IT all began with Uma Thurman. The actress appeared in Pulp Fiction with her nails painted a shade of near black which, it turned out, was a special colour made by Chanel, originally only for one of the company's fashion shows. But once the film opened, such was the demand from women that Chanel released Vamp, as the nail varnish, on to the market where it quickly sold out worldwide.
Since then, coloured polish has become phenomenally popular with the more garish shades proving the most successful. And none more so than the hues manufactured by Hard Candy, an American company barely six months old but already top of every fashion aficionado's Must Have list.
Hard Candy has the brightest colours encased in squat little bottles that each come with a plastic ring around their top and unremitting names such as Frigid and Manic. Top favourite right now is Trailer Trash, an aggressive silver. Hitherto, it has been unavailable in this country: devotees have had to travel to London to stock up on supplies; one woman recently returned here with £150 worth of Hard Candy colours. The good news is that from next Monday, July 1st, the world's most fashionable nail polish will be on sale at Brown Thomas, priced £9.95 per bottle. Happy painting.