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Here's How To Nail The Minimalist Manicure According To Sofia Richie's Wedding Manicurist
If it's good enough for Sofia...
From the micro French to intricate details, minimalist nail art is here to stay thanks to trendsetters such as Betina Goldstein, Julia Diogo and Georgia Rae. While we appreciate a showstopping, all-bells-all-whistles, maximalist design, there's always room for more delicate patterns and timeless colour schemes for those of us who favour something subtler.
'I love a clean, sheer nude nail all year round but adding details dependent on the season is a great way to switch it up and have a little more fun with it,' says Rae, Sofia Richie's manicurist, who's long mastered the art of understated and minimalist nail art.
DIY Your Minimalist Manicure
'I’m loving neon at the moment, worn as minimal details on the nail such as a super thin French tip,' explains Rae, who recently created the manicure look at Roksanda's AW24 show (and is the woman behind Sofia Richie's wedding nails). Tangerines, hot pink and jungle green are only some of the season's most popular colours. Here, Rae breaks down the steps to creating your own easy minimalist nail art.
- Onto a clean, filed nail apply a tinted base coat such as OPI’s Nail Envy; this will provide a base shade for your French mani without layering too much product on the nail.
- Once completely dried, decant a small amount of your favourite neon nail polish onto some tin foil. Using a thin nail art brush, glide the polish around the edge of the nail following the natural shape.
- Finish with a top coat.
Toothpicks and gold leaf (available in specialty beauty supply stores such as Naio Nails) are also useful to have in your manicure kit for creating easy confetti and polka dot designs and adding some sparkle. Shaky hands? Ciate's nail art stickers are practically foolproof.
Ahead, 15 minimalist nail art designs to inspire your next understated manicure...
Minimalist Nail Art Inspiration
Medina Azaldin is the beauty editor of ELLE and Harper's Bazaar UK, working across print and digital features. She has more than seven years journalism experience and has previously written for Red and Good Hoousekeeping. When she's not demystifying the latest skincare ingredient, sniffing out the next big perfume trend or uncovering the science behind wellness practices, you'll most likely find her in Hatchards Piccadilly or watching a crime series with her cats. Oh, and she's a competitive cheerleader, too.
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