When at Fashion Week, it’s easy to get lost in the clothes, forgetting that make-up, hair and now nails(!) play an important part in bringing the whole look together. You’d be forgiven for thinking that nails were the new accessory, with designer clambering to create their own custom designs and colours.

Couturing have collaborated with OPI to learn more about the nail art at the recent Mercedes Benz Australian Fashion Week. Like the clothes, there were stand out trends in nails. The key colours were white, sorbet pastel shades, with chartreuse being the key colour of the week.

 

 

The elegant and sophisticated reverse moon nail extensions featured at both Maticevski and Johanna Johnson. Whilst the biggest new trend in nail art is the reverse French Manicure using bright tips, as seen at Lisa Ho and Carla Zampatti.

Couturing have teamed up with OPI to bring you tutorials for some of the hottest nail trends. So this season, when updating your wardrobe with the latest styles, don’t forget your nails too!

How to achieve a reverse French manicure

 

The hottest trend to come out of Australian Fashion Week was the reverse French manicures featuring bright neon and metallic tips at the Lisa Ho showing.

The reverse French manicure is similar to applying a regular French Manicure, except in reverse, as this new style introduces colour on the nail tip.

 

Here is how to achieve the best results at home.

• Start with a base coat as this protects the nails from staining.

• Apply two coat of a nude, soft pink or white base coat over your whole nail.  Wait for this colour to completely dry (20 minutes) before applying colour to the tips.  If you are in a hurry you can apply OPI’s quick dry drying drops.

• Carefully draw a thin line of your desired bright or neon coloured lacquer onto the tip of your nail painting.  Some find it easier to draw the line from left to right.

• If you find it difficult to apply a straight line tip, you can apply tape onto your nails, leaving the tip area free, and then apply the lacquer painting from the tip line to the free edge of your nail.

• Finish the look with a glossy top coat.

 

At the Lisa Ho showing during Australian Fashion Week, the models nails were matched to their coloured hair extensions.  Using a creamy off white base, each model wore either a bright yellow, blue, orange, purple, red or pink coloured French tips.

 

OPI’s So Many Clowns, So Little Time was the lacquer chosen as the base whilst the coloured tips where in a variety of shades including; Do You Lilac It, Plugged in Plum, In My Back Pocket, Dating a Royal, Short Story, Need Sunglasses, My Chihuahua Bites

 

How to achieve a reverse half moon manicure

 

The reverse half moon manicure made a splash at the Toni Maticevski Fashion Week showing.

 

Here is how to achieve the best results at home.

• Start with a base coat as this protects the nails from staining.

• Apply two coat of your desired lacquer colour for the half moon area over the whole nail.  Wait for this colour to completely dry (20 minutes) or apply quick dry drying drops if you are in a hurry.

• Adhere a half moon sticker onto your nails from the cuticles.  Ring binder stickers are the best for this task.

• Once your half moon area is completely covered, apply 2 coat of the desired base colour over the whole nail.  Wait 40 minutes for the lacquer to completely dry before carefully removing the ring binder stickers.

 

At the Toni Maticevski fashion show OPI selected Road House Blues as the palette for the half moon with OPI’s Tickle My France-y as the base.

 

 

How to Achieve the Ring Finger Manicure

 

The red carpet look of choice for many celebrities like Beyonce and Kelly Rowland, the Ring Finger Manicure is the latest craze in nail art and it is easy to apply.

 

The Ring Finger Manicure, the easy and sophisticated way to wear nail art featured on the nails of the models at the Aurelio Costarella Fashion Week showing.

 

Here is how to achieve the look at home.

• Start with a base coat as this protects the nails from staining.

• Pick two shades of lacquer that either complement one another, such as a different colour tone or dramatically contrasting shades.

• It is important to only apply a different colour on your ring finger or index finger, the look isn’t as affective when it appears on other fingers.

• You can mix up your look by embellishing the ring finger with glitter or some additional nail art.

• Finish the look with a top coat.

 

At the Aurelio Costarella show, the Ring Finger Manicure was a feature.  The pop green shades chosen were OPI’s Gargantuan Green Grape on most of the fingers combined with 2 fingers – the index and ring fingers – in the chartreuse shade Did It On Em.  This colour also featured on the toes.

 

How to Achieve the Disheveled Elegant Nails 

 

The OPI nail creation known as disheveled elegance that appeared on the nails at the AJE inaugural Fashion Week showing were exclusively designed for the show, a combination bronze, gold and glitter.  On the base of nail was OPI’s Cosmo Not Tonight Honey followed by a V-shaped chevron in OPI’s DS Glow at the tip of the nail.  The nail design was finished off with gold glitter dust on the tips.

 

 

Nails are fabulous and flattering this Spring/Summer season as nail lacquer is recognised as an inexpensive way to update your wardrobe and have fun in this season’s colour trends.

About The Author

Lisa Teh

Lisa Teh is the Editor-in-chief of Couturing.com, one of Australia's top fashion, beauty and lifestyle resources. She has worked on campaigns with brands including David Jones, Myer, Mecca Cosmetica, Simone Perele, Lenovo and L'Oreal. She recently appeared in Couturing's exclusive Australian Fashion Week reality web series, The Frow, alongside top industry names including Toni Maticevski and Maybelline Creative Director Nigel Stanislaus.

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