Bank Holiday Bonus manicure - Dark French

Dark French

Another variation on the French manicure is to use the traditional natural-coloured base and to  paint the tips in colour rather than white. This can be cheerful and bright or as in this case, darker and more film-noirish.

For the manicure below I tidied my mails with my reliable old crystal file as before, and moistursed with two coats of a hydrating mask. I then used two coats of Hard as Nails to give a glossy and protective finish. The colour on the tips is hard to see in these pictures and looks far darker than it is in real life, but it's Ruby and Millie's nail polish in Wine; a very deep and glossy berry-toned red.

I haven't supplied a link as Ruby and Millie products were withdrawn from sale in 2011 pending a retro-themed relaunch which still hasn't happened, but which I'm anticipating with credit card at the ready.

Very slightly gothy but still elegant enough for the workplace



Monday Manicure - Coloured French

Nail art is shaping up to be one of the beauty trends of this Spring-Summer, so I thought I'd get a little practice in with some very simple designs before moving onto anything more complex. It's been ages since I did a French manicure and my hand is a bit wobbly, but I'm pleased with the choice of colour and the contrast between the high-gloss of the azure blue and the more subtle sheen of the gold tips. It took me a while to decide which way round to order the colours, because I think having gold as a base coat with vibrant blue tips would work equally well.

As with any variation of the French manicure it's imperative that the nails are shaped evenly and are in good condition before you start. I'm always careful to keep the length conservative and the shape of my nails a gentle oval rather than the popular if aggressive-looking square, because to me that just says porn star.

A French manicure can be a little more forgiving on uneven nails if you choose a deep or bright colour as I've done here because the line of the nail tips will be drawn on following whatever seems the most pleasing line, not simply highlighting the natural shape as with the traditional white-tipped French.

For the look featured here I prepared my nails with a crystal nail file - the best beauty purchase anyone can make - then used a cuticle remover and two coats of a moisturing mask before applying Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails as a base coat. The rich tone of the blue base colour is down to two coats of No 7's Stay Perfect pigment rich nail colour in Poolside Blue, while the gold tips are Revlon's Gold Coin nail enamel. I finished with two layers of the Sally Hansen to seal and protect it.

The pictures aren't great as they were taken with my mobile phone camera ( Oh, the deprivation I live with!) but I hope they give a feel of the colours and the glossy finish.

Gratuitous picture of Dita.

Next up will be a design shamefully poached from a description given to me by colleague at work today, who told me that a friend of hers has recently painted her nails black and filled in the half-moons at the base of the nail with gold. I particularly like this idea as it reminds me of the delectable Dita von Teese, who is often seen with a vintage look that sees the half moons either painted white or left empty of colour altogether.