Is there anything more glamorous than pairing black with gold? Not in my book! Glamorous nails are always in no matter what season, so I put together a quick tutorial to help you achieve this ultimate sophisticated look!

Here is a list of things you might need:

• black, gold, beige and glitter (optional) polish
• a striping brush
• french tip guide (optional)
• gold embellishments (optional)
• a dotting tool

Some of the items are optional depending on your own style and skills and how much you want your design to stand out. If you have all your essentials ready let’s get started!

1. Apply your favourite base coat followed by two coats of beige polish. I used Golden Rose Color Expert 101.

2. Using a striping brush and black polish (Rimmel Black Out) paint vertical stripes. I like to start in the middle of my nail and work my way outwards.

TIP: Use a pigmented black polish to avoid going over the lines a few times and risk them being uneven. Alternatively you can use straight nail vinyls if your hand is a bit shaky.

3. Using a gold polish such as Wet n Wild Ready to Propose and a striping brush, paint a few gold stripes. If you make a mistake go over the black and beige lines again to tidy it up.

4. Apply a french tip guide on the top of your accent nail to create a half moon design.

TIP: If you don’t have a nail tip handy try applying a few dots to create a ‘smile’ shape and connect them together to get the perfect half moon design.

5. Using a dotting tool apply two lines of spots under your half moon design.

TIP: A dotting tool can be substituted for a hair pin or even a tooth pick!

6. To add a bit of sparkle apply a few glitter pieces over the black dots. I used Essie Summit of Style. You can also use loose glitter pieces. Alternatively a few gold polish dots within the black ones will do the job just fine!

At this stage I added a few rhombus golden studs but you can add many embellishments to create as much bling and sparkle as you like. Don’t forget to finish your design off with a layer of top coat. I used HK Girl Glisten & Glow.

Now you’re ready to hit the town and let your sparkle show! This is what my finished design looks like. I think this is a perfect look for all year round but especially for the party season that is coming up! What do you think? Share your comments below…