Rihanna was photographed recently in Sidney, sporting the look of summer 2011: an Alexander Wang cropped mock top in teal (which is almost sold out at Shopbop), high-waisted pleated khaki slacks, a loose-fitting gold, menswear-inspired watch and Christian Louboutin “Lucifer Bow” stillettos, which are still available with the 45 mm heel, but sold out on the Christian Louboutin etail site in the 120 mm black heel, with no sign of the beige ones Rihanna is wearing at all. On the next page, get a close up of Rihanna’s perfectly executed Ruffian (or half moon if your prefer) manicure, featuring cream-colored polish contrasted against black, on a nail featuring a rounded-square silhouette.  

Found this gap nail art on Kate Mimosa’s site (”I love laughing, Beyonce, drinking, shopping, $$$, and gold”<—–we’re right there with you, woman!) via U.K. nail artist Sophy Robson, who says about this design of which she is the orginator, ”This is def the new look,” and yep, we’re all over that, and are itching to go out and get some extensions just so we can sport it in time for Valentine’s Day! Via Lacquerista. (On a side note, does the hand belong to accessory designer Melody Ehsani??)

We recently posted Christian Louboutin’s Spring lookbook, and clearly he is having a moment, as epitomized by this manicure which pays tribute to his signature red soles. Imagine how much further you could take this with either sparkles or studs rather than just black? We look forward to further interpretations of this very next level nail art innovation. Via Fashionistaz.

Simple and perfect for the moment, a set of talon nails painted grey from U.K.’s Wah Nails, made that much more alluring by a gold retro ring/watch.

Nail artist Sophy Robson was inspired by nail art she spotted while traveling through Asia, made some tweaks and came up with the design you see above. We’ve been waiting for a next-level take on the Ruffian and it figures that a star like Robson would bring it to the world first.

[UPDATE: Misread Sophy Robson's blog! The above nails are by U.K. nail art house, Wah Nails, and they were special made for Nasir Mazhars Spring/Summer 2010 runway presentation for London Fashion Week. The diamond tip nails after the flip do belong to Leighton Denny.]

Nail artist Sophy Robson brings us images of nail art by U.K. nail artist Leighton Denny (a former fork-lift truck driver!), who also heads up the Leighton Denny Nail Experts brand.  Obviously the nails here are a statement piece, but click through to see another set that are just as eye-popping and perfect for the holidays.

We post last week about Prabal Gurung’s grown and sexy Spring 2011 collection as here we get a look at the manicures featured in the show. Not everyone wants to go out there when it comes to nail art so this is a nice, mature option that takes the classic French to another level. After the flip, another look, plus a behind view of the hair, which shows an easy and neat styling option for the pony tail.

I spotted this Sally Hansen nail art pens (strangely not yet on the website) ad in Glamour yesterday. Nail art is one of my biggest obsessions so I would love to believe that I could create the art used in the illustration, but I know better. And I say that as someone who can do a pretty perfect manicure. Still, they might be worth a try just ‘cuz dealing with the language barrier at most nail salons is quite the difficult mountain to climb when it comes to collaborating on designs that are even slightly off the beaten path.

^^See the little pens there in the lower left. That’s what they look like. The catch is that they’re water-based so while you can remove mistakes, they have to be set with a final coat or you’ll have a big sloppy, mess on your hands.

I know it’s still freezing out there and you haven’t laid eyes on your toes in about three months (and you’re still riding with that same pedicure you got about that long ago, aren’t you??), but it’s about to be April, a time when a togther women’s thoughts turn to getting a spiffed up mani and pedi.

If you, like me, have been frustrated by finding a salon that does imaginative nail art that’s in sync with how your brain sees the world, then I suggest you check out Valley Nails on Orchard Street in Manhattan. Look at these samples from the store’s website and see if you don’t think they’d do you proper:

Valley also offers waxing and the site also talks about this food the stores sells called acai, which looks gross but is supposed to be really good for you and sounds like it could taste okay