Cheer on with football manicures

Support your favourite team at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2014 with nail art inspired by the country's flag

You've got your favourite team's jerseys and shorts, but there's one thing female football fans can have for themselves during the World Cup that men can't — nail art. From footballs to flags of the countries contending for the trophy, there is lots to choose from. The demand for football-inspired nail art has increased in salons in the country even before the matches began. The top favourite is Brazil, followed by Spain, Australia, England, Chile and Argentina. Getting special World Cup inspired manicures at a nail studio turns out to be expensive. Although it looks elaborate, this nail art can be achieved at home. We got 13-year-old DIY enthusiast Nerissa Chen to show us how to get it right. "The fuss-free way to go about this yourself is through nail extensions. This way, you can use both hands to carefully paint the design of the flag on the acrylic nail," she says.

You can even change your nail art, depending on who is playing that week. Get creative with this fun beauty trend. Let the team you are vouching for adorn all nails except one, which can be painted with small footballs. You could even paint alternate nails a velvet green to represent the football field's grass.

Not rooting for any one team in particular? Do a multi-cultural take by having different flags on your fingertips. Or do away with flags and have a mix of small versions of the Brazuca (the ball players will be kicking around this year) and Brazil's mascot Fuleco! Says Nerissa, "For an eye-catching effect, play around with different textures like glitter, matte, gel and velvet. Once you have painted all the extensions, apply a small drop of nail glue on your fingertip and the acrylic nail, and seal it. Give a final top coat of transparent polish so that the design doesn't chip and stays longer. Even the most unsteady hands can pull off these ideas, so don't be afraid to experiment."