Vamping It Up

While I haven’t embraced the oxblood trend with clothing yet, I do love the look of darker lips and nails for Fall.  I’m trying to wear more daring colors on my nails, and I’ve started giving myself frequent manicures, so I was excited to find Orly’s Smolder, a rich, merlot-colored polish with a bit of subtle shimmer.  I layer two to three coats for a dramatic effect, and with a clear top coat, my manicure can last up to a week.  It’s a fun way to try the current color trend with the really disgusting name, and there’s minimal commitment.

(My oxblood manicure with Orly’s Smolder.)

And while I don’t think I can really pull off oxblood-colored lips, I did find a dark-stained stick gloss in Black Orchid, by Laura Mercier.  It just sounds so much more appealing than the awful oxblood (Who thought of that term to describe a color, anyway?), and leaves a dark, but still iridescent sheen.  I can layer it with lipliner and pink gloss for a more dramatic effect, and the look is flattering and on-trend, without washing me out completely.  I also use a bit more blush than normal when wearing a darker lip color, and it’s a nice way to brighten my face for Fall.

(My tools for embracing the oxblood trend.)

Have you tried any Fall trends?  How do you feel about oxblood?