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Mastering Metallic for Fall
The hottest nail color right now isn't just one shade, but it is one finish: metallic. Wear Fall's best polishes well with these easy tips.
by Staff
September 28, 2011
1 min to read
In Allure's October 2011 special issue, readers were given a Beauty101 cheat sheet full of helpful tips on how to fall forward by mastering this season's trends. Here's what they had to say about Metallic Nails:
The hottest nail color right now isn't just one shade, but it is one finish: metallic. Wear Fall's best polishes well with these easy tips.
File nails short. As with most trendy polishes, metallics can look tacky on long nails.
Select a color. Gunmetal and silver look best on fair skin; copper suits medium complexions (try CND's Copper Chrome); and both gold and bronze flatter dark skin (Deborah Lippmann's Nefertiti).
Create a smooth surface with a ridge-filling basecoat, such as Orly Bonder.
Roll — don't shake — the bottle of polish between your hands for a few seconds to mix the iridescent pigments.
As you paint, hold the side of the brush flat against the nail to keep metallics from streaking.
Because metallics look best when they're really glossy, never skip topcoat, and actually go for two layers of it. Tell your clients that after three days, they can paint on a fresh coat. But avoid fast-drying formulas, which don't add as much shine.
Take off polish with acetone remover; nonacetone ones aren't potent enough to tackle the shimmer.
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