Nail Polish Trends S/S 2011

Chanel La Fleur d`Ete 2011

 It’s almost sandal season again which, aside from warmer weather and longer days (finally), can only mean one thing: time for pedicures. But before you pull out your stash of nail polish from last summer, take a look at what’s hot this season. Put down the neon and make way for pastels and nudes.
 June is the beginning of the colorful season, but until then, its all about the  nude colors. This nail color has always been a classic option for every woman out there. And this year, it’s another big nail polish trend.

 Another of the nail trends for 2011 are laced nails. And this is how you can get it done yourself.
 First the things you will need: basecoat, nude or white nailpolish, topcoat, scissors and lace.
1. Cut pieces of lace the same size as your nails. Put the pieces aside for a little while.
2. Put on your basecoat and your color nailpolish.
3. If your color nailpolish is dry put a coat of your topcoat on top. Let this topcoat dry a little bit till it's half dry and you can still damage the nailpolish.
4. Then put the pieces lace on every nail.
5. To seal the lace into the nailpolish, put the topcoat over the lace.
 If you find it too difficult to use real lace, you can always fake it. Paint lace with a stripper of toothpicks onto your nails.

 Back in the spot light is the half moon manicure. Popular in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, the Half Moon Manicure is a hot nail trend that resurfaced on the Fall/Winter 2009 RTW catwalks but has been slow to gain mainstream attention.  Championed by Ruffian and early adopters Dior and Thakoon, we saw on runways again for Spring 2011 – but this time, it’s getting nods beyond the beauty blogger posse.

 What may seem impossible to recreate at home, try these simple steps to DIY the Half Moon Mani:
 Step 1: Paint your entire nail the colour you want your half-moon to be.  For a more understated look, choose a clear base coat instead of bold colour.

 Step 2: Allow the nail to dry completely, then use hole reinforcement stickers and place them on the base of your nails. Use french manicure tip guides placed upside down (like a smile) along the cuticle edge to achieve the “lunar landing” version.

 Step 3: With your other colour, paint only above the sticker.  Wait for the polish to dry before removing the sticker.
 
Step 4: Apply a clear topcoat, if desired.

 Here are some more pictures for inspiration purposes: