Nail art was anything but boring at New York Fashion Week. The Fall 2018 shows, which wrapped Thursday, brought us pink leopard manicures (Jeremy Scott), gold lightning bolts (Han Wen) and even fringe (Libertine).
While the over-the-top nails are fun to look at, they’re not exactly something you want to run out and try at home, especially if you’re not a polish pro.
At Cushnie et Ochs, however, the models’ glitter-tipped manicures were eye-catching and easy to recreate.
Below, Julie Kandalec, who created the look, breaks down exactly how to do it.
A French manicure with a twist: For the Cushnie et Ochs Fall 2018 show, nail pro Julie Kandelac gave models sheer nails with gradiated, glittery tips
The Cushnie et Ochs 10th anniversary collection was inspired by the architect Zaha Hadid, Julie told FEMAIL.
‘So for the nails, the designers [Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs ] wanted something that was linear yet organic, to mimic the style of Zaha’s buildings,’ she said.
‘We had a lot of different ideas before settling on this one. We talked about doing just a linear one with a solid color, and then we also talked about doing a nude nail with an angular color-block on the side. But we thought that this one with the glitter really embodied the feminine aspect of the collection.’
Plus, she added, ‘it’s so wearable and not impossible to do yourself’.
GET THE HOW-TO:
STEP 1 (left): Prep nails by filing into a natural shape, buffing, pushing back cuticles, cleaning nails with 99-percent Isopropel alcohol and applying a base coat. STEP 2 (right): Apply two coats of a mostly sheer pink-ish nude shade
STEP 3: Use a brush to pick up a small glob of gold glitter polish from around the top of the bottle (left) and dab it on to the tip of the nail, starting at the center and working your away across each side (right). When you’re done it should look like gold French manicure
STEP 4 (left): Turn the brush around and drag it back from the tip of the nail about halfway toward the base, so that it looks gradiated. Note: You don’t want this to look too perfect. STEP 5 (right): Finish by applying a top coat
The finished look: No matter your skill level, the ‘shattered metallic ombre’ manicure is manageable, and the glitter ensures that chips won’t even be noticeable