With the Rise of Y3K Beauty, "Smart Nails" Have Never Been More Mainstream

Like everyone and their mother, nail artist Amina Chelloug was enthralled by "brat summer." She decided to take part in the discourse by sporting a Charli XCX esque manicure, but a coat of slime-green lacquer wasn't nearly enough. "I wanted to take it to the next level," she tells me over the phone. Scrolling through Amazon for inspiration (as one does), Chelloug finally came across NFC stickers that could connect to her phone and link to anything she wanted: Instagram, PayPal, a Spotify playlist… Perfect. She linked hers to the Brat album, secured it to her fingernail, and posted the tutorial on TikTok. Twelve million views later (and counting!), it's one of her most viral videos to date.

"Gen Z is tech savvy, so [they] like anything that seems out of this world, new, and fresh," Chelloug says of the video's instant success. Out of this world is absolutely right. A space-age aesthetic has been en vogue for several months now, after all. Lately, however, it's evolved past chrome accents and alien-like makeup. High-tech elements (NFC integrations, AI shopping assistants, etc.) are quickly becoming the main focus, and "smart nails" are leading the charge—somebody call Zenon.

While they are pretty wow-worthy, "smart nails" have actually been around for a bit. The exact phrase first emerged in 2020 from Lanour Beauty Lounge, a Dubai-based salon that offers a professional Smart Nail manicure, complete with a tiny microchip programmed to share personal data with just a tap—like a digital business card at your literal fingertips. Although, Chelloug tells me some nail technicians have used NFC chips as early as 2015. Why are they making waves once again in 2024?

"The nail space is definitely changing," she says. "I see a lot of old nail trends that I used to enjoy resurfacing back in the mainstream because there are so many nail accounts nowadays." Niche nail art communities have much bigger audiences thanks to platforms like TikTok, she adds. So people who might not have had the chance to enjoy that content years ago can now hop on board.

A futuristic, Y3K aesthetic is also very on-trend right now thanks to Japanese and South Korean influence (think K-pop groups like Aespa), and it's especially buzzy when it comes to nails—think chromes, cat-eye gels, and other celestial, sci-fi elements. According to consumer data company Spate, the #futuristic hashtag, when viewed alongside nails, receives an average of 856.5K weekly views, with a 1.2K% increase month over month. Translation? Futuristic nails are only expected to grow in popularity.

Yet these space-age accents also come sprinkled with a retro flair—almost like a nostalgic version of the future. "It's like The Jetsons in the '60s and '80s," explains celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec. (The show originally aired from 1962 to 1963, then later returned from 1985 to 1987.) "People were still living their normal lives while simultaneously being fascinated by the future." And a nail microchip that connects to your social channels is certainly fascinating.

"There's a weird nostalgia for the '90s that the 2000s kids are having," agrees Leah (Winny) Winberg, founder of NFC press-ons brand Chipped Social. The difference is that now we have the technology to make those attractions a reality. Sure, we've seen some groundbreaking wearable tech, like Apple Watches and Oura Rings, that have nailed a sleek design, but there's something about smart nails that has such an "Ooh!" factor. It feels retro-futuristic—and, ahem, way chicer. "It's like cyberpunk goes couture," Winberg adds.

Smart nails are generally best suited for gel manis, as the NFC chip must be encapsulated in between layers of cured polish. Chelloug first applies and cures a base coat, then places the NFC adhesive (from Amazon) onto her nail while the base coat remains a bit tacky. She then encapsulates it with a topcoat—"Maybe two or three coats," she says—before layering on her polish color du jour. Another cure, a final swipe of topcoat, and you're good to go! To activate the chip, you must create an account on the product's listed website (usually nfctools.net), enter the unique code that comes with your chip, and then you can add whatever link(s) you please.

The process is easier than you might think, but still, it does take a bit of skill. (Chelloug is a professional, after all!) Kandalec mentions it may take some practice to get the NFC chip perfectly smooth to remain undetectable underneath the gel. "That's a skill that not everyone can do, [especially] without the nail looking bulbous yet staying thin enough so the chip will be able to scan," she says. "Once Apple makes them, I'll be sold."

Apple hasn't come on the market (yet!), but there are reputable companies streamlining this NFC technology for the average nail art aficionado. Winberg's Chipped Social, for example, safely packages the experiences into one, easy-to-use app. Rather than heading over to a third-party site to add your personal links, which Winberg says "really removes you from the brand," you can keep all of your data within the Chipped world. And because the nails are press-ons, you don't need to be a gel manicure pro to hop on the bandwagon. "We wanted to make it as easy as possible to get involved with this technology without being like, 'Oh, I can't do this because I don't know how to do my nails,'" Winberg explains.

Or consider Nimble Beauty, the world’s first at-home "smart nail salon" powered by AI and robotics. Omri Moran, founder and CEO of the company, compares the device to a Nespresso machine: "Pop in our polish capsules, press a button, and Nimble will scan, paint, and dry your nails," he tells me.

On the back of each capsule lies a unique NFC sticker so the machine can recognize each color, base, and topcoat. The AI camera then learns the exact shape, size, and curvature of your nails before the robotic arm paints each digit with the exact amount of polish needed. (I recently had the opportunity to try Nimble myself before it officially launches this November, and I can confirm that, yes, it is truly mind-blowing.) Better yet, the technology is dynamic, remembering the exact nooks and crannies of your nail beds with each service for flawless results. Talk about a "smart" manicure!

The "smart nail" space is only expected to grow, and the possibilities are endless. In fact, we've only scratched the surface in terms of what we can create on our nail plates. Chelloug is especially curious about custom LED lights—what if she can use a twinkling NFC tag without relying on her phone to activate the code? Winberg would eventually like to explore NFCs embedded in clothing or jewelry, but for now, she's enjoying the hype around smart press-ons. So is Paris Hilton, by the way, who recently featured Chipped on her Sliving Steals blog. (And if there's anyone who can confirm the rise of the retro-futuristic aesthetic, it's the Y2K princess herself.)

"There's so much real estate when it comes to this kind of technology that is so underutilized," Winberg shares. "What if we start building out mini motherboards for our nails?" It may sound far-fetched right now, but consider this: Fifty years ago, who in their right mind would have thought that we'd have touch-screen computers in the palms of our hands? That we'd be able to share photo albums across the globe with the press of a button? That we could spray-paint an actual dress onto someone's body?

When you think about it, an entire universe at your (immaculately painted) fingertips doesn't seem too out of this world at all.

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