When my ex and I officially called it quits (again) late last year, I decided that 2025 was going to be the year I put myself out there and really tried to find my person. I had been messing around with my ex for almost two years, and the truth is, I slowly started to realize that I had been wasting my time on something that just didn't fit. So, I did what any person going through a break-up does: I had a minor glow-up. I got my hair done, my eyebrows waxed, and a facial that left my skin glowing. And to top it all off, I got my nails painted - but not just any color. I opted for the color that TikTok swore would make men fall at my feet: red.
When I first learned about red-nail theory - TikTok's claim that red nail polish somehow makes you more attractive to men - I had my reservations. To start, I'm more of a neutral gal - always have been, always will be - and red wasn't exactly my vibe. Plus, I'd had red nails in the past - albeit without any secret intention behind it - and I didn't recall any men clamoring to date me. However, if TikTok was convinced that true love was just a manicure away, I was willing to put that theory to the test.
I visited Townhouse, a luxury nail salon in Beverly Hills. When choosing a red nail polish shade, I was careful and meticulous. I had seen a video on TikTok where a girl complained that red nail polish did nothing for her love life - and everyone in the comments said it was because she opted for a bright, fire-engine red when she needed a deeper, toned-down red. Townhouse had a bunch of different options, but I ended up going with a deep red with a blue undertone.
Once I had my nails done, it was time for the second phase of my plan - interacting with men. So, I started purposely putting myself out there. During the month of February, I went on six dates with five different guys, I went out to dinners, bars, and concerts with my friends, and I generally tried to say "yes" to everything.
My first night out with my new nails was my first date of the month, and it went so well I was kind of shocked. The guy was tall, hot, funny, and fun, and when I came home, I got on the phone with my best friend and told her I might have just met my husband. After date one, I was sold on red-nail theory. I was on cloud nine; I was floating above the ground; I was planning my wedding. And then we went on a second date and I quickly realized the "connection" I felt on our first date may have actually been two tequila sours working their way through my bloodstream. No worries, though, right? It was still early in the month.
I ended up on four more dates after those initial two, and while none of them were bad, per se, none of them were what I was looking for. There was one guy who was ready to settle down but took 15 minutes to tell a story that should have been ten seconds (he really needed to learn to embrace the term "TLDR"), a guy who was fun but moving away, and a few guys who were great on paper but decidedly not my person once I met them in real life.
One thing I made sure to do on all of my dates? Ask the men how they felt about red nail polish. Although all of my dates were very, very different when it came to looks and personality (OK, actually, they were all tall and brunette, besides one), they all had one thing in common - they were all fans of red nail polish. One of the men I went out with actually would not shut the f*ck up about how much he loved red nail polish, to the point where I regretted ever bringing it up. "I don't know what it is about red nail polish, but I love it," he said over and over while he repeatedly tried to grab my hand and caress it in a way that I assume he found tender (I found it annoying). "That's great," I said back each and every time while I forcefully pulled my hand back onto my side of the table.
Did I get approached more often when I was out and about due to my newest nail-polish choice? Not really, but I do think there is something to be said about the shade and how men react to it. Will I try it again in the future? Most likely, but without the expectation that I'll be getting a boyfriend in the process. For now, I'll stick with my tried-and-true neutrals.
Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.