moment of darkness. A glowing orb of a spotlight lingered on the first model’s solar plexus before the runway finally lit up, revealing an impressive headpiece that would put most Anna Dello Russo fascinators to shame. Kao worked with Paper-Cut-Project designers Nikki Salk and Amy Flurry on the elaborate, origamilike pieces in the show, including that opening “Paper Crown Imperial Masque.” At times they distracted from the clothing, but they heightened the collection’s overall sense of drama.

Kao did some Edward Scissorhands work of her own on a double cutout-shoulder striped number that had just a touch of sheerness to it. There was also a checkerboard knit dress and an ombré kimono trench in rip-stop fabric that called to mind the sunset scene in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, a favorite movie of the designer’s.

Zooming in on accessories, stylist Catherine Baba slung multiple ostrich and leather mini rucksacks over the models’ shoulders. And Kao created rose gold skeleton earrings and hand-painted “poison garden” charms. As a whole, it was a lot to take in. Like that crazy headgear, many of Kao’s designs are less about everyday wear and more about creative appreciation.

Look, but don’t touch! For Jen Kao, Wanda Ruiz created “Lethal Love” diffused, gradation manicures that attract the eye with bold shades, but like a poisonous frog, have dangerous undertones. These four uniquely artful manicures were shaded using an airbrush tool, but can be re-created at home using CND Colours in Midnight Sapphire, Anchor Blue, Rouge Red, and Green Scene each combined with Inkwell and topped with Air Dry Top Coat while wet for an ombre finish.

I HOPE YOUR INSPIRED TO TRY ONE OF THE LOOKS FROM JEN KAO, WHEN YOU HEAD OUT ON THE TOWN!

MONDAY…MANICURE MONDAYS!

BY CANDICE MANACCHIO XOXO

THE NEON TREND! 

How to Wear Neon (And Not Look Like a Glo-Stick)

wear black as your neutral

…or brighten up on the bottom”

Put a fresh twist on the skirt suit