Nail It!

 Gorgeous, statement talons are a key micro-trend for Spring/Summer 2012 but before you can go ahead and work your magic with bold colours and designs, the canvas must be in tip top condition! Here’s how to get your hands and nails looking absolutely fabulous in just ten sweet minutes!

First of all, dip each fingertip into an easy remover such as Bourjois Smart Nail Polish Remover (£4.99) to get rid of any colour that you’ve applied to your nails previously. Ensure that there are no left over bits at the very edges of your talons! This Bourjois product is scented with red fruit and vanilla so it’s perfect for those of you who despise that chemical smell often associated with nail polish removers.

Prepare a bowl with warm water and Jessica Paradise Hand & Body Bath (£8.70), then soak one hand for two to three minutes. This hydrating formula contains fruit extracts such as Elderflower and Comfrey along with the famous Hyaluronic Acid. After soaking, remove your hand and towel dry thoroughly.

Apply a drop of The Body Shop Almond Nail and Cuticle Oil to the each nail bed and massage in gently. Using a cuticle stick such as OPI Reusable Manicure Nail Cuticle Stick (£3.75 for two), push your cuticles back gently, being careful not to damage the skin or nail.

Take a pair of nail scissors and trim each nail until you reach the desired length. Tweezerman Stainless Steel Nail Scissors (£20.00) are rather pricey but do the job excellently. Make sure you don’t cut the nails too short as this can prove to be rather painful in the long run.

Using a glass file such as Nails Inc Glass Nail File (£17.00), file each nail in one direction towards the tip. Filing in two different directions can make the nails prone to splitting and cracking which is never a good look!

Soak the same hand again to wash away the cuticle oil and any fine shavings left behind after you’ve filed your nails and then dry thoroughly.

Now it’s time to begin painting! Start with a base coat like the wonderful OPI Natural Nail Base Coat (10.50) to fill in any ridges and create a smooth surface for your colour and/or designs to sit on top of. The base will also protect your nails from colour staining and it’s formaldehyde free!

Since we’re heading into summer, when choosing your colour, opt for a good-enough-to-eat pastel shade such as Barry M Nail Paint in ‘Blueberry Ice Cream’ (£2.99) or Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities in ‘Lemon Drop’ (£2.99) for a super cute look that’ll guarantee all eyes on you.

Fancy mixing it up a little? After applying your main colour, try out one of these eye-catching design ideas!

Tipped off

Once your base pastel shade is dried, use a thin brush (Blush Cosmetics Nail Art Sable Brush Set is great) to apply a metallic glitter polish like the ones included in the Saffron London Snow Leopard Glitter Nail Polish Set (£4.99) on the very tips of your nail, following the natural, curved shape around. Be sure to only add the glitter to the end of the nail and erase away any mistakes using Mavala Correcteur Pen (£9.15). Finish off with a high gloss top coat, Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat does the job perfectly and dries in just 60 seconds. There you have it… An ultra cute pastel nail with a bit of razzle dazzle!

Diamonds are a girls best friend

Ice up your nails by applying four or five Swarovski Crystal gems (£3.99 for 100 from Nail Delights) to the curve of your nail bed. Don’t wait for your base colour to dry, instead, use Tailor Made Nails Rhinestone Picker-Upper (£4.32) to grab and place each diamante neatly onto your nail while the base is still tacky. Ensure that you are precise and use a flat surface to steady your hand as you go because this can get rather fiddly! If the polish dries too fast, simply apply a layer of Leighton Denny Crystal Finish Top Coat (£11.00) to wet the nail once again. Once all of the gems are in place, use the same top coat to seal the design and give the gems some real staying power!

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Get creative with your talons and go for a different design on each nail. Choose two complimentary nail pens from the Models Own WAH nails Nail Art Pen range (£6.00 each) and get going! Polka dots, stripes and teeny-tiny love hearts look brilliant and are relatively easy to achieve whereas tribal patterns and paisley prints are a little more testing! Finish off with Nubar Diamont Seal Top Coat (£6.95) for added shine! Let us know what new and exciting designs you come up with!

 This article has bee written by Harriet Charnock-Bates.