Six nail trends you have to try

9 September 2021

By @FionnualaMcNult

There is no better way to feel better than a fresh set of nails, whether that be gels, acrylic or just general nail polish. It can be a tricky task when choosing which pattern or colour of nails you will be looking at for the next few weeks. It is time to update the way you do your nails and take some risks with colours and patterns. Not every nail has to be the same! If you are in need of some nail inspo I have trawled through Pinterest to find the 7 most popular nail trends you will have seen so far this year and will be seeing more of in the autumn and winter months. 

Photo credit: Unsplash

Black and white lines

Now it may be an obvious choice but black and white polish is a timeless way to paint your nails and can be the perfect compliment to any outfit. There are many different ways you can style these colours by adopting various patterns and mixing and matching between them. I would recommend choosing 2 to 3 patterns and varying them on each nail, this can be swirls, dots, wavy lines etc. You can keep it simple and go for black and white french tips, make sure to invest in a good black and white nail polish if you are doing it yourself, I would recommend OPI or Sally hanson. 

Colourful french tip

A trend that has taken off this year is french tips and I do not just mean the classic white tips, nail technicians have stepped it up a level and added colour to the standard. Starting with a nude base coat add a colour of your choice to the tips, if you need some inspiration sage green has been the colour of the season along with powder blue and candy pink. If you are trying this yourself I would recommend buying a french tip kit as they come with stencils to get that iconic rounded arch at the end of the nail. If you are feeling extra you can add small flowers or outline the rounded arch for an even more eye catching look. 

Wiggly lines

Another trend that has emerged this year is the wiggly/wavy lines with the only rule being to keep the colours in the same tone this can be bright colours or pastel colours. The possibilities with this design are endless as you can have them on every nail or a few nails. I would recommend picking two colours to begin with such as orange and pink and having the lines on 4 of the nails. You can draw the lines next to each other in both colours to tie in the colour combination. This is one of my favourite designs and are the nails I currently have on!

Clashing patterns

We’ve seen clashing patterns all over the runways pairing leopard print with zebra print or tartan print with snake print, but why stop there? Take this idea to your nail salon. There is only one rule with this design and that is to keep the patterns in one colour or at least one colour palette so they do not look too busy and a bit chaotic, it will also help them merge together. I would recommend choosing 3 or 4 different patterns and varying them over the 10 nails, it does not have to be symmetrical the more random the better. If you need some inspiration try patterns such as flowers, wavy lines, dots, clouds, geometric shapes and even add a touch of glitter. 

Geometric design

If you are a bit of a maximalist then this is the nail design for you. There are so many different combinations of nails you can create from different geometric shapes and just like the clashing pattern nails you can spread these across the 10 nails making each nail different. I would recommend opting for bold colours such as green, red, blue and yellow to really make the shapes stand out. You can have 2 or 3 shapes on each nail such as circles, rectangles, squares or any doodles you can think of along with 2 or 3 different colours to really make a bold statement. 

MORE: Five ways to help combat scalp acne

Gradient effect 

If you are obsessed with one particular colour then why not have every shade? If you are indecisive then this is the perfect nail design for you. Try to pick 5 shades of one colour such as pink, blue or green and start from light to dark giving a gradient effect. I would recommend opting for a different colour on each hand for a stand out look such as pink on one hand and green on the other.