The Chic Nail Trend To Know Before Your Next Salon Visit

THE HYPE

Luminous and eye-catching without verging into shouty, beauty fans are all about subtle shimmer right now. It has more playful energy than the milky, understated ‘Clean Girl’ look and yet still feels utterly wearable. There’s also room for experimentation with colour, as evidenced by the mermaid-esque dégradé designs created by nail artist Ama Quashie for Chanel’s Cruise 2026 show. “This look works because it’s translucent, watery and iridescent – not chunky or opaque,” explains manicurist Faye Louise Dennis. “Think seashell rather than disco ball.”  

“Subtle shimmer hits that sweet spot between minimal and expressive. After years of the ‘Clean Girl’ aesthetic being so popular, I’ve found many are looking for dimension again but not full-on sparkle. A fine sheen that feels skin-like and moves with the light instead of just sitting on the surface.” 

THE SHIMMER

How do the pros make it feel soft and subtle? The key lies in choosing the right type of shimmer. “For me it mostly comes down to particle size and contrast,” Faye explains. “You want to look for micro shimmers or fine pearl pigments. These create an expensive-looking finish as they diffuse the light softly. I also believe low-contrast shimmers – ones close to your base colour – feel far more refined. My top tip for a uniform finish is to evenly disperse the shimmer pigment to help it feel polished rather than patchy and chunky.”

THE SHADES

“As we approach summer, I’ll be using milky pinks that enhance the natural nail tone, leaning into the your-nails but-better approach. One I love is Westmoreland Cosmetics Glass Gel Vanilla Gloss 2. Another favourite shade of mine is butter yellow, which is surprisingly flattering and very on trend. But my current obsession is sheer lilac – cool-toned, milky and very ethereal, check out ‘Kiss’ by Bio Sculpture. You could also try a peachy nude – but it mustn’t look frosty, it needs to glow. Gelcare’s Nude BB Cream gets my vote.” – Faye

THE COMBOS TO TRY

“Margot Robbie recently wore a subtle shimmer on her nails at the Met Gala. To achieve the look, mix two drops of Chanel’s Le Gel Top Coat with one drop of Le Vernis in the shade ‘Phénix’ and paint a sheer coat of the mixture over your nails. Finish it off with your favourite matte top coat. Alternatively, I rate the Kinetics Shield Shimmer Top in either gold or silver. The formula is super fine, which allows you to layer any shade underneath. Also, OPI just dropped its previously-not-for-sale Mirror Shine Chrome Powder in ‘Tin Man Can Glaze’ which created the viral ‘glazed doughnut’ effect spotted on Hailey Bieber.” – Faye

THE TECHNIQUE

“A rounded nail or soft square complements this look, matching with the softness of the shimmer. When using gel to create a flawless base for chrome application, I always use the Chrome Catalyst by BioSculpture underneath. You can use a silicone brush or a foam eyeshadow brush to avoid your hands getting messy. After applying a chrome powder, finish by filing the nails so the free edge is chrome-free and dusting away any excess powder. By doing this, your top coat will then stick onto the free edge properly without any loose powder which helps prevents chipping.” – Faye 

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