Angelina Jolie walked the red carpet at yesterday’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 15th Annual Governors Awards resplendent in a gold metallic and lace floor-length gown and eye-catching jewels. But equally enticing? Her elegant and simple manicure that combined two of our favorite nail trends of the moment: “soft almond nails” and “soap nails.” Read on to learn why we love both.
Soft Almond Nails
An almond nail shape is one of the most popular among nail artists and their clients because it’s thought to be one of the most flattering. “With the almond shape, the nails are slender and taper to a rounded peak, which makes your fingers look super elegant and elongated,” celebrity nail artist Julie Kandalec previously explained to NewBeauty. Simply put, whether you wear them long or short, in any color or design, almond nails look timeless and sleek.
Soft almond nails, in a similar spirit to squoval nails, combine almond and round nail shapes by taking the pointed peak of an almond shape and rounding it out a bit further, softening the point. The end result is a look that’s a little more delicate and chic than the original.
Soap Nails
“Soap nails’ key feature is that sleek, wet, soapy look,” our editor reported back in October. Also, similar to lip gloss nails and glass nails, soap nails are all about understated elegance. But, as our editor further explained, while there’s “some significant overlap” with other nail trends, soap nails’ high-gloss finishes always veer nude and sheer rather than in hues of milky whites or pinks—basically, like your natural nails, but so much more luxurious-looking.
And while we don’t know the exact nail polish Jolie showed off on the arm of her youngest son, Knox Jolie-Pitt, nail experts have given us some of their recommendations to copy the “soap nails” manicure. Morgan Haile, nail expert and Gelish brand ambassador recommends Gelish Foundation Flex ($18) “because it hides imperfections and is a two-in-one base and color with a few shade options.” Rebecca Isa, Creative Director at Zoya, recommends applying “two to three layers of a Zoya Naked Manicure Perfector Shade ($12)—like pink, nude or buff, to create a sheer, healthy nail color” and finishing with “a super glossy top coat, such as Zoya Naked Manicure Ultra Glossy Seal Top Coat ($14), to give nails that high shine, wet look effect.” Other nail polishes we love for creating this look include Chanel La Base Camélia ($32), Static Nails Creme Brulee ($16) and Londontown Perfecting Nail Veil #4 ($20).
