Heavy Metal Hands

The latest trend in nail polish: strikingly silver nails. They can range from a light glittery silver, to a deep steel silver, and everything in between. It somehow reminds me of David Bowie and taking a trip to outer space. I'm not even sure he ever wore nail polish, let alone this color, but it's so futuristic and rock-like that I'm reminded of him.

Here is his video for "Life on Mars," and check out his awesome blue eyeshadow:

Where can you find it?
OPI, and Essie, and Hard Candy all have a plethora of colors to choose from.

Panic With an Acoustic Guitar?

Panic! At The Disco is in the studio preparing a new album... and it's all being done on an acoustic guitar. This may come as a shock to big fans of the band who made a name for themselves by producing music heavy with electronic beats and all sorts of studio magic.

They recently told RollingStone magazine:

"That record is basically programmed to a T... [the new record is] influenced by the music our parents listened to: the Beach Boys, the Kinks the Beatles... Our new songs are more like classic rock than modern rock. We got older and started listening to different music - and this seems like the natural thing to do right now."

I'm all about artists stepping out of their comfort zone, so I'm pretty excited to hear their new sound. The only thing I'm apprehensive about is Panic! losing the sassy flair they show in all of their music videos. They seem to have a lot of influence from the mid and early 1900s, which is present in all of their videos and most photos you see of them. Their style and the unique artistry they show is always visually pleasing and fun to watch.

Here is their video for "But It's Better If You Do":



A message to the Panic! boys: Props for trying a new sound, but please don't let your videos become lame.

Where can you find it?
Their new album hasn't dropped yet, but you can still buy their first one, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.

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Now playing: Panic! At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
via FoxyTunes

Hair Evolution

As many musicians have proven throughout the years, the quickest way to get a new persona is to get a new hair color. Just by doing something as simple as changing your hair color you can completely alter your own attitude. Here are a few examples:

Joss Stone: She went from innocent songstress with golden locks, to a sassy soul singer with punky red-streaked hair.












Avril Lavigne: She started with mousy brown hair and a bad attitude, and now she's punk-glam with platinum blonde hair and a streak of hot pink to show she still likes to rock.












Christina Agulera: The definition of a chameleon. She started out innocent with her sweet blonde genie-in-a-bottle-hair. Then she threw a few black streaks in it to dirty up her image. Next she went bold and black, and now she's old school classy with starlet blonde hair.























The moral of the story: In a slump? Change your hair. Whether it's going lighter, darker, or adding a few funky streaks of color to it. The nice thing about is, if you mess up, you can cut it off, wear a hat, or change the color again.

Rock Stars on Your Eyes

Spring time is usually associated with pastels, rosy cheeks, and fresh faces. Imagine my surprise when my December issue of Allure informed me that fashion shows for spring 2008 were showcasing intense and glittering eyes that dazzled the runway. When done right you can look like a superstar ready to rock Madison Square Garden, when done wrong you can look like you got punched by a pixie. To avoid achieving the latter, I'll try and break down proper glitter usage for you:

• ONLY apply it to the eyes, don't go crazy sprinkling it all over yourself.
• Try applying glitter to just the lids of the eyes, or the outer corner of the eyes.
• With glitter, any color works.
• Don't do glitter on the lips. Shimmer is fine, but glitter is just awkward.
  

In Allure, they have a picture of one model wearing an especially lovely version of the look. Her face is clean and fresh, which allows the eye to be more dramatic and attention grabbing. The eye is lined all around in a deep brown-blue color, then just the outer corners of the eye are heavily coated with a deep navy colored glitter. I absolutely love this! It's dramatic but not overpowering.

Where can you find it?
Try MAC (they come out with some amazing glitter eyeliner at this time of the year, they go on with ease, but don't rub off or flake glitter all over your face), Urban Decay, L'Oreal Paris HIP High Intensity Pigments

See It, Hear It, Wear It... All In One Place

Obviously, I think it's great when someone's taste in clothing is intertwined with their taste in music. The problem is, it's difficult to find a store that does the same thing. However some stores put a ton of emphasis on both. Here are few examples:

Hot Topic:
Known for being the muse of many goth and emo kids, who feel instantly rebellious by buying clothes from this trendy anti-trend store (does that make sense?). Not only can you buy a ton of lesser-known band tees, you can also walk into the store and sample some music, then purchase the CD if you like it.

Diesel:
This high fashion line actually has their own music contest, where they search for new up-and-coming indie bands. They then feature them in a concert in London.

Where can you find it?
Click on the links above to go to each store's official web page. (Even if you don't think you'll like it, they're both really cool to look at. Especially the Diesel site, it makes you feel like your trapped in a water bubble floating through space. Seriously.)

Smell Like a Rock Star

This year, the Shop Boys said to party like a rock star, Nickelback sang about wanting to be one, and R. Kelly... sang about doing what he always does (Bump n Grind anyone?), like a rock star. So if we can do all these things, and wear rock star clothing, why not smell like one too?

Well you can!

That's right, artists like Gwen Stefani, J. Lo, P. Diddy, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and Usher all have their own fragrances. Now that I'm writing it, I realize how many there are, and I'm sure I've missed a few.

Here is a rundown of the perfumes from these artists. This list has each artist's perfume(s), a link to a page about the fragrance, and a snippet from each site explaining the scent. (I threw in a few commercials too, I couldn't help but notice how much they resemble mini music videos.):

• Britney Spears
• Believe "A sparkling blend of exotic fruits, soft florals and seductive amber."
• Fantasy "A magic love potion of sweet temptation."
• Curious "An exhilarating white floral accented with Louisiana Magnolia and wrapped in the sensuality of vanilla-infused musk."
• Gwen Stefani
• L L.A.M.B. "...a fusion of feminine and masculine with a luscious floral scent that bursts with sparkling freshness, and then wraps you in the warmth of sensual musks"

• Hilary Duff
• With Love "Youthful and fresh"

• J. Lo
• Still "Spicy white pepper, sensual sandalwood, and musk mix with ultra feminine florals, like pink freesia, honeysuckle, orange flower, and rose to create the most mesmerizing aroma."
• LIVE "...a vivacious blend of Italian Orange, Sparkling Sicilian Lemon, Pineapple, Violet Accord, Red Currant, Peony, and soft, sexy musk, serene vanilla, and Sandalwood."
• Love At First Glow "This scent possesses a blend of Italian Bergamot, Neroli de Provence, Georgia Peach, Osmanthus, Pink Jasmine, Wild Rose, Freesia, Blond Woods, Musk, Vanilla Absolute."
• Still "Spicy white pepper, sensual sandalwood, and musk mix with ultra feminine florals, like pink freesia, honeysuckle, orange flower, and rose to create the most mesmerizing aroma."
• Glow "...infused with notes of Orange Flower, Grapefruit, Orris, Jasmine, Vanilla, and Musk."
• Live Luxe "This scent possesses a blend of Juicy Pear, Exotic Melon, Apple Twist, Electric Citrus, Sun Sweetened Honeysuckle, Amethyst Freesia, Muguet Petals, Skin Musk, Creamy Vanilla, Soft Amber and Sandalwood."
• Glow After Dark "...a blend of Mandarin, White Cherry, Passion Fruit, Jasmine, Peony, Rose, Orange Flower, Pink Musk, Tree Moss, Blonde Woods, and Patchouli."
• Mariah Carey
• M "...opens with an indulgent, creamy accord and blooms into an opulent floral heart as a rich base reveals darker, sensual facets."

• P. Diddy
• Unforgivable (for men) "Unforgivable defines cool."
• Unforgivable (for women) "...embodies the essence of sensuality that intoxicates the senses."

• Usher
• Usher (for men and women) "Evoking the soul of one of today's premiere entertainers, both scents represent Usher's passion and commitment to positive expression."

Where can you find it?
Click on any of the links above, or check out your local Sephora or cosmetics department in a department store. All of these fragrances should be found in one or the other

The Boyz are Doing It Old School

It seems like every artist today is going back to their roots and drawing inspiration from many great singers from the past. Christina Aguilera went "Back to Basics," and Amy Winehouse went "Back to Black," while singing in the old school style of the original blues, jazz, and r&b artists.

Now, Boyz II Men has released an album called "Motown - A Journey Through Hitsville USA." It's a compilation of Motown covers, and even includes an acapella version of their hit "End of the Road." They include some of my favorites like, "Just My Imagination" (originally by the Temptations), "Mercy Mercy Me" (Marvin Gaye), and "I Was Made To Love Her" (Stevie Wonder).

At a first glance, and strictly judging an album by its cover, the Boyz have successfully channeled some vintage style. They all look positively dapper in their black suits, sitting in what appears to be a quaint little diner. Since they are the most successful R&B male group of all time, and my personal favorite, I have high expectations set for them.

Here is a video with a little more information about the new album:

Where can you find it?
But it now on iTunes.