Whether it’s early in your career or you’re a seasoned nail technician, chances are that some of your clients like to stay up on the current trends—and you’re the one they rely on to grant their nail wishes. The good news is that a lot of the top nail trends are really easy to do. Here are 10 visually pleasing nail trends that your clients may be increasingly interested in right now.

 

1. Jade Inspired Nails

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Photo: @thi_beautybox

You’ve probably seen beautiful examples of rose quartz and marble nails, created by swirling different colors in the same family together to create an organic, gemstone-like pattern. Now it’s all about green. Although we’ve seen this look pop up over the years, jade is having its moment in the spotlight again. The depth created by the different shades of green is truly a sight to behold.

The trick is not to swirl the colors together too much as overmixing can create muddiness. Be gentle in your strokes so that the texture looks like natural stone. And if your client isn’t a fan of green, try a different color, such as purple for an amethyst-inspired look.

2. Abstract Nail Art

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Photo: @lili.thenailtech

Abstract art is a broad category that includes many different kinds of nail designs. This style of nail art allows for a lot of creative liberty, including with strokes, patterns, and color palette. The unique way in which you combine these artistic elements can give each design a completely different feel. For instance, bold shapes and defined lines can create a clean geometric look, while funky color combinations and wiggly line movement make for a 90s or early 2000s- inspired look. Just don’t overcomplicate the design and you’ll have a work of art, no matter what style you go for.

3. Swirl Nail Art

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Photo: @brittanyisdoomed

Swirl nails are a particularly popular offshoot of the abstract category right now. You’ll see these all over Instagram in a variety of colors. Like any other abstract design, there are really no strict rules. You just want your lines to be nice and crisp, so it would be a good idea to get out your striping brushes and liner gels for extra precision. The movement and cleanliness of the lines in these swirly designs are what make them so visually appealing.

4. Encapsulated Decals

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Photo: @nailssbycarolyn_

Why is it so visually satisfying to see pretty things trapped inside nails? We may never know the answer, but we do know that encapsulating is an amazing technique that makes for some intricate-looking nails with lots of depth. Encapsulating is the act of capping the nail, usually with clear acrylic or builder gel.

Popular options for things to encapsulate include chunky glitter, gold foil, stickers, and other shiny decals. But you can encapsulate almost anything that doesn’t add too much thickness, including small dried flowers. Encapsulation can be done with acrylic or gel, so see what works best for you and the specific decals your clients want.

5. 3D Sculpted Flowers

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Photo: @nailssbycarolyn_

If you’re an acrylic technician, this easy technique for creating 3D flowers is great to have in your arsenal. It’s as simple as taking a tiny bead of acrylic, letting it dry slightly, applying it to the nail, then pressing down and dragging toward what will be the center of your flower. This creates one petal of your flower. If your client wants some bling, place a gem in the center of the flower. These 3D sculpted flowers are not only beautiful, but create a fun texture on the surface of the nail.

6. Pearl Decals

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Photo: @thenaillord

The pearl nail trend, which may also have its pleasing texture to thank for its popularity, adds a little bit of a classy vibe to any nail look. These round, bubbly decals feel like a call back to the early 20th century and Old Hollywood.

Pearl decals for nails are often larger than caviar beads and flat-backed for easy application. The trend usually calls for spacing out the pearls relatively evenly across the nail for a cushion-like look. If you don’t have pearl decals, you have other options for creating a similar effect, such as strategically-placed rhinestones. You can also apply round drops of gel to the nail and cure them quickly to create the bubble effect.

7. Cloud Nail Art

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Photo: @kakolicious

This dreamy look began popping up a couple of years ago as an accent in early 2000s-inspired nail art, but now it’s a huge trend all on its own. Your clouds can be puffy or wispy, big or small, with any color sky. There are no wrong answers when it comes to how you should create your clouds. Want a way to elevate this look? Try adding stars made of glitter for a nighttime scene or a colorful ombré background for a sunset effect.

8. Gold Foil

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Photo: @themariposawayshop

For all of your clients who love to shine in gold, a supply of gold foil is essential to have on hand. Gold foil nail looks seem to only increase in popularity lately, especially because this stunning decal can be incorporated into virtually any nail design and still look fantastic. It even looks good when left to shine on its own in a clear or nude nail. Try experimenting with the foil in different aspects of your designs and watch the magic happen.

9. Asymmetrical French Tips

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Photo: @poshdowntown

Maybe it took you a while to perfect the symmetry of your French smile lines. Well, now asymmetry is in style! We see the concept of asymmetry a lot in fashion, and now our nails can match. To execute an asymmetrical French tip, you can simply create a diagonal line across the nail for a more geometric look, or make one side of your smile line much higher than the other. This take on a classic design will have your client feeling extra fashionable.

10. Colorful French Tips

This trend is probably not news to you since it’s been around for a while now, but multicolored French tips are as popular as they’ve ever been. Bright colors can serve as a fun version of the classic French manicure, especially when using more than one shade. Whether your client wants to sticks to their one favorite color or opts to sport a rainbow, you’ll be sure that your work will get lots of compliments. The colorful French trend is quickly becoming a classic in its own right.

Read more about it in our article on spring nail designs.

Hopefully these 10 exciting nail trends help to keep your days interesting and impress your clients as we transition into spring. Most of these designs can be done using supplies you already have, and even if you don’t have exactly what you need, you can put your own spin on it. Keep in mind that many of these trends look incredible when combined, so use your creative expertise and mix and match as you please.

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