I Want Candy

I Want Candy..

If there was an indication of the colour direction for this season, Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Spring/Summer 2014 was it. An exquisitely executed collection in a melange of saccharine sugared almond pastel hues. The fabulously feminine draping and constant re-invention of the brand's signature trench evident in previous seasons were ever present. However, it was the interesting play on diaphanous, sheer textures married with clean lines and opulent jewelled embellishments that added the seriously covetable air of girly-freshness that will have these pieces flying off the racks and onto the backs of women of all ages.

FYI, if you need tips on how to rock fruit sorbet-chic, look no further than Paula Patton. Pictured above wearing Lorena Sarbu earlier this month at the Independent Spirit Awards, her short lemon shift dress featuring a delicate lace overlay and scalloped hem was sheer perfection. The nude courts, fresh dewy skin and subtle rosy hues on her cheeks and lips kept the overall tone subtle and sophisticated. Quite possibly "revenge" dressing at its best. "Robin Thicke who?" the world chimes in unison..

Sugared Almonds

If dressing like a snow cone isn't your idea of a good time, an easy way to tap into the pastel trend is with sugared almond coloured nails.

I often do my mother's nails on a Sunday as she goes to the cancer hospice on Mondays. Last Sunday, I thought I'd perk her up with some Easter-appropriate candy nails.

I raided my nail varnish stash (I have two boxes) and grabbed the colours pictured above.

Left to Right:

Chanel Nouvelle Vague, Topshop Play For Keeps, Topshop Daydream, Topshop Parma Violet, Topshop Zealous, Superdrug 2 In 1 Top Coat & Nail Hardener

You can achieve this look with any nail colours, using the brands of your choice. I like Barry M, Illamasqua, OPI, Butter London, Jessica and Dolce & Gabbana.

I primed her nails by filing and buffing them, pushed back her cuticles, then prepped the nails by wiping them with acetone-free nail varnish remover (this helps the varnish grip better). I did one coat of the top coat / hardener as a base coat, then followed by painting each nail with two sheer coats of colour (one individual colour per nail). I finished with another layer of top coat. It's Thursday and her nails still haven't chipped. To refresh the shine and extend the length of your candy-mani, I suggest applying another layer of top coat as and when needed.

Stockists:

Topshop Nails

www.topshop.com

Chanel

www.selfridges.com

www.harrods.com

www.debenhams.com

www.boots.com

Superdrug

www.superdrug.com

The Lady Varnishes

The Lady Varnishes..

Nail art has been trending for sometime. Pat McGrath, Creative Director of Dolce&Gabanna The Make-Up was promoting the "Fashion French" back in 2008 (and let's face it, when it comes to beauty, what Pat says goes in the world of maquillage). Now, everywhere you look, from Barry M, Revlon, Rimmel and Max Factor on the high street to Essie, OPI, Ciate, Chanel, Illamasqua, Dolce&Gabbana and YSL, self expression through the accessorising of one's nails is de rigeur.

Minx captured the market for foil nails and wraps, launching a huge ongoing trend. Ghetto chic has slowly filtered into mainstream fashion with Wah! Nails outposts cropping up throughout the UK. It seems that if you haven't had your nails did at Wah!, or your barnet dip dyed at Bleach, then you clearly hit the "snooze" button on your fashion alarm.

Nail Artist du jour Sophy Robson came onto my radar via Illamasqua's nail tutorials (trust Alex Box to be ahead of the curve, she also brought Mike Pocock to my attention). Marian Newman was Sophy's predecessor as the "It Manicurist".

Leighton Denny was the first big editorial manicurist that I was aware of. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times at QVC and he is such a lovely chap, a wealth of friendly advice and so down to earth. I told him I loved Dita Von Teese's nails and he said that she's his client and that he still does her nails when she's in town. He often does a crescent moon manicure for her, which inspired the one I created for my mother on Sunday, though I opted for a nude pink base and a raspberry pink tip rather than the crescent design.

I had prepped mum's nails the day before. I soaked her hands in a bowl of comfortably hot water laced with Neom Organics bath oil. I exfoliated her hands with a mixture of brown sugar and almond oil then gently towel dried them. I filed her nails then massaged Leighton Denny manicure oil into her nails, hands and arms. I wrapped the tip of an orange stick with cotton wool soaked in almond oil and gently pushed back mum's cuticles. I finished with a generous layer of Creme De La Mer hand cream. I used a tissue to remove any excess moisture from her nails then applied one coat of Illamasqua base coat.

The next day I applied two coats of Dolce&Gabbana Intense Nail Lacquer in Petal (a nude ballet slipper pink) as a base colour. Once it had dried, I applied the Shocking shade (a vibrant raspberry pink) as a Fashion French tip. I finished with the NARS Top Coat to seal the design and add a glossy finish. I have to say I love the Dolce varnishes, they have some gorgeous colours and a very high end glassy finish.

I was really pleased with the result, I'm definitely going to experiment with different designs and colour combinations (beware all female friends and family members).

Dolce&Gabbana Intense Nail Lacquer in Petal - £18

Dolce&Gabbana Intense Nail Lacquer in Shocking - £18

www.harrods.com