Dark Touches

Ms. New Beauty has admitted it before, and she'll do it again - she's lazy. She's not a so lazy that she only gets out of bed for bathroom breaks kind of girl. Just one whose life is busy enough that certain things have to be eliminated or completed only by using the shortest of short cuts. Thus far, it's been her nails. No time for polish that always chips and peels off, and definitely over the acrylic tips that require bimonthly refills, MNB has contented herself by keeping her nails short and groomed with just a touch of cuticle oil. After months of holding onto this lazy side while desperately trying to resist a new trend, MNB has finally relented and given in to one of the chicest nail colors in years - black.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color in #337 Noir Ceramic

This polish became the signature of the black polish trend in recent months. A limited edition black polish with subtle blue metallic undertones that expertly recreated the look of, as the name implies, black ceramic. That sublte shimmer ups the chic quotient of black nails, keeping them from straying too far into goth girl territory.

This polish has been sold out for months. At this point, the only way to get ahold of one yourself is to call every retailer in your area (which isn't likely to be successful considering that the holiday shopping season just passed) or to resort to eBay. So not in the mood for hours of dialing and reserving, I'm getting mine off of eBay. To avoid a price war, I downloaded a free trial of Auction Defender. This program will place your bid 15 seconds before the end of the auction, so you can get the best price. Pray for me though, because we all know how easy it is to get burnt by those online auctions. I am going to be so hurt if I go through all of this and end up with a bottle of Wet N' Wild.


There are other options available if you are not married to any particular shade of black. And, if black nails don't work with your skin tone or would be too harsh in a conservative office, you can get the same chic look with softer colors.

Orly Liquid Vinyl

On a whim, I picked this shade up from Sally Beauty Supply. Surprisingly, it looked really good on me and lasted few days despite me skipping both a base and top coat. My only pet peeve is that despite the ultra high shine, the color is flat. There is no depth or shimmer like the Chanel color. The result is that I have a slightly Morticia Adams look about my fingers. The flat black seems so much like a Halloween costume to me, while the subtle shimmer of the Chanel makes more of a chic adult statement.

But, I do like the slightly subversive look to it. It's been four days since I painted it on and it's starting to chip ever so slightly around the edges. A chipped manicure is normally a huge no-no in my world, but with the black polish, something just seems right about it, like I'm the kind of girl who just doesn't give a damn. Whereas in another color, like pink, chipped nails come off as just plain old unkempt and messy, it works with black.

If you just want to buy in on a trend easily, this may be the best choice since it only cost me $4 at Sally's and the Noir Ceramic is going for around $50 on eBay.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

Part of OPI's "Be Bold, Go Deliciously Dark!" Collection, this shade still gives that dark polish look but in a softer way than the black. This plum will never be harsh or scary on the fingers, making it appropriate for almost any occasion. Great as a first step into the realm of dark polishes.

This deep plum shade is also ultra flattering on almost all skin tones. For darker skinned women, this may work better than black. The chicness of the black polish comes from the high contrast between the color of the polish and the skin of the fingers. That effect may be lost or less attractive on darker women. But, this plum is rich and warm and will perfectly complement any skin tone while still achieving that dark tipped look.


OPI Romeo & Juliet

Perfect for the girl who doesn't want to buy completely into the black nail polish. This shade is a deep burgundy that's less harsh than black and is perfectly appropriate for wearing to the office, no matter how conservative your profession. Just a tad darker than the standard burgunday, this polish takes advantage of a popular trend while still looking fresh and new.





If you buy into to the dark polish trend, regardless of the shade you choose, make sure to take the polish off after a few days with an acetone remover. Otherwise, your nails can start to turn icky yellow.

Follow the trends, whether by eBay or different shades, paint carefully, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!