Life

Beauty: Get a grip and nail down the new season shades

Pastel pink is fashion's 'it' colour for autumn, but what are the season's must-have tones for talons? Katie Wright points out the key trends

New season nail styles
New season nail styles New season nail styles

BACK at the spring Fashion Weeks, alongside all the forthcoming fashions for autumn, we got a major dose of 'nail-spiration', thanks to the catwalk models' manicures.

And now the AW15 nail colour collections are landing in shops, so it's time to tend to those talons and stock up on this season's essential shades.

From dark and dramatic to punchy pink, these are the catwalk-inspired nail polishes to get your mitts on...

THE NEW BLACK

The gothic Victoriana vibe championed by Giles Deacon wasn't matched, as you might imagine, with straight-up pitch black nails.

In fact, lots of designers plumped for bruised but not-quite-black shades, from moody maroon at Giles to storm cloud blue at Marissa Webb and darkest ink at Dior.

:: OPI Light My Sapphire, £12.50 (www.opiuk.com)

:: All That Jazz Nail Polish in Rhythm of the Night, £5.95 (www.nailpolishdirect.co.uk)

MEAN GREENS

All the coolest girls are getting green-fingered this season – but it doesn't involve any gardening.

Preen's 'heritage redux' collection was shot through with a variety of muddy greens and models' nails were painted to match, while Burberry's AW15 polish collection includes a pair of military-inspired hues: khaki and cadet.

:: Burberry Nail Polish Khaki Green, £15 (www.burberry.com)

:: Nails Inc Battersea Park Nail Polish, £14 (www.nailsinc.com)

RAVISHING ROSES

Pastel pink ruled on the runways, but when it comes to nails, you've got to turn it up a notch.

Chanel's limited edition Le Vernis colours are always influential; we're predicting a sell-out of the gorgeously dark fuchsia, Singuliere.

If you're a fan of a gel manicure, ask for Gelish Texas Me Later, a deep raspberry hue, next time you're in the salon.

:: Chanel Le Vernis Singuliere, £18 (available October 8; www.boots.com)

:: Gelish Texas Me Later, manicures start from £25 in salons nationwide (www.nailharmony.co.uk)

DOWN TO EARTH

Inspired by the subdued Seventies fashion palette, many of the autumn nail collections feature warm, earthy tones.

Mavala's ruddy line-up runs from milk chocolate to creamy rose, with spicy Samara the ideal alternative to pillar box red this season.

For something a little more luxe, take your cue from the Alice and Olivia catwalk by topping deep aubergine with gold glitter polish.

:: Mavala Samara Nail Polish, £4.95 (available late October; www.johnlewis.com)

:: Microcell Night Dream Colour & Repair, £14.95 (www.micro-cell.uk.com)

ART ATTACK

Nail art took a bit of a back seat for autumn, but at Rachel Antonoff, the print-heavy collection was enhanced with a trio of arty designs – and you don't need to be a pro to perfect them.

To create a cute floral motif, start with a coat of OPI Amore at the Grand Canal, then add three short strokes of white or cream at the nail bed to form the petals. Finish with a spot of blue and drag a pin outwards through the polish a few times for a realistic stamen effect.

:: OPI Amore at the Grand Canal, £12.50 (www.opiuk.com)

TRIED AND TESTED

:: Laura Wurzal tries the next generation in cleansing brushes, the Clarisonic Smart Profile Dynamic Brush Head, £199 (www.johnlewis.com)

"I'd been thinking about getting an electric cleansing brush, as my skin has been looking a little dull, but the ones I've tried in the past have been so harsh and fiddly. What I like about the Smart Profile is that it's so simple to use. It's rechargeable and comes with two brush heads: The body brush for exfoliating and massaging - which made my skin feel really soft - and the facial brush for deep cleansing.

"The device has four speeds, but as I have sensitive, combination skin, I stuck to the automatic 'Smart Mode'. I popped some gel cleanser on the head and it was soon frothing up. A quick buzz told me when to move to the next area of my face and, 60 seconds later, I was done. I was amazed that even when I used make-up remover beforehand, the brush still dislodged a lot more grime, and I'm noticing fewer blackheads and breakouts since I started using it. I'm sold!"

5/5

BUY IT NOW

You can count on Nars for the coolest make-up collaborations and the latest link-up, with avant-garde photographer Steven Klein, is no different. The campaign images, from the snapper's back catalogue, are dramatically arresting, but the collection is full of beautifully wearable shades. Try the ironically-named autumnal-hued quad, Dead of Summer Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette, £35 (available November 1; www.spacenk.com).

BEAUTY BULLETIN

:: MAN BUN FANS BEWARE!

Love it or hate it, the 'man bun' is the hippest hairdo of the year, but did you know it could cause hair loss? According to hair replacement experts Hair Development, very tight topknots and ponytails increase the risk of 'traction alopecia', due to hair being out under too much strain. Man bun fans are advised to loosen their trendy tresses a couple of times a week.

:: STEAL OF THE WEEK

Usually, cutting-edge anti-ageing formulas are only found in the most stratospherically expensive products, but now you can get the latest wonder ingredient for less than £15. Optimum PhytoDeluxe SPF15 Day Cream and Comforting Night Cream, £14.99 each at Superdrug, both contain amino acid-rich black diamond truffle, the same derivative which is found in creams that cost around £250 (available October 12; www.superdrug.com).