Beauty & the Brush: Nail polish trends

Indulge in today’s trend by pampering your hands and toes with the latest rocker shades lining cosmetics counters.

This season, every time you turn around you’ll be fiercely dodging zippered and chained jackets. Autumn/Winter 2010 has become synonymous with military chic, and this fad shows no signs of disappearing any time soon. But, if you’re not a fan of the outfits, have no fear - there is no need to relegate yourself to life as a hermit.

Indulge in today’s trend instead by pampering your hands and toes with the latest rocker shades lining cosmetics counters. Say goodbye to the flirty corals and girly pinks of the summer and make way for vampy hues, striking metallics and dazzling jewel tones.

Purple power

Over the last year, we’ve seen the colour purple attempt to elbow its way into the limelight. This is finally the tint’s 15 minutes of fame.

Catwalks and magazine spreads are now splashed with deep black plums to brilliant royal amethysts. Photographers at star-studded events are capturing luxurious lavenders and mousy mauves on celebrity fingertips. Purple is being heralded as the Chanel ‘Vamp’ of 2010.

So jump on the bandwagon and get your hands on this season’s most wanted shade.

Jewel tones

For those of you not ready to let go of the cutesy summer hues, ease into the season with one of the various sassy jewel-toned polishes available. Although blues, greens and reds make an appearance every fall, this season’s colours are deeper and more attention-grabbing. Azure and emerald formulations sizzle alongside the routine blues and reds of colder months. Experiment with your standard French manicure and apply teal instead of sand tones as your base.

Greige

Love neutral tones that match with any article of clothing? It appears greige (a cross between grey and beige) is sticking around for the end months of 2010. If the slate hue is not your style, you can still follow the trend by reaching for earthy taupe colours in your skin tone family or mossy greens.

Pretty in pink

However, if you want to give this look a pass, we’ll understand. When we wish for a muted look, we opt to skip the Oscar the Grouch Polish Collection and apply a beautiful chai pink. Not only does this colour suit almost all skin tones, but it’s also one of the in demand neutrals of the season.

Flashy red

Before you raid your nearest beauty counter for this season’s en vogue colours, give a thought to the consistency of polish you choose. The new must-have shades are appearing in metallic and glitter formulations. Instead of a glossy teal, go for a high flash burnished version. Or, add a glitter topcoat for some twinkle and a little cold season fun.

Sparkle is no more reserved for pre-teens and kindergarteners. While red polish with glitter may evoke nightmares of Pakistani brides circa the 1980s, it is time to dig out the old wedding albums and display them proudly. Flashy red is back in a big way.

Size matters

Today, when designers are churning out streamlined leather and womenswear with an edge, nail polish is not just an accent - it’s the accessory to put on show. Complement your rocker chic outfits with a perfectly chosen shade. While you’re at it, wear a cocktail ring to highlight your flawlessly painted fingers. Just remember to keep the nails short, ladies - the idea is to draw attention to your colour, not your talons.

Maria Saadat is author of the popular desi beauty site Lipstick Masala.

QUESTION TIME

Do you have a question about make-up? Can’t figure out a hairstyle for an upcoming wedding? Do your attempts at smoky eye make-up leave you looking like a raccoon? Have no fear! E-mail your questions and issues to [e-mail] and Maria Saadat will respond to them in an upcoming column.

Published in The Express Tribune October 8^th, 2010.