On the Montreal Scene: Où Est La Couleur?

"It's a new era of fashion - there are no rules."

-Alexander McQueen

Listen up, Montrealistas! I need to get something off my chest: what is it about our fabulous city that just inevitably screams "practical"? Forget winters for just a minute. We're savvy cosmopolitans and a gorgeously diverse bunch, there's simply no excuse. 

Old Montreal; further proof of how tres chic our city is! 

Pic Cred: http://www.citified.blogspot.com/

..Yet come winter, we all seem to have this urge to revert to colour palettes about as exciting dull as the word "neutral". I have to admit, I'm guilty as well. When cold days strike, I drop my vibrant hues and opt for an overall all-black look that takes me all the way to April. 

Rudsak Winter 2010 Collection. All black everything. "Shocking".

..But not without a bit of self-disdain. I'm so over us having to forego individuality and colour in the name of practicality. Where's the creativity, the fun? We're already on limited sunlight, no need to reflect it in our wardrobes!

For those of you still afraid of taking the colour plunge, take a baby step with your nails. Here are my picks for the upcoming holiday scene. Be warned, I'm not even going down the red nail road (burgundy, crimson, yawn) and boring nudes. Enjoy! 

I'm usually an Essie nail polish girl. However, OPI colours are rather undeniable. Below, my first pick is by OPI in the Shrek Collection. Funky Donkey is purple done well. I like the pigmentation, but allow mayjah drying time. I'm talking 45 minutes to an hour with a double coat. Lasting time without chipping action is about 4 days. 

Second pick is again from OPI. It's part of the Burlesque Collection in light of the movie coming out starring Christina Aguilera and the one and only Cher. Behold Extra-va-vaganza. Not at all boring, I've never gotten so many compliments than with this sparkly number. I have a word of caution: polish remover barely does the trick when taking it off, so save up some excess patience. Still, well worth it in my opinion. Double coat is required.

Finally, my third fave polish is a sexy blue. Drying time is a dream with this Aruba Blue by Essie. I got this one a year ago and was afraid of looking like a teenager. Far from it, I'm in love. Wear this azzure look with square tips and you're sure to be a hit.

And there you have it for my current colour crushes. The moral of the story is this: just have fun with colour, seriously. Show winter who's boss, and forget about practical. Life is too short, and Montreal winters are too long, for boring. 

Happy painting!

Mtl.D xo