Tête-à-tête
The New York-based nail artist and Sally Hansen global colour ambassador reveals her tips for getting Instagram-ready hands
Manicure magician Madeline Poole talks nail art for grown-ups.
IT’S GREAT THAT NAIL ART HAS When I first started, MATURED. there was so little out there that anything I did felt cutting edge and new. Now there’s so much experimenting that’s being done. Trends come in and out very quickly and I think that’s due to how rapidly videos and images are shared on social media.
IF YOU’RE NEW TO NAIL ART, TRY STARTING WITH A CLASSIC LOOK OR A STYLE THAT CAN MIX INTO ANY I really WARDROBE. love moon manicures as well as colourful French tips – they’re easy to wear. I think the best source of inspiration for anything you do creatively is outside your field. I try not to look at other nail artists’ work, but art, architecture and nature instead. Nature has the best colour combinations. Flowers, fish, frogs, birds – they have such beautiful combinations of neons and pops of colour.
I LOVE MATCHING MY MANICURE Coordinating it TO MY MAKEUP. with my lips or eye makeup is a nice look, or I like to pick up on colours in my outfit that aren’t so obvious, like the lining of a jacket. A lot of people have a specific colour palette they wear or have around them, whether they realise it or not. So think about what you normally gravitate towards, and try to pull a polish colour from there. Chances are it will work with your wardrobe.
LIKE HAIR, YOU SHOULD TRIM YOUR NAILS TO MAINTAIN I file and clip my nails STRENGTH. frequently if they get very long and I notice them getting weaker. Leaving a file in your bag is also a good move as you can avoid tearing your nails. Having long nails is fun, but if you’re aggressive with the way you use your hands it can cause trauma to the tips. You need to be careful.
IF YOU GET GELS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE BREAKS. After every two or three gel applications, I wear a restorative nail polish. I like Sally Hansen Color Therapy as it delivers oil and treatment to the nail plate without sacrificing colour. And I swear by Byredo Hand And Nail Cream as well as cuticle oil for keeping hands in top condition – they’re two products that are always in my kit. Diet also plays a big role in the health of your nails. Biotin and keratin supplements can be beneficial.
THERE’S NO PERFECT NAIL It’s a case of taste as well SHAPE. as what suits your hands best. Super-short nails don’t work in an oval shape. It’s better to do them in a square or “squoval”. As they get longer, you can pull off a variety of shapes like almond or oval, or “squareletto” if they get really long.