Spring is here. If you’ve spent the last half-year in a place with cold winter like we have on the East Coast, it’s time for fresh fingers for all.
Time to be free of mittens, throw a little moisture on those chapped cuticles, a lot of TLC and maybe a couple of gemstones? We’re getting out of the grey (unless it’s metallic or deep charcoal) and appreciating a little sparkle in the sun.
Here are the best tips for this season and the rest of 2022 from our corresponding nail art expert!
SHIMMER+
We’ve gone without for almost the whole decade. But with the return of 2000s comes the shimmers, the chromes, the metals, the metallics and even, full-on sparkle – for the fingers and the face. Thankfully we’re leaving the skinny brow behind – we’ve come too far from over-tweezing.
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TEXTURE
Hard and soft gels have given a whole new way to extend and strengthen manicures – but they don’t stop at the end of the nail. Great for building out and also building up. Designs done in hard gel quite literally elevate the wiggles, checks, and abstract blobs we want to see more of this year. They can even bring on the bling – which as I mentioned, we really want to see more of.
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SQUOVAL
The squoval is like the perfect white tee – which of course, is a completely different fit for everyone – BUT the final effect is well, perfect. If you can take care of a true square – go for it, it’s trendy but also a little more fragile since corners can catch. Slight rounding will save corners and also works perfectly for little ovals. For the short and sweet plus a little more classic… oval them out.
PINK
Red has gotten all the credit as the classic. The perfect pink is as much a staple to the nail wardrobe. We might even venture to say the options are vaster and the vibes vary! Pink favours the sweeties in pastels, the bold in magenta, and the popping in bubblegum. Better yet, try them all at once. There’s a perfect pink for each tip.
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PERIWINKLE
A small call out to Pantone’s 2022 Colour of the Year – not necessarily a nail classic, but absolutely universally accessible & versatile. Did Pantone acknowledge how cool Periwinkle looks striped or with a bit of sparkle? Either way, we are now.
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VERTICLE STRIPES
Be it Beetle Juice, an ice-cream shop awning, or the sight of a cityscape that sparks your inspo. Vertical lines are equal parts playful, sweet, cool, abstract and edgy. Try them wide, pinned, or even with a little wave.
DARKS
Wine, navy, evergreen (this one could stand alone on this list, really) – even black is back. Don’t rush, it’s not just a winter thing. A gold shimmer rust or burgundy grabs sunshine and a classic summer goth is good too.
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HALF MOON
With the strength we get from good gels, hopefully we also see far fewer chips at the tips. So now, grow-out is what really drives us crazy. Leave some negative space towards the top of the nail and you’ll feel fresh from the first day to a few weeks old – this means less time at the nail salon and more time with your pink & periwinkle striped mani.
ALL GENDER RULES
No, Harry Styles doesn’t get credit for this. Neither does Pete Davidson, or even Machine Gun Kelly – though, we do love them all. Dennis Rodman, Prince, Marc Jacobs, David Bowie and many more have done this long before the boys of today, but the point is, now and always, there are NO gender rules for nails. If you have them and you want to play with paint, do designs or don’t, but get a manicure, because it’s nice.
