Lea Michele works the white nail trend. Photo: Getty
No longer just a finishing touch, sporting a new wash of colour on your nails is one of the fastest ways to keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to embracing new season trends.
To top things off, in recent years, high-end brands such as YSL, Chanel and Dior, have been leading the charge with the launch of limited edition lacquers designed to echo their latest runway collections. So while a 2.55 Chanel bag may be out of the question, the good news is that with the average Chanel lacquer weighing in at less than $40 a pop, it’s a little piece of designer luxury you can afford to splurge on.
Tired of wine-red and navy for winter? Here are three shades to try now…
The new neutral: white
Soft, buff-toned lacquers, like beige and pink, are loved the world over for their subtlety and long lasting finish – unlike dark shades, the sheerness of the formulas mean nuisance chips don’t look anywhere near as obvious, but this season, milky white polish is back. The only catch with white is that it leaves little room for touch-ups, so once you see a scuff, that’s your cue to start from scratch. For a more powdery, less liquid-paper-looking finish, stick with two coats of a creamy formula, followed by a clear top-coat that’s big on shine. Try: OPI Nail Lacquer in My Boyfriend Scales Walls, $19.95, 1800 358 999.
Gold is on the up
With glossy skin and wet-looking hair standing its ground for winter, it was only a matter of time before manicurists followed suit, using heavy metals blended with creamy opaques to create a shiny, foil-like finish. Not only is gold universally flattering, but it also works a treat paired with white or soft pink for a fresh take on the French manicure. This month, Chanel put their money where their mouth is with the launch of this perfectly-milled lacquer, Chanel Le Vernis in Diwali, $39, 1300 242 635, which throws slight silver and charcoal undertones, depending on the light and what you wear it with.
Khaki is the new black
If you’re partial to a pastel, the latest crop of green, army-toned lacquers make for the perfect entry point to dabbling on the dark side. Moving on from last season’s navy, the beauty of a rich olive or chocolate varnish is that they add just the right amount of edginess, without looking too dark, or severe against pale skin. While deep shades, like olive green and khaki, work best on warm skin tones, a creamy pistachio shade is the perfect alternative for cool skin tones. Speaking of jungle fever, Dior’s 2012 fall collection hits counters late next month, boasting the perfect olive green and earthy-brown nail lacquer combo to date with the release on July 30 of Gold, Amazon (khaki) and Bengal, (brown) $39 each, (02) 9695 4800.
