Pearls Are The Next Big Thing In Nail Art

Forget earrings, the new way to wear pearls is in your manicure.

Updated on25 10 2019

Once synonymous with the image of a Sloane Ranger back in the 90s, pearls are undergoing a renaissance. Granted we're talking more accents here and there in knitwear, oversized hair clips laden with them, and embellishing trainers in a limited edition line or two. It's safe to say they are sitting pretty in most stores this season. But who knew they'd rear their gleaming heads in the beauty arena?

The fashion week shows this September conjured up a whole host of new beauty trends for us to get stuck into. There were pastel tones of painterly eyes, braids galore and lip shades so deep and dark they'd satisfy any goth wannabe's appetite. When it came to nails, a clear base and a plethora of embellishments were the order of the day, and our favourite had to be the pearls.

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ADEAM's SS20 show was the one that kicked off the frenzy, although inspo from the likes of DryBy (below) has been around for a while. The base the nail artists painted on differed from model to model, but our favourite was the sheer pearlised shade evocative of the paler shades that would feature in stocking filler nail sets back in the noughties. Uber long oval shaped falsies were used, presumably to provide more space for more pearls, covered with a base shade and a top coat, before stick-on half pearls in different sizes (we're talking from teeny stud earring sized to pea size) were applied on top.

Makeup artists took the look one step further with in some cases with tiny pearls applied to the inner corners of the eyes, see now that's how to go the extra mile.

When it comes to recreating the look for yourself, the key is in making sure you buy pearls that are made to be used in beauty, you want them to have a flat bottom (er, keep your puns to yourself!) so that they stick down fast when you pop them on. Try these Flat Back Pearl Self-Adhesive Sticker Sheets, ££6.99, from Amazon. Have a few cocktail sticks on hand to help you push them into place, and use clear nail polish as your glue. As for your base shade? Try one of these.