Quiet Luxury Nails and How to Achieve Them
On hand.
Are the new barely there manicures that are taking over Pinterest an aesthetic choice influenced by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s 1990s chic minimalism in Love Story, or do they have a more prosaic origin (everyone is skint and wants to stretch out the gap between salon visits)? It’s a little of both, plus something else, says Amy Welsman, founder of the hand-care brand Paume.
“Keeping up with a regular manicure routine is really costly, especially if you’re doing any more than just polish, which most people are. And culturally there is that shift back to that quiet luxury vibe, the ’90s nostalgia that is out there,” she says. “And then I would say there’s also been a lot about just the negative health impact of being in nail salons, the exposure to the chemicals, the exposure to the UV lamps, all the impact that that has on your skin and on your hands.”
What do “quiet luxury” nails look like? “I’d define it as meticulously manicured and hydrated nails and cuticles, short squoval or rounded shapes, and a high-shine buff or sheer wash of nude nail colour,” says nail artist and Essie global ambassador Rita Remark. In other words, it’s not about actually doing nothing to your nails. “Cuticle oil is your best friend. It hides a multitude of nail and cuticle sins and keeps nails and skin hydrated. If your cuticles look unruly, it won’t look quiet luxury—it’ll just look unkempt.” Other top tips for nail care from Remark: Keep a nail file in your purse, go to the salon for a natural nail mani, or push your cuticles and trim hangnails every week. If you wear polish, she recommends one or two coats of any brightening sheer nude polish. “Depending on your skin tone, I’d opt for Mademoiselle, Fairy Tailor, or Of Corset by Essie,” she says “For a barely there nude, I’m currently obsessed with one coat of Good as New. It’s a touch of pink that dries to a demi-matte finish that will have you looking like you have the healthiest natural nails ever.”
Hands also need to be well cared for to get the look. “Our hands are our most exposed body part other than our faces, and so they need a unique treatment, especially because they really do show the signs of ageing a lot faster than any other part,” Welsman says, pointing out that our hands are also part of how we express ourselves and communicate and so are more visible to the rest of the world than, say, your elbow. Hands also need different moisturizers than other parts of the body. “There are way less oil glands in our hands in general than we have in our face. So that also means that the skin there not only is thinner like under our eyes, but it just doesn’t get that oil which keeps it pumped and happy. So it needs that added hydration. Then we’re stripping it away constantly with sanitizing and washing,” Welsman says.
Finally, sunscreen is just as important for the backs of hands as for faces, and like hand creams, it’s frequently forgotten. Products in stick formats can be a great option as they’re easy to reapply on the go, without mess.
Want to get rich-girl hands? Here are six products to try.
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Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Polish in Solstice
A transparent soft peach varnish, this suits most skin tones and is pigmented enough that you need only one coat for the perfect subtly polished finish.
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Apply this after a manicure, when nails are completely dry, nightly before bed, and any time through the day if you feel you need it. You can buy it either with a brush or as a roll-on.
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OPI Repair Mode Bond Building Nail Serum
This has keratin to repair brittle and damaged nails and to prevent future damage. Apply twice a day, every day, for six days, then once a week or so for maintenance.
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A gel-textured hyaluronic acid serum, this comes in scented and unscented varieties and contains antioxidant vitamin C, bakuchiol (a retinol-like ingredient), barrier-repairing niacinamide, and gallic acid to target dark spots. Use alone or under a moisturizer for extra hydration.
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Shiseido Ultra Sun Protector Clear Stick SPF 50+
This nongreasy sunscreen protects against both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays and can be slipped in a pocket for touch-ups on the go, not just on the hands but also other exposed, often-neglected spots like the tops of your ears and your nose bridge.
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It’s a four-piece set with clipper, glass nail file (they’re gentler on nails than metal or an emery board), buffer, and cuticle pusher.
