Go for dark and dramatic

Dark nails are still on trend, no matter the season. Deep, "almost black" nails look chic day or night. Longer, sparkly nails look best in winter or evening while short, glossy nails work for a casual workplace.

The trick to choosing any nail polish is determining your skin's undertone and selecting the shade that best enhances it. According to Jan Arnold, "Whether fair, medium or dark, the underlying skin tone will be different for everyone. To determine yours, look at the inside of your wrist. If the skin has an orange or yellow tint, like a sunset, you are warm. If the inside of the wrist has a blue or green tint, like the ocean or sky, you are cool."

Cool tones should try a gunmetal gray (like CND Nail Lacquer in Hyde in The Dark, $6) or a blackened plum (like OPI Nail Lacquer in Lincoln Park After Dark, $8.50, or Revlon Nail Lacquer in Vixen, $4.79).

Warm tones should select a dark chocolate (like Lippmann Collection Nail Lacquer in Brown Eyed Girl, $15, or Sally Hansen Salon Collection Nail Polish in Haute Chocolate, $5.99) or a browned red (like CND Nail Lacquer in Fedora, $6, or Essie Nail Polish in Handle With Flair, $8).