As an English Lit major back in school, I spent A LOT of time reading flowery fiction and pulling symbolism outta my arse. Showers weren’t merely showers; they signified rebirth. Missing the bus didn’t simply mean I’d be late for class; it foreshadowed a late dinner, which in turn was my hungry soul’s cry for real life experience! LOLZ…

Perhaps this underlying need I have to find great significance in everyday things is why the two new nail enamels in Shu Uemura’s Egerie collection (Pink and Black, $18 each) remind me of the sweet and sour sides of this crazy thing we call love.

I blame Valentine’s Day.

Are you and Cupid on good terms this year? If so, consider warm Pink, a salmon with a touch of pearl. It’s a sweet, innocent pink, like the gooey rush of getting to know someone new.

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G’morning, ladies. How’d you sleep, and did you do anything fun last night? I had pizza, again (third week in a row!), and then just messed around with Tabs and painted my nails at home. I’d meant to watch Caprica but got home a little too late.

Here’s what I picked for my nails: NARS Purple Rain ($16). It’s the sole nail color in their spring collection.

I feel like I could lose myself in that deep violet shimmer…

The formula was thicker than I expected and bubbled a wee bit (took me a couple tries to get it right), but I like how it turned out.

Are you wearing anything on your nails today or sportin’ nekkid claws?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Mornin’, ladies. I’ve been up since four (WHEE!) and wasn’t able to fall back to sleep, so instead of dreaming about Ryan Reynolds I spent the wee hours this morning listening to Debbie Gibson (LOL!) and painting my nails.

I used Barielle’s new Wildflower collection for spring ($8 each).

From left to right: Blossom, Snap Dragon and Daring Dahlia

Barielle says their inspiration for the six new shades came from two things: 1) spring flowers and 2) the many women close to the brand who are still battling against, or have lost their fight with, ovarian cancer.

Three of the colors — A Bouquet for Ava, June Bug and Myrza’s Meadow — are actually named after three of these special ladies, and 100% of the proceeds from sales of the shades through ocrf.org will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (what an awesome idea).

From left to right: A Bouquet for Ava, June Bug and Myrza’s Meadow

Of course, like Barielle’s other polishes, the six Wildflower shades are free of formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl-phthalate — potentially harmful compounds commonly found in lesser-known, off-market nail polish brands.

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Today I thought of a scene from The Devil Wears Prada, the one where Meryl Streep’s icy Miranda Priestly schools her dowdy assistant Andy (Anne Hathaway) on the influence that high fashion has on everyday American life.

Remember Andy’s cerulean blue sweater?

The color, Miranda says, walked down a runway long before it ever found its way to a major retail store.

That scene left a total impression on me… Now, as I try to follow beauty trends, I’m always fascinated by how many color and style trends begin life on a runway.

Take Essie’s new nail polish collection, Art of Spring…

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Ladies, can I get a little help? The MAC mani I rocked earlier this week now features more chips than a Cheetos convention (that’s what I get for skipping the top coat, DOH!). It’s time for something new.

I’m in the mood for springy, like one of the three polishes from Les Impressions de Chanel ($23 each). Have you had a chance to see ‘em yet?

Particuliere goes on like a creamy grayish brown. I really dig the color and coverage, and two coats is all it takes for opaque nails with nary a streak. Of all three spring shades, it’s the one I’m guessing will have the widest appeal, looking great on ladies with skin tones from warm to cool, light to dark. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

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