In the name of finding out what’s next in beauty, I squeeze myself into a messy backstage corner with the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen, a million nail polish bottles, and a maze of extension cords. One of the most important parts of my job is going backstage at New York Fashion Week. I talk to manicurists, get a first look at the sets before they hit the runway, and put the pieces together to figure out which designs will set the tone for the season ahead. That meant pearl accents, soap nails, and nail jewellery for spring.
Fashion shows always show off the latest styles six months ahead of time, but nail trends aren’t as tied to the calendar. Anything we see backstage right now can be done at your next salon appointment or DIY night. So, even if these outfits were put together with heavy coats and boots, they’ll look just as good with your light layers and open-toe shoes.
We saw the biggest spring nail trends backstage at New York Fashion Week (yes, they are wearable) and we’ll show you how to get the look yourself.
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Nail artist Erika De Los Santos, who did a sheer nail for the ALTUZARRA show, says, “Everyone’s doing a clean look.” “I picked Lights Lacquer for this look because their sheers are great and look good on all skin tones.” She used a few different colours based on the models’ skin tones. “If the skin is giving off more pink tones, we’ll go with a sheer neutral pink.” If their skin is darker, I’ll pick a darker sheer brown.
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Jewellery for Nails
I guess I’m not the only one who keeps playing Charli XCX’s “Chains of Love”. But models at both Alice + Olivia and Bronx and Banco (see above) wore more than just earrings and necklaces. They really did have jewellery on their nails. A long chain hanging from your nails isn’t the most useful thing to have (“sorry, I didn’t get to your email, my nail chains were in the way”), but a pierced or chain moment that only goes to your nail bed can also do this trend.
Colours of the Earth
For spring, muted colours like this chocolate brown at Anna Sui feel soft and grounding. They look great with short nails that you’re trying to grow out, like if you’ve had gels or dip powder on for too long. Start with a nail strengthener as a base to keep your nails healthy underneath. Then, to keep them from chipping, make sure to finish with an ultra-shiny top coat.
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Satin Pink
Most soap nails are white and milky, but these, done by nail artist Holly Falcone for Sandy Liang, have a brighter base. They still have the glassy, see-through finish that makes them look like silky pink satin sheets. This French tip makes an otherwise plain nail look special (what Falcone called “ribbon trim for your nails”). Falcone used her own brand, Celisse, in the colours Vanity, Babydoll, and Camisole, as well as a pearly pink that hasn’t been released yet, for all the sheer, pinky neutrals.
Mani with Mother of Pearl
The blue-tinted opalescent finish on this nail look already made us think of mermaids, but the pearl accent pushed it over the edge. Miss Pop, a famous nail artist, got ideas for the Alice + Olivia show from the greige colours of the early 1990s. She chose Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Boss Babe because it gives a chromatic finish without needing UV curing. Then, she used press-on glue to attach the pearl charm, which made the whole look easy to do yourself.
Gold in Liquid Form
Chrome is nice, but real gold leaf is just so shiny and rich. For example, this gold-plated mani from the Alice + Olivia show. Miss Pop really did use black press-on nails from Sally Hansen. Then she painted on a top coat and patted down gold leaf flakes. Don’t worry if you’re not very good at using a nail polish brush (like me).
