From trendy shades to no-soak manis to long-lasting pro finishes that require little or no drying time, nail adornment has become the new lipstick.
Hue, Only Better
When nail colour went to the dark side after forever of no-notice neutrals, nails gained new beauty footing and is showing no sign of backing down.
“Polish is that affordable luxury moms can pick up for a few bucks when they’re shopping for their kids,” says Ann Tall, vice-president of retail sales for drugstore brand Nicole by OPI.
“And a great colour gets compliments!”
A spring hit is Make Mine Lime ($10.49), an unabashed bright green shimmer. Also expected to shine is the limited-edition Gossip Girl collection, due in August, which includes a shimmery green-tinged navy called Too Rich For You.
At the salon, taupey-grey is still strong with OPI’s You Don’t Know Jacques ($10.95) in the lead, says Leeanne Colley, owner of Tips Nail Bar & Spa in Toronto.
Also hot: Bright coral, such as China Glaze’s Sneaker Head ($6.60), clear exuberant red, like OPI Red My Fortune Cookie, and orange à la Prada’s spring runway lip.
Dry Run
A “dry” manicure isn’t new — Colley’s been doing them for about 15 years — but it’s relatively uncommon. The concept is simple: a regular mani, but no finger soaking before polish.
“Soaking makes the nails expand,” explains Colley.
By the time they revert to pre-waterlogged form, the polish is already on, dry, and, undermined by nail shrinkage, chip prone.
“A dry manicure, depending on the client, should give at least an additional two or three days.”
Minx is a different kind of dry. Adhesive film rather than polish, Minx requires a pro for precise application and a heat lamp to seal it to the nail in a zero drying-time finish.
“I have clients who got two weeks’ wear,” raves celeb makeup artist Andrea Claire (andreaclaire.onsugar.com), who recently Minxed up Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. Available in an array of nail looks from standard to outrageous — think multi-colour, animal prints, lace and plaid — Minx is hot with celebs such as Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Rhianna. From $55; minxnails.com for salons.
You Gellin’?
About a year ago, gel nails got an update with OPI Axxium Soak-Off Gel Lacquer, a thinner, flexible alternative to standard gel and acrylic. Designed for natural nails, it’s available clear and in an edited range of OPI shades.
Pre-gel nails need a bit of a rough surface-buff to improve adhesion, but the key, says skilled esthetician Rita Remark, is a light touch. Each coat — base, two of colour and one top — requires a few minutes under a UV lamp to cure the gel.
After the last step, nails are completely dry with a no-chip durable finish that lasts “as long as three manicures,” says Remark, also of Tips, where the service starts at $50. Removal requires a 30-minute soak-off salon visit.
New in salons this May from Creative Nail Design is a polish/gel hybrid called Shellac, which promises to last two weeks.
Like Axxium, it requires UV light to cure the polish and dries in minutes. Removal is down to about 10 minutes, with acetone. Expect cost to be comparable to Minx and Axxium.
Correction - May 3, 2010, 6:25 p.m. EST: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified a shade of Nicole by OPI polish as Make Mine Mint. In fact, it is called Make Mine Lime. It has since been corrected.
