No, it’s not just you: Red nail polish is having a renaissance. I noticed this after returning to the office post-holiday break. I’d just taken off my gel nail extensions (RIP), opting to wear my natural nails short to prevent breakage. Nail art felt pointless due to the lack of real estate, so I went for a classic shade of red instead. Apparently, so did everyone else. At work the next day, it seemed every colleague I saw was also wearing a classic red mani (even today, typing this, I count four classic red manis on colleagues without leaving my seat), and seeing as we work in beauty and fashion, I’d like to think we have decent taste. Is it nail-art fatigue? Do we want something familiar and reliable? Or is this simply a continuation of the all-red-everything trend? Perhaps it’s all of the above…and likely a hint of red-nail theory.

Jump to all of the best red nail polishes.

Red-nail theory is essentially another form of the manifestation manicure. It was coined by Robyn Delmonte on TikTok, who believes red nail polish attracts men because it reminds them of their childhood caregivers. While that Freudian analysis is certainly up for debate, there could be something to it. According to Sarah Potter, a tarot reader and psychic medium, red nail polish is associated with confidence and power. If you want a raise at work, she suggests painting your nails red to give yourself that boost of confidence to ask your boss for that promotion. Hey, it could be your confidence that’s attracting them, not the polish. (And hopefully not the fact that it reminds them of their mothers.)

Red-nail theory aside, there are other factors at play, seeing as red is having winter fashion moment too. Celebrity manicurist and founder of Jinsoon, Jin Soon Choi, oversees countless models’ manicures for New York Fashion Week. “In this season’s high-fashion scene, red nails are taking center stage,” says Choi, whose classic and jelly finishes are featured in campaigns and shows for renowned fashion houses such as Proenza Shouler, Brandon Maxwell, and Valentino. It also doesn’t hurt that red is timeless and versatile, she adds.