Spotlight on:

Summer-ready nails

Scout Cosmetics Nail Polish in Capricorn Dreamer ($ 20); and Natio Nail Colour in Lily Pink ($ 15.50).

Hot, dry weather isn’t good news for nails. Humidity, on the other hand, is. If you are in the north, watch those nails thrive. In the drier south? Protect against brittleness by regularly slathering on a moisture-rich hand cream.

Raid the pantry. Cuticles run ragged? Corn or soya oil applied to wet skin then dried off leaves no greasy residue and your cuticles will soak it up, sealing in the moisture.

Make it last. Polish will only stick to super clean nails so first wash them with soap, dry them and then remove any last traces of oil with remover. Apply polish in very fine coats rather than one thick one — it lasts much longer. Clever tip. The stains don’t linger for long, but dark nail polish can leave a dirty-looking residue when its removed. To prevent, apply cuticle oil to the skin and under the nails before using remover.

Top it off. Top coats, which offer a brilliantly clear finish, will help preserve polish for a day or two. But a manicure will last far longer if you continue to apply top coat on day three and day four – even, if you’re lucky, day five.

Cut the combos. They are a great idea but all-in-one base and top coats may not be such great value. A base coat should be sticky, whereas a top coat needs to dry to a hard finish. They aren’t great at swapping roles. Take it easy. Ditch the enamel and buff nails to high shine. But be mindful, buffing nails so hard they start to heat up (and hurt), means you’re causing too much friction, risking damage.