Nails as any man will tell you, are the
focal point of much eroticism. Check out Uma Thurman in
‘Pulp Fiction’ with her red, red talons. Or Jessica
Rabbit, the ultimate sexual Venus trap, in ‘Who Framed
Roger Rabbit’. The shape, the length, the color of the
nails is all clues to the persona of the wearer.
Sweet preppy college girls might have
unvarnished oval nails, while club-goers might slather on
black or Chanel Vamp into lone talons. Gently elongated
fire engine red ovals might look ever so tempting for a
seductress.
Practicality rules over all. The shape
is softly rounded. The look lies with medium-sized nails
with a French manicure, with clear varnish down the length
and white crescents at the tips (check out the Tips and
Toes Manicure Kit).
The colors in vogue are a trifle more
complicated. It’s red for the night – we are talking pure
fire-engine matte red, the sort of red that makes men go
week at the knees and declares you’re a bad girl.
The wishy-washy pinks and purples which
held sway for a bit and the grotesque steel gray, which
became ubiquitous shade for the wannabe hep cats, have all
been relegated to the back. The neon greens and blues are
best left to the teen brigade where they are slowly
crawling down the ladder from hip to has-been.
Transparent camels and frosted sables
are the shades to watch out for on toes. These are the
shades they’re showing off in open toed sling-backs in
Hollywood. They’re also wearing matte and opalescent
whites. However, since both pale and pearly nail polish
tend to highlight any bumps or ridges, prime nails with a
clear base coat first.
Shimmer is so big that Estee Lauder,
Yves Saint Laurent and L’Oreal seem to have got an entire
range to boast of. These are shades straight from your
heart, but with a twist. Sable with an oil slick effect,
or opalescent nail polish with a petrol sheen (the
multicolored rainbow look) are what are giving nails the
hip hop look right now.
The surest, softest and the most chic
look amongst the haves is that of sheer coat – the
transparent shines that just lets the soft sheen of gloss
show the true shade of the nail underneath, but this is a
look of the grave.
For the woman who has more chores like
cooking and cleaning to be done, such daredevil bravery is
uncalled for…she should get herself a skin tone matte, or
a light peach opalescent. It doesn’t show as much when it
chips.
Also, it’s not enough just to have
manicured nails today. The hippest craze is to have them
stenciled, painted, even pierced, so that you don’t see
nails in the same light again.
Even the best shades will fall flat on
hands that are not maintained well. Make sure to give them
a manicure once a fortnight at home or in a salon.
Massage a hand cream into your hands at
least a couple of times a week, and make sure you wear
gloves when you’re washing up or cleaning. And above all,
keep your nails at a tolerable length – shall we say one
that will allow you to dial from an old telephone
instrument.
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