Madison beauty - tips + tricks: winter nail trends

Jade, sparkles, or vamp red? Sally Hansen nail expert Dana Caruso lets Sherine Youssef in on the latest trends.  

When it comes to nail length, how long is too long? Anything longer than an eraser on the end of a pencil. The shape of the moment is a shorter squoval, achieved by filing nails into a square shape with rounded/oval sides.

Cuticles – to cut or not to cut? My golden rule is only remove what is torn, cracked and lifted – never what is attached and intact.

What’s your most unorthodox beauty trick? I’ll probably get thrown out of the beauty industry for telling you this… for incredible adhesion of nail colour, apply base coat, wipe it off before it sets with a paper towel, then re-apply.

How do you make a manicure last? Always use a base coat, which acts as an anchor to grip the nail colour, and finish with a top coat, which shields the nail and seals the manicure.  

What’s the best thing you can do for your nails every day? Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Massage a vitamin E oil treatment into cuticles.

Tell us three of the biggest nail myths. That nails breathe; white spots are calcium deficiencies [called leukonychia, they’re mostly caused by injury to the base of the nail such as excessive tapping]; and that acrylic nails make nails stronger.

Are there any nail trends you’re loving right now? Short, coloured nails adorned with crystals, metallics and fabrics.

And any trends you’re over? French, square and 4cm acrylic talons – they look beyond dated and unnatural. 

Which celebrity always has impeccable nails? That would definitely be Michelle Obama.

I’m dying to give a manicure to… Kim Kardashian.

I really want women to stop… Soliciting dirty nail salons and closing their eyes to the inferior services that will compromise their health.

If you’re afraid of colour… Start with the toes. It’s a great segue into a colourful fashion experience.

What’s an innovation or breakthrough you’re most excited about at the moment? Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure, $26.95. This is a girl’s dream base coat, colour and top coat all in one, fortified with great ingredients for strong and healthy nails with an incredible 10-day-plus wear. This is unequivocally the most revolutionary product to hit the nail industry to date.

What are three essentials for every nail kit? Sally Hansen Quick Care Massaging Cuticle Treatment, $16.95, for on-the-go instant nourishment with a built-in massaging tip; a white smoothing block buffer; and Sally Hansen Quick Care Conditioning Manicure Corrector, $16.95,  which instantly corrects colour mistakes. For Sally Hansen stockists, call 1800 812 663.

Winter nail trends
1 Urban noir: Shape the nail into a squoval (no more than a millimetre in length above the finger tip) and paint with concrete grey, midnight black or deep plum. Try 1. Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen in Black or 2. Black Cherry, $16.95 each, both by Sally Hansen.
2 Haute couture: On a longer-length (about 2.5cm) oval nail, polish with a deep and vibrant red. Try 3. Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Cherry Red, $6.95, by Sally Hansen.
3 Edge: This is about applying different textures to the nail. Use fabrics or decorative adhesive pre-cut nail-shaped strips, from the sheerest of silks to bold animal prints.