Even the most die hard nail fanatic can get a bit bored of the sheer number of new nail polishes launched on a monthly basis.

We’ve seen it all when it comes to trendy colours, quick dry, or crazy nail art, but it is rare to find something completely new in the world of nail polish. That’s why we got very excited when we discovered Nails Inc’s new magnetic nail polish. Coat your nail with the polish, which includes metallic particles, and then use the magnet embedded in the cap to create shapes and patterns.

And make sure to apply it a good distance away from your fridge! —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Nails Inc Magnetic Polish, $16 from Sephora, www.sephora.com

But Miss Piggy is back and she’s bigger than ever!

In a new role as a French Vogue fashion editor in The Muppets, our favourite swine has conquered every headline. Between her spread in InStyle and feuds with fellow blondes Carrie Underwood and Lady Gaga, Piggy has found time to delight us with two beauty collections. We can now be glam a la Piggy, with the Miss Piggy for M.A.C. eyeliner ($21) and luscious falsies ($18). And we can let our nails shine in a festive glittery red with O.P.I Muppets Collection’s Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It ($10.95), although (shhh, don’t tell her) the colour we really covet is Pepe’s Purple Passion.

Let’s face it: this swine is truly divine. —Anya Georgijevic

O.P.I’s Muppets Collection is available now at Pure Nail Bar, www.purenailbar.com, and Miss Piggy for M.A.C arrives November 14th at www.maccosmetics.com

Image Credit: Instyle Magazine

Butter London bids goodbye to Kate Middleton’s singledom.

She landed the world’s most eligible bachelor, and now Kate is landing on everyone’s best-dressed list. Girl deserves it: she’s been waiting for the Prince to pop the question for, like, ever!

To celebrate her, well, 'achievement,' Butter London was inspired to create “No More Waity Katie,” a soft rose greige with a little bit of festive lilac glitter. One can’t go royal without a little bit of sparkle! —AG

$17 at BeautyMark, 103-1120 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca

'Tis the season to sparkle. Too bad about that library of matte nail lacquers in your medicine cabinet.

Now, hold on, don’t throw the buff out with the bathwater. A shimmery top coat from Sephora by OPI will make any shade fit for the holiday season. For gilded girls, there’s “Only Gold For Me,” and for silver foxes “Flurry Up,” both clear with specks of glitter to add a festive flourish on top of whatever hue you already have on your fingertips.

No fading back to flat black.

$9 at www.sephora.com

Located in the stunning Jacobsen development in South Main, the new J Spa is a secret new urban oasis.

From polished concrete floors to the prettiest polishes from Essie, with its two treatment areas and infrared sauna, it’s the perfect place for an afternoon escape.   

We sampled the “juicy facial” with all organic products and were glowing like a summer peach for days.

Orange you glad you took some time out for yourself finally?

J Spa, The Jacobson Building, 276 E. Second Ave., Vancouver, 778-229-1510, www.j-spa.ca

They say you shouldn’t match your makeup to your getup, but coordinating your laptop to your nail lacquer is quite all right.

Now when you order a Dell personal computer have it custom covered in an OPI polish. Head to their design studio and choose from one of seven laptop models and 32 shades, like the taupe “You Don’t Know Jacques!” (one of our favourites), or the sparkly scarlet  “Dear Santa,” which would be an all too perfect prezzie to leave under the tree.

If Carrie Bradshaw weren’t a Mac girl, she’d have her hands all over this.

From $384 at www.dell.ca

Willing to embrace a little Eighties edge, but too legit to don Hammer Pants? The answer is at your fingertips.

Essie’s neon nail polish collection is a splash of electric without going overboard. We test-drove their bright yellow-green Funky Limelight and loved how it took our monochromatic and pastel ensembles up a notch on the fashion index.

A tip for your tips: make the matte lacquer really pop with a final swipe of clear topcoat.

Essie Neon Collection ($9.50 each) at Shifeon, 1156 Robson St., Vancouver, 604-688-3291, www.shifeon.com

In the unlikely event that your Valentine’s Day doesn’t play out like a steamy scene from The Notebook, we’ve got a back-up plan to bring you love—no significant other required.

In lieu of a kiss: Press your lips to Jonathan Adler’s Love/Hate Mug. Whether you fill it with hot cocoa or something stronger is up to you. $25 at Chachkas, www.chachkas.ca

In lieu of sweet nothings: Hear the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, She & Him and A.C. Newman cover their favourite love songs on the new compilation Sweetheart. $14.95 at Starbucks, www.hearmusic.com

In lieu of long gazes: Watch Eric Rohmer’s Love in the Afternoon. While the Audrey Hepburn-helmed motion picture by the same name is a classic, this 1972 French art house film is a more thought-provoking look at eros. $6.99 at Videomatica, www.videomatica.bc.ca

In lieu of tender embraces: Wrap yourself up in By Guru’s warm, woolen Love Blanket. $165 at Bestow Boutique, www.bestowboutique.com

In lieu of a ring: Put some sparkle on your own hand with Essie’s Love, Beverly Hills nail polish, which is infused with real 24K gold. $19 at Essie, www.essieshop.com 

The thriftiest way to polish off that posh party look? Paint your nails.

And for those of us who reserve the right to change hues like we change shoes, there’s OPI’s Tiny Toybox. The set of four lacquers features fete-perfect shades from the new winter collection, Holiday in Toyland. A mini-sized champagne gold, steely dark silver, classic red and sparkly burgundy means you’ll not  only have fabulous fingers for different frocks, but also a shot at polishing off a whole bottle before it gets goopy.

Why not nail two birds with one stone and stuff your girlfriends’ stockings while snagging a set for yourself….

Get OPI’s Tiny Toybox ($14) at Spaboutique.ca.
www.opi.com