Nailing the Most Era-Defining Manicures

From the French to Y2K bling, these singular nail looks captured the spirit of their time.

You’ve heard of Girl Dinner. You’ve heard of Girl Math. Behold: Girl Hands. Call it an evolutionary response to the fashion industry’s lack of appropriately sized pockets or just an apt metaphor for the many roles and responsibilities expected of today’s modern women, but you’ve definitely seen (or experienced) this phenomenon IRL.

Consider the simple coffee run. It’s basically an impossible feat without holding an oat milk latte in one hand with phone and water bottle clasped precariously in the other, all with a purse nestled under the chin à la Ben Affleck. And who among us hasn’t looped a set of keys around our index finger between a beauty product or two (or three) in a rushed makeup-on-the-train type of morning? Much like the talent required to drop off a child at daycare just in time for a budget meeting or the knack for visualizing three separate schedules of friends and family at once, the skill of balance (physically, emotionally, organizationally) is a Girl World right of passage.

So, too, is the Girl Long Division of beauty maintenance—and nails, perhaps most of all. If Susie’s last manicure was three weeks ago, her beach vacation starts in 8 days, and her evenings are booked through July, when is her salon appointment?

Over the past 30 years, the aesthetics may have changed (remember those clunky early cell phones?), but visits to the nail salon remain a constant comfort—and we have the nail art to prove it. Much like tailored suiting, the quintessential ‘90s French manicure still lives on as a classic go-to in 2024. Similar to the art of couture, the increasingly maximalist nail masterpieces of the past five years continue to push the envelope, taking beauty artistry to new heights. And, of course, what’s not to love about the short, dark, square manicure of the indie sleaze era?

Ahead, find the best trends of the past three decades, recreated by nail artist extraordinaire Aja Walton and inspired by the full lives—and hands!—of the mani devotees who love them.

The Classic '90s French

Nothing—and I mean nothing—hits quite like a fresh French mani, and the 1990s favorite is back in a major way today. The original mid-length, square-tip shape evokes not just fashion legends like Princess Diana and Mary J. Blige, but also our mothers, grandmothers, and aunts who lived through the era.

“For this French Manicure, the inspiration is really my mom,” says Walton. But the pro made a point of not going full-on nostalgic. Instead, the nail artist opted for a nude base (rather than the traditional pink) and a softer, arched tip (as opposed to the ‘90s straight edge) to bring the French manicure into 2024.

Y2K McBling Nails

The Y2K style revival is going strong, and beauty trends are no exception. To truly channel the energy of the era, Walton was inspired by the must-have accessory of the early aughts: the bedazzled sidekick phone.

If you remember the 2000s, you’ll remember Paris Hilton’s covetable cell had an absolute chokehold on teens and tweens everywhere, with many of us (myself included) begging our parents for the sparkly pink number to no avail. If you’re still chasing that high years later, perhaps a Y2K manicure is the treat your inner middle-schooler has been waiting for? Just add a few pearl details, as Walton recommends, to lend a modern twist to the McBling mani.

The Indie Sleaze Manicure

If messy girl makeup and beat-up Balenciaga bags are more your thing, welcome OPI’s iconic shade “Lincoln Park After Dark” back into your life. The It shade of the indie sleaze era reads inky-black at first glance, but its purple undertones and subtle sparkle truly set it apart from the rest.

So, why mess with perfection? Walton applied two layers of the beloved throwback shade for the ultimate Indie Sleaze manicure. Now, all that’s missing is a Diet Coke in one hand, an iPod shuffle in the other, and a big leather bag—the slouchier, the better.

Maximalist Nail Masterpieces

Think of this look as haute couture for your nails. As nail artists and enthusiasts pushed the boundaries of what manicures could look like in the 2010s, a deluge of Instagram likes poured in. Staggering 3D renderings, hanging nail charms, and flights of nail fancy took our fingers into uncharted, ultra-viral manicure territory.

These manicures may or may not be the most practical (imagine typing an email with a mini strawberry affixed to your index finger), but that’s by design, explains Walton. “I feel like we're evolving past our 2D functional nails into something that is not functional and just makes no sense [in daily life],” she says, sharing that this was her favorite look to create.

Sometimes, life needs to imitate art, not the other way around.

Glazed Girls

Hungry? This decade, beauty trends are replete with delicious-sounding descriptors, like the  “glazed” nail trend that has been inescapable of late. While Hailey Bieber may have added to its popularity, the chrome finish has been here for years, and part of its recent resurgence, no doubt, is its versatility. “It looks beautiful over any shade that you choose,” says Walton, “whether it’s chocolate, lavender, white, or more of the glazed donut pink champagne type of color.”

So go ahead, glaze yourself. (Erewhon smoothie not included.)

What's Next for Our Nails

While glazed nail domination shows no signs of receding, Walton has a prediction: pearlescence will pick up.

“The one [manicure] that I feel like is going to take off is a sterling pearl chrome, which is mixed with silver and white,” she says. “You get a bit of a chrome cast to it—it's still transparent like the white chrome—but it allows you to get more shine from it. It's also more noticeable, especially on camera.”

Whether your favorite mani is looking to the future or channeling the past, one thing’s for certain: You’ll have stuff to hold, priorities to juggle, and a balance to strike. So you might as well do it in style.

Credits

• Models

• Alexis Grace for State Management

• Gabrielle Richardson & Marley Betty for Muse

• Manicurist

• Aja Walton

• Manicurist Assistant

• Denaya Woods

• Stylist

• Kevin Huynh

• Fashion Market

• Frances Solá-santiago

• Prop Stylist

• Ethan Lunkenheimer

• Hair

• Yukiko Tajima

• Makeup

• Rebecca Alexander

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