This year at the Oscars, E! Entertainment’s Mani Cam – a weird
red carpet feature that zoomed in on celebrity’s manicures as their hands
“walked” down a miniature red carpet – was deemed
so irritating that it
was finally dispensed with. Perhaps it was a sign.
At the autumn/winter shows, not one
agenda-setting designer – from Celine to Loewe to Prada – featured
brightly-coloured nail varnish on the catwalk. Leandra Medine, of the
influential Man Repeller blog, hardly ever wears visible
varnish, either: “On the off chance I would colour my nails,” she says, “I
realised that, because I am such a fan of accessorising with rings and
bracelets, the nail polish felt too everything: accessorised, done-up,
meditated.”
“I haven’t worn nail varnish since Christmas,” adds Whistles CEO
Jane Shepherdson. “I’m actually not very good at it, but it does feel slightly
‘not me’ when I do. It always looks slightly too glamorous, and a bit like I’m
dressing up and trying to be someone else.” Joseph creative director Louise
Trotter agrees: “I have flirted with nail varnish on a few occasions, but
ultimately, as with makeup, less is more, especially as a woman gets older.
Some women look great with colour but for me, a good [sheer] manicure with very
short nails is so much more appealing and practical.”
Still, Spring is here, sandals
are soon to be an option and
toes must eventually emerge from their fluffy cocoons. To smarten them up
without using colour, try the easy, understated and entirely SFW (suitable for
work) mani-pedi. In short, this means eschewing nail art and elongated talons
for clean, bare – or buffed-looking – nails.
First, hit the
testers to find your shade, as the eventual colour of barely-there nail
varnishes will vary hugely depending on your skin and nail tone. “There are so
many to choose from,” says Chanel manicurist Jenni Draper. “Just when you think
you have seen every shade of beige, there is another one.” Next month, for
example, Chanel releases another four, ranging from Lovely Beige – the colour
of builder’s tea – to Precious Beige, a high-shine peach.
Medine, meanwhile, is
a fan of Essie’s Spaghetti Strap
and Adore-a-Ball; Trotter mixes sheer layers of different colours to avoid
anything that feels too white or yellow – often Essie’s Fed Up underneath its
Sugar Daddy. To get perfect results at home, says Draper, the key is good base
coat. “That acts as a ridge-filler and covers any imperfections,” she says.
“The better the canvas is, the smoother the polish will go on. Apply it in two
or three thin coats. Always apply a glossy top coat.” Chips will be less
noticeable than with bright nail paint – as will any mistakes – so once
painted, you shouldn’t need to think about it again for a couple of weeks.
Simple.
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