Well hello again ELLE Canada readers! I’m back for another week of blogging from the intern desk, and this week we’re all about summer beauty. We’re talking about glowing tans, glossy hair and perfect pedicures as we prep for the hot and sunny weather we’ve been desperately waiting for since the last snowflake fell. Read on to find out what beauty projects I’ve been working on in my last few days in the office!

Pops of colour for your summer beauty palette. Photography by Geoffrey Ross.

Being an intern at ELLE Canada means reaching out to some of the most influential beauty brands in the biz, editing images, writing captions and building the galleries we know you love perusing on ELLECanada.com everyday. From our massive summer prep packages to more simple beauty projects for the season, the lineup for summer beauty is something you won’t want to miss. As ELLE girls, we’re in love with bold lip colours, bright nails and golden bronzers that help us look our best on the beach, and we just couldn’t resist sharing them with you. Plus, we’ve taken your picks for best products in our beauty grand prix that organizes your favourite creams, sprays and more by category and price. Stay tuned this week for our summer prep package and start collecting the must-have products of the season on ELLECanada.com’s beauty channel.

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The natural look at DVF. Image via Phyto.

I’m still reflecting on the primary beauty message that came across at the New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 shows. It would seem that OTT nails and bold bright lips, are going the way of the dodo.

Read more of Vanessa’s NYFW dispatch…

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Essie Weingarten backstage at Toronto Fashion Week.

No one captures how happy the perfect nail polish shade can make a woman like Essie Weingarten, founder of essie nail polish. With her nails gleaming (courtesy of a slick of shiny red A List essie polish) backstage at the Chloé Comme Parris show at Toronto Fashion Week, she’s getting her makeup touched up pre-show. The friendly energy buzzing around her is just as quippy, quirky and fun as her nail polish names. “I have to say, you have the best backstage,” she says excitedly. “It’s awesome!”

Since launching her first line of shades in 1981, Weingarten’s collections have set trends, created staples and helped make nails your best accessory. And I’m already dreaming about her fall 2012 collection. “Very rich, intense, I think they’re amazing,” she explains about her upcoming collection. “I think it’s the best collection I’ve ever done.” In my quick five-minute interview, Weingarten shares her thoughts on the latest nail trends.

The new neutrals
Gone are the days of translucents in plain old beige and pink. Today we pick from seafoam green, taupey grays, the palest blues, lavenders and more. “Neutrals are not sheer anymore. You have more colour, but in a subtle way, and they all become a classic, basic neutral,” says Weingarten. Take the latest essie wedding collection – the palest shade of green (Who is the Boss) could easily become your new summer neutral. “It’s just a dreamy, creamy green that’s gorgeous and universally flattering. You can wear it with any colour and it really just works.” I’m thinking the remaining wedding collection (out in April) will be equally as dreamy with a white polish (Instant Hot) and a milky lavender hue (Love and Acceptance).

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Houndstooth overlays in pink and blue are prepped backstage at House of Holland. Image: Casey Gillespie

From a beauty POV, House of Holland always are a stand out show at London Fashion Week. The hair and makeup is either outrageous, inventive or just plain wacko, and definitely a welcome place for an OTT nail. I’m of the school of thought that nail art has quite firmly jumped the shark, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate – or even covet – creative, fun and innovative designs.

Image by Nicole Cormeau (theionfashion.com) exclusively for ELLE Canada.

I love the giant houndstooth print nails featured at the HoH show this weekend. Models sported short, rounded nails (the shape you should be wearing right now, btw) painted in either pink or blue with a patterned overlay placed on top.

I know we’re only midway through London Fashion Week, but these Sophy Robson creations sum up everything wonderful about England’s capital: quirky, eccentric, a little bit in your face and routed in tradition.

Courtesy of ImaxTree.com

As you can tell from my multitude of nail polish blog posts (here, here and here), I’m a bit of a fanatic when it comes to my nails. But as much as I love slicking on that new shade, getting creative with nail art and testing out the latest trends, my nails need a break sometimes – a chance to go au naturel, and time to breathe. This just so happens to be my nail polish-free week. Here are my best tips for getting my nails back to a healthy state after weeks of polish changes.

1. Remove polish for at least one week.
After a month of applying nail polish twice a week (if not more — I’m finicky), my nails start to feel dry and sometimes even get brittle and split. All that polish, remover and filing takes its toll. So I give them a clean slate and apply only a nourishing base coat (try Essie’s Feed Me) to get them back to strength.

2. Keep ‘em short.
When not sporting any polish, I tend to keep my nails on the shorter side. If they are fragile, longer nails could split and damage more easily.

3. Natural doesn’t mean unruly.
Just because I don’t have a pretty shade swept across my nails doesn’t mean I skip on cleaning up my cuticles – this is an essential step to healthy nails – filing them into the perfect shape, and making sure they’re free of hangnails or dry skin. Read the rest of this entry

The way to my beauty heart right now? A slick of pretty nail polish and a sprinkle of glitter. Pretty simple, huh?

Image courtesy of cupcakesandcashmere.com

I’m obsessing over the nail art craze … news-printed, gem-stoned, half-mooned, artfully painted … so many options. Nails are the hottest accessory right now. My latest obsession are these adorable mermaid-inspired nails I stumbled across on Cupcakes and Cashmere. Haven’t seen this blog yet? Be sure to visit – trust me you’ll love Emily’s beauty how-tos, fashion pics and décor ideas.

It’s so easy to do, follow the instructions here and you’ll have nails with just a hint of glitter to add something special to regular polish. Totally office-appropriate and easy enough to do without a trip to the salon.

Image courtesy of cupcakesandcashmere.com

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