Summer Nail Trends at New Canaan Salons

Freshly painted nails are one of summer's hottest accessories. So before booking your next mani-pedi, make sure you're on top of the trend! Here are a few of the most widely requested colors and styles this season from five of New Canaan's leading nail salons.

Located on Forest Street, offers a relaxing atmosphere with exposed brick walls, wooden floors and dim lighting. Their number one nail request this summer?  French manicures and pedicures using UV gel technology. This process, which has become increasing popular over the past year, is just like a regular manicure except that nails are dried for 30 seconds under a UV lamp between coats of the special polish.  For $40, your manicure will last up to two weeks.

Around the corner on Locust Avenue, has also seen a growing number of requests for the UV nail treatments. Rather than French tips, however, technicians at Aqua Spa say that most customers prefer a pink or coral shade for the summer. UV gel manicure and pedicure packages are available Monday-Saturday for $80.

is a convenient nail stop for a break from shopping on Elm Street. While you're in the heart of town, pick up something to match what they say in the most widely requested color this summer: purple shades in all hues from light to dark.

On Burtis Avenue, the folks at  also say that purple has been one of the trendiest colors over the past few months. Other customer favorites have been bright pinks, corals, light burgundys, and for teenagers in particular, OPI brand's Shatter polish. For a two-textured cracked effect, one coat of this lacquer is applied over a dried manicure to create an edgy and stylish look.

Down on Cherry Street, , which doubles as a boutique selling jewelry and other accessories, has also received abundant requests for French style manicures and pedicures. But are the dark taupe, grays, and blacks that we've seen so much of recently totally out of the picture?  

"Toes can go either way, dark or bright", one employee said. As for manicures? "People took a break from the dark colors with the hot weather coming in".  

Though most customers are now requesting pinks and reds on their fingers, she predicts that with fall approaching people will start to switch back to the dark colors.