TikTok loves a good manicure. The new seasonal favorite? Boston University red.
The nail color, created by brand DND, is described by the company as "a perfect scarlet red, not too dark, not too bright." DND proposed the shade as the ideal tool to create a Halloween-inspired look, taking to its own TikTok account to show viewers just how to use it.
The specific colour is inspired by BU Red — #CC0000 or Pantone's 186 — which is one of Boston University's official hues alongside black.
As with most TikTok beauty trends, news spreads fast and creators are quick adopters. Across the app, the shade is going viral. The hashtag #bostonuniversityred currently has over 226,000 views on the app. TikTokkers like @kybeal_ shared videos of the manicure, writing "Boston Univeristy Red is my new fav"; nail creator @heluviee shared the color as the Halloween-adjacent tool it was likely made for: "vampy reds of my dreamsss," she wrote.
TikTok's beauty-centric trend cycle moves at lightning speed, and its nail obsessions are plenty. Over the summer, the "blueberry milk" manicure was declared by TikTok as the season's best. But this trend turned out to be controversial for both its name and what it represented. With the onset of "blueberry milk", many took objection to the micro-trend for rebranding what is essentially a light baby-blue hue, one that has been popular for years before TikTok came around. Others objected to the never-ending trend trap, a loss of individuality, and the fact that being on TikTok means your wallet must always be prepared to buy the next big thing — too often.
Red nails, too, have been revered for centuries (yes, really) and popular nail brands like OPI and Essie have catalogues packed with various colors along the spectrum. Anna Waletzko, Cultural Analyst at Canvas8 says that the repackaging of existing trends is a way to stand out on TikTok. "It's also people wanting to go viral, be seen as presenting some new idea, showcase a sense of individuality. Sometimes, that means you have to just repackage what you already have," she says. "It's a way to rebrand and stand out in the sea of content that churns endlessly. It's why we end up seeing these so-called 'niche-aesthetics' that aren't anything new, rather they're just amalgamations of pre-existing aesthetics and trends."
Demi, lead technician at London-based salon Browfique, tells Mashable that red nails have in-fact, seen "a resurgence recently", thanks to TikTok discussions like "red nail theory".
The latter is a debate that has made rounds on the app for months now, with red nails being touted as a confidence-booster and a way to attract potential suiters. Essentially, TikTokkers suggested that heterosexual men are more attracted to women with red nails. Take @melissevmartineau who told her followers that that she "had never been asked on so many dates" as when she donned the trend. Creator @ashleymescia tried the theory, captioning her post, "Suing if i don't have 10 dates lined up next week."
"Boston University Red" may be an extension of this obsession. But, as many TikTokkers pointed out, red manicures have long been an aesthetic choice, way before any debates about the trend and cuffing season sprouted up. On the flip side of all these micro-trends and their associated discourse, lies the simple philosophy that people should pick and wear what they like. Easy, right?
