Freshen up your fingers and toes with these hot new nail ideas.
Summer is here and you’ve got your look sorted. Subtle golden skin, dewy, warm weather makeup (with SPF, obviously), new sunglasses and many a maxi dress. Yet it’s easy to neglect one part of our body that holds heaps of style potential: our nails, which can be transformed with stunning nail art designs.
It’s understandable really, your feet have spent months in trainers or boots and your hands are constantly doing the dirty work, so what’s the point of prettifying them with a chic mani?
Well, the truth is that your nails are important when it comes to first impressions, are always on show, and they can also boost your own mood as you gaze at their loveliness while typing/cleaning/driving (delete as appropriate).
So, whether you have a wedding to attend, a holiday booked, or just fancy a spruce-up, these nail ideas are bound to brighten your summer.
Pretty in Pink Nail Design
Balletcore is a huge trend in fashion and beauty right now, but if you don’t want to go full ballet pumps and pink ribbons, this manicure is for you.
Soft, feminine pinks and pearly whites make this a subtle and delicate look which can be further elaborated on with a nail art bow or accent in a slightly darker shade of pink. Perfect for daytime and the office.
The Modern French Tip
Possibly the antithesis of modernity, the French manicure, with its flesh-coloured body and impossibly white, moon shaped tip, has no place in our beauty arsenal. However, every dog has its day and every trend occasionally gets an irresistible update, like the resurgence of ombre nail art. In short, the modern French design is fabulous, especially when paired with trendy nail polish colours.
The essence of the trend is a neutral or even clear base finished with a chic flourish of colour on the tip, reminiscent of elegant nail design. The beauty of this look is the infinite possibilities, with manicurists taking the opportunity to be as playful and avant-garde as possible, creating unique nail art designs.
Geometric tips in bold hues; animal print tips; super short nails with a different colour for every finger and even nails that appear to have been dipped in layers of coloured paint and then left to dry – the options are endless and the style factor undeniable.
Short and Sweet Square Nail Ideas
If your nails are always breaking, then rejoice! Short nails are firmly back in fashion, especially with chic pastel nail polish shades. Softly squared off at the tip and in a rich or bold hue, the only downside is the upkeep.
The surrounding area needs to be moisturised and trimmed of cuticles, so it’s worth investing in a dedicated nail oil and a topcoat to add shine and prevent chipping, enhancing your nail design.
Nuts About Almonds Nail Art Design
Almond-shaped nails are hot right now and eating almonds will improve your nail health… coincidence?! The benefit of longer nails with a soft point at the end is that it gives fingers the illusion of extra length and elegance. It is a flattering shape that works with any colour or kind of polish and can easily be achieved by using acrylics or growing your own nails, clipping the corners, and then filing into a gentle curve, all part of a chic nail design.
Chrome or Home Nail Design Ideas
Metallic nail varnishes may evoke memories of your teenage years when cheap bottles of polish in silver hues or flecked with glitter were the height of coolness. Well, metallics and chrome shades are having a moment, but they aren’t the kind of polishes you remember.
For starters, technology has come a long way, and the new formulas have high pigmentation for maximum depth of colour.
They can be matte or shiny, gold, silver, gun-metal or bronze, but they must be immaculate to look really good. So, shine on, sister.
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