Guest Post: Eve Simmance
Natural, understated nails are having a major moment in beauty and fashion right now. Across fashion and beauty media, there’s been a noticeable shift toward nails that simply look healthy, clean and well cared for.
Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar have both written about the rise of “naked” or barely-there manicures, while Mamamia recently described natural bare nails as one of the defining beauty trends of 2026.
“We’re hitting a saturation point with nail art and bold colours on social media, so it’s only natural for some people to start gravitating the other way,” said Chanel nail artist Betina Goldstein.
For years, gel manicures, builder gel and acrylic overlays became closely tied to modern beauty culture - right down to the familiar tapping of polished nails against coffee cups, keyboards and even packaging across social media.
I was no exception - I discovered Gel manicures in my 20s and loved the durability and polished look. At some point, the repeated cycle of Gels (acetone soaking, buffing and reapplying) started to feel oddly contradictory - especially as my natural nails underneath became noticeably thinner and weaker over time.
Healthy nails have become desirable not because they look flashy, but because they signal care in a quieter, more understated way. The other interesting thing is that this trend being aspirational is unusually the more affordable approach.
Of course, colourful manicures and cosmetic nail treatments aren’t going anywhere. For many people they remain a form of creativity, self-expression and self-care.
But the rise of understated nails does highlight something important: healthy nails underneath matter.
That’s part of what makes products like Dr Tom feel relevant right now.
The focus is on supporting stronger, healthier nails beneath the surface over time.
In a culture that constantly asks women to spend more time, money and effort on their appearance, there’s something genuinely refreshing about feeling proud of nails simply because they’re healthy.