Who hasn't tried to keep up with the Kardashians at some stage in their lives? We won't admit it publicly, but I'm sure there were a few of us who ditched our second bottle of nail polish when they once famously commented that manicures and pedicures should always match.

Until now.

'I think the matching thing is kind of, yawn – boring,' manicurist Elle says. Here's how the nail expert, who tends to the hands and feet of Jennifer Lopez, tries to convince us to ditch Kardashian perfection and opt for complementary colours instead:

It makes a statement
'Nail polish is an accessory, a way to pop in another statement piece,' says Elle, who loves taking inspiration from fashion designers like Missoni and Pucci. 'Pair kelly green with petal pink and you've got Lilly Pulitzer.'

It's nail-art lite
Experimenting with colour is a great alternative to the wilder forms of nail art. 'I don't want to see daisies on a 40-year-old woman in the office,' says Elle. 'But complementary colors looks great.'

It's more sophisticated
So you want to wear electric purple or aqua blue polish to the office? Keep it on your toes and you can get away with more vibrant and wild colours, Elle says – then try a soft lilac or a soft milky blue on hands for an updated version of the ombré trend.

Elle does admit that there are some instances in which the Kardashians are (gasp) right. 'If you're wearing a pattern or a lot of accessories, it might be better to keep it more simple,' Elle says. But if there's one thing that should never match, it's length. 'Please, please, please keep them short. Long toenails will never be cute. Ever.'

Originally written by Catherine Q O'Neill, this article appeared on Allure.com.