Apologies for droning on about those Golden Globes again but I felt it necessary to flag up a serious SS11 trend with you...au natural nails. Yes the dresses might have been an array of emerald, poppy and royal blue colour, but nails were kept nude and minimal, as worn by Angelina Jolie, Lea Michelle and January Jones. Now this look might seem as easy as 1, 2, file but a look this chic, this healthy-looking takes a little work. Cue expert nail technician, Michelle Class, who gives her top tips for natural nails.
* 'Ditch the statement polish. Who wants a gorgeous natural nail, stained with the remnants of last season’s berry red? To avoid nasty post-polish stain, press lightly on the nail for a few seconds with cotton wool pads soaked in a high-quality remover. Allow the remover to soften the polish and then wipe away from the cuticle to the tip. Repeat until nails have been restored to their former glory. Use a professional polish remover such as Seche Erase, £1.95, infused with tea tree, lavender and essential oils for a thorough clean.'
* 'To create an even, rounded edge always sweep from side to centre when filing nails. For A-list nail treatment, upgrade your emery board to a crystal file which will seal the nail edge as it files, preventing splitting. Only file back and forth if using a crystal file.'
BEAUTY TIP: I use Leighton Denny's Crystal Nail File, £15 (leightondenny.com) for super smooth, kind-to-the-nail filing.
* 'Cuticles need love and attention on a weekly basis. Don’t cut cuticles as this will damage them and can lead to infection. Use a good cuticle cream with exfoliating AHAs, which gently remove excess skin and moisturise at the same time. You need your cuticles to have long and luscious nails, so treat them with respect! Use a super moisturising cuticle softener such as Seche Soft, £5.95, enriched with vitamins and AHAs to penetrate and softens cuticles.'
* 'Exfoliating is essential in any gorgeous girl’s skin routine, and the nail is no different! Buffing the nail is like exfoliating the skin and will stimulate circulation, smoothe ridges and remove stains to give you glowing fingertips. Michelle recommends the Tropical Shine Large 4 Way Buffer, £5.95. Use to bring back the shine every few days but be careful not to over-buff as this can thin the nail.
* 'For the finishing touches, start with a base coat such as Seche Clear, £7.95, specially formulated to provide a clear base coat for nail polish that will not yellow. Follow with a natural shade like Seche Rose Nail Lacquer, £8.95, which has a creamy consistency and contrasts perfectly with the natural pigment of the nail, giving a glossy and beautiful finish. Always finish with an award winning top coat like Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat, £8.95. Leaving the nail silky soft, it creates the highest gloss of any product on the market today, and will not drag or streak the underlying manicure.'
FYI...I've long-loved Seche Vite's Fast Dry Top Coat. It adds serious longevity to polish and dries in a flash. All Seche products are available from
http://www.nailsbymail.co.uk/. Sx
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