Who doesn’t love a new nail polish? Relatively inexpensive, it’s one of those small indulgences that can give your look (and mood!) an instant lift. Although sales have slowed significantly since 2012, the nail category is still a hotbed of creative expression.
Having secured their place in the fashion world, nails have become an an extension of the runway looks. As a result, fashion designers and manicurists work together to create a coordinated nail design for each seasonal collection.
With spring in full bloom, check out five of the most popular trends you need to be trying now:
- Be Negative. Using the natural, unpainted nail bed as part of the nail art design (known as “negative space”) had a strong showing on the runways. Check out the metallic stripe used by Dion Lee and Zoya’s Negative Space “Midi” designed for Creatures of Comfort.
- Get messy. Smudges and uneven lines are growing in popularity thanks to the “anything goes” mentality. But one place that should stay clean – the skin around the nail beds. I’m intrigued by this look featured by Rodarte and I love Rebecca Minkoff’s smudgy, three-tone design seen here.
- Embellish. Nail art is trending clean and minimalist, with nude or bare nails featuring just one small detail. Check out the simple but beautiful nails by OPI for Hougton here.
- Go Bold or Go Natural. 70s-inspired burnt oranges, citric yellows, intense aquas and primary brights in classic red blue and yellow are all go-to colors for the season. On the flip side, cool, natural shades of stone, cotton and grey as well as sand, camel and olive make up an earthy palette reminiscent of Woodstock.
- Take Care. Healthy nails are in, and as a result, skincare-inspired nail treatments are the hot spot in both the mass and prestige market. Products that target everything from growth to dehydration and weakness are becoming ubiquitous. Oxygenated formulas and nail masks are prevalent, with products like Julep’s Oxygen Nail Treatment and Ciate’s Knight in Shining Armour becoming the new must-haves. Polish brands are getting in on this trend as well, with brands like Nailberry formulated to allow the nail to breathe, and Nails inc’s new NailKale polish, the first superfood range for your nails featuring kale extract to help stimulate advanced keratin production.
More than any other category in beauty, nails are about self-expression, experimentation and taking a creative approach to your personal style. And it helps that Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest are the perfect vehicles for showing off your creations! I’m a big fan of this category and excited that there is still a lot of innovation in the works. Can’t wait to see what’s coming next! – CM
