Why contouring isn't just for your face... | Chroma Gel

Why contouring isn't just for your face...

Contouring is huge right now, but the trend is travelling further than cheekbones.

Nail contouring is fast becoming the latest thing thanks to catwalks and high street beauty magazines. Just as face contouring helps elevate and define cheekbones and jawlines, nail contouring is the hot new trend to make nails appear longer and more defined.

The technique boomed into fashion when pro nail technician Jin Soon Choi used it backstage at Vera Wang’s runway show at New York Fashion week. She painted a base coat on the models’ nails and swiped either a powder-pink white or a deep red shade straight down the middle of their fingertips.

The result?

Contoured nails that looked longer than they actually were.

While some people have been doing this for years - refusing to paint the entire nail and leaving small, subtle strips at each side to make the nails appear longer - this take on the trend is unapologetically bolder. The stripe in the centre is striking and clear cut to make the lengthening effect even more dramatic.

Nail contouring can need as little as one bottle of nail or gel polish and it works with both light and dark shades; pretty pastels are more subtle while plum reds, or even blacks, make the effect more dramatic.

For customers who want an edgy twist, contouring can also work with several colours. As long as the dark shades are in the centre and light shades at the edges, anything goes. Looks on the catwalk so far include two shades of pink (a pale base coat with a bold fuchsia stripe) and metallic stripes on an otherwise nude nail to capture and reflect light (perfect for gel polish).

There are endless options, but they all have the same lengthening effect. Whether nails are healthy and strong or shorter and prone to breaking, this is definitely a trend to encourage people to try at your salon.

Check out our range of Chroma gel polish for inspiration and further ideas to offer your clients.

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