Nail Polish Ideas: 2 Colors, 5 Manicures

One thing we learned from the Fall 2014 runways is black and red are a match made in nail-art heaven. Looking to some of our favorite designer catwalks for inspiration, we came up with four dramatic ideas for our next trip to the salon. Behold 5 great manicures to try this fall. And the best part is, this color combo goes with almost everything. We love when our beauty and fashion agendas line up.

Birds Of A Feather

To replicate the look from Nicole Miller’s runway, start with a base coat and one layer of black polish. Seal with a matte coat before applying a metallic red lacquer with a striping brush. Start at the cuticle and feather out in thin, quick strokes.

Photo: Courtesy of Butter London

Third Quarter

Get the nails from Mathieu Mirano’s show by painting two coats of a bright cherry red on one quarter of each nail. Fill in the remaining portion with an opaque black polish and seal with a clear topcoat.

Photo: Courtesy of Essie

Modern Frenchie

Wes Gordon’s show showcased an updated version of the classic French manicure. Get the look by starting with two coats of a deep red and a matte top coat. Contrast the flat finish by striping on a shiny black tip.

Photo: Courtesy of Essie

Perfect Ombre

For an ombre effect as seen on Rebecca Taylor’s runway, put on one coat of a deep burgundy and let dry completely. Next, add a drop of the burgundy on the tips of nails and black on the cuticles. Dab with a foam makeup sponge to blend the colors and seal with a clear topcoat. Clean up any messy edges with a Q-tip soaked in nail polish remover.

Photo: Luca Cannonieri

Blood Moon

Go vampy with nails inspired by Charlotte Ronson’s fall preview. Apply two coats of deep red laquer and then make a large half moon at the cuticle with an opaque black polish. Seal with a clear, shiny topcoat.

Photo: Courtesy of Charlotte Ronson