This month manicures will take just as long as usual but will be twice the fun, because chipped nails are in - meaning slips and spillages are allowed.

New York women were the first to follow the trend, which is best sported on short, neat nails.

Many thought it would be a flash in the pan, but then American designer Amy Smilovic posted a picture of her artfully chipped digits on social networking website Facebook.

In the image, Amy's nails each feature a splodge of red polish, which is cracked and frayed at the edges.

"Have a perfectly sane reason as to why I would request a screwed up manicure," she said. "When I was in London this summer, I had drinks with an editor from Vogue. She was of course tremendously chic and amazingly put-together. But her nails were red. And they were chipped. And it just made her so much more approachable somehow."

While this new beauty trend is easy to achieve at home, don't go thinking you can just splash on some nail varnish, scrape it off and call yourself a trendsetter - there is an art to this look.

After shaping and filing a clear coat must be applied to protect the nails.

Once that is dried add on your colour and aim for a dishevelled look whilst also steering clear of coating cuticles or fingers.

Colour should reach the top of the nail, but leave a gap of several millimetres around the side and base.

- Cover Media