Suddenly, bare nails are trending.The complex, hours-long appointments that led to Hailey Bieber-inspired glazed donut nails, as well as nails dotted with berries or stars or bedazzled with gems, no longer apply. Now, the trend is a nude, simple manicure, and even (gasp!) simply bare, unpainted nails.
More women are choosing to go bare — or, bare with a little help from a new class of products dedicated to making going bare chic.
“I’m a die-hard naked nail person,” said Amy Welsman, founder and CEO at Paume, a brand that primarily focuses on hand care. Paume, in fact, does not sell a single polish product, sticking to a $29 All-in-One Cuticle & Nail Cream and a $28 Hand & Nail Brush. Welsman developed the cream as an alternative to cuticle oils, which she found didn’t absorb quickly. A cream, however, “allowed for more active ingredients to treat various nail issues.”
“Our product is formulated with biotin and keratin, similar to what we put in our hair, but for our nails,” she said. “It helps with strengthening nails and preventing that peeling that can happen.” She noted that alcohol in the formula also helps kill bacteria in the nail bed.
According to market research firm Spate, the popularity of nude nails has remained relatively stable year over year, with 6.9% growth across platforms. However, the trend has accelerated more recently, posting 53% quarter-over-quarter growth, suggesting new momentum. Clear nails, meanwhile, have seen over 26% year-over-year growth. The data is based on Spate’s Popularity Index (U.S., ending April 2026), which combines Google search volume, TikTok views and Instagram posts to measure consumer interest.
