NSO beauty: Nail it!

Nail It!

Written by Jaqui Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Every now and again I’ll have one of those days that seem to be controlled entirely by Murphy’s law—everything that can go wrong, will. And by the end of the day when I’ve had enough of rude emails, un-returned phone calls and peak-hour gridlock one of my favourite things to do to unwind is a DIY mani and pedi.

Clichéd I know, but there’s something so soothing about spending time focused on something mindless that produces such pretty results. So the next time you’re in need of some “me” time, pull out your manicure kit and follow these steps to have your nails looking elegant and polished to perfection!

Prep:

Make sure you remove all traces of old polish before you apply the new. File your nails into whichever shape you prefer—the trend for winter 09 is a return to squoval, but personally I believe you should go with the shape that best suits your own nails. If your cuticles are looking dire, soak your hands in some warm water for a few minutes and carefully push them back.

Colour:

Always always always apply a base coat to your nails before you paint on any colour. This will help to prevent any discolouration of your nails—yellow nails are not a good look. Follow this with two thin coats of colour. Coming into winter, the best colours to go for are the deep dark colours we saw last winter, but with a twist—instead of mostly blacks, nail trends are moving into gunmetal greys, eggplants, deep cranberry and navy blue. I like OPI’s Russian Navy and Chanel le vernis in Vendetta (this one is the Black Satin of 2009). If dark colours don’t suit your skin tone, another trend for this winter which will carry into spring is metallics, which work well on all skin tones. Try My Private Jet by OPI (one of my personal faves) for an awesome holographic look.

Finish:

Finally, finish off with a glossy topcoat to seal the nail and keep the colour longer—you can reapply your topcoat every second day to prolong your manicure and help it stay fresh. Personally I can’t stand chipped nails, which are especially obvious with dark polish, so be sure to remove the colour once your mani starts to look a little worse for wear.

Repeat for your feet and you’re done! And the best part about a fresh mani is it’s a great excuse to relax, have a cup of coffee and do nothing for a few minutes—after all, your nails are wet!