Adele's Glamorous Nails
According to this shape chart, Adele’s stiletto nails say she’s daring, sexy, and loves a challenge. Whereas our nail guru Elle’s square nails mean she’s a diva, a leader, strong and bold.
Wait, aren’t those all kind of the same? Nail personality charts, like horoscopes, may be silly but they are entertaining. Celebrity manicurist Elle knows her way around around much more than charts, though. Too discreet to name names, she’s worked on some of the planet’s most iconic nails, and believes that “You’re never fully dressed without a manicure.”
““You’re never fully dressed without a manicure.””
Photo Credit: Fashion Lady
Which would make me un-fully dressed most of the time. Typing all day, at least for me, requires short little naked nails. (I do love a fab pedi year ʼround, though, so at least my cute little toes are always fully dressed.)
Anyhow, Elle and I recently sat down together to discuss Adele’s nails, as well as how to keep your own nails, whatever their length or shape, super strong, and looking their best.
Gigi Anders: Elle, certain women can pull off this look. I’m not one of them. What do you think of it?
Elle: It could be cheesy but it’s a personal style, to carry that dagger or stiletto nail. It’s very on- trend and it’s not going anywhere. It’s definitely not a wholesome Jennifer Aniston look. Me, I’m a Long Island girl with square nails. But a square nail wouldn’t portray Adele’s personal style. Hers goes with her whole uber-cool. They’re reminiscent of fifties, sixties, and seventies nails. All kinds of trends recycle themselves. In the nail world, we’ve been doing it forever.
GA: What is the coffin or ballerina or edge shape?
Coffin
Ballerina
Edge Shape
E: A lot of girls got on to a trend that’s taken its shape from the square, and adapted to more nuanced, updated shapes.
A: But these are not real nails.
E: Here’s the deal with these new, exaggerated, long nails: They’re acrylics or gel enhancements with a coating on them. You definitely need an enhancement to get that kind of fine shape because they need to be sculpted out and are more expensive.
GA: How long does this take?
E: An hour-and- a-half. Probably another twenty minutes on just the shaping to get them uniform and accurate. That’s another ten dollar up-charge in the salon because it’s so labor intensive – not including if it has nail art.
GA: Total price?
E: Two hundred dollars and up. Fill-ins are around a hundred, depending on the intricacy.
GA: And how long will it last?
E: Depending on your nail tech, two to three weeks.
GA: How do you even type with these things?
E: I can’t type anymore with my nails. It’s the keyboard that’s ridiculous. But writing’s not my profession.
Whether you like blinged-out nails or not, keeping your natural nails healthy is first and foremost. Elle and I are longtime Dermelect Cosmeceuticals fans for their scientifically proven nail treatments. Peptide-infused and anti-aging (nails age right along with the rest of our bodies), every good-for- you product gets your nails back to where they once belonged.
Problem: Weak or damaged nails.
Solution: Launchpad Nail Strengthener ($18). Don’t let this base coat’s apparently turquoisey color throw you. It goes on clear and its keratin peptides instantly fortify soft, weak, brittle nails.
Problem: Ridges.
Solution: Makeover Ridge Filler ($18), a pearly base coat, fills ridges and treats discolored, dehydrated, rough nails. Think of it this way: Ridges are to the nails as wrinkles are to the face. So this formula’s purposely pink hue helps conceal and camouflage nail imperfections, yellow spots, white spots, and ridges – all signs of aging we hate. This base coat also has pentavitin, a moisture-binding agent that acts like a water magnet and correctly restores nails’ moisture balance for added flexibility.
P.S. If you buff to blur ridges, Elle says, stop. “Buffing your nails is like bleaching your hair every day. It’s clinically proven. You should never feel friction or heat on the nails. You should never feel a manicure. It should be luxury.”
Instead, Elle prefers professional oils for moisturizing and conditioning both nails and cuticles.
“I’m all about oils. Solar Oil, olive or coconut oil. Oil penetrates, [hand] creams are barriers.”
One hybrid product that does the job is Rejuvenail Fortifying Nail & Cuticle Treatment ($18), a light cream with Vitamins A, C, and E; hyaluronic acid; shea butter; and green tea that you can rub into your naked or polished nails to keep everything copacetic.
Problem: Thin nails.
Solution: High Maintenance Instant Nail Thickener ($16) is a quick-drying, UV-absorbing, high-shine top coat that strengthens and thickens nails with a purified protein faction isolated from pure New Zealand wool.
I am so serious.
Adele obviously has fun with her manis, but in general she keeps with the classics – very dark or very nude – and so do we.
Here are our current faves of each, plus a little lagniappe at the end:
Ravishing Reds
Dermelect in ‘ME’ Ferosh ($14). Like dried blood (in the best, most Parisian sense.)
CND Vinylux Weekly Polish in Bloodline ($10.50). Speaking of which. But redder, like a fine Pinot Noir.
CND Vinylux Weekly Polish in Decadence ($9.95). A plummy but not purpley red, like a deep cranberry.
Prettiest Nudes
O•P•I Infinite Shine Lacquer in Beyond The Pale Pink ($12.50). Ballet slippers dipped in milk. Perfection.
Nails inc The New White in Whitehall ($14). Take white, add a murmur of baby pink, and voilà
CND Vinylux Weekly Polish in Field Fox ($7.68 - $10.50). Looks mocha-mauve odd. But. It is To Die For. A subtle, sophisticated neutral.
Lagniappe
"It's only the black one on the far right. The polishes themselves are kind of tragic." -Gigi
Oh, that little Kylie Jenner. What will she think of next? I have no idea. But her Sinful Shine Top Coat ($2.98) is great. Super-shiny and quick-drying, it has these microscopic sparkles that add a finishing touch of je ne sais quoi. You have to get ThisClose to notice the effect, so don’t worry. You and your nails are safe from cheese.
