Le Métier de Beauté Vintage Ken Nail Lacquer from Ken Downing's Bordeaux Collection

I wanted to get a professional application of Vintage Ken to show you the gorgeous color. Vintage Ken is the nail lacquer in the I'm Worn This Way/Vintage Ken set, one of the three sets in Le Métier de Beauté's The Bordeaux Collection by Ken Downing for Fall/Winter 2011. See my Quick Peek feature here.



For his second exclusive collection for Le Métier de Beauté, Downing took the essence of the fall runways and distilled it into a beauty collection that presents elegant, coordinated duos to transform you into Lady Chic. The gorgeous sets have catchy names.

1. Ken, Red My Lips (lips) and Gypsy Rose Me (nails) - subtle red with a blushing pinot undertone
2. Ken's Wine on the Vine (lips) and Ken's Bodacious Bordeaux (nails) - rich, crimson cabernet
3. I'm Worn This Way (lips) and Vintage Ken (nails) - Bold berry with a deep grape undertone, as you can see above.

All three sets arrived at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria last week. I decided to start with Vintage Ken. Because I like a professional application, but didn't have much time, I went to Yelp to look for a highly recommended nail salon near my house. The lesson learned here was, "Don't believe everything (anything?) you read on Yelp." You can read the rest of that story below.



I was able to get a few photos to introduce you to Vintage Ken, a gorgeous, deep purple shade. My photo at the top is the better of the portraits. The one below looks a little too blue. The shade will be a dramatic addition to my fall and winter wardrobe. Actually, it's really nice now! I adore purple and grape shades, and I can't wait to add a new Bordeaux handbag to my collection.



Each set in the Bordeaux Collection is priced at $49. The Bordeaux Collection is available at Neiman Marcus exclusively. I'll show you more soon in another feature.



Now for the rest of the story. The young lady who applied Vintage Ken was a total rookie. She couldn't paint a straight line near my cuticle, got nail lacquer all over my fingers (and under my nails), and thought her work looked just fine. She even dribbled top coat on my legs. She never used an orange stick to wipe away her mistakes; instead, she used her own fingernail. It was a fairly disgusting experience.



After I made sure my photos were OK, I removed the utterly gorgeous Vintage Ken because I couldn't repair it myself. It was hard to remove because she had painted it into my nail bed and under my nails. I'll get a real pro to apply the next one, Bodacious Bordeaux. I like a precise application, particularly with a dark shade. Hey, I'm a Virgo!



Photo at top courtesy of Le Métier de Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty