Black Nail Polish

Far from the girl-next-door character we see her playing on Glee, Lea Michele covered the November issue of UK Marie Claire Magazine rocking a similar hairstyle she wore to the Emmy's — blowdry + loose curls = Amazing. Me likey! Teamed with a natural contoured base, shimmering taupe eyeshadow, lashings of eye-popping mascara and a neutral lip, Lea has the sex kitten look down to a capital T. In the interview, Lea talks Glee, family and beauty, and admits to having 9 tattoos, which are "all so, so, so little . . . I’ve been thinking about [the next one] for a while . . ." She says working on a show like Glee "proves it doesn’t matter what you look like, that you’re beautiful and that beauty is on the inside and . . . so, yeah, I’m thankful."

If you're going to try a really dark, bold colour on your nails — like heaps of celebs, including Kylie, have been wearing of late — it's not always as easy as it looks. Because while basic black looks fine on everyone, it may not send the message you want. So to help you pick out a shade that'll fulfil your dark desires and look trendy instead of harsh, we've compiled a list . . .

Hint o' red: Try something with a shot of red, like Butter London Nail Lacquer in Old Blighty ($19.94) if you want a colour that's vibrant and sexy, but still on the dark side.

Stay cool: A dark grey or purple is great if you have cool-toned skin because it will complement your natural colouring. Try Chanel Le Vernis in Steel ($39) or ORLY Purple Velvet ($18.95).

Keep reading . . .

OMG. Chanel could not have nailed it (pardon the pun) anymore with this collection if they tried. Gold: LOVE; winged eye: LOVE; a twist on the French mani: LOVE; a black polish that's neither matte nor shiny: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Peter Philips, Chanel's Global Artistic Director, created the mini collection for the Paris-Shanghai Art Trade fashion show and played around with contrasts and light, also citing Karl Lagerfeld’s reference to the film In the Mood for Love as inspiration. The look is both show-stopping and wearable, dramatic (take the gold shadow up to the brow bone and extend the liner wide) yet demure. The collection includes: Ligne et Ombre de Chanel in Jet-Gold ($88), a duo palette of gold eyeshadow and black eyeliner; Le Vernis in Black Velvet ($39), a velvety black, neither matte nor shiny; Le Vernis in Gold Lamé ($39) and Le Vernis in Illusion d'Or ($39), clear enamel flecked with sparkles. You like?

The Chanel Orient Extrême Exclusive Collection is available from May 16 exclusively at the Chanel Makeup Studio, Myer Sydney.