First Look: CND and Jason Wu Color Effects Collection

I first told you about the CND and Jason Wu collaboration here  but then it got even better. CND sent samples over of this limited edition collection which isn’t set to release in the US or Europe until May.  I’m actually going to Wu’s show tomorrow during Fashion Week where his models will be wearing debuting these new shades, and wanted to give you my impressions on the colors:

Miss Wu: This is must have – a stunning oyster with a pearlized matte finish.  Sound unusual?  It is.  Pearl is a big trend this season and Wu has captured it in what is also his signature color with Miss Wu.  The photo shows the color (dry) with the matte finish.  With a topcoat it gleams, but I like the unusual eggshell soft shine. 

Brigette: This dusty rose applies much lighter than the final look. The photo isn’t picking up much of the pink but it is very pretty. As with the other colors, this is soft and muted.

Sophia: When this color first went on, the model said “It reminds me of pantyhose.” We had a good laugh, but as soon as it dried we were oohing and ahhing. Although greige is on it’s last leg (it is rumored) this is a beautiful mushroom. It was complimentary with many colors.

strong>Veronica: This red is gorgeous, but it took several coats to achieve the same look. With the other muted tones it is a bit of a shocker in the set.

Tweed: Remember the Ralph Lauren designer paints that were poplular in the 90’s? I ALWAYS wondered when they would come out with a polish set that would mimic the offerings. This set comes with a bottle that is said to texturize the polish to look like tweed. It is reminiscent of fiber strengtheners, and when put on the nail, I’m not sure it made much of a difference. It looked more like your nails were done before bed and your hair stuck to it. A bit of topcoat completely erased any effect, and left all colors in a beautiful high shine. It’s a decent distraction.

This set becomes available in May and is sold by nail professionals only. If you are looking for soothingly muted colors, you’ll be very pleased with this Jason Wu and CND collaboration.