The minimalist manicure

No need to do away with your beloved nude nails this summer. The trends are firmly on your side and offer up some truly inventive ways to update classic shades of neutral nail polish. If you like to keep it simple we'd suggest merging your favourite nude with a flash of metallic nail art. A fine line of gold or silver adds a little something, something to taupes, tans, beiges and mid-browns. The payoff remains elegant and works brilliantly with a scattering of delicate stacking rings as you can see here. Alternatively, ask your manicurist to apply a glitter top…

If you've considered nail extensions something of a gulity pleasure then prepare to wear them with pride. Hot on the heels of the Autumn collections, where nail guru Marian Newman seduced the FROW with show-stopping sheer-tipped extensions at Gareth Pugh and Vivienne Westwood, they're officially back on the beauty agenda. Fitted elegantly to your natural nail (and not to be confused with gels that simply add strength and lustre to your real nail without any plastic tip), the new breed of extensions couldn't be further away from the thick, square tipped, talons of the past. Infact, it would take an expert to…

Have you ever taken a moment to consider what mood you were in last time you updated your manicure? Most of us have heard about the psychology of colour and how it can both reflect and affect our mood, and it turns out, just like the dress colours we wear, our attraction to certain nail shades can speak volumes about our personality too. Sounds a bit ridiculous we know, but according to some scientists, different colours actually send signals to your brain which can completely change how you think and perceive things. We sat down with manicurist to the stars Michelle Humphrey (@nailsbymh) to…