Give the thumbs up to my nail obsession du jour, the negative space manicure. Negative what? Think of the latest talon trend as the beauty equivalent of an illusion panel party dress. With strategic no-paint zones showing off slivers of naked nail, this particular design lends the intriguing illusion of crescents of 3D colour hovering over a nude nail bed.
Raring to get your hands dirty? Use the gorgeous geometric shapes sported by the girls at Charlotte Ronson’s Spring 2015 show as a reference point. For something so formidably architectural in feel, this design actually requires very little elbow grease on your part.
STEP 1. First, choose your colour. I’m in love with Charlotte Ronson’s minty After Eight take; try Etude House’s perfectly pastel Play Nail Polish in the robin's egg spectrum between #71 and #75.
STEP 2. On to application. To nail the perfectly curved half moon, all you have to do is to paint on your polish from both sides. To do that, tilt your brush tip and sweep it onto each nail at a diagonal angle, from the right edge to the centre.
STEP 3. Point to note: Be careful not to get the colour onto the base of your nail; you want that starkly bare for maximum “pop”. Repeat from the other side: Left edge to centre, then let dry. Lacquer on a second or third layer if you want a really solid hue, then seal in all of the goodness with a glossy translucent topcoat.
This is entirely optional, but for a festive flourish, consider a slick of Laneige’s limited edition Sparkling Glitter Nail in Pink Wine for a hypercool holographic overlay. (Beauty bonus: The accompanying Water Drop Tints are my personal go-to products for lippie-free days.)
Another top tip: Sephora’s superb Precision Nail Polish Corrector is great for tidying up tiny boo-boos. Running the ultra-thin pen along the edge of your halfmoon helps stamp out stray specks that are well nigh impossible to pick off with a regular cotton swab without messing up the rest of your manicure.
Easy enough, yes? Experiment over the weekend and let me know how it works out for you. With any luck, your nifty negative space manicure will garner very positive feedback from fellow nail art addict!
Etude House Play Nail Polish, $3.90 each, is available at all Etude House stores and counters. For more information, visit www.etude.sg and follow the brand on Facebook and Twitter.
Laneige Sparkling Glitter Nail Polish is available as part of the limited edition Sparkling Party Makeup Palette, $45 each. For more information, visit www.laneige.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.
Sephora Precision Nail Polish Corrector, $12 each, is available at all Sephora stores. For more information, visit www.sephora.com and follow the brand on Facebook and Twitter.