My nail game has come a long way since the £10 square acrylics I used to get at Donna’s Nails before every half-term in Year 8. What was once a white tip with a modest pink bow charm on each ring finger has metamorphosed into 3D, chrome and gem-encrusted marvels that I don’t quite feel myself without. My nails have always been part of my personality, a permanent accessory that completes every look.
These days, there’s nothing that makes me happier than getting a compliment on my nails, the kind that happens in passing but feels like my personal love language. Maybe a gem catches the light and blinds a baddie who gives me that “Oh, okay, you’re on that” look. Or my niece will grab my hand, feel something lumpy, and turn my fingers over and gasp. Often, older ladies at the till will grab my hand mid-transaction to ask how they were done. It’s such a small thing, but moments like that connect me to people, to girlhood, womanhood, and everything in between.
My explore page and FYP are flooded with the kind of nail art that makes my heart skip: intricate, impractical, and unapologetically OTT. They’re tiny works of art, maximalist masterpieces that make typing, texting, and even zipping up a jacket an extreme sport, but worth every second.
So imagine my disappointment when this year’s biggest nail trends turned out to be… pointedly minimal. Short nails are having a comeback. From Japanese manicures to BB cream and rosehip oil nails, the “barely there” aesthetic has dominated feeds and salons alike. Sure, we’ll see the odd burgundy set at Christmas or a pastel blue in summer, but most people seem committed to the neutral nail agenda year-round.
But maybe that’s about to change.
I caught up with Senior Mylee ambassador Tinu Bello to find out if I’m just in a maximalism echo chamber or if maybe my obsession is catching up with the rest of the world.
“Maximalism in beauty is having a real main character moment,” Tinu tells Glamour. “After years of pared-back, neutral nails, people are clearly craving something expressive and bold. It’s the nail equivalent of statement jewellery! Plus, with social media spotlighting so many creative designs, maximalist nails have become a form of self-expression.”
Maximalist nails can seem really scary to clean girls, but my nails have always been a bridge between the different sides of my personality: between the girly and the otherworldly, the princess and the alien. I want them long, dainty, sparkling, but also larger than life.
“Maximalism doesn’t have to mean cluttered, the trick is to pick a theme or style”, is Tinu’s advice for dipping your tips into maximalist nails. "For example, stick to one colour palette, or focus on one design element (like stars, swirls, or gems) and repeat it across your nails. Negative space is also your friend – letting the natural nail peek through gives the eye some breathing room. That way, your nails look intentional, not messy.”
My nail tech Lottie, aka moodienails.lnd on Instagram, totally embodies that. Her process feels more like art therapy than an appointment. I’ll come in with a moodboard filled with fabrics, TV scenes, jewellery, even screenshots of runway looks, and we’ll build the design together, nail by nail.
“I developed this process because I enjoy creating nails that are personal to each person,” she told me during last weekend’s appointment. “Taking inspiration from their favourite patterns, colours, music and fashion inspirations… allows the client to see their moodboard come to life.”
Having trained as an artist, Lottie said that she “found nails to be the perfect small-scale canvas for creativity, from personal expression to runway and editorial looks.” This process is collaborative, creative and one of the few rituals that grounds me while letting me feel completely myself.
Lately, it’s been exciting to see maximalist nails creeping into the cultural spotlight again. Celebrities like Cynthia Erivo and Marc Jacobs have similarly embraced them as a calling card for their personal style. But let’s be clear; bold, long, vibrant nails have always been a staple in Black culture. Nail styling wouldn’t be nearly as dynamic or imaginative as it is today without the influence of Black women.
Nail art has always been woven into the cultural DNA of Blackness. It’s been a form of storytelling, of community, of reclaiming space and challenging societal norms through creativity. It’s a medium for joy and resistance in equal measure, and it has built industries, careers, and safe spaces for women who turned their craft into independence.
In 1988, Florence Griffith-Joyner, a former nail tech turned Olympic champion, won gold at the Seoul Olympic Games with six-inch, multicoloured maximalist nails that made as many headlines as her record-breaking run. In the ‘90s and early ‘00s, icons like Missy Elliott, Diana Ross and Donna Summer were never seen without their acrylic sets, setting the tone for what glamour and individuality could look like.
By the 2010s, as builder gel, chrome powders, and cat-eye polishes entered the scene, the groundwork laid by Black women decades earlier meant that everyone suddenly had permission to play and to treat nail art as something expressive, not excessive.
“Right now, I’m seeing oversized crystals, studs, gems, and pearls absolutely dominate and I'm loving it – they add instant drama and turn your nails into jewellery in their own right,” Tinu says. “When it comes to maximalist nails, it’s all about having fun and layering those details that make your manicure feel like art. I’m also obsessed with chrome accents – they’re such an easy way to give nails that futuristic, mirror-shine finish. Then there’s the mix-and-match vibe that’s trending with each nail different but tied together with a colour palette, style or theme. It feels playful but still intentional.”
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To me, my nails aren’t just an accessory; they’re an extension of me, of where I come from, and of the women who made self-expression a statement long before it was trending.
