Holiday nails

“Be prepared to be overwhelmed.” That’s what I texted my sister-in-law.

She was on her way over to my place the day after the ice storm hit. The roads were clear, she told me. My niece and my mom were with her, and they were joining me for a new tradition: Hannam women’s holiday nail art.

The power went out just before 2pm, minutes before their arrival. I set us up in the kitchen, as the most light was coming in that room. I displayed the bottles and boxes in sections: remover & pads, nail art kits, tools such as files, scrapers and nippers, cuticle softeners and hand creams, and polishes that were bright, dark, pearlized, neutral and glittered, along with top coats of varying effects. (I have a serious addiction to nail products. So much so that in university friends would give me gifts from the drug store, and it would make my year.)

My nephew came too, and he joked that the spread was impressive it made him almost want to paint his own nails. He avoided the estrogen-lacquered mess in the kitchen by watching a football movie on his laptop.

My sister-in-law, knowing that she had to be in the office on the 23rd and the 24th, opted for a petal pink base, pretty snowy-white glitter ombreed tips and an accent nail of white sequins.

My mom and niece went dramatic, especially after searching “nail art for short nails,” and “holiday nail art” on Pinterest. My mom did a gilded thumb, layered glitter polishes, snowflake and candy cane pictures with the dotter tool, and a nighttime snowstorm on her pinky. My niece played with her favourite colours, like pink ombre, black glitter, holographic nail sticker, asymmetrical two-tone and a trendy blue.

Myself? I had never done texture before and I was inspired by my mom and niece to take each nail to the next level. I glitter bombed one nail, dipped another in sequins, another in metal beads, ombreed my thumb and bedazzled my pinky with faceted plastic crystals.

The next day though, I discovered that textured nails aren’t my thing. I unknowingly picked it all off. I redid them with a white glitter polish and black chevron tips inspired by some spring runway nail art.

Happy holidays from the Hannam ladies!

PS. If you want to know any of the products we used, let me know in the comments below and I’ll send them to you.

Nail Service

When I was asked about my favourite nail colour for summer, I just had to go with something tried, tested and true. It’s kind of a colour-detox if you will. Although, I still crush over a flirty pink, a spicy orange or a pretty lilac, everyone needs this colour in the bag of polishes.

Colour detox

Neutral hue for a colour detox. Sometimes I just gotta. #notd #quo



via Tumblr http://lisahannam.tumblr.com/post/51184831352

Sparkling moon

This is the result of nail envy. It would seem that all of the Canadian beauty editors get their nails done at Tips Nail Bar in Toronto. If I compliment a colleague’s nails, I know what she is going to say. She went to Tips. They’ve worked with Revlon for events and fashion shows (ahem, Lucian Matis). I was once invited to get my nails done there by a lacquer brand, but it was on my birthday. I have yet to make it there. But my jealous nails, after a basic manicure with Dior’s Gris Trianon (a colour recco by Glow’s beauty editor), wanted some glam, some shine, a moon manicure. I took inspiration from a recent Tips moon mani. Instead of the nude moon, I went for Nars Silver Factory, which is part of the Andy Warhol collection. I simply used the Essence French Manicure Tip Guides, by placing the strips about half a centimetre from my cuticle. Too much polish can run under the guide, so I was careful to apply two thin coats, peel the sticker away and finish with a top coat. It’s my cheap and chic delay until I finally get my tips into Tips.