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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.
At the forefront of this micro trend is Canadian nail brand Gelcare. It coined the phrase BB cream nails to describe its Rose BB Cream and Lavender BB cream polishes, with one nail enthusiast, Stephanie Yianni, going so far as to say she's “obsessed” with the brand's new riff on her milky manicure.
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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, on a break from gels or want a new spin on lipgloss nails.
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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 its sheer, milky shades, Gelcare zeroes in on the makeup benefits of a BB cream and its blurring effect masks the appearance of ridges and yellowing. Likewise, Nail Inc's Got Me Glowing Glow-Enhancing Nail Perfector Polish adds a shimmering coat to brighten naked nails.
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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.
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." In other words, the nail care equivalent of glazed donut nails.
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Cutex's BB Nail Concealer is infused with black currant seed oil while Butter London's Sheer Wisdom Nail Tinted Moisturiser taps into the idea of a BB cream's skin tone-matching base. Available in six shades – from sheer vanilla with golden undertones to chocolate with neutral undertones – the formula is powered by antioxidant vitamin E and the amino acid arginine to strengthen weak nails.
In the same way that you can wear a BB cream on its own or underneath other makeup products, a base coat is another easy option if you're looking to nourish and impart a soft, rosy glow. Kiko's BB Base Coat and Chanel's Le Base Camellia are both excellent, while Essie Good As New Nail Perfector is a hydrating treatment powdered by ceramides.
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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.”
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.
Chic but low maintenance.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.