June 4, 2012

Beauty Spotting Trend: Natural Nail

The glamour stakes were high as it was the 2012 Glamour Women of the Year Awards but one area which was notably low key? Nails.

After an excess of neon and oddball coloured manicures doing the rounds recently, Lily Collins, Lea Michele, Sofia Vergara and Naomi Watts all sported wearable shades of cream and beige taking their cue from the Fall 2012 catwalks which included glossy buff tones at Christopher Kane, soft seashell pink-and-yellow at Marc by Marc Jacobs and a sophisticated milky white at The Row.

Deborah Lippmann, manicurist to Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Penelope Cruz concurs: “Nudes are not going away and this opaque nude on a short shape is almost like the skin extended.”

And stars often opt for neutral nail lacquer hues like peach, beige and light pink on red carpet so they don’t clash with their dresses.

“Nails have to coordinate with what the celebrity is wearing and often times they don’t know until the day of or as close as an hour before they leave their house or hotel,” says Lippman.

But finding the perfect nude shade can be tricky. Here’s Lippmann’s no fail tip: “Try it on! When you put on a nude that’s wrong, your cuticle will look gray or dark or red. If the cuticle turns any colour that breaks up look of the skin extending, it’s the wrong shade.”

“Opaque formulas are great because no nail shows through, so it’s an updated, stronger way to wear nude. It’s considered the most sophisticated nail look from the top fashion houses, beauty experts, and photographers – it’s a look that they’re all requesting because it’s so chic and modern.”

“Darker skin tones can go more toward orange and yellow shades, and they can also wear a lot of purple shades. Tweak the coverage to make the shade your own, and to achieve the hue that you feel looks best. If the color looks a little light, try doing one thin coat, and then one heavier coat. If you play with the coverage, you can get the shade that works best for your skin tone.”

Here are our top picks:

Nails Inc. Cadogan SquareNailsinc.com
Essie A Crewed InterestEssie.com
Deborah Lippmann Tiny Dancerdeborahlippmann.com
Orly Nail Lacquer Coffee BreakAmazon.com

Credit: Vogue.it & Getty

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