A model shows what the reverse French manicure with a twist looks like. Photo: Snapper
For a long time, nail art was up there with blue eyeliner and spiral perms as a trend best forged and forgotten. But fast forward to 2012 and it seems everyone from Nan to your next-door neighbour is reviving this retro rage. "We're seeing lots of variation in nail art, from metallic foils to two-toned manicures, right through to crackle top coats that give nail polish an antique-looking finish," says celebrity manicurist Melisa Giraldo from Sydney's Fifty-Four Park St Day Spa.
When it comes to choosing a standout style for winter, the experts are quick to point out the return of the French manicure. Only this time, there's a twist ... "Unlike the classic French polish, with its soft-pink base and white tips, we're opting for nude-toned lacquers such as vanilla, caramel or beige, teamed with a dark tip, like navy, nickel-grey or wine-red, for contrast," says OPI educator and stylist Karon McKendrick-Taylor.
If you're keen to try your hand at creating the look at home, keeping your nails short is key to pulling off the design.
"Although long nails were a staple on the runway this season, for a more keyboard-friendly take on the trend, try filing your nails level with the fingertip and [making] the edges 'squoval' [part square, part oval]," advises Giraldo. "It not only looks more modern, but the shorter the nail, the stronger the tip, which also means less chipping."
And speaking of nuisance nicks, unlike with a straight-up manicure, the beauty of the French is that when your chips are down (so to speak), a quick touch-up across the tips is all it takes to eke an extra day or two out of your handiwork.
Think of this fragrance as the holiday you can afford ...
We all dream of sipping a bellini fresh from a dip in the Mediterranean, and this latest juice by Tom Ford promises to get you that much closer. Packed with Italian bergamot and Sicilian lemon, it's a lighter concentration of the original Neroli Portofino perfume that's made for sharing with your man.
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau Fraiche Body Splash, $190
from selected David Jones stores, 1800 061 326. Packed with Italian bergamot and Sicilian lemon, it's a lighter concentration of the original Neroli Portofino perfume, and when splashed all over - neck, behind the ears, wrists - is as invigorating as an ocean breeze on sun-warmed skin. Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau Fraiche Body Splash, $198.
From Sunday Life
