Velvet nails are headlining for autumn-winter and we have all the yum inspo

It's not enough for our beauty products to simply look good anymore. They have to sound good (hello ASMR) and it helps if they feel good too. Velvet nails are coming through with this last point with an illusion mani that looks so soft, you want to reach out and stroke it.

While velvet nails aren't a new phenomenon, they've undeniably hit the mainstream since we can't scroll down our social feeds without running into a velour-inspired mani. And, even though they're heavy on old-school '90s nostalgia (what with velvet scrunchies and pinafore dresses being the uniform of the decade), applied as a manicure we're pretty sure velvet nails may be our favourite grown-up autumn nail trend so far. The look has been given a beauty glow-up to create a mani that's soft, stunning, sophisticated and low-key mystifying (how can it possibly resemble velvet?!)

What are velvet nails?

So, what exactly are velvet nails, because we're pretty sure the material itself would be impractical, right? Instead, velvet nails take your standard mani to the next level, giving the luxe, silky, velour-like look of velvet material but with a smooth, shiny non-fuzzy finish that feels like normal gel polish.

The technique uses a mix of glitter and metallic polishes to create the illusion of texture, thanks to some clever light reflection. And formulas are only getting smarter and more realistic with cat eye gel polishes using actual magnets to next-level magnetic polishes.

How to wear velvet nails?

We've seen the trend remixed so many ways from moody midnight shades to pretty pastels and jelly top coats that add extra dimension. But we've rounded up some of our favourite renditions below…