Want a beauty update with minimal spend and effort? Nail colour is the way to go. Here are the hottest trends in winter nail colours right now.
“I love the look for nails right now – it is cool and elegant, but at the same time, people are having so much fun with their manicures!” says Madeline Poole, Global Ambassador for Sally Hansen, and model manicurist for some of the global glossy magazines, including Harpers Bazaar, InStyle and Teen Vogue.
“Nails follow trends in clothing and accessories – and organic shapes and distressed textures were huge on the F/W 2015 runways,” she says.
Mix Up Your Metallics
“The season currently features lots of metallic and nail art is subtle with just a slight appearance as a feature nail,” says Alison Bowhill-Hayes, Sally Hansen Nail Expert. “In rich, super-saturated pigments, metallic nails add modernity to day and glamour to evening. Madeline’s favourite metallics include ruby, deep blue, gold, copper, purple, gunmetal, magenta and turquoise.
Metallic Trend To Try
Last season, there was a big movement in accenting the ring finger nail with a juxtaposing metallic, but Madeline insists this is over. “At Eckhaus Latta show, for instance, we did a different color for each hands and at Charlotte Ronson, we saw flip-flopping moon
manicure!” Madeline suggests considering the concept of “accent nail” in a new light by trying to accentuate thumbs or pinkies or perhaps the ring and middle finger in a contrasting metallic.
Nix Nail Art For Negative Space
“No more bling and bejeweled nail art!” urges Melisa Giraldo, OPI Colour Ambassador. “What’s on trend in 2015 is discreet cheeky nail art, like negative space,” she says. This is done by applying colour in a geometric shape on the cuticle and the tip only, the remainder of the nail bed remains ‘negative’. Madeline describes this as an enormous global trend, best realized at the Alexis Mabille, Giamba, Muegler, Laquan Smith and House of Holland European shows.
Negative Nail Art Trend To Try:
Apply a clear nail colour to the entire nail. Allow to dry. Then, using a thin detail brush, paint triangular points at the moon of each nail and swipe across the tip of the nails from each corner towards the center in a rounded motion. If your points aren’t super-precise, you are forgiven! Simply use an angled brush dipped in nail polish remover to perfect your shapes, running the brush along the edge of the triangle to sharpen the point.
Subtle Shapes and Shades To Suit
“Long tapered and pointed tip nails are out the door,” says Melisa. “In 2015 we are seeing lots of natural shape nails,” which is best achieved by following the shape of your cuticles when cutting or filing nails, she advises. Alison adds that this silhouette is easy to maintain, chic and slick. “About 1mm over the tip of the nail is best and it needs to be beveled weekly with a soft grit file.”
Subtle Tips To Try:
If nails shapes are neutral, ensure your natural nail colour match is equally as effortless, advises Madeline. “First consider the tone of your skin, meaning the lightness or darkness level. If you have an undertone of pink or red, nail colors with blues in them are more flattering for your complexion,” she advises. “If your undertone is more neutral, golden or olive, yellow based shades – colours with more warmth – will look especially fantastic for you.”
Go Far-Out, Not Futuristic:
“To go with all the fringed suede jackets and denim flares, nails with groovy squiggles and curves – a departure from the sharp minimalist nail – pick up the strong 70s undercurrent,” Madeline says. The best bit? Some mistakes can be made to look intentional! “It’s a great way to try the 70s trend and – bonus – squiggles and curved shapes are easier to paint on your own,” she says.
Far Out Tips To Try
First up, choose three of your favourite shades – none of which have to necessarily match each other! Then, apply a block colour to each nail. Once the base colour is dry, choose a contrasting colour from your trio and – using a fine-point brush – paint a carefully curved line width-ways across the nail. Repeat with the other contrasting colour.
