Given the world’s growing obsession with nail polish, we’re sure you have a lacquer fan or two on your Christmas list this year. But the idea of nail polish shopping can be daunting to the uninitiated—especially since Christmas is five days away and there’s no shortage of brands and shades to choose from.
We’ve compiled our picks from some of this season’s hottest collections along with new brands that have hit the Philippine market and two indie brands with a solid cult following. These bottles are a guaranteed hit with nail polish lovers.
For the woman with a taste for the finer things in life. Here’s a swoon-worthy gift idea that won’t break the bank. The limited-edition Diorific Vernis shades from Dior’s Golden Winter collection are a picture of holiday luxury—from the elegant gold boxes to the Christmas ball-inspired bottles. You have four shades to choose from—Royale, a vibrant fuchsia pink; Winter, a super shimmery pinkish gold; and our favorites Frimas, a pretty pinkish taupe, and Minuit, an intense plum with gorgeous golden glitter. Each bottle is P1450. For an extra-special treat, you can choose to go for Dior’s Diorific Jewel manicure duo—a three-piece set that includes a gold nail lacquer base, a bottle of crystalline micro-pearls and a golden funnel that can be used to create an easy but attention-grabbing 3D manicure. The set is available for P2200. Dior is available at Rustan’s in Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Power Plant Mall and Commerce Mall in Alabang Town Center.
For the friend who’s still searching for the perfect shade of red. It’s true, just like lipstick, there’s a perfect red nail polish for everyone and Chanel’s holiday offering might just be the shade of scarlet your friend is looking for. Rouge Rubis is a limited-edition universally flattering glossy vivid red creme that was released with Chanel’s Nuit Infinie Collection. It’s perfect for the holidays and beyond. Available for P1250 at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
For the fashion magazine-obsessed girl. NARS founder and director François Nars started dreaming of becoming a makeup artist after seeing the work of photographer Guy Bourdin in the pages of French Vogue when he was a child. This season, François is paying tribute to the controversial photographer who inspired him by releasing the Guy Bourdin holiday collection. There are four full-sized nail polish colors in this limited-edition collection—Tomorrow’s Red (scarlet flame), Follow Me (deep fuchsia), No Limits (bright pink violet) and Union Libre (blossom pink). Each bottle is P995. But if you want to give the gift of variety—go for Beautiful Stranger, a four-piece mini nail polish gifting set that includes Lost Red (bright red), Manosque (deep smoky lavender), Shameless Red (bright pink) and Dance Dance Dance (bright purple). The set, which comes in a box that features one of Guy Bourdin’s iconic photographs, is available for P1650 at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
For the vegan. Priti NYC, the New York-based vegan, eco-friendly and organic nail polish brand, is now available in the Philippines. There are a number of colors and different kinds of finish to choose from. Some of our favorites are White Ballet Dahlia, a gorgeous white; Lungwort, an icy mint green; Dracula Orchid, a dark gray and Etoile Violet, a vibrant purple shimmer. Each bottle is P600. They also have toxic-free nail polish for little girls for P400 each. To order, visit www.pritinycmanila.com or call 0915-6173122.
For the woman who keeps up with trends. The manicures rocked by the models at New York Fashion Week’s Spring 2014 shows left us with no doubt—matte nails are back. Deborah Lippmann, celebrity manicurist and designer favorite (they always ask her to create special manicures for their Fashion Week shows), has released a “matteen” collection of three must-have matte shades with shimmery sheen. The shades—Red Silk Boxers (crimson), Harem Silks From Bombay (boysenberry) and Pseudo Silk Kimono (milky alabaster white)—have been spotted on the runways of Badgley Mischka, Kate Spade and Richard Chai, and they can soon be on your friend’s nails. Each bottle is P825. Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
For the karaoke fan. If your friend likes belting out Mariah Carey’s hits, she might want to get her hands on bottles from the singer’s holiday collaboration with nail polish giant OPI. This is Mariah’s second collection with OPI and this year’s offerings include 18 full-sized bottles (P645 each), six of which come in OPI’s textured Liquid Sand finish. Our picks include Warm Me Up (shimmery brown), Kiss Me At Midnight (bright blue with silver glitter Liquid Sand), Baby Please Come Home (medium lilac Liquid Sand) and Underneath The Mistletoe (glittery jelly candy apple red). Mini gift sets are also available for P745. Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
For the girl who likes sheer polish. Women who aren’t crazy about bright pops of color and like wearing barely there shades on their nails will like the two colors from Laura Mercier’s White Magic Collection for Holiday 2013. Angel Wings is a sheer shimmery white that can be worn on its own or as a top coat to add a pearly sheen to other nail polish shades. Butterfly Wings is a complex mix of gold, beige, pink and copper—very soft and very pretty. Each bottle is P745. Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
For the girl who wants something new. German brand Anny arrived in the Philippines this year, thrilling polish fans with its pretty shades and easy-to-apply formula. Our favorites? Icy Chocolate, a warm taupe; Be Glamorous, a shimmery rosy taupe; Most Wanted, the metallic Chanel Peridot look-alike; Love Touch, a red jelly; and Jet Black, a glossy black crème. Each bottle is P580. Available at SM Aura Premier, SM Makati, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM Fairview, SM North Edsa The Block, SM North Edsa, SM Cubao, SM Southmall and SM Davao.
For the girl who insists her nails need to breathe. Inglot, the beloved makeup brand from Poland, is now in Manila, bringing with it its O2M nail polish line which was developed by chemist Wojciech Inglot. He developed this special breathable nail polish formula using the same resin found in contact lenses, making sure water and oxygen can pass through the lacquer. Inglot’s nail polish comes in a dizzyingly wide array of shades. Bottles of the breathable shades are sold at P650 each. They also have regular nail polish for P450. Available at Inglot in Glorietta 5.
For the holo lover. Adina Bodana, the creative force behind the London-based a-England, has been making nail polish magic for a few years. Her collections are carefully curated, offering covetable shades that have become the reason for the brand’s solid cult following worldwide. The brand’s holographic shades are extra-popular. Some of our favorites are Tristam (night sky blue) which is named after Adina’s adorable cat, Saint George (deep teal) and Ascalon (steely lavender gray). Online store Polish Please sells a-England’s shades in the Philippines. Each bottle is P630. Visit www.polishplease.ph.
For the glitter-obsessed. If the girl on your list is crazy about glitter, check out Cirque, a New York-based artisanal line of hand-blended nail polish. We like Kaleidoscope (rainbow
confetti made with over 30 types of satin-finished glitter), Le Invader (rainbow confetti of square-shaped glitter), Queen Majesty (radiant purple micro-glitter). The non-glitter shades are great too—Fascination Street is a cult favorite. Prices range from P570 to P620. Visit www.polishplease.ph.
For the Rihanna devotee. If your friend adores Rihanna, pick up RiRi Woo from the singer’s latest collaboration with MAC for Holiday 2013. This cool red crème comes in a specially designed RiRi bottle. The shades from MAC’s Divine Night Holiday Collection—Military (black matte with silver suede pearl), Fierce Entrance (rich gold bronze) and Gadabout Girl (blackened plum)—are also gift-worthy. Each bottle is P830. Available at MAC Glorietta, Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza, Mall of Asia, Trinoma, Rockwell, Ayala Center Cebu, Eastwood, Rustan’s Alabang Town Center, SM Aura Premier and SM Megamall.
The author obsesses over nail polish at www.polishpolice.com.