Risky fashion statements are always in, as you can plainly see when you look at celebrities who dye their hair outrageous colors, and who wear some of the boldest prints you can imagine. The newest trend in daring fashions deals with your nails. Although shades of red were a staple for any fashionista a decade ago, the focus is shifting from basic colors that are a bit loud to patterns and 3-D effects.

Stick on nail art and glitter were all the rage at one time. Even the more recent trend of nail polish that has a cracked surface has been left behind in the dust. The same goes for nail polish with a heavenly aroma.

Every season seems to bring in a few new hues, since every maker of nail lacquer wants to feature unique shades of every color known to man. However, this season has nail polish manufacturers bringing some one-of-a-kind tints like shrieking green to the shelves of your local drugstore and department stores. Tints like muddied orange are selling out quickly to those who want a divalicious look for their nails.

People are now considering their nails as small canvases to show off the latest styles. You’ve seen Nicki Minaj do it, and you may have even heard of Rihanna’s extra expensive nail polish with real gold, but are you ready for the latest? If you are, then you might want to try some nail color with a 3-D effect. Don’t forget about the crazy patterns available on the market today. Yes, it’s true, a snakeskin print isn’t just for your shoes or purse; it can be used as an accessory you can take anywhere and everywhere—your nails! A leopard might not be able to change his or her spots, but you can surely change your nails with a fierce cheetah print finish.

What’s nice about the fad of your nails being a blank slate is that you can always use nail polish remover to remove anything that you don’t like or that doesn’t suit you well. The rule might be the more outrageous the better, but you can experiment with your comfort level without the consequence of a permanent blunder.

While you might not want to invest in Chanel’s blackened orange nail polish, there are plenty of options from brands like Esse and Sally Hansen that won’t cost you a fortune. In fact, you can spend under $30, and get still get a bottle of color that will get your fingertips noticed. If you want to learn more or maybe attend a nail school go here!

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<a href="http://www.beautyschool.com/blog/beauty-infograpics/the-10-hottest-nail-color-trends-for-spring-2012" title="The 10 Hottest Nail Color Trends For Spring 2012" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.beautyschool.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/top-nail-colors-spring-2012.jpg" alt="The 10 Hottest Nail Color Trends For Spring 2012" width="625" height="1719"/></a><br /><em>Via BeautySchool.com <a href="http://www.beautyschool.com/nail-tech-schools" title="Nail Technician Schools">Nail Technician Schools</a></em>

Forget all about neon pink and furious fuchsia, this season is more about blending in than standing out. Beige is the hue that is in this season. Shades like honey, cream and milky white are taking over for spring, with lovely and feminine colors like pastel pink and coral for those looking for some fun. Vibrant and prominent moods are relying on the classics, with stunning shades of red. Also add some sparkle by trying a metallic finish to put some oomph into your outfit.

How to Find Nail Technician Schools

Do you have a flare for setting nail color trends? Do you have a passion for manicures, pedicures and the art of beautifying hands and feet? Then a nail technician career is a perfect. BeautySchool.com has many reputable nail technology schools to get your beauty education started!

As the year comes to an end, most of us are wondering how we will transition the favorite trends of 2011 into something new for 2012. This year reintroduced the public to edgier fashions, eclectic hairstyling options, and both innovative and creative beauty trends. Women enjoyed a return to vintage hair and beauty trends – from 1930-inspired buns and twists to edgier 1980-esque fashions like angular hair cuts, bright lipsticks and bold nail designs. 2011 brought on new nail trends like ombre nail art and textured polishes, as well as embellished nail design. If you’re wondering which of this year’s best beauty trends will get left behind and which ones will carry over to the New Year, check out our 2011 beauty recap and 2012 style outlook.

From the Salon to the Kitchen Table
One trend that is predicted to continue into 2012 is the recession’s impact on personal spending. As most consumers have been forced into conservative spending habits, fashionistas have taken creative measures to maintain their skin care and beauty regimens. Rather than spending cold hard cash on medi/pedi treatments at the salon, women have taken on the challenge of maintaining their nails at home – and they’re loving the results! A recent article in Women’s Wear Daily reported nail polish sales were up 59 percent and were one of the year’s best-selling beauty products.

And women are keeping it professional at home, topping off their DIY manicures with top and base coats. The Women’s Wear Daily piece reports that the sales of colored lacquer, basecoats and topcoats were up 50 percent this year.

2011 nail design trends like crackle topcoats, nail decals and magnetic nail polish have allowed women to become more creative with their manicures. Some artistically inclined women are even taking on DIY nail design. Even considering consumer’s frugal spending, beauty industry reports show that women still see nail polish as a luxury – especially considering the wide variety of celebrity-indorsed nail polish products. Within the last year, celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and even the Kardashian Klan have launched their own branded nail polishes.

New trends in fashion have re-introduced bold, bright colors onto the fashion and beauty scene and woman have not been shy about adopting these styles and colors in their repertoire. Both pre-teens and career professionals have been seen sporting the new neutrals in nail color: navy and royal blues, ombre design and gray. Another major trend expected to carry over from 2011 are Shellac techniques. These super durable topcoats were not only a 2011 trend, but are also a functional necessity for women on the go. Shellac techniques will surely be used in 2012 and will be especially needed for nail art such as ombre, striped or hand-painted designs.

While it is difficult to forecast what will be popular in the upcoming year, beauty insiders predict that women will continue to invest in life’s small luxuries like nail art and nail design trend in 2012 to give a fresh boost to their look and make them feel fabulous and confident.

It seems like there’s a smartphone app for anything and everything these days. Now the beauty industry is even benefitting from our mobile devices.  You can check prices, read reviews, and test out hairstyles and nail polish colors with a simple click on your cell phone.  What’s next — sampling perfume scents and trying on lipstick?  Ok, maybe not yet, but here are our current top five favorite beauty apps for your iPhone or smartphone.

1. OPI’s iPhone app — Before you head to your manicure check out OPI’s iPhone app.  Instead of wasting time at the salon you can “try on” shades virtually.  The app gives you the chance to check out OPI’s latest colors without having to use any finger nail polish remover!

2. Sephora to Go — Our favorite beauty store now comes in the palm of our hand! Literally! This app allows you to shop, review past purchases, make a shopping wish list, post ratings and reviews, and scan bar codes for product information.

3. TotalBeauty.com — Never pay for a beauty product you don’t like or won’t use again! With this app you can read unbiased reviews of 45,000 products on your phone before you go shopping.
4. iStylist Makeover — This app allows you to load a photo of yourself and see how you’d look in a wide range of hairstyles and colors. Want to see what others think? Easy! You can post the potential hairstyle on Facebook.
5. MakeupTagg — With MakeupTagg, you can find makeup recommendations based on your eye color, hair and skin tone.  The best thing about it?  You receive three suggestions for each makeup category and at different price points depending on what you want to spend.

Ready to take your passion for the beauty industry from the smartphone into real life? Start looking into beauty school today!

O.P.I. is taking the perfect polish to a whole new meaning with its Axxium Soak-Off Gel Lacquer. Now you can have over 40 of your favorite O.P.I. colors, and have the color last up to 3 weeks with no chipping, no smudging and no color fading.

Unlike regular nail polish, Axxium is a gel based nail polish painted onto the natural nails with a brush, followed by drying under a UV lamp. The whole application process can take around an hour, because the nails have to be placed under the UV light after each coat is applied: base coat, two color coats and a top coat. Voted by Allure for a Breakthrough Award, Axxium’s benefits include the color lasting longer, the polish being dried before leaving the salon and the gel having the capability of being applied onto your natural nail bed.

The negatives? The negatives to the Axxium polish are the gel polish has to be soaked off (usually at a salon which can cost extra), the Axxium manicure is more expensive than a regular manicure and some of the nail bed growth will show.

New to many salons, O.P.I.’s  Soak-Off Gel Lacquer has made it easy to achieve natural nails, with a long lasting polish, in the colors we love. Make sure to get your practice with it in nail technician school.

If you haven’t already heard, we’ll be happy to tell you! Justin Beiber, the 16-year-old singer has partnered with Nicole by OPI to launch his very own collection of nail polishes. Every little thirteen year old girl will be stocking up, and what’s even smarter – only the first six shades of the collection will hit stores beginning with Wal-Mart this December. Christmas shoppers prepare! The One Less Lonely Girl Collection will include fourteen brilliant Beiber shades named after his hit songs including Me + Blue, Step 2 the Beat of My Heart, and OMB.
The entire fourteen shade collection will be released in January 2011 and be sold at Sears, Target and Ulta by February.

How much would you pay for a top of the line manicure? The London elite are more than willing and ready to book an appointment at the “hard-to-get into” Leighton Denny’s nail boutique at the Urban Retreat Spa and Salon in Harrods London. Once they are able to get through the doors, the most privileged order the Diamond, Sapphire and Ruby Encapsulation. A simple buff, a polish and nine karats of diamonds lined on your fingertips for just $32,000.

Gotta get one or you’re out of your mind?
If money wasn’t an object, would you knock down Denny’s doors for one of these diamond manicures?