Nail trend guide: Seven of the latest styles
Minxnails.com
Saucy minx
If you like the idea of a nail polish that lasts (and it will cost more) but prefer something edgier, nail art company Minx is a salon favourite. Seen on the
fingertips of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, these flexible polymer films are
applied by a professional but the patterns and options are much
more diverse (think everything from graffiti to flags). Cut to fit each
nail, these sticker-like strips are heat-applied and can also be
customized. While effectively shrink-wrapped to nails these last only
about the same amount of time as a regular mani and can be removed at
home with a blow dryer or back at the salon. (The heat helps them peel
off your nails with no damage.)
Cost: The rate is $50 to $70 per mani.
Get Shellac'd
If chipped nails are your big beauty foe, a nail gel may be your new
best friend. Shellac, a gel polish hybrid created by Creative Nail Design, was one of the first big hits of the soak-off nail gels market.
Done in a salon, the nails are painted like a regular mani, but need to
be cured in-between coats with an ultraviolet lamp to seal on the
colour. These are a vast improvement to hard gels, which can damage your
nail bed, and can coax many women who want a lasting mani into a salon.
The formulation of monomers, solvents and polymers provides a gel-like
texture and can last up to 14 days.
Cost: The rate for a mani varies between $35-$50 plus removal in salon.
The ax
The OPI Axxium Soak-Off Gel Lacquer is another new-ish system formulated
to combat chronic peeling and chipping. It’s also applied at a salon by
a professional and consists of an odorless gel painted on the nail
surface after sanding. It comes in at least 40 shades (including fun OPI
favourites such as Cajun Shrimp and Bastille my Heart) and needs only a
few minutes to dry each layer under UV lamps. Lovers of nail gels have
to commit though – to both a nail colour they can love for weeks and
taking the time and money to get their polish applied and removed. That
being said, most gels allow you to paint over the original shade if you
really want to switch up your nail look.
Rate: The cost ranges from $25-$50 depending on the salon.
Gel on
The latest innovation when it comes to gels? Launching this fall, OPI’s
GelColor, a formula similar to their OPI Axxium Soak-Off Gel is set to
hit North American markets. It dries slightly faster and comes in a
thinner formula than most gels, plus it’s LED UV-cured in as little as
four minutes. It comes in 28 shades and is set to last around two to
three weeks depending on your nails. It has the shiniest finish to date,
according to Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI’s Executive VP & Artistic
Director, and is part of a new generation of gels that cure at a faster
wavelength. Plus, this is no polish and gel hybrid — this formula is 100
percent gel so it won’t lose any luster.
Cost: Try it for $35 - $55 per mani.
Manic manis
From half-moon manis to reverse French manicures, a new twist on
traditional nail looks are the new “it” beauty trend of the season, if
not the year. Nail art is an easy way to play with trends because you
can apply it at a salon or at home, says Rita Remark of Tips Nail Bar in
Toronto. Seen on the runways, the half-moon mani can be easily done at
home with nail stickers and a few neutral to neon hues or done at a
salon using professional shades and a steady hand.
Try: Use YSL’s La Laque in Black Indigo with a neutral shade in your moon or on your tips, $34.
Snap, crackle and pop
One quick and easy polish treatment is the textured nail —
otherwise known as the crackle or shatter – which can be done at home.
First, you apply a base colour and then coat the crackle or texture
polish over top. It dries to reveal the surface colour below and gives
the faint Halloween spooky effect, creating a unique pattern on the
nail. Try out multiple colour combos and your nails will never end up
looking the same.
Try: Nicole by OPI Texture Coat in Gold, $11.
Stick it to 'em
If you’re not ready to commit to a salon visit for some sassy nails,
many brands from Sephora to Sally Hansen are creating their own at-home
versions of the nail print wraps. Trim them to fit to your fingers and
seal them on for a fun easy mani, with no smudges and many last a little
longer than your regular mani (so about 10 to 14 days). The Sally
Hansen version is an actual strip of polish that adheres as a unit to
your nail so you take it off with a polish remover. Sephora has a
collection for OPI created by Minx that uses warmth from friction to
stick to nails. If you remember nail stickers from your youth, these are
your new best nail friends.
Try: Sally Hansen Salon Effects, $10.
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