Fashion & Style: Over-the-top Nails

Over-the-top Nails

I want Beyonce's digits! I recently saw a photo of the star sporting sparkly rainbow nail art and felt the same mesmerizing delight I experienced as a little girl looking through a prism for the first time.

Head-turning nail art seems to be everywhere these days: Jessica Simpson wore vibrant teal polish, Mya chose a futuristic gold-and-black French manicure, and Katy Perry picked pink and black polka dots.

California-based celebrity manicurist Marsha Bialo says that most of the bright nail art designs (including florals, plaids and polka dots) are Minx, a flexible nail applique that goes on like a sticker and is set in place with heat. "It's simple to put on and take off, doesn't smudge, and you'll never have to wait for your nails to dry," she explains, "It's a fun, playful and easy way to express yourself."

So how do you pull off this avant-garde style? Pair with a more traditional nail shape.

"Long and tapered is back in -- an oval or pointy, more feline type of look is hot right now," says Bialo.

Have a conservative job?

"Go for solid instead of a pattern and stick to short nails," Bialo advises. "Or try the eye-catching statement on your toes."

Twitter: @ihavenet

Carol Kim is a New York-based writer who contributes to Us Weekly, InStyle, Seventeen, Lucky and Elle.com

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