While it's true that butter yellow and soapy pink shades continue to dominate nail trends for the warmer months of the year, if you're yearning for a change or just don't love milky pastels, Sarah Jessica Parker's liquorice manicure is the rebellious alternative to consider.
Now, don't get us wrong, many of the trending spring nail colours are timeless and versatile options in and of themselves, but black nails, like red, truly never go out of style.
In our opinion, a coat of glossy black is the manicure equivalent of having a little black dress in your wardrobe. Sophisticated, chic and timeless. Sarah Jessica Parker recently rejected this season's array of lilacs and pinks in favour of a rich, liquorice hue - and we're so here for it.
So if you're looking to retire pastel and sheer nail polishes, here's why SJP's manicure - and chic choice of nail shape - might be the answer.
The rich and rebellious mani Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing this spring
Stepping out for the opening night of Smash on Broadway on April 10th, SJP embodied sophistication in a black lace dress, black pointed-toe stilettos, and a long tailored coat. To complete the monochromatic look, the style icon opted for a short and square glossy black manicure, which, unsurprisingly, caught the eyes of our nail-obsessed beauty team.
So far this year, we've spotted a trend of milky pinks and nude nails appearing on the red carpet, more so in the lead-up to spring. Our own April nails were also a sea of subtle pastel hues, but Sarah Jessica's nails pose as a reminder that, no matter the season, a dark nail colour will always look elevated. Plus, when everyone else is wearing light and breezy paints on their nails, there's something to be said for breaking the mould and setting a vampier tone.
While we can understand reservations about wearing a slick of jet black on our nails, SJP showed us you can't go far wrong if you're wearing all black everything.
Choosing a short square nail shape will also offset the darkness of the shade, offering a touch more subtlety and modernity.
Shop Liquorice Nail Shades
This Essie nail polish is the perfect option for recreating Sarah Jessica Parker's manicure at home, as it offers impressive coverage and a gel-like shine.
Another great pick is OPI's Lady In Black nail polish, with its inky black shade and striking shine.
You won't catch a member of our beauty team doing an at-home mani without this Essie top coat that provides a salon-worthy finish.
For those doing their nails at home, we would suggest applying a base coat, preferably a hybrid best nail strengthener like OPI's Nail Envy or Start To Finish polish. Then apply two to three coats of your chosen black nail polish.
For an extra mirror-like shine, apply a clear top coat like essie's Gel Couture top coat or the NAILKIND Mr Volume plumping gloss.
