Once considered to be a bold beauty move, black nail polish is now as celebrated as crème blush and liquid bronzer. But thanks to Sydney-based marketing guru and self-confessed beauty lover, Courtney McVay, the now humble black manicure has been reinvented.
McVay recently posted this above photo of her manicure on Instagram and I’ve been obsessed ever since. While the painted matte black and glossy tip is easy to re-create at home, you’re best to leave the exaggerated point to the professionals as it will only work well on acrylic nails. If you’re not brave enough to give the angular shape a go, you can still rock this texture combination on perfectly squared nails.
To get this gothic-inspired, two-toned manicure, paint two coats of glossy black nail polish such as Butter London Nail Lacquer in Union Jack Black and let it dry. Take a matte topcoat like the Jin Soon Matte Maker and cover each nail with one coat, allowing it to dry fully. Then, with your black polish, paint two angular lines across the tip of the nail. You don’t have to worry about being too precise since the whole nail is black, and the matte polish tends to be thinner than regular nail polish, which makes for less accidental blobbing. But, if you are particular, you can always use manicure guides or even adhesive tape to ensure a perfect line—just make sure your nails are completely dry before you stick anything to them.
