What Are "Rich Girl" Nails?
As much as we love nail art, there's no denying the magnetic pull of a simple, classic, single-color look. Over the last year, we've seen more minimal manicure trends dominate while over-the-top styles took a backseat. Milk-bath, supermodel, and glazed-doughnut nails are all proof of this, but one of our favorites might be the rising "rich girl" nails coined by manicurist Tom Bachik.
Bachik, who works with Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, and Hailee Steinfeld, to name just a few of his A-list clients, dubbed it the "rich girl" manicure after he created the look on Lopez. This particular manicure featured extensions in a soft, tapered-square shape painted with a creamy beige polish. The final result was minimal yet polished and chic, further proving the power of understated beauty choices.
Experts Featured in This Article
Tom Bachik is a celebrity manicurist based in Los Angeles.
What Are "Rich Girl" Nails?
Still, you might be wondering: what exactly qualifies a "rich girl" manicure? It's all in the color choice. "'Rich girl' nails are a modern take on a sophisticated classic," Bachik tells POPSUGAR. "[The] color is a creamy, full-coverage nude playing homage to the greige inspiration originally seen with Chanel." A mix of gray and beige, greige is a cool-toned neutral that's subtle but just noticeable enough to convey that you made an effort. "I like to choose a tone one shade lighter or one shade darker than your natural skin tone, so nails are subtle yet deliberate," he says. In keeping with the rich trends of past (hello, "expensive brunette" hair), a clear, shiny, diamond-like finish is essential.
It's not just Lopez who's taken the trend for a spin: Bella Hadid, Ciara, and Steinfeld have also all worn the look in recent months. As neutrals go, this nail-polish color matches everything in your closet, meaning you always look put together and your choice always feels intentional. The shade is a foolproof, steadfast option for looking and feeling luxurious.
Luckily, you don't have to be a multimillionaire or Hollywood star to get "rich girl" nails. Instead, it's all about picking the right shade of polish. We like the Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail Polish in Modern Love ($20), the Nails Inc. Plant Power Nail Polish in What's Your Spirituality ($9), and the Essie Nail Polish in Wilde Nude ($8). Or to really feel expensive, go with the Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in 105 Particulière ($32).
If you're looking for inspiration photos to bring to your next salon appointment, keep scrolling below.
Jenna Ortega's "Rich Girl" Nails
The "Wednesday" actor attended the 2023 SAG Awards with the perfect greige, "rich girl" manicure.
Angela Bassett's "Rich Girl" Nails
Angela Bassett has also showed off her take on the trend in the past, which was more opaque than the sheer versions we've seen.
Danielle Deadwyler's "Rich Girl" Nails
The most important aspect to the "rich girl" nails trend is the high-shine finish, which is demonstrated perfectly by Deadwyler here.
Becky G's "Rich Girl" Nails
A "rich girl" manicure looks great on all nail shapes, but we especially love it on the stiletto shape like Becky G's version at the 2023 iHeartRadio Awards.
"Rich Girl" French Manicure
French tips are always in style, so why not give them a rich-girl manicure by keeping the greige shade at the tips of the fingers?
Rich Girl Nails With Hearts
Rich girl nails can also get the nail-art treatment and what better way to do so that with these adorable clear hearts.
— Additional reporting by Ariel Baker
Ariel Baker is the associate editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.
Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.