Where nail trends are concerned, runways don`t have as much sway as celebrities do, opines OPI`s resident expert Robert Nguyen.

"Runway stuff can be too extreme," he says. "But at the Grammys they have a Mani Cam. When the people see that, or they see nail art on Jennifer Lopez, they`re like `I want those nails`."
5 big nail trends for 2014

Ombré nails: "What will be big is ombré," says Nguyen. "The US has been doing that for a while now, but it has become very popular in the last few years." For him, reinvention is the name of the game -- "We`ll see different variations of it."

Gel polish: Nguyen sees a promising future for gel polishes, partly because acrylic nails are losing popularity because of the acrid smell the products emit. "Now they`re going on to 3D with gels," he says.

Matte finishes: "If it hasn`t reached India already, it will," he assures. "Matte is simple but you can do many, many variations with it. Get creative by mixing shiny and matte finishes."

Return of the red: Though red has a timeless appeal -- "I`m pretty sure it`ll always be popular" says Nguyen -- 2014 is the year to try on darker, deeper shades of crimson.

Vibrant hues: "Neon was big last year. This year it`s not so much neon, but very vibrant colours," he says. "People are starting to branch out of their comfort zone. I have so many clients that are wearing very saturated, vibrant colours. Vibrant pinks, vibrant blues are really popping

BDST: 1520 HRS, MAR-29, 2014