I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...

For the past few weeks I've had Heems' latest album Eat, Pray, Thug on repeat – an album he has described as 'post-911 dystopian brown man rap'. The theme and horror of 911 is heavy in the album with songs such as 'Patriotic Act', 'Al Q8a' and 'Flag-Shopping' depicting what life was like for a Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and basically any brown person post-911. The line "And we yelled 'I'm just like you' as quietly and calmly as we could / So as not to raise too much attention and be labelled as a trouble maker" reminds one of the racial and religious struggles of that time. Heems also paints a picture of going flag shopping to show patriotism and to be displayed as a symbol showing his fellow Americans: 'I am not Osama'. In commemoration of Heems' struggle, and to celebrate the brilliant complex nature of this album I present you with the American Flag accent nail. 

To recreate this design simply paint all nails with two thin coats of a red polish. Once this base has dried create a small rectangular box in the left corner of your ring finger with blue polish, allow this section to dry completely. To complete the flag you'll need a striping tool, dotting tool and a white polish. Create thin vertical striples along the ring finger with the stripping tool, the switch to the dotting tool to create dots within the blue rectangle to mimic stars. Finally seal in the design with a fast-drying topcoat such as the Seche Vite Fast-Drying Top Coat. 

Would you wear patriotic nail art?

AM¥     XO

SALL¥ HANSEN X MADELINE POOLE . ECKHAUS LATTA A/W '15

One of my favourite aspects of New York Fashion Week is viewing the makeup, hair and nail styles that are paired with each collection – especially when the nail artist is Madeline Poole, Global Colour Ambassador for Sally Hansen. 

This season Madeline Poole has created a trending layered nail look for Eckhaus Latta's Fall/Winter '15 Runway Collection that is actually quite simple to recreate. Using a wide spectrum of fashionable colours from Sally Hansen's line, Madeline was able to create three distinct looks that require zero tools! Each look pairs well with an upcoming or current season, starting with our absolute favourite, Winter... note the sarcasm. "We've chosen three different colour ways based on the palette," says Madeline of her nail look, "We're using a mint green, metallic burgundy, camel, deep mauve and rose gold. The nail is a layered, distressed texture. By wiping the majority of polish off of the brush we are able to make organic brush strokes that when layered, look similar to cells under a microscope, creating a unique pattern on each fingernail." The shades used include the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure ($8.95) in Camelflage[*], Gilty Party, Commander in Chic, Jaded and Wine Not[*]. 

To re-create the dark burgundy nail, which is perfect for the current season, I've used a base of Wine Not topped with random, dry strokes of Commander in Chic, Jaded and Gilty Party. The next look, better suited for early Spring thanks to it's mix of mint green and deep mauve, uses Jaded as a base and is accented with random, dry strokes of the shades Commander in Chic and Camelflage. Finally, the easiest look of them all, which also features Jaded as the base, is simply accented with Camelflage and a hint of Commander in Chic to create a nail design that has me longing for the summer. 

Will you re-create these nail looks? What nail artist inspires you?

AM¥     XO

[*]Some of the items featured in this post have been sent to THE PRETT¥ VAIN for purpose of review. All views expressed reflect my own opinion on the product. For additional information please see the Disclaimer.

NAILS . NCLA NAIL WRAPS . HELLO KITT¥

There are days when I'm far too lazy to create a nail art design and yet far too bitchin' to be seen with a 'bae-sic' black manicure. Times like these call for nail wraps, which break the monotony of a single polish manicure without adding any extra work. This week I'm all about black and white nails paired with the Mod Hello Kitty Nail Wraps from NCLA ($18). I discovered the Hello Kitty x NCLA line a few months ago on Nail Polish Canada and knew that I needed to purchase something from the collection so I could share them with my friend Jess, an avid Hello Kitty lover. She absolutely loved them, and after stuffing our faces with pizza we both chose different styles to adorn our nails with. The end result was totally cute, and edgy, without being Hello Kitty overboard. Head over to my Instagram to see what wraps she chose!

This was my first purchase from NCLA, but after taking a look at the other nail wraps and polishes they carry it certainly won't be the last. Their new matte glitter polishes from the An L.A. Fairytale Collection looks out of this world, and Heartbreaker from their Valentine's Day Collection is right up my alley.

Are you crazy for Hello Kitty?

AM¥     XO

NAILS . LITTLE LITTLE BAM-BAMBI

Dear higher power, please bless my roommate and the new Essie Cashmere Matte collection. Why? Well, bless my roommate for finding an entirely new season of Project Runway All Stars to keep us occupied as I embarked on a two hour struggle to remove my shellac manicure. And bless the Essie Cashmere Matte collection for being so damn stunning – that's reason enough, right? The end result of my nail-athon, a matte manicure that is reminiscent of Bambi's cute little derrière.

Being an impatient beginner with a shaky hand doesn't bode well when you're a nail art lover, but thankfully there is the dotticure manicure, which looks stunning, yet requires minimal effort or talent. To re-create this look you'll simply need to apply three thin coats of Essie's All Eyes On Nudes over your favourite base coat – I've been a slave to OPI Nail Envy for years. Once dry, simply use a dotting tool and the Essie polish in Wrap Me Up to create various sized dots at the tip of the nail. I achieved the variation in size by using a heavy or lighter hand while dotting. Being that the polishes have a matte finish I chose to forgo a top coat, although you could apply a matte top coat, like the Nicole by OPI Matte Top Coat, to seal in your design.

I'm certain that this won't be the last nail art design I create with this collection.

Have you got your hands on these polishes yet?

AM¥     XO

THE KARL LAGERFELD NAIL

Karl Lagerfeld: Head designer and creative director of Chanel, owner of Choupette, king of controversy, and now the art piece appropriately situated on my middle finger. Albeit nowhere near as impeccably finished as my inspiration, created by Madeline Poole, I'd like to think that every fashionista should don a Karl accent nail at one point in her life – and this nail art newb is proof that it's possible.

I began by painting two thin coats of Essie Nail Polish in Licorice on all nails, skipping over the middle finger – the easiest part of this manicure. To create my mini Karl, I had to be inventive, a modern day MacGyver if you will. I began with the half moon to form his blazer – painting the moon shape with Licorice before evening the edge, creating a crisp line, with my Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in Black. As this portion of the nail dried I created his hair line – my God that man has white hair. The hair was quite simple, merely requiring a thin stripe of white, which was created with my Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in White. Now onto those tricky, tricky glasses. Karl is always seen wearing thick black sunglasses, and I knew that none of my dotting tools would suffice, so in their place I used a Q-tip. I began by soaking the Q-tip in water before pressing the tip firmly against the table to create a large oval shape. Picking up a hefty amount of Licorice polish I placed my two large lenses in the center on the nail bed. I once again used my striper in black to create a [somewhat] even line mimicking the frame, and added a hint of white in the center to give dimension to his shades. To finish Karl off I went back to the half moon portion, which by now had dried, and added two triangular shapes to mimic his crisp white collar, once again using my striper in white. Finish with a high-shine topcoat, like the Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Top Coat and you're ready to flaunt your Karl nail!

Be sure to send me photos if you re-create this fashionable mani!

AM¥     XO

GLITTER OVERDOSE . MY FAVOURITE GLITZY POLISHES

Deck the nails with lots of glitter fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la. That's how the song goes... right? Christmas is only 10 days away and if you don't have glitter coursing through your veins then I only have one question – WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? I've been on a glitter binge for the duration of December with no end in sight – it's coating my floors, my skin and of course my nails. So today I bring you 10 glitter polishes that even glitter queen and Christmas songstress, Mariah Carey, needs in her vanity.

Topping the make-shift polish tree is the Kinetics Nail Polish in Splatter It! – the perfect polish for the artsy type. I've worn this polish over every shade of grey imaginable, yet still nothing can compare to the impact it gives when layered over a simple white. A more obtainable version of this polish is the Formula X Xpolsive Top Coat in Chaotic – available from Sephora. The next layer features three favourites from Essie's Luxe Effects Line – Shine Of The Times, As Gold As It Gets, and Set In Stones. It's almost a sin to consider yourself a beauty blogger without owning the entire Luxe Effects line-up, but if you must only choose three effects then these are it. The subtlety of the Shine Of The Times and As Gold As It Gets make easy work of transforming a basic polish to an extraordinary one, while Set In Stones looks beautiful as a gradient below the cuticle. The third layer shares four of the most exquisite OPI limited edition glitters [in my opinion] – Muppets World Tour, Which Is Witch?, Wonderous Star and When Moneky's Fly. I love the way each polish features various forms of glitter and subtle holographic details ensuring that your nails are the star of any party you attend this holiday season. The final two polishes, and most recent addition to my collection, hail from Julep's Diamond Mystery Box – Sky and Chantel. There is something so lavish about the diamond shaped glitter and holographic elements seen in these top coats. I love layering Sky over a shimmering royal blue like Austen, and Chantel over a deep aubergine, such as Nic.

THE SWATCHES

Swatched left to right // Julep – Chantel, Sky, OPI – When Monkeys Fly!, Wonderous Star, Which Is Witch?, Muppets World Tour, Essie – Set In Stones, As Gold As It Gets, Shine Of The Times and Kinetics Nail Polish – Splatter It!

I so dearly wish that these glitters were more widely available, but hopefully this post helped inspire you to add a little glitz to your manicure this week! We could all use a bit more sparkle.

What is your go-to glitter polish?

AM¥     XO

NOTD . WHITE MEETS CONCRETE

It feels like I haven't seen sun in days and it's reflecting in my manicure. Today's nails are inspired by the rugged concrete jungle we call home and my hopes for the snow to come and mask its existence. I began with a base of Essie's Nail Polish in Blanc before using a technique I discovered through The Nailasaurus to create a 'Waterfall Manicure' – a must know for any nail art junior [AKA me]. To create this effect I used a few different polishes including, Essie Nail Polish in Find Me An Oasis, Julep Nail Polish in Nancy, Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in White, and OPI Nail Polish in Muppet's World Tour. Alternating between polishes I simply created thin lines running halfway up the nail before finishing with the Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Fast Dry Top Coat. 

 What colours would you combine for this manicure?

AM¥     XO

NAILS OF THE DA¥ . ALL STITCHED UP

It's officially the last week of October and somehow my Halloween spirit has yet to kick in – maybe it's because I missed all that Fall feel-good stuff, like trips to Springridge Farm, pumpkin carving & breezy hikes. But there are two Halloween traditions that I will never miss out on; watching Hocus Pocus and themed nail art. This year the two went hand in hand as I was inspired to create a 'stitched' nail art design with Billy Butcherson's cross-stitched lips working as my muse. I knew that I wanted to use my new Julep Nail Polish in Dana, a white glow in the dark polish, which I received in the October Julep Maven Box because unless I'm headed to a rave, Halloween is the only time blacklight reflective polish makes any sense. I created the stitched effect in a matter of seconds with my Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in Black, keeping the lines rough & raw as if I was using a dull needle, just like Winifred Sanderson did.

Will you be donning Halloween-themed nail art this week?

AM¥   XO

STELLA MCARTNE¥ x SALL¥ HANSEN B¥ MADELINE POOLE

One great aspect of a fashion show – aside from the clothing, of course – is the makeup and nails that are used to complete the 'look'. Madeline Poole, Global Colour Ambassador for Sally Hansen, knows everything there is to know when creating a statement nail and, she has a knack for creating nail art that is inspired by the collection. She created a coolly minimalist, matte nude nail for Stella McCartney’s Summer 2015 show. Then, inspired by the fluidity and trendy prints seen in the collection, which can only be described as an abstract take on cheetah print, Madeline created two fashion-forward manicures that are screaming to be re-created.

“There were a few dresses in the collection that had a mixture of prints – I was really attracted to this spotted animal pattern. To me it looks like moth wings, mimicking leopard spots. I love to layer colours organically and not fuss with straight lines so that the design I came up with is really expressive and easy to recreate with a casual dab,” says Poole.

The Stella Summer 2015 Inspired Nail Looks by Madeline Poole – The Shades:

·         The background is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Designer in "Himalaya"

·         The red is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in "All Fired Up"

·         The navy is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in "Dark Huemoor"

·         The yellow is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "Mellow Yellow"

·         The black is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "Black Out"

Have you ever been inspired to mimic a print that you’ve seen on the runway? 

AM¥     XO

ESSIE DRESS TO KILT COLLECTION + CAMOUFLAGE NAILS

When a collection is inspired by 'espionage and the thrill of the chase' you just know it is going to be good. Essie's latest release for Fall 2014 is Dress To Kilt, a collection of 6 polishes featuring a thick easy to apply formula with a killer shine. While most bloggers were bored by the dark, and 'mundane' shades in this collection, I found myself smitten. There is something so charming about the simplicity of each of the polishes individually, but also an excitement about what they will create when they are combined.  

I grabbed 3 polishes from the Dress to Kilt Collection; Take It Outside, Fall In Line and The Perfect Cover Up. The shades are stunning individually. There is no shade as perfectly sophisticated & edgy as Take It Outside, no camouflage manicure will ever be created without using Fall In Line again, and nothing can compare to how BAE The Perfect Cover Up becomes when a matte top coat is added. Together the polishes create a modern teal-based camouflage print that I consider the perfect manicure to welcome my favourite season, Fall.

AM¥     XO