The Bare Nail Trend Just Got Its Own Beauty Brand
Birchbox co-founder Katia Beauchamp has returned to beauty with Buff Beauty — a minimalist, skincare-inspired brand targeting everything below the wrists and ankles.
For decades, full-coverage colour has dominated manis and pedis. Unvarnished nails were traditionally seen as a temporary transition: the period between salon appointments, acrylic removals, or the inevitable polish chip. More recently, though, there’s been a growing shift towards a more understated, natural aesthetic, with Buff Beauty arriving just in time to help us nail the trend.
The new brand is positioning the unadorned nail not as an absence of effort but as a deliberate, elevated choice. Rather than pushing against nail lacquer, Buff Beauty offers an alternative to the constant cycle of polish application, chemical resets, and lengthy salon visits, advocating instead for a more low-maintenance approach.
“For a long time, feeling ‘done’ has meant covering the natural nail with colour,” says Beauchamp. “Buff expands that definition. We’re making the case that a bare nail is an accessible style statement, intentional, elevated, and entirely your own, not an afterthought or an absence of style.”
The brand’s initial focus is on two often overlooked areas of the body: the hands and feet. Its treatment philosophy borrows directly from facial skincare routines, bringing chemical exfoliation and targeted hydration to these areas, nail beds included. The Buff Routine, a three-step regimen, is the ideal place to start.
The first step is the Resurface ($17.00), a weekly chemical exfoliant powered by lactic acid and glycolic acid to help smooth rough skin and remove surface build-up. Applied using a dedicated silicone tip across nails, cuticles, and surrounding skin on both hands and feet, it works as a no-rinse treatment. Beauchamp recommends applying it five to ten minutes before showering to soften cuticles, which can then be gently pushed back using the brand’s Horizon Cuticle Push Back tool.
Next is the Restore ($19.00), a leave-on serum containing keratin amino acids, biotin, and conditioning oils. Applied daily across the nails and surrounding skin, it helps strengthen weakened nails, particularly after gel or polish removal.
The routine finishes with the Revive ($19.00), a high-shine finishing gel oil that acts like a natural top coat. Dispensed through a squeeze-tube sponge applicator, its blend of apricot, olive, jojoba, and camellia oils, alongside squalane, helps lock in the earlier treatment steps while conditioning dry skin and leaving nails with a healthy, glossy finish.
“The best beauty routines are the ones you can actually keep,” Beauchamp adds. “Whether you’re between appointments, taking a break from polish, or wearing bare as your signature, Buff takes only a few minutes and looks intentional every time.”
Buff Beauty is now available online at buffbeauty.com, with prices ranging from $7 to $20. Shipping is currently available exclusively within the US.