Manicurists have latest trends at their fingertips

For centuries women have gone to great lengths to look their best - spending hours primping and preening. But if you don't have time to soak, Cleopatra-style, in a bath of milk and honey, how can you achieve a polished, well-groomed look?

A quick trip to one of Hong Kong's many nail bars might be the answer. A 30-minute manicure is an inexpensive, quick-fix solution for women who like to look good, but are short of time.

Ten years ago, a manicure would involve grooming the cuticle, filing the nail to the desired shape and dabbing on some polish to finish off. Today it is more likely to include a French manicure, where a white strip is painted onto the end of each nail to give it an elegant, clean finish. Nail bars also offer nail extensions, known as gel nails, and nail art for the more adventurous.

Nail art is the latest trend in nails and is very popular in the United States and in Japan. Gel nails are constructed by applying resin on top of the natural nail which hardens to create a false nail. These nails form the base for any amount of creative decoration, including sparkling powder, polish and semi-precious stones.

In Japan, nail art is a huge industry. Specialist magazines feature pages and pages of new designs, and competitions are held to pit the country's top nail artists against each other.

But Hong Kong is relatively new to nail art and most of the women here are shy of making such an elaborate statement with their nails.