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"__An Interview With Bernadette Thompson__\\n\\n\\n\\n*Manicurist Thompson, the creator of the Bernadette Thompson polish line, has worked with celebrities including Beyonc\u00E9 and Sarah Jessica Parker.*\\n\\nDark nails are perfect when you want to make it clear that you aren't a ballet-slipper-pink kind of girl (at least for one night). But while deep colors are fun, they can also be unforgiving. You need to take a little extra care to make sure the look stays flawless.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __Feel your way.__ Dark colors tend to work with any skin tone, so I tell my clients to let their mood guide them when choosing a shade. In my opinion, the sexiest darks are burgundies and other deep reds, and nothing beats charcoal when you really want to make a statement. If you prefer something less intense, navy blue and deep purple are particularly flattering. And whenever possible, choose an opaque formula that will be saturated enough with one coat\u2014that will make it less likely to chip over time.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __Start smart.__ Keep your nails short and square, with slightly rounded edges\u2014long, dark nails are just creepy. Run a soft buffing pad over nails until ridges are smooth, since dark polish goes on more easily and lasts longer if it's applied to an even surface. And to avoid staining, always apply an anti-yellowing basecoat and let dry for 20 seconds.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __Proceed with care.__ Place the tip of the brush well short of the cuticle while painting, since any bleeding will be far more noticeable than with a neutral shade. (You can always carefully edge the brush toward the cuticle if the gap seems excessive.) Remove any mistakes with the tip of a wood manicure stick wrapped with a bit of cotton ball and dipped in remover, then follow with a topcoat.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __Be diligent.__Dark colors call attention to ragged cuticles, so moisturize yours daily with a cuticle cream or oil. Reapplying topcoat every four days will also help protect your manicure. To remove polish, saturate a cotton ball with nonacetone remover and press it on the cuticle area for three seconds, then wipe toward the end of the nail. Avoid using a circular motion\u2014straight up and down is less messy.\\n\\n#### See Also\\n\\n- [Insiders' Guide: How to Fix a Manicure](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/how-to/2010/fix_a_manicure)\\n\\n\\n- [Manicure Tricks Too Good to Skip](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2010/09/manicure-tricks-too-good-to-sk.html)\\n\\n\\n- [5 Things You Need To Know Before You Paint Your Nails](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2009/07/5-things-you-need-to-know-befo.html)"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.allure.com/story/do-a-dark-manicure>