The "Naked" Mani Everyone's Getting to Make Their Nails Look Longer

When it comes to nails, both fashion and beauty girls seem to be united on one thing: A great manicure will always be the cherry on the cake. But, if you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to do at the end of a busy day is to spend half an hour painstakingly applying a base coat, two coats of colour and a top coat only to immediately ruin all your hard work when you unbutton your jeans to switch into your comfies.

That's where this nail trend comes in. Negative-space manicures are the newest approach to nude nails. The style is low-maintenance, stylish and fun, and I'm already rushing to the nearest nail salon to try it myself. There's something we've noticed about every iteration—they magically make your nails look longer, so this is particularly great for anyone who doesn't want to/can't grow them out.

Traditionally, thanks to their lack of dry time, gel manicures have been a good manicure option for the impatient—but they require a level of upkeep all of their own. Once the growing out period starts, you’ll be forced to book a repeat appointment to have them removed or redone, or risk scraping them off yourself and damaging your nails in the process. (Guilty as charged.)

However, the recent swerve toward negative-space nails means that you can afford to take a more relaxed approach to your nail care. The most stylish girls on Instagram have been sporting this new nude nail meaning that you'll earn major cool-girl points. But, most importantly, by leaving huge portions of your nails completely bare, you can almost eliminate any growing out period associated with classic manicures.

There's no doubting that nude nails are a classic manicure option that will always look. chic but it seems that embracing your natural nails with a negative-space manicure is the new way to nude. 

If you're going to go bare, then here are a few recommendations that will keep your nails looking as polished as possible. 

Next up, 24 of the prettiest shoes we've seen this year.