Dark nail varnishes: tips & tricks

Scientific studies prove: the first time you meet someone, most people pay most attention to the person’s face and then their hands. 

So it’s worth looking after their appearance. The right nail varnish helps to give your nails a certain something, to discretely emphasise your look or to make a very individual fashion statement.  In autumn and winter we are drawn to darker nail varnishes. They can be a bit tricky to apply and when you’re removing the varnish you need to be careful not to discolour the nail and cuticles. 

The perfect manicure

Follow these simple tips and your hands are guaranteed to look flawless and well-groomed. 

• Always file nails in one direction, not back and forth.
• Only use sand or glass files. Metal files heat the nail and can cause long-term damage. 
• Oval or almond shaped nails elongate the hand- perfect for short fingers.
• Always apply a base coat before varnishing, especially for strong colours: it strengthens the nails and protects them from discolouration. 
• Never shake the bottle as it could cause air bubbles which make the varnish harder to apply.  It’s better to roll the bottle between your hands. 
• Apply two thin layers rather than one thick one as it will dry better and the result is more even.
• Varnishes with a warm shade go with a warm skin tone. It’s best to use cool shades with a cool complexion.

Dark nail varnish

Dark nail varnish must be applied very carefully. Little mistakes are much more noticeable than with lighter colours. Using two layers of varnish and letting each layer dry thoroughly is the key.
Before using a dark shade on your nails you must shape them with a file. Intensive shades are better on short finger nails. Long nails in dark red don’t look so elegant. A base coat should always be used before a dark nail varnish otherwise the colour pigments can discolour the nails. Begin in the centre of the nail and then paint to the right and then the left. 

Tip

Let the varnish dry for at least 15 minutes. Then varnish your nails carefully a second time, in three steps again like the first layer. Be careful to give each nail the same intensity of colour- if nails are painted with different amounts of varnish the overall effect isn’t very neat. Dark nail varnish is more striking, so these mistakes show up more than with lighter shades. When the second layer is well dried you can apply a top coat for better hold.