The old school white-tipped French manicure may have fallen off the radar in recent years, but two-toned nails have been trending on the Spring/Summer 13 catwalks.
At Peter Som’s catwalk show during New York Fashion Week, models took to the runway wearing limited-edition Zoya for Peter Som polish hues in crisp mint Neely (the base) and sorbet orange Sharon (the tip), giving the Frenchie a much needed overhaul. So how do you achieve the two-toned look? We spoke to Max Factor Nail Artist, Zarra Celik for her top tips for painting your tips.
1. The routine I stick to is to cut the nails first, if necessary, with nail clippers, then file them into the desired shape, I love a soft oval nail; it elongates the hands for a more elegant look. I give them a buff with a 240 grit buffer which is not too harsh on the nail bed. Avoid metal nail file as they are too coarse and can lead to nail splitting. Red emery boards are no good either - your nail file should be smooth to touch.
2. Now you’re ready to apply the polish, choose contrasting colours to paint your nail – try to look for polishes that have a white base as they will make your nails look cleaner and livelier.
3. Always use a good base coat before applying polish to help stop your nails from discolouring, then apply your chosen base colour (make sure you apply two thin even coats of polish) and then wait for them to dry.
4. When they are completely dry put striping tape over the section that you wish to remain the current colour. Now apply your chosen tip hue over your nails and allow your tips to dry completely (apply another coat if necessary).
5. Peel off the tape to reveal your two-toned nails. In order to keep nail polish looking neat and chip-free for longer, a top coat is a must. Apply over the full nail then seal the tip edges. © Cover Media/ Photo: Showbit