The ‘skinicure’
Thought your manicure stopped at nail
polish? Think again. Diogo says the latest
trend the rich and famous are requesting is
“the skincare manicure”. The idea is simple,
if expensive: luxe skincare products usually
used on the face are applied to the hands.
Diogo uses La Mer The Renewal Oil
( 8 £98) on her clients’ cuticles and finishes
with a generous amount of Sisley Paris
Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream ( 11 £150)
to moisturise. Humphrey adds that using an
exfoliant on your hands can also be beneficial
for supersmooth, soft skin. “AHAs tend to
work really well. I’m a huge fan of Susanne
Kaufmann Hand Peel Rejuvenating
( 9 £59). Scrub generously over the hands,
paying attention to calluses and dry cuticles,”
she says. If you don’t have luxury skincare to
spare — or the thought of scooping your
£150 face cream on to your hands makes your
stomach turn — Cummings says: “It’s
absolutely fine to use foot scrub. The Body
Shop Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot
Scrub [ 10 £7.50] is great for leaving hands
feeling soft and fresh.”It’s hip to be square
There’s one thing the experts all agree on:
this season’s must-have nail shape is the
simple square. “Flat, square nails are really
popular right now, and it’s a great option for
short to mid-length nails,” says Rebecca
Wilson, whose A-list clientele has included
Beyoncé and Katy Perry. How to achieve the
look? Goldstein says the first step is to “clip
your nails straight across, placing your nail
clipper flat on the nail”. Next, she says to
take a grit nail file such as the OPI Flex File
( 7 £3.50) hold it parallel to your nail and file
flat across, in one direction. Take extra care if
you have weaker nails, making sure to avoid a
sawing motion as this can cause tearing. Her
top tip for maintaining a square shape?
“Round the edges ever so slightly, as sharp
square edges tend to split easier.” ■5 ALL ABOUT
THAT BASE
Feel like base coat is just extra faff? The
experts all agree that it’s not a step you can
skip. “It’s the most important element for
getting longevity out of your polish,” says
Longworth, who recommends CND Stickey
Anchoring Base Coat (£9), as “it anchors the
colour on to the nail and increases adhesion.”
To give your manicure an even longer
lifespan, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s
manicurist Julia Diogo says dehydrating the
nails before applying any polish is the key to
preventing chipping or lifting. “You do this by
wiping an acetone-based polish remover over
the nails. This helps to remove any dust from
filing and buffing, and gives a clean surface for
application.” Try Cutex Ultra-Powerful
Nail Polish Remover (£2.50).6 INVEST IN A
FANCY NAIL FILE
If you shape and shorten your nails with
the old, haggard file you found at the
bottom of your bag, you could be causing
some damage. Humphrey advises
avoiding old-fashioned metal files and
poor-quality emery boards, as these “have
the tendency to shred layers of the nail,
which can lead to splitting, flaking and
breakage”. According to the experts, a glass
file is your go-to as they allow for a smoother
filing process and help to seal the keratin
layers together at the edge of the nail.
Humphrey is a fan of the Leighton Denny
Large Crystal Nail File (£15.50). Diogo
adds that you should file nails in one
direction only “as this helps prevent the
nail splitting or snagging”.NEW NAIL TRENDS FOR 2022
413The most wanted
shades
The classic neutral
Wilson says neutral hues are perfect for
coming out of winter and heading towards
spring. Essie Original Nail Polish in
Boatloads of Love ( 1 £8) is an off-white,
pinkish polish that contains refined blue
pearls for a glossy finish.Get gothic
The experts all agree that short, square
nails look best with darker colours such
as aubergine or burgundy, so opt for a
shade like Emolyne Gel Effect Nail
Polish in Nigeria ( 2 £13).The most coveted
Nails Inc Plant Power Vegan Nail
Polish in Soul Surfing ( 3 £9). Very Peri
blue is Pantone’s colour of 2022, and
the experts say it’s one of spring’s most
in-demand nail colours. Humphrey
says this periwinkle blue is great for a
brighter manicure.Earthy hues
“The demand for blues and greens
lately has been mega,” Diogo says. Try Suqqu
Nail Colour Polish in Uguisu ( 4 £18) for
a greyish, muted take on green and Gucci
Vernis à Ongles Nail Polish in Marcia
Cobalt ( 5 £24) for a bright ocean blue.The summery one
Brighter days are (almost) here, and
Longworth says yellow is going to be
the colour of summer. If you’re
hesitant about a bright yellow nail, try
Chanel Le Vernis in Riviera ( 6 £24) — a
soft, pastel shade — for a subtler option.2561011879Susan Bluth/Blaublut Edition, @betinagoldstein, @paintedbyjools
The Sunday Times Style • 39