Bare nails are back in style. A naturally shaped nail, left untouched or with a clear coat of polish, is apparently the most ‘chic’ style to wear. The shift has been gradual, with Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut nails beginning the movement a few years ago.
I am very pleased with this trend. As someone who likes to wear a lot of rings, I find my hands look more balanced when they are not competing with a bold manicure. I also play an instrument, which makes long nails impractical, and polish chips almost immediately.
There’s something nice about creating a ritualistic few hours for yourself when you get your nails done, but it’s also a common frustration that sometimes, you just don’t have time.
The wrecked nail cycle
Plenty of people are simply tired of having wrecked nails and the dreaded growing-out phase; Jenna Mason talks about giving up acrylics and the painful and brittle effect they had on her nails. She found that press-ons were the right choice for her, allowing her to still feel put together, but with healthier nails- a good idea if going straight back to bare feels too big a leap for you.
There’s the problem of cost too, as getting your nails done every few weeks adds up, and you have to sacrifice a couple of hours of your time, too. Additionally, it can be difficult to find a nail salon where you can trust their hygiene.
Looking after bare nails
This minimal look isn’t easy to maintain, though, especially at first. You should gently file, making sure to move in the same direction, to keep your nails in shape and neat. Then, follow up with a cuticle oil or gel; coconut oil works too and is cheap and easy to get your hands on. After going back to bare, your nails may look a bit rough, dehydrated, or thin, but within a few months of growth and regular moisturising, they should be looking better.
A Status Symbol
Theories about the cause of the bare nails trend have been circulating online: one that stands out to me, is the idea that bare nails are a status symbol. Nails that look clean and healthy all of the time take more work than layering on coats of polish (I am frequently a victim of staining my nails from cooking or fake tanning). This pared-back and effortless look, which actually takes a lot of work, fits nicely into the quiet luxury trend too.
However, I think it’s more useful to look at this trend as an empowering pushback from women, rather than one more thing we’re supposed to chase in order to be seen as desirable. As women, we’ve been made to think that to look respectable and put together, our nails must be done. Letting them be natural can be seen as defiance — they don’t even need to be particularly clean or perfectly natural.
The occasional manicure can be a nice treat, but I find it really refreshing to see a trend which calls for less consumption.