L. J Nail Salon offers a luxury manicure experience, while the Nail Garden is popular for their creative designs. Photo provided to Shanghai Star

L.J Nail Salon

This nail salon chain is the go-to place in Shanghai for the rich and famous. Not only is it one of the largest chains with ten outlets in the city, the oldest, (it was founded 12 years ago), and the most professionally operated salons in town, but it also boasts unparalleled privacy, with all of its services conducted in exclusive VIP rooms. Members of the salon also get their own individual manicure tools.

The salon works with some of the most prominent brands in the industry, including LCN, OPI, and recently, Swarovski for its crystal studs. For just one color, say, red, they have 60 different tones and shines. There are more than 1,000 nail polish colors on offer.

Address: 518, Citic Square, 1168, Nanjing Road W

Tel: 021-6881-6278

Major hail gel brand used: Jardin Global, OPI and LCN

Star Manicurist: Liu Hong

Experience: 12 years as a manicurist, and the champion of the international manicurist competition in 2007 held in China.

Specialty: Manicure (Liu believes that regular manicures say, once a week for a year, can permanently change the shape of one’s nail bed, styling the short, wide and flat nails into elegant oval ones, making one’s fingers look longer and more slender.)

Festive recommendation: Christmas colors (red green and white) in camouflage

Reservation is a must.

TEXTBOOK: Miss Ladyfinger

This nail art blog stands out from its thousands of counterparts by being 100-percent inspired by catwalk looks from every season, from haute couture shows to high street ones. The blogger, a New-York-based self-taught nail artist, posts new nail designs twice weekly based on the latest fashion shows. She lists every single step and product used in her creative designs so that every fashionable nail art fan can "live a polished life", as she puts it.

Visit: www.missladyfinger.com