Fall/Winter 2012-2013: Burgundy, Fuchsia, Orange, Smoky Rose

Fall and winter colors shouldn’t be as bright as they are in spring and summer. But it in no way means you have to go black, grey and brown. You can choose any color you like. Burgundy, Fuchsia, Orange, Smoky Rose are the go-with reds this season.

Burgundy. Wine shades are still in trend: passionate, complex, exciting, enigmatic. Mix burgundy with luxury prints (brocades, paisleys, silk stripes) or cool it down it with charcoal gray and olive.

Fuchsia, Magenta, Neon Pink. The combination of these color and black is at the peak of popularity. Captivating, stimulating, a gorgeous shade will pop you out of the crowd. Magenta is easier to wear than neon pink or ultra-bright fuchsia, but still has plenty of pop. Don't want black, go with gray, tan, yellows, lime green and browns. But consider this as well: the mint has a calming effect on brisk fuchsia.

Neon Orange, Tomato. This color is another favorite of Fall/Winter 2012-2013 season. Orange is a very stylish and happy color! Pair it with creamy white, gray, pale yellow, forest green, browns, cherry red. Try it mixed with pink that is quite a statement! If you want to go gallant, mix it with navy blue, bright cobalt or deep shade of purple.

Smoky Rose. This gentle and subtile carries a lot of sophistication and nobility. It mixes great with neutrals and denim. Garments in soft colors are stylish and elegant. They look sexy without being too aggressive. Consider also: browns, tan, mint and olive green.

FALL/WINTER 2013 COLOR TRENDS:

Desaturated Berry Ombre Nails

Desaturated Berry Ombre Nails

Ombre nails are cool and subtle and they are easy to do on your own. This version of ombre nails is when the color fades from one nail to the next.

For a "real" nail-to-nail-ombre mani you need to use at least 2 colors of nail polish intermixing them together to create a gradient transition from one nail to another.  These colors can be monochromatic or complementary.

For this mani I used 5 different nail polishes that create a nice complementary pallete.  

Pink Cherry Gradient Nails

Pink Cherry Gradient Nails

1. Choose 3 nail polish colors that reflect the palette of a cherry. In my case I had pale yellow, light golden orange and golden wine.
2. Trim the sponge, you are going to be using to make a gradient, to the size of the length of your nails. This is going to help you to have better control of the placement for a smoother gradient.
3. Apply base coat to protect your natural nails.
4. Apply base color, which is a pale yellow here, and allow to dry a bit.
5. Brush you choice of polish onto a sponge in the order you want them to appear on your nails.
6. Gently press a sponge onto your nails with your base color covering a bed of your nail (lunula). You may find that you need to do this a couple of times to achieve a good coverage. Alternate the positioning of the sponge every pressing, by bringing it a little closer to a bed of a nail and next time closer to a tip, to create a smooth transition of the colors.
7. Allow polish to dry and finish with a top coat.

Clear to Golden Burgundy Nail Art

Clear to Golden Burgundy Nail Art

Using the Gradient nails technique, start off the clear base polish, gradually adding the color to the tips of the nails. Nail polishes with a metallic shine work the best.