Beauty: flawless DIY painted nails in the happiest colours

The problem with outré coloured nails is that if you apply the polish yourself the results can look more school girl than style maven. Hurrah for L’oréal Paris Color Riche Nail polishes, as not only do they come in happy-making shades, but the stuff is so easy to apply it looks like a professional job. This is because of its ingenious patented flat brush. It’s shorter and stumpier than most, like a paddle, which means one stroke covers the whole nail evenly – not too thick, not too thin. Our favourite is Sky Fits Heaven (though ‘Smurf Blue’ would be a more apt name), which has garnered much praise. It’s fun, without seeming too ridiculous, has a shiny finish and doesn’t chip for days. Meanwhile, Dating Coral (305) is a brilliant holiday choice. There’s a whopping 41 ‘gel based’ colours to choose from. Another nail colour with a high-tech, easy to use brush is Dior Vernis (£18), which just celebrated its 50th birthday.