A Week in Colour

Affordable and gorgeous is our favourite combination which is why these super-pretty nail colours from M&S have caught our eye. At £2.50 each you could buy the entire collection of five shades and wear one for every day of the working week...
For pale peach lovers there's Soft Orange for Monday; to brighten up your Tuesday choose Lemon; Duck Egg is a baby shimmery blue for an edgy mani on Wednesday; opt for sparkly navy Lagoon for after-work drinks on Thursday and Bright Aqua is a beautiful turquoise that'll look seriously cool on short, squoval nails in time for the weekend. And with the addition of being fast drying, chip resistant and leaving a high shine finish, life's rosy. Did I mention they were only £2.50?

 

New  Era  of  NaiL  Art  Trends.....

Nail art, the practice of painting decorative designs on your fingernails, is a fun way to brighten up your everyday look or accessorize a special occasion outfit. There are a variety of nail art designs available, ranging from subtle and understated to funky and outrageous. For example, you could choose to paint flowers on your nails for a date or spell out the name of your favorite athletic team on the day of the big game. While the more intricate designs are best left to a professional, it’s possible to create simple nail art at home.

LOOK Loves: Nails Inc Limited Edition Crystal Nail Varnish

Looking for the perfect festive nail varnish? Well, as far as we’re concerned the hunt is off! We all know Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a bit of sparkle, and this limited edition crystal nails inc varnish has certainly got the bling factor. Not only is it sparkly and gorgeous on the outside, the copper glitter nail varnish inside is the perfect festive colour too – bonus! Also available in three other gorgeous shades, nude pink, chocolate brown and metallic plum – Santa, if you’re listening we would like all four!

• Nails Inc Limited Edition Polish, £15

6 Nail Trends to Try Now!

 Teal

Go green, but go wisely. "A teal with navy undertones will keep your hands from looking like they're freezing," says Johnson.

Illamasqua in Viridian, $14; sephora.com.

Perfect Formula in Pop, $15; perfectformulas.com.

CND in Urban Oasis, $20; CND.com.

Cherry Red

This shade is meant to be cheery. "Choose one that makes you smile," Johnson says. "I like brighter, orangey reds for darker skin and blue reds for fair skin."

Revlon in All Fired Up, $4.79; drugstore.com.

Butter London in Knees Up, $14; butterlondon.com.

Essie in Silken Cord, $8; essie.com. 

 

Deep Purple

Sometimes what looks like the perfect eggplant turns jet black on your tips. Johnson's fix: "Pick one that looks brighter in the bottle or has a tiny flecks of glitter to pick up the light."

Deborah Lippmann in Bad Romance, $18; deborahlippmann.com.

Rescue Beauty in Catherine Nail Polish, $18; rescuebeauty.com.

Chanel in Paradoxal, $23; chanel.com. 

 

Silver

While this dazzling hue is perfect for a party it can be a bit much for the office. "Try just applying it to the tips," advises Johnson.

Estee Lauder in Extravagant Pearl, $18; esteelauder.com.

Milani in HD - Silver Holographic, $4.49; cvs.com.

NARS in Full Metal Jacket, $16; narscosmetics.com. 

 

Gold

Giving your nails the Midas touch requires a bit of finesse. "Make sure to pick a gold that's not too yellow-y, which can look tacky. Choose a warmer tone instead," says Johnson.

Sonia Kashuk in Reach for the Stars Gold, $4.99; target.com.

OPI in Rising Star, $8; opi.com.

Barielle in Aura Angora, $8; barielle.com. 

 

 

Wine

If you tend to get post-manicure buyer's remorse, wine is the shade for you. "It's a hard color to screw up. Almost every hue looks festive and classy," says celebrity manicurist Ashlie Johnson, who works with Kristen Stewart, Eva Mendes, Lea Michele and Kate Hudson, among others.

Dior in Smoking Plum, $21; saks.com.

Nicole by OPI in the Grape Debate, $7.99; ulta.com.

Zoya in Stacy, $7; zoya.com.

Nail Manicure

Your nails need to be taken care of too. Giving your nails a manicure is a good way to take care of them and pamper them. Given below are the steps to achieve the perfect manicure at home.
* To begin with remove all traces of your nail polish. Use as many cotton balls as needed.
* Use a nail file or an emery board to shape your nails. File in one direction only. Do not use the seesaw motion. To shorten the nail, use the course side of the emery board first and finish with the finely textured side.
* Work on your nails carefully and with respect. Do not go overboard with your manicure.
* To check if your nails are well done run your nails over a pair of old pantyhose. Your nails should not snag the hose.
* Apply cuticle remover cream and gently push back the cuticles using a cotton bud. Never cut your cuticles. Massage away dead skin using circular movements.
* Apply hand lotion and massage your palm of your hand with the thumb of your other hand. This will improve blood circulation. Work your way all over your hand and repeat with your other hand.
* Before you paint your nails, clean them with an orange stick that has been wrapped with cotton and dipped in nail polish remover and rub over the surface of the nail. Remove any creamy residue, if there is none then you can polish your nails.
* While polishing your nails being in the center of your nail. Paint one stroke down the center and then the sides of the nail. You should paint a nail in three strokes. Let it dry completely before applying the second coat.
* Apply color after your nails are completely dry. Use a base coat before applying nail polish. Then apply a color of your choice and do not apply a new coat before the previous one dries. You should apply three coats of color. After applying color apply topcoat and it will give added protection and help your nail color to last longer without chipping.
* Store nail polish in the fridge. To prevent the cap from sticking apply a little vaseline around it

Nail Art Trends

Victoria Justice and Vanessa Hudgens painted 8 fingers in one shade and the other two in a gorgeous metallic. It’s just enough to catch your eye and guarantee you have the most badass mani in the room. Best of all? We think it looks great in any color combo (metallic is the new neutral, so you can mix and match with your favorite polishes).