MANILA, Philippines—Long painted nails look glamorous but sexy at the same time.

Sadly, these are reserved for divas, glamorous actresses/models and real women of leisure with enough money to pay a staff to do everything for them so they need not lift a finger.

In the ’90s, retro became the fashion and the ’40s were revived. Women wore short painted nails in colors that ranged from maroon to eggplant purple. The colors looked mysterious and powerful, worn by women who were in control and did what they wanted.

Nowadays, short nails can look sexy too, but unlike long nails that can use any shade, those with short nails are limited to certain shades, mostly dark.

Favorite

Chanel’s Vamp (Rouge Noir), a black red shade like dark cherries, is still the cult favorite and has a a million copycats. The quality of Chanel polish is such that it is chip-resistant, easy to apply yourself and the finish looks professional.

Tulip Noir is dark burgundy with a very fine shimmer; it matches that famous Kiera Knightly taffeta gown designed by Vera Wang.

If you want more red over black or burgundy, go for Madness, a rich brown-based red creme that would complement any color clothing or skintone. True Goths would love Chanel’s Black satin.

These shades work best on short nails whose maximum length would be just past the fingertips—any longer would look ghoulish! ((All Chanel polishes are at P1,200.)

You may also try

Darks—Laura Mercier Avant Garde (P595) looks black indoors but is a deep eggplant purple in daytime. It is a bit streaky so three coats are needed to even it out. It also chips easily so make sure you get a good quality top coat.

Max Factor Nailfinity (P245) in Ruby Fruit is another variation of Chanel’s Vamp. It contains both cool and warm undertones.

Revlon Raven Red or Go Chilli (P300) is similar to Chanel’s madness

Bright reds—Cover Girl Boundless Color in Red Revolution (P240) has a slight orange tinge and Estée Lauder’s Red Tango is a creamy true red with no blue or yellow undertones.

French manicure, of course, looks fabulous on every nail length, but it takes a professional to do a perfect job. Go for sheer nudes instead to make nails look clean, classy and still sexy, but not blatantly so.

Suggestions—OPI’s Toss the Garter (P295); Cover Girl Boundless Color in Pixie Pink similar to Essie’s Ballet Slipper, Revlon Sheer Sugar (P300); Essie’s Future’s French or Mademoiselle (P425).

Tame and wild

Revlon launches its limited-edition collection for 2008 showcasing two different sides of every woman.

Inner Spirit has a very Japanese or Korean look, with pearly highlighted cheeks, glossy sheer lips and frosty color eyes.

Wild Side calls to mind sexy Latinas or mysterious Arabian women.

Each set has two neutral items and one which offers bursts of color like green and gold for the eyes.

The neutrals from Inner Spirit include the Floral Affair Peachy Keen Blush shades, ranging from peach to pale bronze, which can be applied individually or swirled to make a solid color. (Peach, not pink, is the most natural flush shade on yellow-tone skin.)

Another neutral is Mix and Mingle Lip palette in Chatty Cherry, which have three shades of gloss swirled in a pot to give lips a succulent pouty shine with a sheer wash of color. From Wild Side, there’s the Show Stopper Copper which comes in three shades—beige, copper and bronze. They can be worn on any occasion or any time of the day.

Also Wild Side has Crème de la Chrome liquid lip color in Racy Ruby. It has both warm and cool undertones so it is flattering to most skintones, especially those with naturally dark hair (it’s similar to Colorstay’s Sienna lipstick).

Color for eyes

It would be prudent to pick just one as the colors are trendy.

From Inner Spirit, there’s the Sheer Loose Shadow in two shades of green—copper and pearl white. Those with very fair skin may apply the greens straight, but those who want something more understated should blend them with beige or browns.

From Wild Side, Marble-lous Match in Made for Jade is green on one end and sandy gold on the other. The latter is my personal pick as it is easier to control as an eyeliner on upper or lower lids. It is also less messy.

E-mail the author at kinnysalas@yahoo.com