As the summer of nail trends gets underway, there’s a newfound desire for the minimal, the simple and the clean. The advent of the mini-mani and rich girl manicures has brought us back to the nude nail look that forefronts your natural nail. But what if your bare nails need a pick-me-up? Between festival looks and the adorable nail art, all of our nails could probably use a bit of brightening, strengthening and self-care. And to look good while doing it, we have the perfect trick: nail concealers.
What are Nail Concealers?
Made to brighten and perfect your natural nail at home, nail concealers are designed to deliver that “you, but better” look in just one swipe. This makes it the perfect way to get your natural nails looking healthy and strong without coating your nails in a heavier-looking polish.
This is naked nails 2.0, basically.
Most nail concealers are gently pigmented with peachy flesh tones to imitate the look of your natural nail. That means being able to see the difference between the body of your nail and the distal free edge, sort of like a natural french nail.
And as a big bonus, they don’t just hide the imperfections, but improve them. Our favorite nail concealers are packed with peptides and nail-strengthening ingredients to help make your nails healthier overtime and prevent future damage like staining.
Rich Girl Manicure
There are a few current trends where nail concealers can make a strong outing, including the rich girl manicures that highlight natural nail colors and minimal art. It can be difficult to find that exact right shade that makes a manicure look bare, just like it’s hard to find your perfect nude lipstick. But nail concealers go a long way when it comes to shade matching and getting that natural look.
Additionally, we know that french nails are seeing a huge resurgence in popularity. “French nails also rank as the most popular nail trend in the United States,” beauty and wellness marketplace Fresha explains of their data, “with an average monthly search volume of 205,703, according to Google.”
And if you’re not feeling acrylics, gels or even press-ons for the moment, nail concealers are the perfect way to cheat a french manicure out of your bare nails.
The Mini-Mani
An off-shoot trend of the rich girl manicure is the mini-mani. All about minimalism, the mini-mani is the perfect trend to feature natural colors or bare nails. For those of us with chronically short nails, the mini-mani makes it look like an intentional choice that speaks to our sense of elegance and minimalism.
Nail concealers are the ideal way to make your mini-mani look luminous and healthy, and it allows any nail art you do choose to stand out.