Beauty Editor Here: This Is the One Nail Trend I’m Officially Done With

I spend my days pouring over beauty looks and I’m just going to go ahead and say what all of us have been thinking: when did nail trends get so…boring? Just when I thought we were done with the ‘clean girl aesthetic’ and leaning towards more experimental looks, a slew of samey designs have entered the nail space. The names may be cute, but the nails themselves often leave me wanting more. So, I, a beauty editor, am not afraid to say I’m done with minimal manicures (I’m looking at you soap nails). 

When glazed donut nails came on the scene, I was like alright, sweet. Who doesn’t love a milky white manicure every once in a while? But then we were hit with baby boomer nails, then lip gloss nails, and now, soap nails. We have seriously lost the plot. Am I the only one who notices that all these nail trends are merging and are in fact exactly the same? Neutral tones with glossy finishes are nice, sure, but there must be another look we can try out. Maybe another polish color (hi, butter yellow) or design (like the reverse French mani)?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad with this look, per se. I’ve dabbled in it myself, but there has to be more than soft pinks and whites out there. Why are we shying away from eccentric nail art designs, longer lengths or bolder hues?

Fortunately, we aren’t totally lost in minimalism. When I chatted with celebrity nail artists a few weeks ago, they shared a few designs like cat-eye manicure, stained glass nails and blooming gel looks that are popping up this season. Quite frankly, I’m more interested in that. Yes, it’s expensive to get specific designs. Yes, not all of us can rock stiletto nails on a daily basis. But in the same way that we might try out a big chop or a vibrant new hair color, let’s have the same mentality with our nails. Beauty should be fun, after all. 

It must be the maximalist in me, or the fact that I was raised in New York, where nails have always been an extension of our personality. I admire manicurists and celebs like Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Selena Gomez and Rihanna, who let their manis speak for themselves. And I appreciate friends and family who make it a monthly ritual to go to the nail salon (or do it right at home).