January: denny's diary

Now the buzz and excitement of the festive season has died away, use this quiet time wisely. If you are looking at taking on a new brand, use the time to train – and don’t forget those refresher courses to keep up to date with your product knowledge and techniques DIAMOND DAY AT SPA FOR LAUNCH OF MY LINE I had a fabulous time at The Grove spa in Hertfordshire for the launch of my line, starting with a dinner for leading beauty journalists in its fantastic and glamorous restaurant. The next morning, the journalists were treated to my exclusive Diamond Signature manicure. Everyone loved it and we had a wonderful write-up on Marie Claire’s online magazine. Another great launch was at Ragdale Hall, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, where I met many of the therapists – a great bunch of dedicated girls. Read on for my CELEBRITY NEWS...SPICE TRAIL Wow, it’s been a really busy time. I prepared the Spice Girls’ nails for the Children In Need shoot, featuring their new track Headlines. Geri chose Diamond Ivory, Mel B had gorgeous Diamond French, Mel C wanted sophisticated Crème de la Crème, Emma went for Passion (a striking deep red), and Victoria had acrylics with black tips. PIC: TAKE LEIGHTON HOME The next morning we all had to be on location again at Pinewood Studios for a Tesco commercial – the girls loved their polish so much they kept it on for this shoot as well. The Spice Girls have never been on better form, and there was a wonderful relaxed and friendly atmosphere. DIAMOND GEEZER In conjunction with QVC, my team of Leighton Denny Divas provided manicures and nail paints for the lovely models and guests in the “comfort zone” at The Comfort Prima High Street Fashion Awards. The most popular colour was my new Diamond shade Sugar Babe. WELL BEHAVED I used my fabulous new metallic blue shade, Miss Behavin’, on my good friend Jade Jagger’s nails for her visit to Paris Fashion Week to launch her fashion clothing and jewellery collection, Jezebel. DEAR LEIGHTON Q I want to capitalise on the bridal trade this year. Can you give me any tips? A First, develop your bridal treatment menu. This could be purely for nail treatments, or you could offer a complete wedding grooming package. Hold an event for brides-to-be – serve pink champagne and demonstrate classic bridal looks, and offer the choice of an ivory, cream or a pink-toned French manicure. Recommend the bride-to-be starts cultivating her natural nails at least three months before the day with a homecare regime, then book her in for a salon manicure every four weeks, then, two weeks before the wedding, and finally for the big day itself for perfect pinkies to last all through the honeymoon. Don’t forget to push the pedicures, too. TOP TIP Roll the polish bottle between your hands to blend, since shaking can create air bubbles and ruin a good paint job. To apply, start from the nail base for a smoother finish. Avoid getting polish on the cuticle by placing the brush on the nail bed an eighth of an inch from the cuticle and push towards it, stopping just before the skin. Apply two thin coats then one thick one – the thicker the coat, the longer it takes to dry and the more likely it is to chip. We dip the Precision Brush in Corrector Liquid to remove stray polish for a photo-shoot finish. Apply a top coat for added gloss and protection. NEW ACCOUNT Congratulations to the team at the Raleigh Retreat Salon, one of my accounts, who won an award at the Southend District Business Awards. It’s a good job I have a full team in place to look after my growing empire.