Sure, we all love family, friends and a spirit of good cheer, but let's face itu2014one of the best things about the holidays is getting a boatload of gifts. In anticipation, try this fresh take on a French mani and wrap up your tips in two hues from Quo by Orly's sultry holiday collection.
Directions: Apply two coats of gold polish. Once dry, dip a nail-art brush into burgundy polish and draw a French tip followed by a perpendicular line down the centre of each nail. On your thumbs, thicken the French tip into the shape of a bow and draw a centre knot plus the ends of ribbon. Finish off with a shiny topcoat to make your nails gleam.
FLARE picks: Quo by Orly Holiday Nail Set in Naughty, $20, at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Indulge in a candy cane-themed manicure this year and you won't be disappointed, especially since Sephora by OPI has created a package with five of the yummiest reds imaginable. When applied to the nails and decorated with a pearly white polish accent, they look good enough to eat.
Directions:-Apply two coats of Mr. Right Now to your pinkies and thumbs, two coats of Curve-aceous to your ring fingers, and two coats of And A Cherry On Top to your pointers. Try a pearly white polish, like Chanel Le Vernis in Attraction, on your centre fingers. Be-Claus I Said So is a topcoat with red sparkles that looks like crumbles of peppermint when applied on top of white. Add one coat to your middle fingers, then use a nail-art brush to add white dots, stripes, swirls, or other simple designs to the rest of your tips. Curve-aceous is a delicious candy apple red and needs no further adornment. Add a shiny topcoat to keep your design in pristine condition.
FLARE picks:-Sephora by OPI Perfect Reds Set, $47, sephora.com.
No matter if you're tone deaf or capable of a rousing rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock," a mani that mimics sheet music looks good on everyone. Add Dior's sumptuous Grand Bal polishes into the mix and you've got a winning combination.
Directions:-Paint nails with two to three coats of polish in Lady (except for your Thursday nail, which you'll paint in shimmery gold Diorling). Once nails are dry, dip a nail-art brush into Diva (black with tiny flecks of gold) and draw the curved lines of a music staff on the three centre fingers of each hand. Curve the lines up on one nail, then down on the next, to mimic the look of a scroll of music unfurling. Add bars and notes to the staff. On your pinkies, draw a single music note, and add a treble clef to your thumbs. Finish with a clear topcoat.
FLARE picks:-Dior Grand Bal Diorific Vernis in Diorling, Lady and Diva, $26 each, at Dior beauty counters.
NARS' limited edition polish shades inspired by the artwork of Andy Warhol are the perfect colour combo for a party-time mani. To create this funky design, we were inspired by the graphic look of stained glass. Fine black lines divide the colours and imitate the lead that holds together the pieces of coloured glass in a church window.
Directions:-Paint your ring and pointer fingers with two coats of TV Party (orange) and the rest with two coats of 15 Minutes (Yellow). With a nail-art pen, lightly draw your design onto your dry nails so that you have markers to guide your painting (this step is helpful, but not required!). Paint the orange, purple (New York Dolls) and Green (Superstar) sections as necessary. When dry, dip a nail-art brush into Back Room and trace the shapes with a thin line of black. We used a shiny topcoat to seal the colour, but a matte topcoat would also work well with these chalky shades.
FLARE picks:-NARS Andy Warhol Nail Polish in TV Party, 15 Minutes, Superstar, New York Dolls and Back Room, $21 each, narscosmetics.ca.
Glitter screams holiday, which is why we're so excited for Maybelline's super affordable Sequins polish collection. Add a little sparkle to your tips with the line's Sea-Quins polish, then dot silver stars here and there to recreate the look of a night sky, but better.
Directions:-Coat your nails in two to three layers of Sea-Quins followed by a topcoat to smooth any bumps that the glitter might cause. With a nail-art brush, draw stars onto your nails with silver polish. Apply a final layer of topcoat to finish.
FLARE picks:-Maybelline New York Color Show Nail Lacquer Sequins (Limited Edition) in Sea-Quins, $4, at drugstores and mass market retailers. Essie Nail Color in No Place Like Chrome, $10, at professional salons and leading retailers.
More from FLARE:
- Lazy girls guide to the holidays
- Perfect polish set for party season
- Holiday hairstyles
- Holiday eye makeup
- Brilliant hair accessories
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