Nails as any man will tell you, are the focal point of much eroticism. Check out Uma Thurman in �Pulp Fiction� with her red, red talons. Or Jessica Rabbit, the ultimate sexual Venus trap, in �Who Framed Roger Rabbit�. The shape, the length, the color of the nails is all clues to the persona of the wearer. Sweet preppy college girls might have unvarnished oval nails, while club-goers might slather on black or Chanel Vamp into lone talons. Gently elongated fire engine red ovals might look ever so tempting for a seductress.

Practicality rules over all. The shape is softly rounded. The look lies with medium-sized nails with a French manicure, with clear varnish down the length and white crescents at the tips (check out the Tips and Toes Manicure Kit).

The colors in vogue are a trifle more complicated. It�s red for the night � we are talking pure fire-engine matte red, the sort of red that makes men go week at the knees and declares you�re a bad girl. The wishy-washy pinks and purples which held sway for a bit and the grotesque steel gray, which became ubiquitous shade for the wannabe hep cats, have all been relegated to the back. The neon greens and blues are best left to the teen brigade where they are slowly crawling down the ladder from hip to has-been.

Transparent camels and frosted sables are the shades to watch out for on toes. These are the shades they�re showing off in open toed sling-backs in Hollywood. They�re also wearing matte and opalescent whites. However, since both pale and pearly nail polish tend to highlight any bumps or ridges, prime nails with a clear base coat first.

Shimmer is so big that Estee Lauder, Yves Saint Laurent and L�Oreal seem to have got an entire range to boast of. These are shades straight from your heart, but with a twist. Sable with an oil slick effect, or opalescent nail polish with a petrol sheen (the multicolored rainbow look) are what are giving nails the hip hop look right now.

The surest, softest and the most chic look amongst the haves is that of sheer coat � the transparent shines that just lets the soft sheen of gloss show the true shade of the nail underneath, but this is a look of the grave. For the woman who has more chores like cooking and cleaning to be done, such daredevil bravery is uncalled for�she should get herself a skin tone matte, or a light peach opalescent. It doesn�t show as much when it chips.

Also, it�s not enough just to have manicured nails today. The hippest craze is to have them stenciled, painted, even pierced, so that you don�t see nails in the same light again.

Even the best shades will fall flat on hands that are not maintained well. Make sure to give them a manicure once a fortnight at home or in a salon. Massage a hand cream into your hands at least a couple of times a week, and make sure you wear gloves when you�re washing up or cleaning. And above all, keep your nails at a tolerable length � shall we say one that will allow you to dial from an old telephone instrument.