Tune in to Beauty Report for more tips and tricks from Amy Morrison every Thursday from 7pm to 9pm, and join us on Twitter using #BeautyReport!

 

Ever since most of us ladies received our first bottle of nail polish as kids we’ve been hooked. Now as adults, nail polish is like our substitute childhood coloring box, any color is fair game and we can mix and match as we please. For low-maintenance beauty lovers nail polish is a quick and easy update to a look, and for serious fashionistas nail decor is its own work of art. Pick your approach this season and try out these tempting shades!

 

1. Nude

For ladies who love minimalistic styles, nude nail polish is the way to go but don’t make the mistake of thinking one shade fits all. Those with fair skin will shine with a sheer pink or creamy beige, those with medium skin will best emphasize a pinky-beige or pale taupe, those with olive skin will be complemented by a creamy beige or pale peach, and those with deep skin can choose a lovely cocoa or rose-beige. Clean up any rough skin around the nail with this cuticle oil by Deborah Lippmann and make sure to have your manicure in optimal condition beforehand since nude nails rely on these pristine basics to show off their full beauty.  

 

2. Classic

Red nails will never go out of style and we know this from decades of Hollywood starlets rocking this vivacious shade. For a big night out, a red nail is always a great choice, especially when styled with any type of black clothing. It will also pump up the sparkle of diamonds and crystals. Do be careful when pairing a bold red nail with white clothing, however, those two shades can be made to behave but sometimes create too much contrast and clash. Depending on how dressy or toned down you’d like a red nail to look, opt for a high-shine top coat for the former and a matte finish for the latter.

 

3. Bold and Daring

Black, deep blues, and murky grays might be the signs of a foreboding sky but they come make for smooth sailing with nail decor. One tip for wearing bolder, dark polishes that can still feel playful and informal is to have your manicure be for shorter, rounded nails. An almond shape instead of a squared-off design gives deep polishes a lighter feel. Also when wearing bold, rich polishes always, always use a base coat first. Dark polishes are pigment rich and need every ounce of that base coat to help the color look uniform and fully saturated. Without a base coat to adhere to polishes will naturally chip off faster and with darker shades chips are much more noticeable.

 

4. Glamour Girl

Give your manicure the glamour touch with a gold nail polish. Gold nail polish is universally flattering and looks great with just about every color. That’s a win, win in our books. To give this easy beauty a little extra kick we recommend adding an additional coating of glitter polish on top. If all gold seems a little too strong for your tastes try using it as an accent shade on one nail and see how it makes your manicure sparkle and shine!

 

What color is your manicure this week?