Britain's got talons: Nail summer's hottest trend

From bejewelled and blingy to sultry half-moons, statement nails are autumn’s hottest beauty trend. reveals how to get the best tips in town

How many shades do you own? Ten? Twenty? According to Superdrug, which has recently launched in-store nail bars, the average woman has 50 polishes jostling for space in her bathroom. And while the rest of us spent the Olympic fortnight biting our nails, athletes were having theirs painted in one of the 207 flag-inspired designs created by top talon guru Sophy Robson and Procter & Gamble. As nail technicians dipped their way through thousands of Max Factor polishes, everyone from German tennis player Angelique Kerber to GB heroes Amy Oliver, Laura Trott and Rebecca Adlington added a touch of tongue-in-cheek femininity to their sporting garb with some patriotic paintwork. Demand was such that technicians worked long hours at the salon and pop-up sites around London, not just for athletes but their relatives and the paying public. 

National nail mania means that varnishes have now attained ‘it’ status. And with everything from holographic, velvet and leather finishes – plus patterns to accessorise any outfit – upping your talon credentials has never been easier.

The big names in nails

Jenny Longworth As well as being Revlon’s ambassador,  Longworth has singer Jessie J as well as fashion designers Holly Fulton and Antonio Berardi lining up for her masterpieces.
‘Check out my cherry print and chequerboard designs or add gold tips to berry shades.’

David Barton Eight years of painting nails for the likes of Lady Gaga and Victoria Beckham has earned Barton the ‘king of tips’ crown.

mani. Look out for products that give a flocked or newspaper-print finish.’

Marian Newman Dior, Louis Vuitton, Kate Moss and Kate Winslet are just some of the tips she’s topped over the past 25 years. 
Top tip ‘It’s all about extremes – from the sushi nails I did at Fred Butler to a pared-back french mani.’

Sophy Robson As well as the flag designs, her work has graced the hands of Kylie, Lara Stone, Daisy Lowe and fashion’s heaviest hitters.work has graced the hands of Kylie, Lara Stone, Daisy Lowe and fashion’s heaviest hitters.
Top tip ‘Go long and almond-shaped, then seek out print designs such as my houndstooth pattern for House of Holland.’ 

Rebecca Adlington shows off her Olympic medal and patriotic polish

Bejewelled is a big trend for autumn

Nifty shades
Chanel’s Le Vernis in Suspicious is A/W’s answer to classic red (£18, tel: 020 7493 3836).
MAC’s first permanent varnish collection comes in 31 shades and three finishes (£10 each, maccosmetics.co.uk).
Ciate’s Caviar Manicure Set (left, £18, ciate.co.uk) comes with press-on pearls for a 3D effect.
LAQA & Co’s lacquer pens include a new berry shade named Plonk by fans via a Twitter competition (£10.50, sparklingorstill.com,
from September).
Nail Rock’s new wraps (left) come with geometric patterns, dollar signs or mini moustaches (£6.65, nailrock.com, from September).dollar signs or mini moustaches (£6.65, nailrock.com, from September).
Nails inc Star Magnetics have a magnet in the lid that attracts tiny
particles in the polish when hovered over the nail to create a ‘wave’ effect (£13, nailsinc.com).
OPI’s Skyfall Collection is Bond-tastic:
top the red The Spy Who Loved Me (£11) with 18-carat gold The Man With The Golden Gun topcoat (left, £29.98, lenawhite.co.uk, from October).
Red Carpet Manicure offers salon-style gel treatments in 58 colours that are dried beneath
an LED lamp, included in the portable kit (£59.95, redcarpetmanicure.co.uk). 

Beyoncé rocks metallics

The half-moon is one of the hottest nail styles around

Hot on the nail trail

Harrods Nail Loft Designed to look like the inside of a Hermès handbag, it offers an Ultimate Nail Consultation (£15) to help you choose from the lacquer library or improve the condition of your nails. Pick from a seasonal lookbook of designs (from £45, urbanretreat.co.uk).

MW Nails Join Spitalfields’s mile-high mani club and sit in a 1970s Air France seat. Try a Shanghai Shape (£12) or Caribbean Combi mani and pedi (£49) with a therapist clad in retro cabin-crew uniforms (mwnails.com). 

Marks & Spencer Its new Beauty Halls contain a Virtual Makeover Counter. Snap your hands and digitally try one of 122 polishes before you buy (available at marksandspencer.com/beauty and selected stores).

Sophy Robson Online Tutorials Can’t make it to see Sophy at Hari’s in London (harissalon.com)? Visit sophyrobson.com for tutorials from the maestro herself. 

The Paint Shop, Selfridges The London beauty hall includes a Nails Inc nail bar where 
you can pick any shade then ask them to do the handiwork (from £17.50, nailsinc.com).

WAH Nails Sharmadean Reid set the pace for nail art when she opened her salon in Dalston, East London, in 2009, with everything from bow ties to sailor stripes. Now also in Topshop Oxford Circus and Westfield Stratford (wah-nails.com). 

Katy Perry does 3D and floral

A short (shapely) history of the mani

3000 BC: The Chinese Ming Dynasty used natural gum and beeswax to paint nails black or red as a sign of wealth and status.

1932: Revlon creates the first ever opaque nail polish.

1994: Chanel launches Rouge Noir, one of the most iconic shades of all time.

2009: Chanel’s bright green Jade shade sold out in under an hour when it launched in Selfridges and was consequently resold on eBay for up to £300.

2011: Kate Middleton wore a custom blend of Bourjois Rose Lounge (£5.99, superdrug.com) and Essie Allure (£9.95, nailsbymail.co.uk) to walk down the aisle.

2012: US home-gel mani kit SensatioNail sparked waiting lists of 10,000 prior to its UK launch earlier this year (£69.99, boots.com).  

Pictures: Thomas Schenk/Trunk Archive, Rex, Steve Rowe Photography, Tobi Jenkins

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