Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or like, Antarctica), chances are you’ve seen, heard of, or possibly even tried nail wraps. If you haven’t, they are exactly what they sound like: Stretchy plastic or vinyl strips that can be applied to your pretty fingers.

They’re great to use as an accent, like so:

Or go all out with a full set:

After watching all the nail trends from New York Fashion Week (I’ll have my faves for you next week!), it looks like nail art is here to stay, and wraps are an easy way to ease into this trend. For me, it’s a way to try crazy things I might not normally have the time (or patience) to get done via freehand. Right now we’re loving the ones from NCLA. They’re easy to apply, and have a lot of fun designs to choose from. They last anywhere from 5-8 days, and we sometimes like to do a gel coat on top to extend the life. (We’ll use Sally Hansen strips occasionally, and they’re a solid drugstore option, but still like NCLA best.)
You can purchase NCLA wraps online ($16), and notice the sets in the “Whatever” collection are named after Clueless quotes. You know, in case you’re a Virgin Who Can’t Drive.

In which case, your nails better look good.

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Atlantans, visit BUFF in its fab new Studioplex location for the most stylish set of fingers in town, and follow the salon on Instagram @BuffNailBar for more nail awesomeness. 

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We always suggest people take breaks from gel, but we know how addicting a long-wearing manicure can be. Enter Vinylux–a new polish line from the makers of the Shellac gel. Skip the base, paint two coats of your preferred polish ($6), top with the Vinylux topcoat ($10), and it dries to a flawless finish, strengthens its resistance to chips over time, and wears perfectly for seven days or more.

Day 1 (color is Negligee):

Day 7:
There are colors that match all the Shellac shades so you don’t have to leave your favorite gel look behind.

Here’s Asphalt, a color we’re loving for fall and winter:

The best part: It’s removed with regular nail polish remover, no soaking required. So save the gels for vacations and get your hands on Vinylux. We promise you’ll love it just as much as we do. (Buy online at Beyond Polish or Amazon, and search salons that carry it).

Here’s to more durable digits!

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Get your long-wearing Vinylux manicure at Buff nail bar, of if you’re not in ATL, live vicariously through their Instagram. 

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They have an early ’90s vibe going (Cher totally wore ones that said “As if” in Clueless; you just couldn’t tell), but they’re certified retro cool. Want to subtly tell someone to F off? Show the world you’re awesome? Or rich? Or just a bitch? We’ve got the solution. There are a number of companies out there doing different things, but our favorite is Hex Nail Jewelry. They’re cheeky, come in silver or 14K gold-plated, and can be used more than once. We stick them on with a dab of adhesive and they stay on until you remove them.

Hex has lots of accessory selections (unicorns included), but here are some of our faves and the best sellers at Buff.

They’re on the money, honey.

Get accessorized at Buff Nail Bar ($5 each charm with a manicure), or pick them up on Hex’s website. And don’t forget to follow @BuffNailBar on Instagram for more fab fingers.

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When it comes to my hands and feet, I’m obsessed with keeping them moisturized. There is nothing worse than shaking someone’s hand and feeling dry, scratchy skin. Or pulling on a pair of tights and snagging them with your hangnail. Gross.

But many people think because their hands and feet will be in gloves, cute boots, and socks they don’t need to get manicures and pedicures. Wrong! This is actually the most important time to focus on hand and foot care. It’s all keeping these areas exfoliated and moisturized in drier, colder weather. (And you can always get mani/pedis and skip the polish, allowing your nails to breathe and absorb moisture.)

One of my favorite products to get me through the winter season is Nontoxique’s Cuticle and Nail Balm ($18.50). It’s one of the best lines around (and so healthy for even the most sensitive of skin), plus it takes just the smallest amount to keep nails and cuticles SUPER hydrated. For foot care, I am a huge fan of Nontoxique’s anti-aging Herbal Scrub (awesome for hands and body, too; $20), and Gehwol Blue Intensive Moisturing Cream ($20). These two products keep my feet from resembling blocks of parmesan (never a good look).

Both of the moisturizing creams live by my bed, and (on nights that I’m lucky enough to remember) I apply before I doze off. So to all my mani/pedi people: It’s not just about the polish (although we love that!), but also maintaining healthy hands and feet. Just because summer is over and your nails aren’t as “exposed,” don’t neglect them. Keep on your routine, make moisture a priority, and by the time spring rolls around you’ll be ahead of the beauty game.

Nontoxique products (as well as amazing manis and pedis) available at Buff nail bar. 

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That prettiness is what inspired Buff’s October mani of the month. Last month, it was all about half moons. This month, it’s all about the other orb in the sky with our golden, glowing, sun-kissed nail.
You can do this in so different ways and colors, and trust me–it will make you happy every time you glance down at your hands (which will be more often) and catch a sparkle in the fall sunlight.

This manicure is done by applying a base polish color of your choice (remember, gold goes with everything!). We then use Butter London’s West End Wonderland on the tips. The goal is to make it look like it’s dripping down the nail. Then we take individual gold flat stones and apply them for impact.
Colors from top left: RGB Pool, Butter London Queen Vic, NARS Superstar, Vinylux Negligee, RGB Cooper.

Voila! Gold gloriousness.

To see a quick video of the process and more of Buff’s work, follow on Instagram @buffnailbar. If you want this mani for yourself, come on in and get sparkled (mani of the month is $35)!

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Put your (manicured) hands in the air! We’re introducing a W + P weekly special and it has to do with…drumroll please…wait, you already you guessed it…NAILS. The Monday mani (and sometimes pedi, too) will be compliments of Myka Barbato, owner of BUFF nail bar in Atlanta, nail guru, and ridiculously stylish person in general. I’ll let her take it away…

Nails are my favorite accessory. It’s like a bright lip — a small detail that makes a big impact. Watching people pick their nail colors is highly entertaining. It’s like the last decision they’re ever going to make, which is odd because it’s only going to last five days, a week if you’re lucky (and abstain from normal things like washing dishes or digging keys out of the bottom of an overstuffed bag)!

This month, it’s all about transition into fall, so we’re pushing a lot of dark neutrals–greys, blacks, and deep reds. To keep them playful, try some simple nail art or an accent nail in a different color.

That’s our fave color this week: RGB in Steel. On fingers and on toes, this dove grey works for everyone and is light enough to still look appropriate during a heatwave (PS, why is it still so hot in September?).
If you can’t make it to BUFF for a mani (#bummer) or find Steel (currently sold out on RGB’s site, $18), there are plenty of alternatives out there, like Butter London’s Billy No Mates ($10) and Zoya’s Dove ($8).

(Editor’s note: If you’re looking for a killer transitional grey in gel polish, Shellac makes one called Cityscape, pictured below.)

Forget 50 Shades (and those psychos protesting the movie casting). This is real-life grey you can get excited about.

‘Til next Monday…

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Follow Buff on Instagram @BuffNailBar and if you’re in Atlanta, check it out for one of the best paint jobs in town!

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The first one is the striped mani. I LOVE this. Super clean, elegant, and chic, it was seen on the runways at Tibi and Zimmerman and was was by far one of my fave looks.

I decided to make it more appropriate for fall with a darker color. Below is NARS Superstar ($19) with a silver, foil stripe (cut the strip, lay across the polish, and seal with a topcoat).

The other trend is the half moon manicure. This one we’ve been seeing for a while, but it just isn’t getting old (per the Oscar De La Renta and Lela Rose shows).

However, what is new is leaving the nail natural and doing the moon in a more vibrant or darker color:

Of course we had to do our own twist on it at Buff using RGB’s Beach ($18) and a basic black.

The possibilities are endless with these fun trends, so try them any way you want and put your own stamp on your hands. That’s what we’ll be doing at Buff!

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Head to Buff Nail Bar for your striped or half moon mani and follow the salon on Instagram @buffnailbar for all the fab fingers (and toes). 

The post Just Another Mani Monday: 2 Fall Trends to Try appeared first on Witty + Pretty.

In the spirit of the season, we came up with a few ideas of our own that, whether you celebrate Halloween or not, are still awesome to look at.

The Blood Splatter
This is my new favorite manicure. I think I’ll wear it all fall in varying shades because it’s that badass. Our nail artist Hasani committed to it and actually blew polish through a straw to get this look. Yes, a straw. Leave this one to the pros because clean up can be a challenge. We used RGB in White as the base and Vinylux in Rouge Red for the “blood”.

Dark and Stormy Night

A literal translation of Halloween, we have the spooky tree, abandoned house, and a moon that actually glows in the dark. Insane. And what’s even crazier is that all of this was done by hand using a makeup sponge for the ombre look and hand-painted artwork. This is truly nail art.

Friday the 13th
I mean…this needs no words. Hand-painted Jason mask? Umm, yes please.

If nail art isn’t your thing, think about doing a dark and vampy polish for the holiday. Some of my faves for the 31st are: RGB in Black ($18), RGB in Oxblood ($18), and Deborah Lippmann in Cleopatra in NY ($19).

Here’s to a happy Halloween!

*All of the above manicures are available at Buff nail bar and custom nail art starts at $3 per nail. Photos courtesy of Buff. 

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We used Butter London in Union Jack Black ($15) and RGB’s White ($18) to create a freehand-painted (yes, the girls are that good!) geometric pattern on the nails. We also played with matte AND glossy finishes for the black polish so that each hand has a different look (did you notice?). This manicure can be interpreted in various ways and colors, so the possibilities are endless. Love it.

Manicure of the Month $35 at Buff nail bar. Photo courtesy of Buff. Manicure by Hasani Young.

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