Q I've fallen in love with dark nails, but must I match my nail colour to my lipstick? And should dark polish be worn on long or short nails?

A Dark lips too? Definitely not. You'd look silly walking around with black or blue lips.

To complement dark nails, try nude or neutral shades for lips, or stronger colours like brick or rusty red.

What's in this season are nail colours in deep plum, aubergine and dark chocolate. Remember that when you're going that dark, wear nails short with square-ovalish tips - it's less frightening that way.

It's also best to do a base coat, to prevent the deep pigments from staining the nail bed.

Every two days, apply a clear top coat to keep dark nails shiny and fresh. Do remember that darker shades are also less forgiving to imperfections, so if you get a chip, redo them.