How to Decorate Your Digits

Nail polish was invented in the early 20th century, and nail art has been around almost as long. There’s even a 1930s picture of Joan Crawford with a very modern-looking half-moon mani. But the technique spent a long time in the fashion doldrums, no doubt thanks to the OTT, wacky and tacky designs that we saw in the 1990s. In the past four or five years though, it’s come right back. We see it on virtually every runway for major designers—and then there’s social media.

“Beauty blogs, Pinterest, and Instagram have paved the way for nail art enthusiasts to share their ideas, creativity, and intricate works of art to anyone with even a passing interest,” says Linda Ly, owner of Onyx Aesthetics Studio in Vancouver. Like lipstick, nail polish is a cheap buy for anyone who wants to cheer themselves up, and getting decorated talons is now easier thanks to products such as dotting tools, tape, stick-on decorations and press-ons that allow the more dextrous to do their own nail art at home. —Aileen Lalor

runway to real way. Spring/summer colours were bright, bold and beautiful—fuchsia and yellow, floral printed, disco-inspired. The nails followed suit, and Ly predicts that those hues will spill over into reality. "You’ll find more people opting for bright colours a little outside of their comfort zones,” she says. “CND’s new Rhythm & Heat Summer Collection is the perfect introduction with bold hues reflective of a hot, tropical vacation. Nail embellishments using glitter, foil, gems and studs then add interesting dimension to solid colours.” Celeb manicurist for KISS Products Gina Edwards created the nail looks for the Christian Siriano show at New York Fashion Week. Her trend tips? “Colour blocking, bold looks and glitter."

finger-looking good. Two or three years ago we were all sporting "accent nails," where the ring finger is painted a different colour to the other digits or has an embellishment. Jenny Goldsmith, director of integrated marketing for The Ten Spot, say that’s on its way out. “Instead, people are doing mismatched fingers where there are maybe two nails in one style and the rest in another. There’s really no right way or wrong way to do it, except I’d suggest not just highlighting the middle finger that could send out the wrong message.”

space invaders. Negative space manicures have been hot for a a couple of years. This is where parts of the nail are left bare to create the design, which is usually a simple, minimal one. “These looks are very chic and wearable,” says Goldsmith. “I particularly like looks in black, the inverse French and half-moon designs.

work it. It’s one thing wearing these looks at the weekend, on special occasions or if you work in a creative industry. But what if you’re in a more conservative profession? Goldsmith and Ly insist nail art is A-OK nowadays. “Clients are opting for things like simple embellishments or small hand-painted accents to dress up their neutral shades,” explains Ly. Edwards suggests two-tone colours. “Also, adding stonework can always add a sophisticated element of surprise to your manicure,” she says. In fact, there’s only really one no-no now, according to Goldsmith: “The only time a manicure looks bad is if it’s chipped, peeling and not fresh."

mute point. If you’re not really feeling statement nails this season, but still want something beyond basic beige, might we gently steer you in the direction of Chanel’s SS makeup collection? Chanel is the brand that always gets its nail colours absolutely right, from Vamp in the ’90s right up to today. Our two favourites: Androgyne, a granite shade with the teeniest hint of shimmer, and Washed Denim, a cool grey-blue, $32 each, at Chanel counters.