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Some people enjoy the warm, frothy taste of lattes, while others are simply in it for the vibes, and that’s OK. Either way, you can’t deny the gravitational pull toward your nearest barista that hits the second there’s a slight chill in the air. So it should come as no surprise that the aesthetic is rubbing off on the beauty space, first starting with the Tiktok-viral “latte makeup” trend and now with latte nails.
Neutral manicures have been on the up and up for the greater part of the last year. Blame it on the “clean girl” and “quite luxury” aesthetics, but the affinity for barely there polishes is showing no signs of wavering anytime soon. Latte nails are just the newest iteration of that style with a fresh twist for fall and winter.
To learn more about this nail-polish trend for fall, we tapped NYC-based salon Tenoverten‘s founder Nadine Abramcyk for more.
What Are Latte Nails?
Picture the delicious milky goodness inside your coffee cup — that’s the shade you’re going for. “Latte nails are an extension of the coffee craze overtaking the beauty scene,” Abramcyk tells POPSUGAR. The toasted brown hue is a bit lighter than a jet-black espresso color but more pigmented than the milk-bath hue that was everywhere this summer.
“Given latte nails’ transcendence across the coffee continuum, the trend can be curated to wearer preference,” she says. “I love a nutty toasted look, which resembles that of an iced almond latte.” For this, try a nail polish like the Tenoverten Canal Polish ($14), which has a creamy glazed finish. But ultimately, just like your coffee order, you can re-create this manicure exactly the way you like it. Case in point: Jennifer Lopez’s chai-latte-inspired tips at NYFW. We like the shades like the CND Vinylux Longwear Nude Nail Polish in Powder My Nose ($12) or Nails Inc.’s perfectly on-trend Cappuccino to Go Nail Polish Duo ($15).
The color can hold its own, but for anyone looking to punch it up a bit, it provides a great neutral base for nail art, should you choose to add some. Abramcyk recommends an ombré latte nail look or a french manicure using the latte hue as the tip or the base.
