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Oh mani! Five trending nail-art designs to make every day a talon show

Want desirable digits? Get stuck into the world of nail art with these must-try manicure trends

06 February 2022 - 00:00
By Nokubonga Thusi
Have fun by going all out with smiley face emojis, eye motifs and bold shades.
Image: Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic/Getty Images Have fun by going all out with smiley face emojis, eye motifs and bold shades.

1. NAIL EMOJIS

Say it with your nails and use your nail space as advertisement space — no matter what your agenda or statement is.  Lean in to trending art designs that incorporate slogans and logos for a fun injection of camp.  Just have fun and go all out by adding smiley face emojis, eye motifs, bold shades such as neon brights, acid blues or metallic — or even dangle miniature figurines from the tips. 

2. PSYCHEDELIC WAVES

The '60s have been making their subtle comeback in the form of colourful wavy nail art that is the perfect blend of maximalism and minimalism. Whether you apply wavy accents in neon and milky pastels just on the tips of the nails or cover the whole nail, it’s time to get groovy baby.

Colourful, '60s-style wavy nail art.
Image: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images Colourful, '60s-style wavy nail art.
Multi-coloured nail art.
Image: Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images Multi-coloured nail art.

3. MULTI-COLOURED

If you’re someone who finds it hard to choose a nail polish colour at every nail appointment, now you don’t have to narrow it down, thanks to the multicoloured nail art trend. Allocating a different colour to each nail, choose to paint only the tips to create a multicoloured French manicure effect or go for a solid coat. This trend looks particularly appealing when choosing hues of the same colour family, such as neutrals or varying shades of greens and greens.

4. BARE MINIMALISM

If rhinestones and sparkle are not your thing when it comes to nail art, the good news is that minimalist nail art is having a major moment. Always starting with a clean, neutral base, either applying just a base coat or a nail shade that is a similar shade to your natural nail, keep things simple with singular lines, half-moon designs at the nail base or geometric swirls that don’t look cluttered.

Minimalist nail art.
Image: Monica Schipper/Getty Images Minimalist nail art.
The French manicure.
Image: Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images The French manicure.

5. THE NEW FRENCH

With nostalgic trends from the '90s and ’00s making a comeback, the French manicure is also returning to our fingers — but not in the way one might think. The white, square-tipped nails are replaced with a more timeless almond-shaped nail, and the dated white tip is now a milky semi-opaque tip, giving the nail a more ombré, blended, natural look.

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