Interview with Nail Expert Teresa Smith
I love getting my nails done but it's hard to find a good nail technician. Teresa Smith has been in the business for over 10 years - when she worked at Harrods she had a four week waiting list! She's worked with numerous celebrities including Bella Freud, Florence Welch, Rihanna and Victoria Beckham, and she's also won a number of awards including Nail Professional of the Year 2009. Teresa shares a few insider secrets with us!
Any insider tips for looking after our nails and hands?
Get regular manicures!
Even just a shape and paint every fortnight can make a difference. Having a great polish is by far the best way to keep your nails healthy as you’re less likely to ruin a perfect polish by using your nails as tools - picking sellotape and pulling out staples, even pinching awkward bracelet clasps are often common causes of nails splitting and peeling from the free edge.
Avoid having a long soak in the bath the same day your nails are done, as this can cause the polish to chip.
Re-apply top coat (and seal the edges) on painted nails every few days to prolong the life of your polish.
It’s a common myth is that nails need to “breathe.” This not the case as they are simply dead keratin cells that are best kept coated with a quality base coat and polish.
At the very least always keep a nail file in your hand bag in case of emergencies. Also, use a good quality hand cream – even A-list celebs reveal their age with their hands but regular use of hand cream can delay the aging process by 10 years!
What shows did you do the nails for at London Fashion Week?
This season I did 5 shows: Charlie Le Mindu, Peter Pilotto, Amanda Wakeley, Emilio De La Morena and Pringle of Scotland.
What colours should we be wearing now?
Nail colours are so varied and fun right now, anything from rainbow brights such as blues and greens to opaque pastels; my personal favourite is 'Van D’Go' from Essie’s Art of Spring Collection, a gorgeous opaque honey melon. Greige is also a great look right now - I used Essie’s Chinchilly on 3 of my 5 shows at London Fashion Week. Essie also have a more sandy version called 'Playa Del Platinum' coming out in their new Resort Collection, to be released in May.
What colours should we be expecting for A/W2010?
For A/W2010 metallics are set to be big following the celeb favourite Minx nail coatings - Chanel recently showed a molten metal looking silver polish on the runway. Orly have just released a fab Foil FX collection which has Gold Silver and an unusual Rose Gold, also Dior have just released a purple toned silver called Silver Pearl. Also look out for deep ‘hunter greens’ such as 'Wandering Vine' by Orly, and 'Cedar Green' by Mavala as an autumnal take on the current green trend.