Yes, you should try Sarah Jessica Parker's liquorice manicure for summer

And just like that, we're incorporating inky blacks into our spring/summer nail rotation

Sarah Jessica Parker attends Max Original's "And Just Like That" Season 3 Photo Call at Crane Club on May 21, 2025 in New York City.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

While it's true that butter yellow and soapy pink shades continue to dominate nail trends for the warmer months of the year, if you're yearning for a change or just don't love milky pastels, Sarah Jessica Parker's liquorice manicure is the rebellious alternative to consider.

Now, don't get us wrong, many of the trending spring nail colours are timeless and versatile options in and of themselves, but black nails, like red, truly never go out of style.

In our opinion, a coat of glossy black is the manicure equivalent of having a little black dress in your wardrobe. Sophisticated, chic and timeless. Sarah Jessica Parker recently rejected this season's array of lilacs and pinks in favour of a rich, liquorice hue - and we're so here for it.

So if you're looking to retire pastel and sheer nail polishes, here's why SJP's manicure - and chic choice of nail shape - might be the answer.

The rich and rebellious mani Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing this spring

Stepping out for the opening night of Smash on Broadway on April 10th, SJP embodied sophistication in a black lace dress, black pointed-toe stilettos, and a long tailored coat. To complete the monochromatic look, the style icon opted for a short and square glossy black manicure, which, unsurprisingly, caught the eyes of our nail-obsessed beauty team.

On the left, Sarah Jessica Parker is pictured wearing a black dress and coat and with a black manicure at the opening night of "Smash" on Broadway at The Imperial Theatre on April 10, 2025 in New York City and on right, is a close-up of Sarah Jessica Parker's hands from the same picture, to show her black nails.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

So far this year, we've spotted a trend of milky pinks and nude nails appearing on the red carpet, more so in the lead-up to spring. Our own April nails were also a sea of subtle pastel hues, but Sarah Jessica's nails pose as a reminder that, no matter the season, a dark nail colour will always look elevated. Plus, when everyone else is wearing light and breezy paints on their nails, there's something to be said for breaking the mould and setting a vampier tone.

While we can understand reservations about wearing a slick of jet black on our nails, SJP showed us you can't go far wrong if you're wearing all black everything.

Choosing a short square nail shape will also offset the darkness of the shade, offering a touch more subtlety and modernity.

Shop Liquorice Nail Shades

For those doing their nails at home, we would suggest applying a base coat, preferably a hybrid best nail strengthener like OPI's Nail Envy or Start To Finish polish. Then apply two to three coats of your chosen black nail polish.

For an extra mirror-like shine, apply a clear top coat like essie's Gel Couture top coat or the NAILKIND Mr Volume plumping gloss.

Naomi Jamieson
Digital Beauty Writer

Naomi is a Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she covers everything from makeup to skincare but specialises, particularly, in fragrance and nail trends. Through her work, Naomi shares her trend expertise and personal product recommendations. She is also a judge for woman&home's annual hair, skincare and beauty awards.

Previously, she worked as a Lifestyle News Writer for My Imperfect Life magazine, where she used her savvy for TikTok to bring readers the latest beauty buzzwords, fashion movements and must-have products.

Before that, Naomi split her time between both GoodTo and My Imperfect Life, whilst training for her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ, for which she earned a Distinction. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied Illustration at Plymouth University but leapt into the media world in 2020, to pursue her passion for writing. Now, when she isn’t reporting on the best perfumes and latest beauty releases, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee and probably online shopping...