For your hair
Left to right: Kevin Murphy Color.Bug in Neon, Colorsmash Hair Shadow in Cosmopolitan, Gold Rush, Putting on the Glitz
A few months ago, on Halloween, I became vaguely obsessed with the notion of “hair shadow,” or semipermanent eyeshadow-like products for your hair. Want to be green for a day, or pink, or purple? For adults, the idea is really only appropriate for holidays like Halloween, but for teenagers, this could work well as an alternative to them bleaching their entire head, dying it neon pink, and then changing their mind two days later, with no recourse. (I speak of this … from numerous bad teenage dying experiences.) And so I fell into deep appreciation of Colorsmash Hair Shadow, which we’ve featured on About Face before. The product is available in a variety of colors that you rub in and then wash out. Hallelujah.
For the holiday season, I like Colorsmash’s new metallic shades, in Gold Rush and Putting on the Glitz. On the tips of your hair or just streaked throughout, I think it’s a fun idea for New Year’s Eve, if you keep the rest of your makeup look incredibly simple. But if you’re looking for a more in-your-face idea, try Colorsmash Hair Shadow in plummy pink Cosmopolitan, or the new Kevin Murphy Color.Bug shade Neon, a bright, neon yellow-green. Kevin Murphy already has a line of Color.Bug shadows in shades like white, purple, and pink, and this neon green is certainly a loud addition to that.
With brighter colors, I think just one solid streak in your hair, in an unexpected place (underneath your ponytail, perhaps?) makes a significant impression. And if your daughter steals it, well, at least she’s not killing her entire head of hair by pouring peroxide over it. Sigh. Why did I think that was such a good idea 10 years ago?!
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: $20 for Kevin Murphy Color.Bug at professional hair salons, $15 each for Colorsmash Hair Shadow at ConditionCulture.com.
For your nails
Left to right: SpaRitual Metal collection in Bismuth, Cassiterite, Copper, Osmium, Silver, Titanium; Golden Ticket, Smoke’n Mirrors from Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Precious Gems set
And, last but not least, your nails. You could keep them bare and chic with just a swipe of shiny top coat, of course, but I prefer metallics, frosts, and foils for the holiday season. Seeing that shimmer flying across the keyboard, or whenever I look at my hands, just makes me happy.
So for a sophisticated shimmer, look to the SpaRitual Metal collection, the brand’s holiday offering for this year. A set of six shades, the collection includes pink-purple Bismuth, which also flashes gold and green in certain lights; metallic Copper, which looks just as its name would suggest; pale gold with gold glitter Cassiterite; dark navy blue creme Osmium, which veers into almost-black territory; straightforward metallic Silver; and darker metallic grey Titanium. I would pair the dark Osmium and flashy Cassiterite together, personally.
But if you want polishes that are a little smaller, grab the mini sizes of Golden Ticket and Smoke’n Mirrors from the Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Precious Gems set. A gold and silver foil, respectively, they’re small enough for a few manicures and pedicures, and then you’re done. Have you ever worked through a bottle of nail polish before? It’s a gratifying, wonderful thing. Do it.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: $10 each for SpaRitual polish at Beauty.com; $12.99 for Sonia Kashuk Precious Gems set at Target.com and Target store locations.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The products featured in this post were provided to Chesapeake Family’s About Face blog by the manufacturer or their public relations company for review. Chesapeake Family’s About Face blog posts are inspired by personal experience and opinion, and are not paid for or influenced by the manufacturer, PR company, or any other organization unless mentioned.
Photos by Roxana Hadadi.
In middle school, Roxana Hadadi was a cosmetics-scorning tomboy; in high school, a glitter eye shadow- and black nail polish-loving trend kid; in college, obsessively committed to dying her hair unruly colors that upset her mom. Now a bit older and a bit more mature, she’s trying to figure out what hair, body and cosmetics products will work for her, you and your family in About Face, Chesapeake Family’s new beauty blog — and she’ll leave the sparkle makeup and neon highlights in the past. Roxana also writes movie reviews for Chesapeake Family’s Popcorn Parents blog.
