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‘Sunglass Nails’ Are the Breakout Nail Trend of NYFW

Sheer, glassy and worth copying immediately.

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Sheer, pearlescent "sunglass nails" in champagne and bronze tones from Diane von Furstenberg's SS27 runway show.
essie

New York Fashion Week is, of course, known for its style, both on the runways and the streets alike. And sure, we’re a beauty magazine, so we’re a little biased—but the beauty side of NYFW deserves the same spotlight. This season, the trend leading that charge is “sunglass nails,” shown by celebrity nail artist Miss Pop at Diane von Furstenberg’s Spring/Summer 2027 show.

The nails themselves are long, almond-shaped and translucent, in soft washes of champagne, bronze and soft green. There’s a faint shimmer to them, but it's subtle (more glow than glitter), and the barely there color lets the natural nail show through underneath. Honestly, they’re not all that different from clear glass nails and other similar-looking trends, but a catchy name always helps a look take off, and “sunglass nails” is about as good as it gets.

essie

essie

Miss Pop acknowledges the similarities, but says the difference is in the details. “With the glass nail trend taking over, we wanted to give it a more sheer, modern twist,” she says. “Using light layers of essie paired with the Special Effects line, the nails had a subtle pearlescent finish—effortlessly cool like your favorite pair of sunglasses.”

“I drew inspiration from the collection’s rich browns, striking greens and sheer fabrics,” Miss Pop continues. From there, she translated them into what she calls “the perfect complementary nail looks,” using one essie shade for each of the three looks debuted on the catwalk: Baby Carats ($13), Cactus Jelly ($13) and Liquid Sunrise ($13)—all of which happen to also be perfect for fall manicures.

Want to get the look at home? Lucky for us, it’s very doable. To recreate look one, apply one even layer of Baby Carats to clean, prepped nails for that sheer, high-shine base. For look two, follow the same Baby Carats base, then add a second coat of Liquid Sunrise once it dries for a caramelized, pearlescent finish. Look three skips Baby Carats entirely: apply two light coats of Cactus Jelly instead for a soft, dimensional green. No matter which look you choose, finish with one layer of essie Gel Setter Top Coat ($11) to lock in the shine.

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