The beauty edit: nail art and perfect brows

Lauren does…

Nail art

OK, I admit it – I’m a nail varnish addict. Nothing gives me more pleasure than a gleaming new bottle of polish. And I get shivers of excitement when I see a nail art kit. So, it’s not surprising that when I tried to pick my fave talon trend, I chose five. Oops. But it’s not my fault – beauty brands are really out to impress with their latest products.

Starting with my little finger, I used Jessica Custom Nail Colour in Pink Explosion, £9.75, as the base, before dipping my finger into a pot of Models Own Artstix Nail Beads in Neon Pink, £4, to create a textured look. On my ring finger, I used Nails Inc Bling It On Neon, £20. This set comes with two glitter colours, a white nail polish and a topcoat to help mix things up. I went for Nail Rock Wraps in Pom Pom, £6.60, on the middle digit – the key is to trim before you stick, so they fit your nails. Struggling? Blast each wrap with a hairdryer as you apply to warm the glue, making it easier to smooth down. My index finger has one coat of YSL La Laque Couture in Rose Baby Doll, £18, with the exciting new La Laque Couture Tie & Dye in Pop Coat, £18, on top. This contains sparkle, tint and clear varnish in one bottle to give a glossy, shimmeringfinish. And finally, I used the cutest nail art kit around on my thumb – Ciaté Chalkboard Manicure, £25. It comes with four pens, a black matte varnish and a matte topcoat. Get doodling!

Try it! And send us your pictures to theedit@fabulousmag.co.uk

Beauty buzzword

Snail slime All hail the snail, which has brought us the latest in weird and wonderful beauty ingredients (even if they are a bit gross). Their guts and slime are packed full of glycolic acid and elastin, both of which are proven to help fight pigmentation, scarring and wrinkles. Katie Holmes is said to be a big fan of snail gunge, and you can find it in Dr Organic and Endocare products. I dare you!

Having a moment…

Emma Watson

We all know brows are big beauty news right now, but if you’re not blessed with a naturally full pair, head to Emma Watson’s go-to-grooming spot Blink Brow Bar. The actress, who stars in The Bling Ring next month, won’t trust anyone else to touch her brilliant bushy brows. Prices start from £17 for shaping.

Most wanted

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm, £20

Elizabeth Arden’s cult product, Eight Hour Cream, was invented in 1930, and has been a firm favourite of celebs ever since, from Catherine Zeta-Jones to Victoria Beckham. The wonder balm has been brought up to date with a new lip treatment. It’s pricey, but packed with arnica flower oil to heal cracked lips and shea and palm tree butter to soften and nourish.

Photography: Lancton, Getty Images, Pixeleyesphotography.co.uk Stockist: B. Flawless (Superdrug.com), Ciaté (Selfridges.com), Dr Organic (Hollandandbarratt.com), Elizabeth Arden (Houseoffraser.co.uk), Endocare (Endocare.aestheticare.co.uk), Jessica (Geraldinternational.com), Models Own (Modelsownit.com), Nails Inc (Nailsinc.com), Nail Rock (Asos.com), YSL (Yslbeauty.co.uk)