Afternoon beauty fix: Get the look of a luxe mani without spending money at the spa

I’m getting married in the fall and want my bridesmaids to have the look of a luxe mani, without spending money at the spa. How can we get the look at home via a pre-wedding primping party? While brights might be tempting, we recommend choosing a barely there pink or cream since they’re more forgiving (not every bridesmaid has a steady hand). Given that these pale shades were everywhere on the runways for fall (Marc Jacobs used a super shiny light peach), they’re definitely not boring. They’ve also been flattered by the recent onslaught of new topcoats with textured finishes; a super glossy or crackled finish adds a different dimension to manicures that is less in-your-face and more flattering to your bridesmaid’s bouquets. To paint your own peaches and cream manicure, we recommend trying Perfectly Bare Colour by CND topped with its Perfectly Bare Shimmer counterpart (Duo of Perfectly Bare Colour and Perfectly Bare Shimmer, $20, cnd.com).

In need of an afternoon beauty pick-me-up? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.