Is the wild nail art seen all over the runways this season too bold for you? Just because you aren’t interested in wearing more colours on your nails than you have fingers doesn’t mean your nail design has to be boring. We’ve turned to Twitter to find subtle ways to give your nails a little flair.
Nail Design looks for spring
Give your nails
a different shape
For years, many of us have been opting for the short “squoval” (square oval nails) look. Simply filing your nails into a different shape can change their entire look. Go more round, or grow your nails longer and shape them into an oval tip for attention-grabbing talons.
Try the new
French manicure
If you’re a diehard fan of the French manicure, then why not mix it up and do that same type of manicure — one colour as your base and a different colour for your nail tips — except with two nail polish colours other than the usual pink or beige base with a white tip?
Stick with neutral tones
A manicure filled with a rainbow of colours can feel overwhelming, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid patterns altogether. Stick with neutral tones or only a few subtle colours, and create your pattern from there. Lighter colours will blend in more, and you won’t feel like your nails are screaming for attention.
Accent only one nail
Stick to your signature shade, but polish just one nail on each hand in a different, eye-catching hue, or embellish one nail with lettering or a more creative pattern. It adds a little whimsy to your manicure without feeling too bold or overwhelming.
Go matte
A subtle way to try a different nail look is to go with a matte polish. A matte topcoat will transform any lacquer you have to matte, but if you have applied a neon polish, don’t apply a matte topcoat, as neon polishes, due to their formula, dry matte anyway. To jazz up the French manicure mentioned above a little more, instead of just using two different colours, do one part in matte, such as the base colour, and make the tips shiny.
Dot away
Polish your nails in whatever colour you wish, then dip the head of a pin or the end of a cotton swab with the cotton removed (so you’re left with just the plastic or cardboard stick) into a different colour lacquer, and dab one (or more) small dot on your base colour. It’s a simple but cute way to try your own nail art.
Add some stripes
If you aren’t a savvy nail artist, stripes are the perfect way to embellish your nails without making a major mess of your manicure. All you need is a thin brush — an eyeliner brush would work great — and a slightly steady hand. Do a few quick strokes in different colours or even the same colour. These lines aren’t meant to be perfect, so don’t worry too much about it.
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