Nail colour trends for spring 2011

If you keep the preposterous world records aside, a set of beautified digits has its own charm. It’s always a tricky story with grooming nails, because they can never be camouflaged; they’re either gorgeous or repulsive. Whether you’re shaking hands, typing frantically on a keyboard or clasping a martini glass, the nails will always be glaring at you. This neglected beauty ritual deserves some attention and we’re here to save the day, or your nails.

From grooming tips to top colours for spring 2011, Fashionising.com has it covered. And if you have a flashy pair of leather gloves sitting by your side, we urge you to ignore them because they will eventually come off, and you will regret not continuing to read after the jump. Keep the nail buffer handy.

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Nail colours for spring / summer 2011

For those fashionisers for whom the sun is currently spring / summer 2011 is still on the way, a spring nail colour is both a pick-me-up and the perfect compliment to any warm-weather outfit. Here are the top colour picks for the season.

Blue

Poppy orange

Pink

Yellow

Green

Purple

Red

Find out more

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Other upcoming beauty trends:

Tips for grooming your nails

Clean, trim, groom and paint

Repeat this mantra until it gets stamped in the beauty brain. There is nothing more unattractive than seeing overgrown cuticles, chipped edges and dirty nails while you’re signing a business deal. Fingernails unveil your personal hygiene within seconds, almost faster than you can say your own name. Treat them like a king and follow a weekly grooming routine. A professional manicure and pedicure is ideal, but if not, then buy a home kit for nails. But do memorise the mantra – it’s meditation for your nails.

Quick tip
For a DIY manicure, apply a few drops of rosehip oil or an oil-based cuticle cream to your nails before going to bed. It’ll help hydrate, soften and repair the cuticles.

Opt for bright, mature nail colours

The most worrisome dilemma with bright colours is that it puts you on the borderline of a teenage, pop music lover and a corporate business junkie. To drive away from such generalisation, stay clear from cotton candy colours and go for bolder hues. However if you do want a pop of gelato shades on the nails, then ask a professional manicurist to give you a half-moon design or French manicure. Make your digits look expensive and then no one will suspect your love for Walt Disney.

Don’t forget the toes

The trace of summer in the southern hemisphere air brings with it the love for revealing shoes. Repeat the mantra for the toes because every woman’s addiction to shoes needs a grounded justification. Wear clashing colours so your foot can make the statement for your outfit – red nails with green stilettos or purple shoes with yellow nails. There are no boundaries this season.

Mind the shape

The shape of the nails has always been a debate. The good news is that there are no rules to follow. Pick a nail shape that works for you with options being rounded, almond shape, square, pointed, oval, slightly sided with a pointed end. If you’re painting a bright colour, keep them short otherwise it’ll look comical and tacky. But the nails should extend to the edge of the finger. If you pick neutral and earthy shades, then long and shaped nails are the key.

Always use a base coat

If you’re a regular nail polish wearer, then ‘yellow-stained nails’ must ring a bell. Just as other make-up regimes demand a prep-up, coating the nails with a base coat is an absolute must. It not only feeds your nails with Vitamin E and minerals, but also protects them from lacquer stains.

How many nail polish coats is enough?

This entirely depends on how bold a statement you want to make, but for a long-lasting effect the general rule is two coats. Apply the base coat, two thin coats of nail enamel and finish with a thin strike of transparent topcoat. Nail paint lasts longer on the toes; so there you can get away with base coat, one coat of colour and a topcoat.

Quick tip
Always paint in a 3-stroke motion and never paint the cuticles.