American Apparel has just launched a range of nail polish, entitled American Apparel Nail Lacquer. It seems like a totally reasonable brand extension for them, since they are all about colour. But since there is no shortage of bright coloured nail polishes on the market at the moment, I am wondering why they bothered. Also, their choice of colours isn’t exactly ground-breaking. But I do love American Apparel, and since the price is very reasonable (6 USD a bottle), there is no reason why the product shouldn’t work.

I found their campaign images very interesting. No, there aren’t any naked girls or soft porn images, but what I found really strange was that the models nails are cut quite short. That is not usually the style of nail you see in nail polish advertising. I know there was this supposed “short black nail” trend in the noughties, but we aren’t all gonna sport the Avril Lavigne emo look. But the idea of short red nails, or short yellow nails is quite interesting. Its practical, and it easier to maintain. No more painful broken nails, or waiting weeks while they grow out. Now there’s a beauty trend that I like the sound of.

Yay to short nails!

Images from the American Apparel website.

My friend Asa, a makeup artist living in Stockholm, recommended YSL’s Volume Effect Faux Cils mascara. It was a very good recommendation, as the mascare really is fantastic. But the thing I love about it most? It smells nice. How many luxury cosmetics actually scent their prodcts to make them smell good? I know its probably all chemicals, which undos my strict Dr Hauschka routine, but there is something very nice about putting on mascara with a pretty smell (by the way, this is a classy smell, not some cheap strawberry flavour) I have never noticed this before with any of my other luxury cosmetics, but I really feel it is these sort of touches that makes it worth paying those extra dollars.

And it makes a really nice click sound when you close the tube, another interesting element in luxury cosmetics: the engineering of the packaging. I remember reading that Guerlain used to make their lipstick tubes so that when you clicked them closed it made the same sound as a Rolls Royce door closing.

Speaking of scents, I’m embarrassed to admit it, but for the past 15 years I have been wearing Prescriptives Calyx perfume, and I need to take some action. Presciptives is closing down at the end of the year, and I need to decide whether to bulk buy Calyx or to move on. I really love Diptyque’s Fig scent (so predictable I know!), Korres has something similar (a body mist I think.) I need to go on a perfume buying mission, that should be interesting. Maybe I will wait until I get to London in March, Liberty’s has the most fantastic perfume department.

Definitely time to move on: Prescriptives' Calyx Perfume, Diptyque's Fig Candle, Korres' Fig Body MIst