Quiet-Luxury Nails
6 "Quiet Luxury" Nail Ideas to Bring to Your Next Salon Appointment
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"Quiet luxury" is on the rise, and if you haven't yet embraced the new aesthetic, it's not too late. The trend started with clothes and moved its way over to hair, and now it's taking over nail looks left and right. The best part? You don't need anything fancy to try it out for yourself; in fact, the simpler, the better.
"Quiet-luxury manicures give a more realistic look to your nails, just without the imperfections of a bare nail," Deborah Lippmann, founder of the eponymous nail brand, tells POPSUGAR. "The idea of this trend is to enhance the look of your natural nail through a sheer polish, a neutral shade, or even a subtle french manicure to achieve the look of being understated yet perfectly put together."
Unlike other maximalist manicure trends of late (think "coquette" nails and "vagina" nails), this one is all about elevating classic hues and basics into something a little more. From the celebrity-loved "milk bath" manicure to the ever-popular "rich girl" nails, there are quite a few nail trends that are perfect for embracing the quiet-luxury aesthetic.
Ahead, we rounded up six looks that are sure to be the cherry on top of your quiet-luxury sundae.
"Cloud" Nails
The perfect quiet luxury nail idea is every bit as whimsical as it sounds. "Cloud nails are a play on the milky, creamy tones we see in clouds," Sara Clark, owner of Freaky Fresh Phalanges in Sola Salons, previously told POPSUGAR. "They are dreamy and soft, sheer in finish, and even can feature a light chrome for a whimsical feel."
To get the look, we love Essie Marshmallow ($10) or for a more pearlescent finish, Zoya Leia ($12).
"Rich Girl" Nails
Nothing screams "luxury" quite like the rich girl nails trend, which is "a modern take on a sophisticated classic," celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik previously told POPSUGAR. "[The] colour is a creamy, full-coverage nude playing homage to the greige inspiration originally seen with Chanel."
Bachik suggests choosing a nail colour that's either one shade lighter or one shade darker than your natural skin tone, which gives the look of a deliberate, yet subtle, choice. To top everything off, he suggests using a shiny topcoat.
To get the look, we love OPI Put It In Neutral ($12).
"Rose-Water" Nails
Rose-water nails feature light and muted pink shades in order to mimic the look of rose water — perfect for that quiet luxury look. The neutral hues can be worn with any outfit, as well as any nail shape and length. The tones most often seen with this trend are warmer than anything you'd see with milk-bath nails, which makes it a great look for the hotter months.
To get the look, our pick is Essie Sugar Daddy ($10).
French Manicure
French manicures had a resurgence last year, and they've been going strong since then. A celebrity favourite, there are many different iterations of the look, but if you're going for quiet luxury, we say a classic french manicure is key.
To get the look, we love OPI Alpine Snow ($9) for the tips and OPI Lisbon Wants Moor OPI ($12) for the base.
"Supermodel" Nails
The '90s supermodel manicure, a trend first coined by celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik, is one of our favourite picks for the quiet luxury aesthetic. The look is an editor favourite, and typically features a sheer pink base coat with cleaned up nail beds.
To achieve this trend, our favourite shade is OPI Bubble Bath ($12).
"Milk-Bath" Nails
Milk-bath nails have been everywhere we look over the last few years, from red carpets to our social media feeds. The trend started with colourful dried flowers being embedded into a milky acrylic, but the look now most often features just a milky-white base colour. There have been many iterations of the trend, including "strawberry-milk" and "blueberry-milk," and we're sure there will be more to come.
To get the look, we love OPI Funny Bunny ($9).
