From the top fall trends to a guide on gels and how to choose colors that match your skin tone, Allure’s August issue gives great tips on nails. The article “Nail It” gives ideas on what to do while your polish dries — such as meditate — and how to make a manicure last longer — like letting the polish dry.

For top nail colors, Allure suggests a charcoal gray such as Essie’s Smokin’ Hot or a blackberry shade like Essie’s Carry On. And how do you match it to your skin? First decide on pale, red, or dark polish, and whether you have a cool or warm skin tone. To figure out whether you’re cool or warm, hold your arm next to a white sheet of paper. If your skin looks reddish, then you have a cool undertone; if your color is a more golden shade, you have warm undertones.

From here, choose the shade that flatters you best. For a cool skin color with a pale polish, for example, pick a sheer polish like OPI’s Bubble Bath, but warmer undertones should be paired with a polish that carries more body. The article also gives ideas on how to avoid biting your nails, as well as comparisons of soak-off gel lacquers, such as OPI’s Axxium, Bio Sculpture Gel, Orly GelFX, and CND’s Shellac.