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As a reformed nail biter, I tend to go big or go home with my manicures. I love bright pastels, vampy jewel tones — basically any color that doesn’t resemble my nails’ natural Silly Putty beige color. So when “BB cream” nails started to gain traction on TikTok (“What Are BB Cream Nails” has thousands of results there) I took note. From TikTok, I did some digging and spotted that “bb cream nails” also saw a spike in Google searches last month (when you work on the Internet, you pay attention to these things!). I was quick to dismiss it as nude nails repackaged for the TikTok generation, but clearly, there was more to it than I’d initially thought.
What are BB cream nails?
To fully understand the manicure trend, we have to look to skincare. BB creams — or blemish balm creams — are highly moisturizing creams that tuck away redness and blur skin staining left behind by breakouts, for example. When it comes to nails, BB polishes work in a similar fashion: by minimizing the appearance of ridges and nail spots, all while lending a glossy, nude finish. BB cream nails are also similar to nail tints in the sense that both looks are all about sheer, glossy nails — only nail tints encompass jelly-like hues like pinks and sheer reds.
Initially a cynic, I’m not above being proved wrong, so I volunteered to try the trend out myself to see if I could be converted. While there are a handful of BB cream-esque polishes on the market, I was swayed by Butter London’s Sheer Wisdom Nail Tinted Moisturizers, mainly because they are a nail polish and a treatment hybrid. They are said to nourish dry nails, prevent peeling and splitting and strengthen the nail plate over time. What’s more, the sheer tint comes in five shades to suit a variety of skin tones, rather than just one “universal” (read inflexible) nude. Sheer Wisdom is fueled by vitamin E (a beloved skincare ingredient for antioxidant protection), tea tree oil (more commonly found in acne products, but also a gamechanger for offering long-term moisture for breakage-prone nails), as well as keratin, and arginine, an amino acid to support nail growth. It sounded lovely, but most convincing was that it would make my nails look good in moments — and from the comfort of my own home.
How do you achieve BB cream nails?
Before applying anything, I prepped my nails by filing and buffing them to perfection. I always buff before nail polish to remove any traces of old polish, dirt, and oil and to ensure smooth, even application. Out of the shades, I picked Medium — a sheer, warm beige. I own several other Butter London polishes, which were definitely less pigmented than the lacquers — which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. One coat added a barely-there tint, and two created a milky glaze of color. After letting both coats dry completely, I followed Butter London’s instructions and sealed everything in with a top coat. The result? Clean, impossibly glossy, utterly chic nails that couldn’t have been easier to achieve at home. (The brand recommends adding another coat after a few days to “refresh” and extend the treatment benefits, but I found that the color lasted almost a full week with only a bit of chipping and reduced shine.) Reviewers mentioned that the shades skew a bit warm (I found this was only noticeable with two coats), so if you have very cool undertones, I might recommend a single coat instead.
After removing the treatment, my nails definitely felt smoother, stronger, and super healthy — not dry and discolored, as with some other polishes. At $18 (the same as Butter London’s nail lacquers and other treatments), it’s priced above drugstore polishes, but below luxury brands. I personally love nail treatments, but having one that doubles as polish is genius. It’s quiet luxury 2.0 but she’s an overachiever — what’s not to love?
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