Makeup has already infiltrated the skincare sphere with hybrid skin tints. But now it seems our nails are keen to get in on the act, too, with BB cream nails gaining steam on TikTok and Instagram.
Canadian nail brand Gelcare coined the phrase BB cream nails to describe its Rose BB Cream and Lavender BB cream polishes last year, and, since then, this new riff on milky manicures has exploded.
You can expect to see it everywhere this summer as we lean into what we've dubbed the “Brit-girl manicure” – the mani equivalent of glossy, no-makeup makeup.
So what exactly are BB cream nails?
As the moniker implies, this manicure takes its inspiration from a BB cream (a.k.a. blemish balm cream), a two-in-one makeup and skincare product.
When used on the face, BB creams act as a primer, foundation and moisturiser. Delivering the same coverage as a light to medium foundation, they add a sheer tint – just enough to cover up redness, acne scars and an uneven tone – as well as being deeply hydrating to plump skin from the inside out. There are even those that contain brightening ingredients.
BB cream nails lean into some – if not all – of these benefits, making them perfect if you're longing to channel a low-maintenance manicure for summer or on a break from gels.
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“BB cream nail polishes are a nude-toned, sheer glaze for your natural nails,” says Lou Stokes, ORLY’s UK Ambassador, who likens the effect to “an instant beauty filter.”
It's about coating your natural nails “with light coverage that blurs out any imperfections – exactly what a BB cream does for your face,” agrees nail artist Mateja Novaković, who suggests that BB cream nails can be created with both a sheer polish and a gel manicure.
“At one point this was only achieved with beige sheer polishes," she says, "but last season we saw more diversity in BB cream shades – lilac, white, cool pink and peach – topped off with a high shine for that glowy, healthy look.”
With their sheer, milky shades, BB cream nails zero in on the makeup benefits of a BB cream and their blurring effects mask the appearance of ridges and yellowing. Some even tap into the idea of a BB cream's skin tone-matching base.
Other BB cream polishes go one step further as care and colour products, treating the natural nail surface with ingredients borrowed from skincare to prevent breakage and peeling.
BB cream nails for the ‘Brit-girl manicure’
BB cream nails put a new spin on lipgloss nails - a sheer pinky nude manicure that mimics the high-shine finish of lip gloss on your tips. And while we've had the Japanese and Italian manicure, this summer's biggest nail trend is shaping up to be closer to home with the ‘Brit-girl manicure’.
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While it has the same DNA as a modern French, the Brit-girl manicure is more effortless and leans towards a healthy-looking, nearly naked, neutral nude nail. So, in the same way that you can wear a BB cream underneath other makeup products, a base coat is another easy option if you're just looking to nourish and impart a natural rosy glow.
Chanel's Le Base Camellia is excellent, while Essie Good As New Nail Perfector is a hydrating treatment powered by ceramides. Adding a sheer nude polish over the top and an off-white tip is optional.
BB cream nails: How to get the look at home
Prepping your nails is key so “ensure the free edge is neatly filed,” says Lou. As for your cuticles, Mateja suggests using a cuticle softener and very gently pushing them back. "If this is done frequently, the cuticle will ‘learn’ and stop overgrowing in time," she notes.
To create a ‘your nails but better’ finish, Lou likes to apply base coat with one coat of BB cream nail polish and a glossy top coat to help the colour remain chip-free for longer.
Shade-wise, she recommends Orly Nail Polish in Rose Coloured Glasses, “the perfect soft rose-coloured sheer polish that suits a wide variety of skin tones,” she says. "Allow it to work its magic, giving a soft sheen to the nails that immediately makes them look healthier.”
The best BB cream polishes
Mateja recommends Bio Sculpture's Gemini Nourishing Nail Polish in Sweet Candy Breath, a vitamin-infused soft candy pink hue.
She's also a fan of Manucurist Active Smooth, a glossy beige colour that is laced with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to exfoliate the outer layer of dead skin cells and castor oil fibres to fill in ridges. According to Gaëlle Lebrat Personnaz, founder of Manucurist, it's a “one-step BB cream nail manicure" with ingredients to "smooth, strengthen and promote the healthy
regrowth of nail keratin fibres."
Meanwhile, Nail Inc's Got Me Glowing Glow-Enhancing Nail Perfector Polish adds a shimmering coat to brighten naked nails and Butter London's Sheer Wisdom Nail Tinted Moisturiser is available in six shades – from sheer vanilla with golden undertones to chocolate with neutral undertones – as well as including the amino acid arginine to strengthen weak nails.
More BB cream nails inspiration
Above all else, Mateja loves the versatility of BB cream nails. "They are perfect for every skin tone, nail shape and length, as well as for every occasion, including a gorgeous bridal manicure,” she insists.
Further proof, if any were needed, that the quiet luxury manicure isn't going anywhere.
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Chic but low maintenance.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
