Manic.Monday: New punk - Nails Inc Leather Effect

The weather might still be sunny and the days fairly warm but autumn is coming fast, and the A/W collections have started to pop up on the high street. It's a great time to start trend watching and to plan your wardrobe for the next few months. Last week I looked at maximalism for nails and today I'm showing New Punk since it's one of the key themes this season shown by Chanel, Rodarte and Versace, just to name a few.

The punk reborn that we'll see this year is a slightly prettier and tidier version of punk that combines studs and spikes with tweed, bouclé and of course - leather. I am a huge fan of leather and even if I reluctantly put away my leather leggings for spring and summer, my leather jackets will still be on hand. So when the individual bottles of Nails Inc Leather Effect Noho finally were released earlier this year, I was determined to try it at some point.

Looking at the black glossy polish in the bottle it's difficult to imagine that something so silky will turn into a slightly textured finish - but it does. The brush is nice and wide enough to get just the right amount of polish on, but if you have very long nails on your thumbs, you may need to try and get a little extra on the brush when you apply. The formula is slick and smooth with just the right consistency that makes it easy to work with and as the polish dries, you can see the texture appear right before your eyes. If you're in a hurry you can probably get away with just one coat, although to get just the right matte leather effect, you really should apply another one. It has happened that I've managed to mess up the finish just as I've applied it and I've had to correct with a 3rd coat, but that is far too thick on your nail and the leather effect won't be as visible and matte as it should - so 2 coats it just perfect! And as with most matte effect polishes, you really shouldn't use a top coat when you're done since it will effect the finish.

Noho Leather

It does take a few minutes for the coats to dry, but it sets well and creates this interesting leather look.The final result surprised me in several ways; even though the effect is clearly matte is still has a certain sheen to it that really catches your eye, and even though it is a textured effect - it feels smooth and soft to the touch, a bit like velvet manicure (but much more practical).

The polish definitely delivers what it says - the finish is of a wonderful subtle leather effect, that isn't as outlandish as you might think and personally I think it will add a fashion forward edge to any outfit, including office wear. I like this so much that I've decided to also try Nails Inc Shoreditch, which is a lovely burgundy colour which will go great with my prussian blue leather trousers for winter!

So if you don't want to strut down the high street in knee high leather boots with chains, you can still channel Chanel punk couture with some leather on your fingertips.

 

Chanel Autumn /Winter Collection 2013