As promised, I’m ready to talk about nails. Backstage at Fashion Week this season, we nutty beauty editors were all buzzing about the fact that nails are the new must-have accessory. I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I have to say I have some ideas as to why nails have become important. Firstly, nails are the great unifier. Some beauty trends only work on certain coloring or types, whereas nail trends can literally be pulled off by anyone with the slightest bit of fingernail to work with. Furthermore, no matter your age or how many kids are camped out in the back of your minivan, a cool manicure is something that you are guaranteed free reign to try out.
I recently ran into a fab mom friend of mine who works at Barneys in Manhattan and has two yummy but quite active little boys. She was super-stoked to show me her wild mint ombre gel manicure that had little flecks of hologram-like glitter on random nails. She might have been wrist-deep in kindergarten paste and baggies of Goldfish, but this chic mama was not going to let her kids get between her and her manicure. I love it! So, onto the trends and what you must try this spring:
If you have time to leave the house, drive to the nail salon, enjoy a manicure and let it dry:
Try a traditional French manicure with an updated twist. This will run you anywhere from 10-15 dollars and if you get a decent top coat it will last you about a week. Ask your manicurist to help you match two seemingly unrelated colors that will work together in a French. I recently blogged about my own silly French that caused quite a stir at work; an actual French person told me she loved my nails. What?! Have fun with your wild French and remember that this one is for the girls.
If you have time to get a mani but really can’t deal with dry time:
A gel manicure is your best bet for lasting nails, and you can easily get 2-4 weeks out of one. But instead of sticking with blah colors, try an ombre gel manicure or something with a hint of glitter. These nails will make you smile every time you look down at them (for the next month!) and once your manicurist finishes up, you’re out of there. No dry time required.
If you have no time to go get a mani and would rather do your own nails while someone is napping and someone else is not yet home from work:
Doing your own nails is a cheap, quick and easy to way to experiment with polish trends and it’s certainly nothing to scoff at. An all-in-one buffer and a great bottle of polish is really all you need. Shape nails and buff them to a shine, then apply base coat. Pick your color of the week by scoping out the coolest new hues on the market and going with what inspires you. I love Essie’s current collection rich in pastels and bold brights. Chanel’s new peach is heavenly and OPI has plenty of options to suit your taste. As we discussed with eye makeup, neon is major right now. You can introduce neon on all your nails or try pastel on eight of ten with one accent nail on each hand. Have fun with your polish, and try everything!
Top color trends:
PASTEL
NEON
GLITTER
Try a glittery topcoat like Essie’s new smash hits or go for a polish that is inherently glittery. Either way, your girly-disco-pretty nails will make you smile.
Loving the ombre mani!
I think the ombre trend is so cool.