The super-easy nail art trend taking over Instagram right now
When done right, nail art can look amazing and go lengths to elevating your look. But without the training or, at the very least, a steady hand, it's easy to slip up or stress yourself out when attempting a tricky design at home. Cue some good news: the latest nail art trend is one most of us will be able to do from our kitchen tables with zero breakdowns.
While there’s plenty of people trying their hands at more fanciful nail art designs (here’s looking at you, Hannah Robinson), some of the most effective and stress-free manis we’ve seen in the social media ether have been of the gradient variety.
The concept is simple: choose one colour – probably the one that dominates most of your polish collection – and paint each nail in a slightly different shade of it, starting with the darkest iteration on your thumb, then optioning for a lighter slick on each nail until you reach your pinky, making it the palest. Et voila—gradient nails.
Chic and with minimal effort on your part, it’s easy to see why gradient nails are the most popular talon trend on Instagram at the moment. Keep scrolling to see some of our favourite interpretations of the nail art look, and be sure to tag us in your own gradient nail shots at @hoodmagazine_. Happy painting!
1. romantic ROSE-TINT
Practically a neutral, this palette of dusky pink to double cream will blend seamlessly with any outfit you wear it with.
2. DREAM IN GREEN
Give your manicure a soothing approach with a variety of grass-green shades, with a splash of sunshine yellow for good measure.
3. IN THE NUDE
One of the classiest ways to channel the gradient nail trend is with nude and brown polishes. Don’t worry about being too matchy-matchy either; these shades will work well regardless.
4. pretty pastel haze
Lilac is one of the season’s biggest fashion trends, so it’s little wonder the shade has transitioned into the world of beauty, too. Here, we love how it has been faded into pale pink.
5. KEEP IT CLASSIC
Most of us own a multitude of red nail polishes. Now, we can put that excess to good use by using a different colour on each nail—starting with crimson on the thumb, through to tomato on the pinky.