Recently, a good friend of mine who was born and raised in London asked me the following question: “Are people still doing the glazed-donut thing on their nails?” When I recalled where this fashion fad first emerged, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself: TikTok dubbed the style the “glazed donut” manicure as a result of Hailey Bieber mentioning in an interview that her manicurist uses chrome dust on her nails. The interview was conducted by People Magazine. That this was able to reach individuals in so many different parts of the world should not come as a surprise to anyone.
It is my opinion that the idea of a glazed-donut manicure is still very much in style as a result of the fact that it is so versatile (you can add chrome to any base polish color, which makes it kind of timeless). If, on the other hand, you are looking for alternative fashionable nail art designs, perhaps for a party related to the holidays, we have some ideas that you might want to take into consideration. The following are some of the manicuring techniques that our editors recommend for the season change from summer to fall and then into winter. Continue scrolling below for our recommendations. Visit the Maby blog to discover the most trending nail designs today.
Velvet nails
This style, also known as velvet nails, the cat’s eye, or magnetic gels, is characterized by the use of a sparkling paint in conjunction with a magnet. Many names have been given to this trend. In order to achieve this look, R29 Beauty Director Sara Tan traveled to the Hermosa Beach location of Lou’s Beauty Bar and met with Mimi, an artist who specializes in Japanese gel manicures. After choosing your base color – a sandy beige is a good choice for a solid neutral – the makeup artist will hold a magnet to the gel, which essentially lifts the sparkle to create a surface that is similar to velour. This is done after you have selected your foundation color.
To tell you the truth, we have very little comprehension of how this operates. Nail artist Queenie Nguyen demonstrates her procedure in greater detail in this image. OPI’s Velvet Vision Gel Effects Collection, which is what she uses, is available in a total of six distinct colors, in addition to the magnet, of course. Due to the fact that this is a gel that needs to be cured, it is not a system that can be used at home; however, if your nail technician or local salon offers the OPI brand, you should be able to ask for it.
Comic nails
A question along the lines of “Have you ever heard of ‘comic’ nails?” was posed not so long ago on the R29 Slack channel. I had no idea what was trending on TikTok, but after doing some research I discovered that people are posting their nails in the style of pop art or comic books. Elle, a celebrity nail stylist, demonstrated her technique to us. She says, “For my version of the #PopArtNails, I chose neutral tones to make it more sophisticated and entertaining for fall”. She began by outlining the neutral base color on each nail with a black lacquer, and then she added “a curved exclamation point” for the cartoon-like effect she was going for.
Red half-moon nails
Dita Von Teese, queen of the burlesque world, is credited with reviving the red half moon manicure in the present era. Cat Quinn, a beauty industry specialist, attributes much of the recent trend explosion to the media. Olivia Wilde’s character in Don’t Worry, Darling sports a red half-moon manicure. Taylor Swift also has this look in the music video for “Bejeweled.” In both plays, Von Tesse had a little role.
You can give it a shot by painting your nails a solid color, then using a thin brush to outline the arch of your cuticle growth (visible on the naked nail) before filling in the rest of the nail. The end effect is unfussy but timeless in its elegance.
Glass nails
The ‘glass nail’ style first popularized in Korea and has since spread around the world. This is a gel manicure that creates the illusion of shattered glass on your fingernails by using foils. The manicure takes around an hour. Due to the fact that each piece of foil must be applied separately, much like a mosaic, the process is somewhat time-consuming, but the end effect is quite detailed. The compliments I’ve received on this manicure are among the highest I’ve ever received and you can refer to How to Do Sea Glass Nails.
Moonlight nails
This fad of getting your nails done in a “moonlight” design is gradually gaining popularity. In its purest form, the look consists of a white nail coated in a reflecting pearlescent finish. The trend is demonstrated here by Hannah Harris, the founder of Brown Girl Hands. She is sporting a press-on manicure using Glamnetic Reusable Press-On Nails in Moonlight. You may even try out this style in the salon by dipping your hair in a white iridescent gel or powder. To achieve this look at home, you might apply a shimmer top coat over a white lacquer.
Aura nails
A new nail art fad called “aura nails” aims to create a harmonious union between the wearer’s energy field and their manicure. Gel painting, as seen here by Maybelle Morgan of R29, begins with a white base coat and then progresses to a floral gel polish. (Find out if the salon you frequent carries The Gel Bottle; it makes a blossoming gel that diffuses any color droplet placed on top into an aura-like sphere.) TikTok is also home to another widely used method: Apply the base coat, and then use an airbrush to apply the aura color. Hand-painted press-ons are available on Etsy for the crafty types among us. You may also try out these nail art sheets to paint a three-dimensional aura design directly onto your nail.
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