I Tried the Korean-Blush Nail Trend: See Photos
As a Minimalist, I Love the "Korean Blush" Nail Trend
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Despite my admiration for bold, over-the-top nail art, I'm more of a minimalist-manicure type of person. When I'm not wearing a single polish colour, the nail designs I opt for are subtle and pared back. Right now, some of my favourite trends include the ballerina-slipper shape, glazed-doughnut colours, and the new "Korean blush" nail style that's all over Instagram.
For the unfamiliar, Korean-blush nails take inspiration from pink, rosy cheeks and re-create the look on your manicure. Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jinsoon Nails, previously described it to POPSUGAR as "a more toned-down and natural sister to the aura nail trend."
Blush nails feature a neutral beige or pink base with a pop of pink or red "blush" in the centre of each nail. This blush look can be obtained with another nail polish or by applying actual blush to the nail. What I love about the blush nail trend is how understated it is. It takes the supermodel nail trend and jazzes it up just a smidge with the addition of the faint colour on each finger. This adds a layer of dimension to an otherwise really simple nail look.
Digital creator and manicurist Dayanna Sapiens shared two ways you can get blush nails at home. The first method uses sheer, jelly nail polish that goes on wet to give the "blush" a diffused look. The second method uses the same blush you put on your face and a tiny eyeshadow brush. I chose to try the blush method because I didn't have any jelly nail polishes on hand; it also seemed the easiest.
To start, I painted my nails with the OPI Nail Lacquer in Samoan Sand (£12.50). Once that was dry, I went to my makeup collection in search of the perfect blush shade. A few of the compacts I found were beautiful colours but didn't show up enough over the nail polish. I landed on Charlotte Tilbury's Cheek to Chic in Walk of No Shame (£32). Using the Sigma Pencil Brush E30 (£12), I swirled the pointed tip in the blush, tapped off the excess, and then lightly dabbed it onto my nail. I repeated the process on all 10 fingers before going back and doing it again to intensify the colour with a second layer. Once I had my desired blush effect, I sealed everything in with the Nails.Inc Retinol 45 Second Top Coat (£15). If you want to attempt blush nails using jelly polish, try the Orly Breathable Treatment + Colour in Sweet Serenity (£5.99).
The final result was subtle, which is exactly what I wanted. The blush colour is visible when you look at the nails in the right light but not too noticeable that it feels like quintessential nail art. It just adds some personality to my otherwise plain pink nails. Even better: it was super easy to do.
