#cnd nails

Nail art is here to stay and the latest New York & London Fashion Shows were glittering with gorgeous designs. I’m always inspired by these trends and love seeing them bubbling up around the world on instagram and other social media platforms before they hit the runway.

Here are some of my favourite looks from recent fashion shows and a step by step on how you can get a little bit of runway nail inspiration yourself .... 

Pearl Nails

[Above Images: Elle, Glamour]

Pearls are set to be huge this year, whether it be in the form of quirky hair clips, adorned jewellery or as Fashion Week would have it, all over hands and nails! Nails at Adeam and Fashion East were adorned in a full on pearl-gasm of oversized ivory white pearls while Rodarte & Yuhan Wang took a more subtle approach delicately placing smaller pearls of cream and champagne around not only the nails, but model’s fingers and hands too.

Get The Look

This is a simple look to recreate. All you need is your favourite new spring nail colour (mine happens to be CND Coquette, a gorgeous pastel purple) some nail glue and Pearl Gems. I found my pearls easily on Amazon and Ebay - just type in Pearl Nail Art and loads of options come up. I personally prefer the more champagne and ivory shades to the pure white but it’s up to you.

You’ll need

CND Vinylux Coquette

Pearl Embellishments

Nail Glue

CND Vinylux Gel-Like Effect Topcoat

1. Prep Nails (file into shape, remove excess cuticle and clean with CND Scrub Fresh)

2. Apply 2 coats of CND Vinylux Coquette to the nail allowing time for each coat to dry in between

3. Apply random dots of nail glue all over the nail polish allowing time for the glue to become tacky

4. Adhere pearl gems to the glue

5. Allow to dry fully before topcoating with CND  Vinylux Gel-Like Effect

Metallics

[Above Images: Getty, Elle]

Metallic nails are still going strong, but taking on new microtrends! While chrome and holographic powdered nails were still seen (Cividini,  11 Honore and Kim Shui) but new takes on the trend emerged with glitter/foil speckles (Kate Spade), full hands adorned in gold foils (Asai), silver dipped fingers (Kaimin) to ombre blends (Halpern and Chromat) and even more 3D jewel adorned nails (The Blondes, Iceberg)

Get The Look

This look requires a little more time and patience. You’re going to want to get yourself some nail foil - I love the new Rose Gold shade from Lecente , but one isn’t enough and I want the finish to be super metallic so I’m also using Lecente Bright Gold Foil and their Starlight Stardust Glitter. You’ll also need some Foil Glue to help these stick to the nail polish (I love the new Lecente Stick It.)

You’ll Need

CND Vinylux Antique

Lecente Rose Gold + Bright Gold Foils

Lecente Stick It

Lecente Starlight Stardust Glitter

CND Vinylux Gel-Like Effect Topcoat  

1. Prep Nails (file into shape, remove excess cuticle and clean with CND Scrub Fresh)

2. Apply 2 coats of CND Vinylux Antique to the nail allowing time for each coat to dry in between

3. Using Lecente Stick It, drain excess glue off of the brush head agains the bottle and then swipe the brush over the nail in random areas. Wait 30 seconds at least or until the florescent appearance of the glue is replaced with a clear finish

4. Once the glue has gone clear use Lecente Rose Gold and Bright Gold Foil scrunched up to create random metallic accents across the nail where you placed the Lecente Stick It.

Tip : I sometimes like to remove a little foil first so that when I tap the foil over the area of the nail I have glued, it doesn’t come out too thick in a large blog - its personal preference but I find this gives a more organic abstract effect

5. Using a small fluffy brush gently tap and brush Lecnete Starlight Stardust Glitter over any remaining areas of Stick It Glue, then using a fan brush remove excess glitter from the nail and areas of skin around the nail

6. Finish with a layer of Vinylux Ge-Like Effect Topcoat

Retro Valentines inspo using

CLEO inspired nail trends in gold. GOLD, BOLD, and the BLONDS

backstage at the blonds | #CNDnails

When it comes to fashion, nail trends are no longer considered to be just an extension of make-up; the past few years have seen nail artists carve their own niche in the world of style creating trends and looks that stand out from the crowd. Leading the way are brands such as Essie, Maybelline and CND who were the force behind The Blond’s extravagant look for AW14 (above). Want something a little more wearable? Check out these top 5 trends for AW2014: 

Deep reds: seen at Wes Gordon, Burberry and Kenneth Cole - no one shade or hero polish stood out so whether you choose a warm, cool or sheer red just make sure it’s a dark one.

Gilded Nails: Seen at Naeem Khan, Proenza Schouler, and Marra Hoffman - the trick with this is to get a good quality polish with a solid, opaque finish. 

Lace Effect: Seen at Ann Yee and Coach this versatile finish can be as delicate and lady like as your wish or bumped up to a more fishnet, edgy feel. 

Half Moon Manicures: Seen at Zimmerman and Badgley Mischka this reverse french manicure can be subtle or full on. Some designers showcased jewelled half moons which added texture and glamour.