“Ballet Nails” Are a Minimalist’s Dream

Beauty trends are constantly evolving. One minute, “Kawaii” nail art and other maximalist designs were on top. And the next, more pared-back styles, like glazed-doughnut and “Korean-blush” nails, are trending on Instagram. That’s what we love about beauty: There’s something for everyone. If you lean more minimal with your beauty looks, you might want to add the “ballet nail” trend to your mood board. Ballet nails or ballerina-slipper nails are gaining attention on social media, fitting right in with the biggest nail-art trends right now. “This trend mixes the ‘clean-girl’ and ‘ballet-girl’ aesthetics,” manicurist and Orly educator An Cao tells POPSUGAR.

“To break it down, it’s a monochromatic french tip in an almost-coffin-shape nail that resembles ballet pointe shoes,” Cao explains. “It’s really girly and pretty.”

French manicures have seen a powerful resurgence in recent years, spurring countless spinoff trends – and the ballet manicure is yet another example. The look is similar to a traditional french manicure, but it features a unique shape and pink nail polish, which gives it the ballerina feel.

How to Get the Ballerina-Nail Trend

As much as we love a DIY mani, this is a design you’ll most likely want to get at the salon because of the shape alone. “You’ll likely need to build gel extensions with Builder in a Bottle [also known as BIAB nails] or Aprés gel tips to get the length first,” Cao says. “Ask for a coffin-shaped nail with round edges and a pink french tip with a sheer pink base.”

That’s not to say you can’t do this manicure on your natural nails – you’ll just need to have some extra length to play with. If you’re attempting to re-create the look on your natural nails, Cao advises you “file straight across the top of the nail like you’re going for a square nail. Then file the side straight up and down first, and gently angle the file to bring the shape into more of a trapezoid. Be careful not to make the nail too pointy.” Once you have the general shape, just round off the corners to give it that pointe look.

“The easiest way to get this look is to use a polish with buildable pigment,” Cao advises. “Orly’s Lift The Veil ($20) is a good sheer pink that can be built for opacity.” We also like Essie’s Ballet Slippers Nail Polish ($10), which is perfectly named. Depending on your desired look and the polish you use, you may need a few coats. To create the rounded french tip along the edge of the nail, use nail guides like the Orly Half Moon Guides ($6) and the complementary nail polish color of your choice (pink and white, of course, is the most traditional option). You can also try the at-home nail stamp hack.

Ballet Nails Inspiration

Ahead, get inspiration for ballet nails to take with you to the salon.