I'm a Minimalist, and I'm Obsessed With the "Rich Girl" Nail Trend

• “Rich girl” nails are a minimalist manicure trend.
• The term was coined by celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik and has been seen on everyone from Zendaya to Selena Gomez.
• The look typically features a creamy, full-coverage nude color.

Picking a color at the nail salon is probably one of the hardest decisions I make every two weeks. (I know, first-world problems.) However, unless I’m opting for vacation nails and willing to do a fun red, I usually keep my nail-polish colors in the neutrals camp. That’s why when I first saw “rich girl” nails, a new trend I’ve seen everywhere from red carpets to social media, I was immediately interested.

The look was first coined by celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik, whose A-list clientele includes Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez, and it’s a minimalist’s dream. “‘Rich girl’ nails are a modern take on a sophisticated classic,” Bachik previously told POPSUGAR. “[The] color is a creamy, full-coverage nude paying homage to the greige inspiration originally seen with Chanel.” As for which polish color to choose exactly, Bachik has a tip. “I like to choose a tone one shade lighter or one shade darker than your natural skin tone, so nails are subtle yet deliberate,” he says.

With that thought in mind, to try the trend, I headed to Tiffany Nail Salon in Santa Monica, my go-to spot. When I arrived, I knew I was going to need to swipe on a few shades before finding the perfect “rich girl” color, so I grabbed a few bottles to test.

Once I had a few options picked out, we started out by removing the gel I had on from a previous french manicure. When that was taken care of, Tiffany began filing and shaping my nails. I’ve been growing my nails out for the last few months, so we opted not to cut any of the length in an effort to let them continue growing. I’ve seen the “rich girl” nail trend on all different shapes and lengths of nails, but I think my nails look best in a rounded-almond shape, so that’s what I went with.

After we were finished shaping them and applied a base coat, it was time for the color. We tested four different possibilities but finally settled on OPI Bare My Soul ($20). The shade is the perfect neutral with the tiniest bit of gray undertone, but most importantly, it was slightly lighter than my natural skin tone and looked great after application. “Rich girl” nails are more opaque than sheer, so we opted for two coats of the gel color. Once the polish dried, we added a shiny top coat to give them a “rich” and luxe look.

Since trying the trend, I’ve had a few people ask me if I have Gel-X extensions because my nails just look too damn good to be natural. I’m obsessed with the color we went with, love the glossy finish, and can’t wait to addt to my monthly rotation. Plus, the way my fingertips reflect the light like a piece of jewelry really do make me feel rich as hell — even if my bank account says otherwise.

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