Beauty: How to nail the festive trends

Bespoke nail art can be as bold and quirky as you dare, says Helena Linski, co-director of Q61, which has a salon in Leeds and now also a new salon in Harrogate.

“Our technicians really relish getting creative and love devising new nail art ideas. Between them, they’ve painted more than 80,000 fingers and 19,000 toes this year,” she says, adding that they encourage clients to come in with photos they have seen on social media, so they can show the nail technician a look they would like.

“Alternatively, tell them about your special occasion and your outfit, and they’ll come up with a design and colour to match,” Helena says.

Statement embellishment is a key nail trend this season, especially jewel-enhanced talons. For a less bling style, Helena suggests a new take on the traditional French manicure, inspired by the autumn/winter catwalk. “Shape lengthy talons into an oval-shape, paint on crescent-shaped white tips, and bejewel with tiny multi-coloured sparkly crystals, that are so subtle you could blink and miss them,” she says.

This festive season Helena is also encouraging clients to try inky shades, such as navy-tinged noir with a metallic finish, or a high-gloss charcoal, as seen at Gareth Pugh’s show. “The result is vampish, sexy and party-appropriate,” she says.

The Colour Runway at the Harrogate salon is a nail station featuring more than 150 nail colours, as gels, lacquers and glitters. “If you worry that glitter isn’t a look you want to sport for that long, then opt for a shimmer instead,” she says.

“You’ll still get that sparkle factor, but in a far more subtle and wearable way.”

“In winter many of our clients tend to favour darker, berry shades. However, these colours do tend to show up chips more easily. We advise trying a gel colour – gels are longer-lasting and won’t chip as easily as varnish.”

Q61 is at Duncan Street in Leeds and at Westgate House in Harrogate.