The New Manicure

Inspired by the gorgeous marriage of blue and gold in a lapis lazuli gemstone, this bold pattern is more sophisticated than leopard-but no less daring.

STEP 1 Apply two coats of a deep navy blue. Allow to dry for 10 minutes so you won?t leave any imprints when working with the foils.

STEP 2 Dip a toothpick into a topcoat, then use the end to attach a gold flake. Place it down, and carefully flatten the edges with your fingertip. Repeat using smaller and larger pieces to create a varied design.

STEP 3 Add topcoat to seal.

MAC Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in Spirit of Truth ($16; maccosmetics.com)

Art Club by Color Club Gold Foil Flakes ($5;

shopcolorclub.com)

Remember when French manicures meant pink, white, and acrylic? The modern version boasts a deep, saturated base, a metallic tip, and a vampy sensibility.

STEP 1 Apply three (yes, three) coats of burgundy polish on the entire nail, and let it dry for 30 minutes.

STEP 2 Affix the stickers to create a crescent-shaped sliver at the tip, and apply two coats of gold polish. Wait for it to dry before slowly peeling up the sticker (you don’t want the paint to lift).

STEP 3 Use two layers of topcoat to smooth the ridge where the two colors meet.

CND Colour in Gold Chrome ($9; cnd.com for stores)

Essie Nail Color in Skirting the Issue ($8;

essie.com for stores)

Orly Half-Moon White-Tip Guides ($5;

orlybeauty.com)

Black and iridescent, they channel beluga and glam rock. Katy Perry is such a fan of textured nails that she made her own design from actual rainbow sprinkles.

STEP 1 Pour the caviar beads onto a paper plate. Paint one nail (i.e., don?t do them all at once) with black polish, and let it dry for 20 seconds.

STEP 2 While the polish is still tacky, gently roll your nail in the beads, then press them flat with your fingertip. Finish both hands.

STEP 3 Brush on a very thin layer of topcoat-any more can make the beads and underlying polish gummy.

Ciaté Caviar Manicure Kit ($25; sephora.com)

MORE: See our top makeup, hair and skincare picks of 2012 in InStyle's Best Beauty Buys list.

MORE: Try nail trends yourself in our Daily Beauty Tip.