4 Must-Try Winter Nail Trends
Stars are always on the forefront of fashion, whether it's donning dresses right off the runways, setting hairstyle trends (like the now ubiquitous side-braid), or rocking the hot new winged eyeliner look. When it comes to the red carpet, every detail must be perfect, right down to their fingertips! But which nail trends should you savor and which ones should you skip? Remember Katy Perry's nails embedded with Russell Brand's photo? Or how about Lady GaGa's pointy vampire nails?
That's where celebrity manicurists like Elle come in. She's worked with the likes of J-Lo, Blake Lively, and Hilary Swank, so we got the scoop from her on what trends will be hot, hot, hot this winter. Why not get festive this weekend or try one of these trends for New Year's Eve?
Trend 1: Layers of Lustre
Nails are super shiny, adorned with glitter, and making huge statements with layering techniques. Who doesn't love a little sparkle around the holidays? "Layering is custom-there are no rules," Elle says. "The trick is to make it your own. Just remember to cure the polish (or ask your manicurist to) with the LED light between every layer. Clients like Jennifer Lopez have worn Red Carpet Manicure (an at-home gel manicure kit ) 'It's Not A Taupe' with 'Glitteratzzi' layered over it."
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Trend 2: Spring Fever
Typical "spring" colors such as teal and lavender are showing up for holiday."The teal and lavender nail colors were inspired by what was seen on the runways and red carpets by both models and celebrities alike," Elle says. "These colors, appearing in numerous collections, are a great and easy way to extract runway trends without being so literal."
Trend 3: The "Reverse" French Manicure
This season, backwards is best. "[This] can be done in many ways-triangular, half moon and moon-shaped," Elle says. "Like layering, there are no rules here and the color combinations are all up to you." To do this, polish the nail completely with one layer of a shade like Red Carpet Manicure's 'Fake Bake' and then cure under the LED light. Use 'Toast of the Town' next and paint from the right to the middle, and then from the left to middle to create a moon shape. Cure again under the light, and complete with Brilliance, Purify, and Revitalize top coat. For those who are more advanced, try using a darker color at the bottom. Or there's always the option of making an appointment with a nail professional.
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Trend 4: Gel Manicures
The aforementioned gel manicures have been all the rage for their ability to offer a polish job that actually lasts. "Hilary Swank and Leighton Meester have used gel systems to retain nail-polish continuity for their films, as well as maintain a chip-free and flawless manicure for weeks at a time," Elle says. You can achieve this at a salon that offers gel mani's or with an at-home system like Red Carpet Manicure ($79.99 at Ulta.com). "It'll allow you to have chip-free flawless nails from Christmas through New Years!"
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