I go to New York for many reasons. Ridiculously good pizza, hideously overpriced coffee, and, naturally, to observe and absorb the prevailing beauty trends across the pond. The one I couldn’t escape this trip smacked of old money. A specific manicure: nails are kept short, painted in a sheer, milky blush and worn in a round or squoval shape – think hyper-clean girl and you’re pretty much there.
The old money manicure – a trend that’s a close relative of princess nails – is characterised by restraint and simplicity. Unlike other popular summer nail trends, you won’t find even delicate designs, and certainly no bold colours. Instead, the old money manicure is baby pink and clean as it comes – the type of manicure Succession’s Tom Wambsgans would approve of. (You will go to the opera with these nails!)
“New York women love a glossy, chic nail aesthetic,” Lucy Woodall, a Brit who moved to New York last year and lives in NoHo, confirms. “Salons like Mellow Bar in Greenwich Village have started doing limited colour mixes that offer a barely-there finish for your nails that’s perfect for it.”
A couple of things to note about the old money manicure. To keep it looking modern and clean (as opposed to bridesmaid-y), look for colours that read as creamy, milky and slightly sheer. They should look like the perfect, pink-tinted soap bubble – not a blocky, opaque pastel pink.
As with all well-executed manicures, prep is everything. A good cut, shape and cuticle care makes the world of difference. Whether or not you cut your cuticles (some prefer to abstain due to the risk of introducing bacteria into the skin), a good push back and buff will elongate the nail bed and create symmetry towards the base.
In the interim, an insider trick is to take a nail brush and gently go over the nails with some warm, soapy water. This gets rid of the small bits of dry skin that can make a manicure look less than fresh. Finally, don’t skimp on cuticle oil. Yes, it feels like a nice-to-have rather than a need-to-have, but it can definitely extend how fresh your manicure looks by several days.
Try these colours for the New York effect:
