Beauty
Try bright and beautiful nails for your next manicure
Hair and makeup: Jukka/Design.Me/Charlotte Tilbury/Plutino Group
Manicure: Jen Mather/CND
Image by: Geneviève Caron
Beauty
Try bright and beautiful nails for your next manicure
Summer is the time to embrace bold hues and experiment, so if you’re in the mood to ditch your comfort zone, try one of these shades.
Bold polishes are always a cheerful idea in the summer. With a brilliant mani, you’ll have 10 reasons to be in a good mood—and they’re right at your fingertips!
Brilliant Ideas
Our picks for the best polishes to give your digits a fun swipe.
(Clockwise from top)Tenoverten in Rivington, $24, amazon.ca. Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel in Hot Hand, $9, revlon.ca. Essie Nail Polish in Butler Please, $10, essie.ca. OPI Nail Lacquer in Sun, Sea and Sand in My Pants, $10.50, ulta.com. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Deliciously Shiny Nail Colour in East Poppy, $29, guerlain.com. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Lilac Insomniac, $12, shoppersdrugmart.ca. Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in 626 Exquisite Pink, $32, thebay.com. Image by: Geoffrey Ross
Shade Finder
It can be overwhelming picking the right bright. When in doubt, wear red! We’ve figured out which hue works best with your skin tone.
For Light Skin: Just as with lipstick, red shades with a hint of blue pair perfectly with pale skin, which has a cooler undertone.
For Olive Skin: Warm undertones can make reds look a little too pink. Choose one with a violet undertone and flecks of gold.
For Dark Skin: All reds look great on those with dark skin, but deeper jewel tones are especially brilliant.
OPI Nail Lacquer in Big Apple Red, $10.50, ulta.com. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Red My Lips, $12, shoppersdrugmart.ca. Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel in Queen of Hearts, $9, revlon.ca.
How To Apply
With these tips, you can nail any mani.
Step 1: Unless you’re using a special type of polish (like CND Vinylux), always apply
a base coat. It gives the lacquer something to hold on to and also helps prevent staining on
your nails.
Step 2: You should aim for only three strokes of enamel on each nail. Starting at the base of one nail, sweep the brush to the right, then to the left, then down the centre. Most lacquers, depending on colour, need two coats.
Step 3: Apply a thin layer of topcoat, always swiping it to the very tip of the nails. This area needs extra attention because it withstands most of the wear and tear (like tapping your fingers or using a keyboard).
Bright For You
Do bold nails give you pause? CND’s Jen Mather helps you choose a vivid colour while staying in your comfort zone.
If you usually wear neutral shades, try red.
Red is a beauty fave; a high-gloss scarlet suits everyone. “Neutrals and nudes are classic colours, so wearers of those shades would feel comfortable in a classic red,” says Mather.
Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in Spiked With Style, $14, essie.ca.
If you usually wear dark shades, try shimmery brights.
You might not think saturated colours and metallics go together, but they do. “Summer is for fun, so every time you look at your manicure, you should be thinking, I love my nails!”
CND Vinylux Long Wear Polish in Emerald Lights, $12.50, cnd.com.
If you usually wear red, try coral or orange.
If you’re looking to try something a little different, Mather suggests starting with hues that are a bit on the coral side before moving into a full-on hit of orange. “They give you that summer pop, whereas reds are seasonless.”
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Poof! Be Gonia, $13, shoppersdrugmart.ca.
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