It’s time to welcome in the New Year, which can only mean one thing – party planning! For those who revel in the opportunity to glam it up, here’s the NYE nail looks to complete your night’s (eco) ensemble.

No need to book into the salon – these NYE nail looks skip any tricky designs and stick to easy-to-apply all over color. The cherry on top? We’ve even picked out our favorite non-toxic nail polishes that will do the job beautifully.

3 NYE Nail Looks to Get You in the Party Mood

1. Precious Metals

Keeping your mani classy and chic doesn’t have to mean boring. Gorgeous metallics are all the rage right now, and nowhere do they look better than on nails. Go for a grownup gold with Treat Collection’s khaki toned Mixed Message. Kure Bazaar also has an incredible selection with Or Bronze, Or Rose, Or Pur, and Platinum.

2. Confetti Glitter

New Year’s Eve is the night to go all out, so don’t be afraid to stand out with a little glitz! Just a sprinkle of glitter is enough to do the trick, keeping it concentrated at the tips and fading it out across the nail over a base colour – try SpaRitual’s Golden Rule. Another way to rock this look is slick across a chunky glitter top coat like NCLA’s Hollywood Hills Hot Number to create a starry night sky effect.

3. Hot Holographics

Why just sport one color when you can have two? Duochromes are set to be one of the biggest beauty trends for 2017, so get ahead with a nail look that follows suit. For a non-toxic option, it doesn’t get more on-point than Zoya’s 5-free Olivera nail polish, a mermaid-esque hue that shifts between emerald and purple.

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Anyone can open a bottle of bubbly, but you can show off this New Year’s Eve with these easy, yet super impressive, sparkling wine cocktails.

The key to a great New Year’s Eve bash is the sparkling wine. While we colloquially refer to all bubbly as champagne, the truth of the matter is most of us are not drinking true champagne.

A few definitions

• Champagne – refers to sparkling wine grown, fermented, and bottled in Champagne, France. If you are drinking anything else, it’s best to call it a sparkling wine to be technically correct.
• Prosecco – Prosecco used to be called the poor man’s Champagne; it’s actually a sparkling wine from Italy.
• Cava – Cava is delicious sparkling wine from Spain.

While you will find other sparkling wines in any good liquor store, these are the three main region specific sparkling wines. Everything else in the package store will be called sparkling wine. Just as if you were drinking it on its own, it does matter what kind of sparkling wine you use for cocktails. The best bet is to go to a good wine store and tell the staff what your plans are. They will be able to tell you what will taste best in your price range.

Now that you understand the basics, here are the cocktails.

7 Sparkling Wine Cocktails

1. French 75 – Made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Brut Champagne, this cocktail can be served in either a Collins glass or a Champagne flute/coupe. It has a little bit of a kick.
2. Black Velvet – This dramatic looking cocktail is made with stout (usually Guinness) and sparkling wine. Fill a glass halfway with wine and top off with the stout.
3. Kir Royale – A deliciously sweet concoction made with sparkling wine topped with crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur).
4. St. Germaine Spritzer – St. Germaine is a subtle elderflower liqueur. It pairs well with sparkling wine, club soda, and a lemon twist in this recipe for a lighter cocktail.
5. Prosecco Sangria – We love the idea of making a New Year’s Eve Sangria for guests. This recipe calls for the addition of stone fruits and peach brandy, but you could vary the fruits and brandy depending on your tastes. Champagne Cocktail
6. Chambord and Champagne – For a twist on the Kir Royale, try adding Chambord instead. Chambord is a sweet black raspberry liqueur.
7. Sparkling Margarita – Mix up a pitcher of these sparkling wine margaritas from chef Rick Bayless for a real party on New Year’s.

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Image: Good Cheer via Shutterstock

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If you’re a conscientious party planner, then we’ve got some simple and swanky New Year’s Eve decorations and party ideas that can be carried out from the comfort of your home – and you don’t have to skip the alcohol or noise makers. 

With a minimal amount of elbow grease and some creativity, you’ll have a fun bash for you and your closest friends while making a smaller impact on the planet. Besides, what better way to welcome a new chapter than with a start that’s good for the planet and better for your body?!

Invitations

Unless your circle of friends still communicates like teenagers in the after school parking lot of a high school, then you’re probably gonna have to send out some sort of invitations to get your pals to your place. Plus it’s nice to establish a theme, create a dress code, and know how many to expect via the RSVP system.

1. Electronic invites – To eliminate paper altogether, choose Evites (online electronic invitations) to entice your guests to attend your party. Hint: alcohol and food are great incentives. Also a great incentive? A cute, customized invitation that didn’t cost you a dime. Check out Evites Bew Year’s invites here.

2. Recycled paper – If you insist on a tangible invitation, then consider printing at home on 100 percent recycled paper. Not a whiz on Photoshop? No problem. Support a small business and buy a customizable invitation template like the one pictured above from a vendor on Etsy. You can find that one, and whole bunch more right here.

Dinnerware

3. Bio plates – Wasara biodegradable plates and cups are made from bamboo and bagasse pulp. These are the ones to choose for a swankier gathering where you really want to make an impact with the sculptural and minimalist appearance of this disposable, yet dapper, dinnerware.

4. Palm leaf plates – For a more laid-back organic appearance with a strong focus on functionality and flair, check out the stylish and also biodegradable VerTerra palm leaf and water comprised disposable dinnerware. They’re durable, versatile, and can be placed in the microwave and dishwasher.

Both brands mentioned above and more dinnerware ideas can be found here.

Food & Drink

5. Local food – Hit up your local farmers markets when shopping for ingredients to make your food. A variety of tiny bites, like tapas and appetizer sized fare are great for guests to grab and go mingle without feeling like they have to talk with their mouths full.

6. Organic booz – Serve cocktails made from organic wines, like the certified variety here, and organic vodkas, like the Square One brand that recently made Oprah’s favorite things list. Make your drinks using organic mixers where possible and garnish with pomegranate arils, cane sugar rims, and a few of those candy canes still dangling from your tree’s branches.

Decorations

7. Photo decor – Make a fun photo backdrop for your guests by “wrapping” a section of your wall using leftover (neutral) holiday wrapping paper and remnants. Use the cream, kraft, or black chalkboard paper as your base and then use the metallic papers, silver and gold, to create big polka dots or stripes to adhere to the base paper. Throw in some homemade cardboard props, silly glasses, wigs, or that feather boa you’ve kept stashed away from prom night 2003, and you’ll have a camera phone full of memories.

8. Functional favors – When the clock strikes midnight, a lot of people are thinking about planting a kiss on the lips of that special someone. So why not help a sister (or brother) out by aiding in the smoochability of their smackers? One idea would be to offer guests lip balm as party favors. Give the original Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm to the fellas and the Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer to the ladies. Wrap the plastic encasement between the lid and the base with some black sparkly washi tape for cohesiveness with a gold and black New Year’s Eve theme.

9. DIY decor – Whip up your own New Year’s Eve decorations in the form of confetti poppers with this simple and festive tutorial here. You can make these with stuff you might already have around the house, except for the cracker snaps. Otherwise it calls for crepe or tissue paper, toilet paper rolls (start saving), confetti (make this from scraps), ribbon, adhesive dots, scissors and cracker snaps.

Champagne Toast

10. Organic champagne – Sticking with New Year’s Eve traditions, most people would agree that it’s just not the same without a champagne toast at midnight. Fortunately, the options have broadened and you can now snag a bottle from one of the most widely known bubbly making companies, Korbel. Just because it’s made from organic grapes, don’t let the label fool you – the champagne will still go straight to your head. Garnish with rock candy stirrers, cotton candy, or fresh fruit like berries with a sugar rim.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our take on eco-friendly New Year’s Eve decorations and party ideas for ringing in 2016. Let us know your resolutions on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Image of cocktails, balloons, champagne, and 2016 via Shutterstock

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It’s party season! So, if you don’t have the ultimate dress that you can wear for cocktails out or at that special holiday party, it’s time to buckle down and go shopping. To help you start your search, we’ve rounded up 5 festive party dresses.

1. Duchess Babydoll Dress

This Victorian-inspired babydoll dress will wow anyone who looks in your direction. This dress features an allover floral texture, a straight hem, and ruching at the bust. And unlike a lot of seasonal party dresses, this dress has comfortable, warming sleeves for days. Dress it up with funky platforms, or down with a pair of knee-high boots. Priced at $250.

2. Velvet Alba Dress

And here’s yet another dress that screams, “I don’t have to show a lot of skin to be sexy.” This slim-fitting turtleneck dress is American made and is constructed with velvet. This piece also is amazing for women with long legs because it has an eye-grabbing slit. Wear with booties, similar to those pictured above. Priced at $260

3. Alberto Makali Cocktail Dress

Sparkle and shine in this glittery cocktail dress. This piece is in excellent condition (bonus), so you know you’ll be happy when you take it out of the package. While this dress would look amazing at any holiday party, we especially like it as a New Year’s Eve dress. Wear with simple, black velvet shoes and ring in the New Year! Priced at $52.49.

4. Bebe Cocktail Dress

Celebrate the holiday in a classy, green cocktail dress. We’d pair this frock with a pair of platform, gold glitter heels to really get in the seasonal spirit. Priced at $33.99.

5. BCBGMAXAZRIA Cocktail Dress

Glimmer and glisten like all the stars in the sky with this gold dress. I love its high front and shocking, plunging back. The best part about this dress is that it was originally priced at $338 but because it is sold at ThredUp, it’s going for $65.99. We suggest wearing this cute number with a pair of green pumps.

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Image of festive party dresses from Shutterstock

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