A nail tech on TikTok issued a warning to customers who ask for trendy designs like butter nails and cherry cola nails.
Nikki (@nailsbynikki.813) has reached over 7 million views on her viral video. She asked viewers in the caption, “How am I not seeing any of these trends, but everyone else in Tampa apparently is???”
A warning to nail customers who want trendy designs
To start her video, Nikki sets her phone up on a ledge outside of the nail salon she works at and says, “I have a confession as a nail tech.” She also added an on-screen caption that reads, “THE INTERNET IS CONFUSING ME.”
Nikki explains how she came to the back alley behind the nail salon because she can’t “yell at her phone” in front of customers inside.
“I don’t know what these nail trends that you’re saying to me are,” she first says.
“I really wish I knew what cherry cola nails were. But I don’t, and I’m so confused,” she adds.
Where are customers finding these trends?
Next, Nikki mentions how the most confusing part about this is that it’s her job to know nail trends, but she hasn’t seen anything that customers are asking for.
She says that in recent months, she’s had various customers ask her for a specific color with an added chrome layer on top, but they always use a “random name” she’s never heard of.
“I don’t know what this is,” she says, frantically pacing back and forth. “I’m so sorry; I don’t know what butter nails are.”
Before ending her video, she asks, “Can we please stop just, like, making things up on the internet?”
“Go tell your nail tech that you want butter nails,” she says hypothetically. “I don’t know what that is. I don’t know what that is!” she persists, “I’m so, so sorry.”
If you want to get your nails painted the same way as a trend you’ve seen online, Nikki says an easy way to ask is to “Say you want this color with chrome on top” or whatever unique design you want added to your color.
“Don’t be like, can I have some mint sage sparkle nails?” she reenacts. “I don’t know what that is, and then I look stupid. … I’m tired of looking stupid. Please.”
What are butter nails?
According to Real Simple, “butter nails” is the name for a yellow-colored manicure. It first rose to popularity after Selena Gomez showed it off on Instagram.
“In fact, it’s becoming so popular that it was the number two top-searched lifestyle trend on Google in March, according to Google Trends,” the article states. “The cheerful yellow shade is light, but still bright enough to get noticed, without being too over the top.”
If you’re looking to do your own butter nails at home, go for a paler yellow polish reminiscent of that creamy, buttery texture.
According to Real Simple, OPI’s Blinded by the Ring Light nail polish is a potential dupe. The polish has a “creamy tone, and thanks to its fast-drying properties, you can get butter nails in no time,” it adds.
What are cherry cola nails?
Allure states that cherry cola nails are, “playfully sweet with a daring edge,” as the color Cherry Cola Red combines the “lusciousness of ripe cherries with the dark, sultry undertones of cola.”
“A deep, jelly, cherry burgundy red,” they add.
Much like burnt orange, color palettes and pigments are set aside each year in hope of becoming fall’s newest “It” color. This year, cherry cola red sparked popularity on TikTok by trending the beauty hacks, cherry cola lips, cherry cola hair, and cherry cola nails.
Viewers react to the trend names
In the comments, other nail techs weighed in to say they have similar struggles interpreting trend names.
“Omg, why are they calling yellow nails butter nails?” wrote one user.
“My client today asked me about cherry cola nails!!” another said. “Like girl, show me a picture, we’ll get there.”
One user wrote, “As a nail tech…I tell them it’s AI.”
“What happened to like, picking the color you want off the wall?” another added.
@nailsbynikki.813 Like how am i not seeing any of these trends but everyone else in tampa apparently is??? #tampanailtech #florida #fyp ♬ original sound – Nikki
The Daily Dot reached out to request a comment from Nikki via email and TikTok comment.
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