This year at the
Oscars, E! Entertainment’s Mani Cam – a weird red carpet feature that zoomed in
on celebrity’s manicures as their hands “walked” down a miniature red carpet –
was deemed so irritating that it was finally dispensed with. Perhaps it was a
sign.
At the autumn/winter
shows, not one agenda-setting designer – from Celine to Loewe to Prada –
featured brightly-coloured nail varnish on the catwalk. Leandra Medine, of the
influential Man Repeller blog, hardly ever wears visible varnish, either: “On
the off chance I would colour my nails,” she says, “I realised that, because I
am such a fan of accessorising with rings and bracelets, the nail polish felt
too everything: accessorised, done-up, meditated.”
“I haven’t worn nail
varnish since Christmas,” adds Whistles CEO Jane Shepherdson. “I’m actually not
very good at it, but it does feel slightly ‘not me’ when I do. It always looks
slightly too glamorous, and a bit like I’m dressing up and trying to be someone
else.” Joseph creative director Louise Trotter agrees: “I have flirted with nail
varnish on a few occasions, but ultimately, as with makeup, less is more,
especially as a woman gets older. Some women look great with colour but for me,
a good [sheer] manicure with very short nails is so much more appealing and
practical.”
Still, Spring is here,
sandals are soon to be an option and toes must eventually emerge from their
fluffy cocoons. To smarten them up without using colour, try the easy,
understated and entirely SFW (suitable for work) mani-pedi. In short, this means
eschewing nail art and elongated talons for clean, bare – or buffed-looking –
nails.
First, hit the testers
to find your shade, as the eventual colour of barely-there nail varnishes will
vary hugely depending on your skin and nail tone. “There are so many to choose
from,” says Chanel manicurist Jenni Draper. “Just when you think you have seen
every shade of beige, there is another one.” Next month, for example, Chanel
releases another four, ranging from Lovely Beige – the colour of builder’s tea –
to Precious Beige, a high-shine peach.
Medine, meanwhile, is
a fan of Essie’s Spaghetti Strap and Adore-a-Ball; Trotter mixes sheer layers of
different colours to avoid anything that feels too white or yellow – often
Essie’s Fed Up underneath its Sugar Daddy. To get perfect results at home, says
Draper, the key is good base coat. “That acts as a ridge-filler and covers any
imperfections,” she says. “The better the canvas is, the smoother the polish
will go on. Apply it in two or three thin coats. Always apply a glossy top
coat.” Chips will be less noticeable than with bright nail paint – as will any
mistakes – so once painted, you shouldn’t need to think about it again for a
couple of weeks. Simple.
