We’ve got the inside scoop on spring’s ultimate understated nails and tips on how to achieve the perfect at-home manicure.
Tom Ford Spring 2014. (Photo, Imaxtree.)
Natural beauty
The new nude nail has been elevated this spring. Embrace your natural nail and give it a subtle upgrade with an opaque, neutral polish. Rita Remark, lead nail artist for Essie, recommends giving an opaque nude, like this one, a whirl.
Essie Nail Polish in "Spin The Bottle", $10, Shoppers Drug Mart.
Subtle sophistication
Along with varying shades of nude, pastels were seen all over the runways. When nails weren't totally bare, they were covered in soft, sherbet-like shades.
If you're looking to spice things up a bit try experimenting with understated nail art, like a chevron or stripe design. Minimalism is key!
Advertisement
Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in "Blue Orchid", $20, Murale.
Short and sweet
Say goodbye to talon-like nails. This season it's all about a clean and trim shape. Longer nails look best when shaped into a classic oval, but for short nails Rita recommends a “squoval”, which is a square shape with rounded corners.
Matte mission
For a different approach to a natural nail, try using a matte polish. Wear it over a nude hue for a raw finish or over a colour for a “velvet, contemporary finish that is très courant,” says Rita.
Essie Nail Polish in "Matte About You", $10, Shoppers Drug Mart.
Simple pleasures
An at-home manicure can still be pampering. To do so, soften your dry, stressed cuticles with a moisturizing treatment. Your nail beds will thank you, and you'll be prepped for a barely-there manicure in no time!
Sandwiches! Sundaes! Jello shots! Plus the lowdown on the female desire pill, women who hit major life milestones at 50 and guest editor Meredith Shaw's all-Canadian summer lookbook.
