The silk nails trend follows in a long legacy of manicures that are inspired by fabrics. Velvet nails have become a classic we return to every autumn-winter bringing luxurious cosy-girl vibes. Lace nails have been favoured by brides since forever, but the delicate pattern has enjoyed renewed popularity recently, branching out beyond its wedding associations and into everyday manis, like the one worn this summer by Iris Law. Elsewhere, lingerie nails have been giving lace a sexier twist in moodier colours like black and burgundy. Matte suede nails offer up a slightly more unexpected texture that works especially well around this time of year, but on the other end of the spectrum, if an ultra glossy mani is more your bag, silk nails are taking off once more and they're a beautiful way to go if you want an eye-catching, but elegant mani.
What are silk nails?
Inspired by the soft, fluid, glossy finish of silk, the silk nails trend majors on an almost glass-like high-shine finish. There's more than one way to achieve them, but they generally blend a chrome powder with an ultra glossy glass top coat. Although, we've even seen subtle cat-eye finishes mixed in too, to amp up the light reflecting finish. Even better? Combining all three.
Why are silk nails trending?
Why do we like shiny things? Silk nails are a pretty way to make your manicure stand out, since they catch the light (and therefore attention) as you move your hands. They sit within the same family as glazed nails, which have been the headlining mani of the 2020s , but they take things one glossier step forward.
How to create silk nails?
We asked the manicurist behind one of our favourite renditions of the silk nail trend to let us in on how they're created. Manchester-based nail artist, Courtney-Lea Shaw (known as @paintedbycourtney) explained “I like to call them my cat eye x chrome sandwich nails.” It essentially involves “layering a clear chrome on top of a magnetic cat-eye gel,” she says. Rather than just wearing one or the other alone, the combination “creates so much more depth than you’d think,” she adds.
It's best achieved by visiting an expert in a salon as the products used to get the effect are pro only. For this set specifically "I used DGel Korea Magnetic Gel in the shade DS187 with a layer of Jelli.eu Superchrome in “Glass” on top.
As for the shades, milky pinks may immediately come to mind, but we love silky chocolate browns, champagnes and nudes. “I typically love a taupey-oyster coloured base with the clear on top – it's stunning,” says Courtney.
Originally published on Glamour UK.
