One of the first things people notice about my flat is the nail varnish collection. Never mind a battleship, I've got enough to sink a whole fleet.

Most of my collection - well over 50, and that's not counting the favourites in the fridge (stops them going gloopy) - are strong, vibrant colours, because I think they work best on dark hands. Every summer, I try various lighter shades, and each time I spend the rest of the day looking at my fingers and wishing they were blood-red or sunset orange.

So it is with some trepidation that I greet the news that natural-looking nails are back. Not only because of my preference for strong colours, but because natural nails actually take a lot of effort. "Peeling is the most common problem," says Marian Newman, whose nail credits include the Dior campaigns, Vogue covers and the Lancôme campaign. "The nail plate has several layers, like plywood. If you keep bashing and bashing it, layers splinter and fray."

To remedy this, file the nail and oil the cuticle regularly. Always file from side to middle in one direction, using a fine nail file, and then across the top at an angle. Never saw backwards and forwards. Seal the nail by gently filing downwards on the tip.

Using the roughest edge of a three-way buffer on your nails once a month will make them smooth. The other edges (use them as often as you like) will give them such a sheen that you won't want to varnish them.

Nothing looks more fake than a French manicure, no matter how well executed. Instead, once you've got them into shape, run a white nail pencil underneath the nail for a natural, but low-maintenance look.

Newman assures me that subtle shades don't have to be boring: "Try a colour that looks almost clear when it goes on, but which you can see is shot through with colour when it catches the light. A two-tone colour - like a pink that throws off a gold or a clear that throws off a metallic pink - looks great against dark skin." Looks as if I'll be adding to my collection.