Apart from a half-naked Mark Ruffalo, Eliou earrings and a pair of strappy sandals (the Murano glass lamp is an obsession for another time), my Instagram saves currently reads like an ode to naked nails.

While my Instagram saves are normally a good indicator of where my head is at, by definition, I’m not usually nail-obsessed, so I wanted to get to the bottom of why the naked manicure had suddenly taken over my feed. 

After speaking to international skin and nail expert, Jocelyn Petroni, who offers a naked manicure at her Woollahra salon, it’s clear that I’m not the only one being drawn to healthy, natural-looking nails, “There is growing trend towards bare nails that are shiny and look healthy, with pink nail beds reflecting good blood flow, strong white edges and no discolouration.”

But before you book an appointment, if you are wanting to try and get this look with your natural nails — minus tips, gels or acrylics — it’s all about stepping up your nail care. 

Jocelyn recommends incorporating a nail hardener into your routine, to strengthen and prevent breakages (which will help to achieve your desired length and shape), like the Mavala Scientifique K+ Nail Hardener, as well as a specialist cuticle oil. “If you regularly apply cuticle oil, as the cuticle grows back it will be smooth, without splitting, breaking and hardening”, explains Jocelyn. 

Please excuse me while I now go and bath in cuticle oil and keep reading to see some of my favourite naked nail looks below.