London is a city focused on the fine details. Where you purchase your yoga mat, for instance, is just as important as the provenance of your coffee beans.
This is perhaps the reason why minimal nail art is proving a hit among the capital’s most discerning types. Think designs that are devoid of punchy colours and impossibly intricate patterns, and instead remarkable for their simplicity.
At Shoreditch Nails on Boundary Street, modern nail art has become a calling card and ranges from block prints to metallic tapes and chic monochromes.
“Minimal nail art has really taken off recently,” says Hayley Sams, the salon’s resident nail art specialist. “It’s a great way of introducing nail art to clients who are new to it.”
Among its most popular pared-back designs are clear polish finished with a single dot of colour, placed on the centre of the half-moon, and graphic lines — created using striping tape — applied to nude lacquer.
“They are simple yet striking and loved by our creative and city working clients,” she adds. Inverted Vs, diagonal French tips and negative space half-moon styles are also being requested with increasing frequency.
For further inspiration, look to the catwalks.
At Phillip Lim’s New York showcase in September, low key was taken to new heights at the hands of natural polish line Côte, with clear varnish decorated with a single black line drawn across the ring finger nail.
At Tibi, JinSoon slicked two pale lavender flicks on the index finger of otherwise bare nails, while Deborah Lippmann opted for nude, accessorised by a fine black line painted vertically down one nail and finished with a single, tiny pearl.
Here in London, Preen flew the flag for maximum-impact minimalism in its AW17 show with a look created by manicurist Marian Newman, which involved affixing dried micro-flowers onto nails with a clear top coat (for budding DIY-ers, YouTube has a bunch of petal pressing masterclasses, or visit Etsy for your pick of pre-made alternatives).
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If you’re tempted to give it a try, a well-manicured base is a must, so ensure nails are filed and buffed and cuticles are trimmed beforehand. And as far as your choice of design is concerned, just remember to keep it clean.
