Have you noticed that red has became an exceptionally popular nail polish color this year? Well, it’s not a coincidence. Thanks to TikTok, this mani trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Robyn DelMonte, famously known by her followers as @girlbosstown, started this red nails craze as a result of something she coins “the red nail theory.” After getting red nails countless times herself, she began to notice a pattern — without fail, she says, every time she has red nails, men comment on them and hit on her.
She believes this is because when these men were growing up in the ’90s, red nails were a staple for women, aka their mothers and grandmothers may have frequently had this manicure. Because of this, subconsciously, they may associate red nails with being cared for and feelings of unconditional love, making them more likely to feel a connection to you (and your nails, of course).
While many speculate this could be true, others found alternative reasons as to why red nails might be leading to more date invitations and phone number exchanges. First, red is a bold color. Many believe that it is just more noticeable than a common pale pink or white. Secondly, red is commonly seen as a passionate, seductive, romantic color. While DelMonte may associate it with a mother-son relationship, could it be possible that men are associating it with a woman ready to fall in love?
Regardless of the reason, if you’re looking to put the red nails theory to the test, here are the perfect polishes to start with:
OPI Big Apple Red
$11.
Emilie Heathe The Perfect Red
$30.
Revlon Red
$10.
Essie Forever Yummy
$10.
Chanel Rouge Puissant
$30.
Featured Image via @keepingupwithamm. Design by Her Campus Media/Francesca Grima of Unsplash.
