When it comes to Cannes Film Festival, some people are focused on the actors, others on the fashion, but we are zooming in on the manicures. The glamorous dresses call for equally exciting nail designs. Get an up close look at the best nail art and polish spotted in the South of France.
Nail art is no passing phase, which is why we turned to Stephanie Lavery, the editor in chief of Nail It! magazine, to tell us the dos and don'ts of artful manicures. She dishes on all sorts of nail tricks and tips, from at-home to professional polish jobs and even nail safety.
Zooey Deschanel is the queen of quirky nail art designs. With the season finale of New Girl airing last night, you'll have to wait until the next season to get your fill of Zooey's slapstick comedy. But hopefully this roundup of her best manicures will hold you over and inspire an impromptu trip to the salon — even some DIY nail sessions at home.
When it comes to your makeup bag, drugstore beauty is, well, a beautiful thing. From face wipes to lip balms to frizz serums, we've rounded up our favorite products that won't break the bank. They're all under $10, and they're all right here.
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— Additional reporting by Jessica Cruel and Kaitlyn Dreyling
Nail art is a regular occurrence on the red carpet, but we've been seeing stars sporting a variety of geometric nails as of late. Demi Lovato showed off a black manicure accented with three metallic stripes over the weekend, while Kerry Washington paired her black polish with a white chevron tip to complement her dress at the recent Peeples premiere. January Jones also got into the graphic trend, sporting a classic red polish topped with a black triangle accent at the base of her nails for an edgier take on the moon manicure. We even saw geometric nails on the Fall 2013 runways, so clearly this trend is here to stay.
You can get similar looks, too, with these nail art tutorials:
From movie premieres to party appearances, celebrities have perfected their looks down to the last detail: their nails. With the most exclusive access to top nail artists and not-yet-released polish shades, stars know how to create plenty of polish trends. So take note from these tastemakers on everything from pastel colors to intricate designs. Plus, our close-ups show you how to coordinate your fingertips with clutches and jewelry, too. Click through to see our favorite star nails of 2013!
— Additional reporting by Maria Del Russo
You've bought your own gel manicure kit, but now what? With so many bottles and tools contained within, it can be overwhelming figuring out where to start. Here a few pro tricks and tips to ensure your manicure stays long-lasting, featuring the Gelish Basix Kit ($50). On Kirbie: Forever 21 necklace and Cameo shirt.
From the amazing soundtrack to the designer costumes, there's plenty of Jazz Age inspiration from The Great Gatsby, and I turned to the art deco style of the period for this striking nail design. This look is surprisingly easy to DIY; all you need are scissors, tape, and black and gold polish.
First, I applied two coats of Nails Inc. Black Taxi ($10) over my base coat. Once my nails were dry, I started cutting pieces of tape into small triangles to form the angular design. (You can see how the technique works from this starburst nail art tutorial.) I placed the cut pieces of tape onto the parts of my nail that I wanted to stay black, using three pieces of tape per nail to create four gold points shooting out from the base of my nail. Once the tape was laid down, I went over my nails with the gold-toned Deborah Lippmann Nefertiti ($19). I made sure to rip the tape off right after, or else you won't get crisp lines as the polish dries. Next, I added a little flapper flair with the glittering Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow ($20) on top of the gold polish. Seal everything in with your favorite top coat, throw on a sparkling headband, and you're ready to hit a Gatsby party.
The stars and designers alike get all decked out from head to toe for the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the manicures are no exception. We're zooming in on all the polish details for your up close look. Just keep clicking!
Ciaté is known for taking the nail-art trend from the streets to the comfort of your own home with its easy DIY kits, like this Very Colourfoil Manicure Set ($25). The end result is a colorful and intricate design that looks far more complicated than it really is. To see how to use this genius kit, just keep reading.
