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Sorry to Hailey Bieber and her psychedelic snake-print maximalist manicure, but the “gorgeous, gorgeous, girls” on TikTok have ushered in the latest iteration of the nail style of the season. Enter: naked nails.
This trend is exactly what you think it is, with barely-there polishes or the entirely au-natural look seemingly becoming the preferred aesthetic over elegant acrylic shapes or meticulously painted nail art.
Indeed, with over 4 million views and counting—and endorsements by the trifecta of TikTok ‘It girls—the latest style to covet isn’t one that requires an extensive trip to the nail salon or hours under the LED nail lamp, but rather one that prioritises the overall nail strength and shine.
Prepare to reach for your bottles of Chanel Le Vernis in Ballerina, because this your-nails-but-better tint will soon become your go-to polish.
This look is already garnering traction amongst members of the celebrity style set, with Hollywood heavyweights from Kylie Jenner to Suki Waterhouse already sporting a semi-opaque shade.
Unlike the high-octane, chrome-coated glazed doughnut trend, the rise of cloudy nails encourages polishing your natural nail bed and building up thin layers of varnish into a hue that resembles the innate pinky tone of your unpolished nails.
Of course, many among us may be dubious about the popularity of naked nails, especially considering a basic shade can look pretty elementary when next to intricately designed manicures.
However, if the current “stealth wealth” milieu can tell us anything, it may be that this trend may have legs (or should we say, nails), after all.
Considering the zeitgeist’s penchant for anything resembling “old money” or “quite luxury”, a hardly-noticeable manicure is the ultimate status signal and the perfect way to tie your minimalist-forward ensembles together.
Because an un-chipped creamy French tip is the ultimate understated form of luxury. Polished, put together and effortlessly elegant.
Of course, for those of us still recovering from the bare-nail reign during the pandemic, perhaps this renaissance of the naked nail trend is the perfect opportunity for us to finally put those nail stickers we hoarded to good use. Just because naked nails are trending, it doesn’t mean you still can’t have a little fun with nail art. And if press-on designs are the way to go, we’re already eyeing the legions of elevated false nails available on the market.
When it comes to low maintenance, yet high impact and ultra elegant nail designs, this naked aesthetic is one we’ll happily go au naturel, all season long for.
