If you're stuck in a rut using the same colour nail varnish week in week out, you're certainly missing out one of the most fun ways to express your own very unique personality and style. Beauty experts agree the better branded nail colours have mushroomed since the colour explosion of the 1980s, with so many wearable funky shades that you really can have your pick of the season's latest colours plus the classics. Use this list of nail polish colours and what they say about the glamorous woman wearing them guide you to pick your best shade this season.
1. Dark Colours and Black
Since Victoria (and David) Beckham were first spotted wearing black nail varnish a couple of years ago, it was rehabilitated overnight from a goth-emo-rock staple into the hottest colour to grace celebrity hands on catwalks, red carpets and all over the magazines. The trend is holding, and this season brown is on the catwalks too. Black gives a smooth, classy look, at the same time of a high degree of definition - the wearer is a strong, confident woman.
2. Metallics
Gold is a summer favourite and certainly adds glamour all year round. Gold is a very warm colour, and those who wear it can be seen as successful, outgoing, sociable types, especially at parties. Silver can be a more restrained colour, and has been another celebrity trend of late. Like its wearer, silver nail polish is highly sophisticated and versatile, and demonstrates a quiet inner strength.
3. Glitter
Glitter is a fun, bold fashion statement for the young at heart but be careful to match it with the right accessories and outfit. Super chunky glitter nail varnish projects a vivacious, flamboyant side to you, and will certainly create a lasting impression. If this doesn't sound like you, do what the celebrities do and use a more subtle pastel glitter with other nail colours, to add a touch of sparkle without the dramatic statement.
4. Greens and Blues
Whether it's the latest eggshell blue or a darker shade, blue is a perennial fashion statement that looks good on so many women. Psychologically speaking, blue is a calm colour, and those who wear it may be seen as calm, grounded types who enjoy a connection to nature. Green is also enjoying a renaissance in cooler, mint shades, and those who wear it definitely don't follow the herd.
5. Funky Shades
Yellow reflects sunny, happy times and it can be a stunning nail polish if you team with good accessories. Take time to find a shade that works with your skin tone to avoid looking washed out. Neon yellow, oranges, greens and pink nail colours have also graced celebrity fingernails lately, and there's a definite appreciation of quirky, funky colours.
Far from being the uniform you dutifully paint on every few days, nail polish colours are a way to make statement about who you are, and you can have a lot of fun playing with the different nail varnish colours to find the one that makes you feel most confident. Just like people, nail colours have distinct personalities, so the next time you're shopping for a new colour, try experimenting with a shade you thought you'd never wear - you might just find it becomes your firm new favourite.
