No, it wasn’t a semi-sorta-kinda defense of Aziz Ansari. It wasn’t about how Outlander made a turd-looking wedding ring. It wasn’t about how everyone hates your MLM. It wasn’t even about the fate of Sam Heughan’s Hairline.
Amy published a post about Betsy Devos’s…. manicure. (One time). Specifically, How she hates French Manicures.
And the Trump-Support contingency Facebook comments went wild.
We’ve said some crazy stuff over the years, and we knew when publishing the piece it was going to be controversial, but this post was unexpected. The love for French Manicures is strong, y’all!
But it got us thinking: What trends DO we love in Nail Beauty? So let’s get to it:
#TNBeauty: Nail Trends
Matte Nails
I have the world’s most horrific nails. I still bite them. I love ripping off the skin around the cuticles with my teeth. And often when I get a good chunk of skin mixed with a little blood, I ponder, “Does this make me a cannibal?” Don’t answer that.
When I get my nails done, I do so at my hair salon Prep and Foxx. I’ve been with my stylist Jenni for as long as my hair has started to look good (approximately 6 years), and she opened the salon a few years ago with her business partner and nail tech extraordinaire, Taylor.
Taylor takes care of my nails and yells at me when I bite them. She’s the one person who has been honest about how gross my fingers look after a particularly exciting cannibalistic evening in front of the TV.
And I let her do whatever to my nails. Which recently included MATTE nailpolish. It wasn’t sparkly. It didn’t reflect light or shine. AND IT WAS AMAZING.
I just love this look so much. The photo above is from a collection of photos found here, and I love them all. Interested in trying Matte Nailpolish? Try this color set on Amazon for just $10!
-Bekah
Dip Powder
I mean, I don’t HATE the color, but next time I’ll save the claws for Halloween.
I’m woman enough to admit that, much like some of our comments section’s number one female role model, I have made some manicure mistakes in my time. For example, those “stiletto” pointy acrylic nails are not flattering when you have the hand size of an eight year old and the nails are almost as long as your fingers. Sometimes you really need a no BS buddy to hit you with the stone-cold truth and tell you it’s time for a change. Maybe Betsy doesn’t have those kinds of friends?
Becoming a mother recently got me thinking that I might not want to risk gouging my newborn, so I clipped the claws and started looking for alternatives. All of that baby bottle washing and pump part cleaning was not doing my nails any favors. I made my usual two week trip to my favorite local spot, The Nail Bar on Mud Island in Memphis (I dig it because they always have a chick-flick playing and champagne), and asked for help. They suggested I give dip powder a try. I am IN LOVE!
See what I mean by the tiny hands? But my nails have a classic, understated look without looking dated.
Photo by KimbaWayne Photography
My nails are so much stronger. No more uncomfortable bending when I’m trying to unbuckle the car seat! I still have to go get them done about every two weeks because they start to grow out, but I could probably push to a third week since I don’t have to worry about chipping or breaking. I had my engagement photos this past weekend and wanted something I wouldn’t look back on and think “why was I still doing my nails in my 30’s like I was in my prom photos” (:cough, cough: basic french :cough, cough:)? I went with a pale pink with a little added layer of shimmer for something extra special that would compliment my ring. I was very pleased with the results, and really enjoying this excuse to show off my pictures. Dip powder is my new go-to!
– Nikki L.
Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips
I’ll admit it, I’m cheap AF and I’m never going to pay to have my nails professionally done. It’s also not worth it when I spend so much of my life in muck boots, picking poop out of our horses tail, mucking stalls, washing my hands religiously after performing the aforementioned activities, as well as various other domestic chores that batter hands and nails. I also keep my nails pretty short since they interfere with playing my guitar and drive me nuts when typing. Therefore, if I’m doing something decorative to my nails, it’s got to be fast, inexpensive and durable.
I have used Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips for years. They are frequently on clearance at my local Walmart for three to five dollars a set. The designs are fun, they are pretty easy to apply and can be used on hands or feet (it’s possible I have freakishly narrow toes). Because my nails are short I have even cut the strips horizontally and gotten two applications from one package. They come in a variety of sizes to fit all your fingers (and maybe toes) and last for about 10 days, potentially longer.
Caution: if you are swimming, chlorine will eat away at the strips. For vacation, a date night or just for fun, Sally Hansen’s my girl!
-Leanne
Green Polish
I don’t know if this is a trend or not, but I do know that Carrie Fisher wore green polish on one of her interviews with Craig Ferguson and he said he doesn’t trust women who have green nails. I definitely think about that often. Regardless, my favorite color is green, and thanks to my Portuguese-Irish heritage, my skintone has a semi-olive undertone, my hair is auburn, and I have a ton of freckles. Thus, I look awesome in most greens. So why not my nails?!
Since elementary school I bit my nails, but last year I decided to commit to growing them out. I’d tried to before, but always fell off. This time was different because I quit caring how stupid my nails looked short. Turns out they look awesome with black polish while super short! I don’t have any brands I’m 100% committed to, but I buy mostly Sally Hansen because it’s cheap but reliable. Right now I’m wearing Revlon’s “Posh” (see my photo above). I call this my “spring green” because it reminds me of grass. I tried out the brand Ginger + Liz, which works well and covers totally opaque with one coat. Bonus: they’re cruelty free! The one brand I really don’t like is Essie. Right now I’m rocking OPI Nail Envy for a base coat to strengthen my nails and Sally Hansen’s Big Kwik Dry top coat.
To jump on Bekah’s matte finish bandwagon, I also use Sally Hansen’s matte top coat, which can be really fun with darker colors and metallics. I’m particularly proud of my NYE look from this year (above, not totally cleaned)… which included Ginger + Liz “Menswear”, matte top coat, and a dash of JulieG silver sparkles (super cheap!).
-Lorena
Salon Chrome Powder
I was really intrigued to try Chrome Powder and I used the Sally Hansen brand kit I got with $10 in CVS rewards dollars. Yay for frequent shopping! So it only cost $10 BUT you had have the base color and top coat in their preferred No-Light Gel to get this to work. All-In this whole set would cost about $45 if you just walked in and purchased all the pieces.
So Chrome Powder. The kit gives you powder, an applicator and the special effect top coat. After you do the base coat of color, there is a finite window of time between tacky and dry for you to apply the powder. Too soon, you smudge everything, too late, it barely sticks. It could still look okay but not get the full effect. Then you put the special effect coat on and let that dry for 5 minutes. And then you STILL have to put the gel No-Light top coat on top of that to set all of the bottom layers. Then you wait. You can see from the picture that I did not wait and I smudged my nails. Still, give me me two hours and a movie to watch I’ll do my own nails.
-Emily A.
A Bold Nail
I like a bold lip, and I like a bold nail. I don’t want any weak-ass Ballet Slippers or Privacy Please pink. Nail color should pack a punch.
Note that I added a reverse French on my middle finger. I call this style the Cardi B. “If I see you and I don’t speak, that means I don’t f*ck with you.”
Essie Gel Couture Caviar Bar and Essie Nail Color Turquoise and Caicos
-Amy
What trends are you loving in Nails this year? Post your most regrettable French Manicure in the comments!
Featured Image from Paint Box, which is a nail salon you should follow immediately
