The Nail Trends You Need to Try Right Now

Your nails are windows to your soul … or wait is that not how the quote goes. Nonetheless, nail art has really upped the ante lately and there are so many manicures saved to my Instagram board cleverly titled “Nails.”

As I click-clack away at my desk, the smiley face painted on my nails may be the only smile I see all day. It really is the little things in life. It is nice to have a hint of whimsy quite literally at our fingertips.

But with so many options of nail art and trends to choose from, it is easy to get overwhelmed. I would much rather let the experts make the decisions for which trend to try for me, which is why I spoke to these 10 nail artists on their current favorite trends.

Jess Hannah, CEO of J. Hannah

“I was really into the multicolor manicure, where every nail gets a different, solid color. I delighted in this because all the J. Hannah colors complement each other so well, but you can’t tell when you’re just getting a regular manicure. The collection really shines when you can see everything together. My other favorite is a bare nail with an interesting neutral for an updated French tip. I did this with Miso and the response was really great!

Britney Tokyo, Celebrity Manicurist to Harry Styles, Hailey Bieber and Justine Skye 

“I like reflector nail art, heart cut-out shapes, men’s nail art and French twists.”

Yoko Sakakura, Celebrity Manicurist to Doja Cat, Madonna, and Solange Knowles

“My favorite nail trend is ombré tips and leopard print nails. Having my nails done gives me confidence.”

Steph Stone, Celebrity Manicurist to Lili Reinhart, Kristen Stewart and Camila Mendes

“Every few years I see the ‘negative space’ trend return as a highly requested look and I am always a fan. If you’re not familiar with negative space, it is when you apply nail art leaving part of your natural nail bare to peak through. I love this trend because it embraces the natural beauty of your nail while still being incredibly eye catching.”

Fleuryrosenails, Editorial Nail Artist

“My favorite nail trend of the moment is snake nails. This design has been popular for a little while, but it’s not going anywhere, especially since you can keep it fresh by changing the base colors depending on the season or your mood.”

Michina Koide, Celebrity Manicurist to Kate Upton

“Loving what I’m seeing with foil nails! Getting our nails done is almost the same as putting on a nice dress. When our nails are done, it’s like our outfit is complete!”

Chelsea King, Editorial Nail Artist

“My favorite nail trend right now is minimalistic designs! They go with anything, are simple enough to DIY, and if they chip it’s not noticeable because they’re on a clear nail. My favorite version of this is placing a few crystals over a clear nail — like nail jewelry!”

Roxanne Campbell, Celebrity Manicurist and CEO of Roxanne Campbell Nail Lacquers

“My favorite trend right now is deep plum ‘squoval’ nails. Getting my nails done is a necessity for me, just like brushing my teeth.”

Michelle Humphrey, Celebrity Manicurist to Dua Lipa

“The classic French manicure is here to stay, however, you can change it up. White tips are completely acceptable if your style sits alongside it. Kylie Jenner was recently spotted wearing a leopard-print tip, so people are now opting to wear their French with a design. Think zebra, cow-print tips, jellies, tiger, etc, even a matte finish, these are all super fun and cool.”​

Alicia Torello, Editorial Nail Artist

 “I’m loving how nails have moved into an abstract realm. It’s almost better to be imperfect and geometric designs aren’t the only way to express yourself on nails now. Flowing lines, imperfect circles and mismatched nails are huge. I think we will continue to see this evolve into summer nails. It’s really exciting!”

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