Alexa Chung Just Wore Autumn’s Most Polished Pedicure

Alexa Chung taking a mirror selfie, and photos of feet with a bare French pedicure — (Image credit: @alexachung, @millymason_)

As a beauty editor, part of my job is to report on nail trends, but also pedicure trends that I see emerging on the most well-heeled of feet season to season. Over the summer, I observed the rise of the bare pedicure on tastemakers, quickly following in the footsteps of the bare nail trend we saw earlier in the summer. And for autumn, it seems the fashion set is still forgoing full pedicure colours on their toes, but with an upgrade on the totally bare look.

Alexa Chung wearing denim Dior shoes with a natural-looking French pedicure

I spotted this "bare" French pedicure on Alexa Chung recently, and since then, I've been spotting more barely-there French pedicures everywhere on my feeds. Rather than a standard French pedicure with a crisp, defined line, these toes have a healthy flush of sheer pink polish, but paired with a sheer, soft French tip that looks entirely natural. It's like "no-makeup" makeup for your toes.

A close-up of a pair of feet in brown trousers, painted with a sheer pink polish on the toes with a natural French tip

This natural-looking French pedicure doesn't just make your feet look immaculately manicured, but it's also a great transitional summer-to-autumn pedi trend to tide you over between the seasons, and it will go with any outfit or open-toed shoes in your wardrobe. One way to achieve the effect is to use a sheer, milky white polish on the tips of your toes—in place of a bright white—paired with an equally sheer pink nail polish to make your toes look glossy and healthy. And if you're doing a pedicure at home, scroll on for the products to perfect the bare French pedicure at home.

Shop the Trend:

Manucurist

Nail Polish in Milky White

The perfect sheer white that will brighten the tips of your nails whilst remaining natural-looking.

Manucurist

Dotting Tool & Nail Art Liner Brush Duo

A fine-tipped nail art brush makes all the difference for a French tip.

Chanel

Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Ballerina

Try Chanel's Ballerina for a bare pedicure finish.

Manucurist

Glow Routine

For a totally au natural pedicure, try the Japanese pedicure. You apply and buff the nail serum into the nails, and you're left with a healthy-looking shine without polish.

Kiko Milano

Kiko Milano French Manicure White Pencil

This brightening pencil is an easy and effective way to brighten the whites of your nails without a salon appointment.

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Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections.

With a degree in fashion journalism from the London College of Fashion, she has 10 years of industry experience and has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.

Eleanor’s journalistic focus is providing readers with honest and helpful beauty content. She has interviewed celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson.