When it comes to the H๏τtest manicure trends right now, quite a few stand-out nail art looks come to mind.
For one, crocodile print nails have been having their main character moment this winter, with A-listers like Hailey Bieber tapping the patterned tips in a dark chocolate brown shade. Similarly, tortoiseshell nails are on the rise, with Sydney Sweeney a big fan, while TikTok-viral trends like “pool water nails” are being sported in increasingly creative ways.
Some manicure loyalists hit up their favorite salons every few weeks, but many nail art aficionados opt to paint their tips at home instead. And while some manicurist-approved supplies are only available to seasoned pros in the industry (like certain chrome powder toppers, for one), experimenting with “blooming gel” might just be the best kept secret for a trendy DIY nail design.
What Is Blooming Gel?
“Blooming gel nails [are a] trendy marbling and watercolor nail art design,” Morgan Haile, a pro manicurist and Gelish brand ambᴀssador, tells Bustle. “In the past, marbling and watercolor nail art could be tricky to achieve, [but] blooming gel allows users to create these looks within minutes.”
A clear gel that cures under a UV lamp, products like Gelish’s Blooming Gel Polish are used to disperse color.
Adding a blooming gel polish into your personal nail painting kit allows you to experiment with painstakingly detailed designs like the celeb-loved croc print, marbled quartz art, groovy tie-dye swirls, and more.
How To Use Blooming Gel
For those who want to experiment with blooming gel at home, you’ll need colored gel polish and an LED-powered UV lamp. As for a step by step on creating the trippy effects? Haile shared her method.
After applying coats of your preferred gel colors, cure. Once finished, apply a thin coat of blooming gel and do not cure. With a dotting tool or a brush, apply the desired colors to create the bloom effect and cure for about 30 seconds. Finish off with a top coat, and you’re all set.
Pro Tips For At Home Painters
While blooming gel formulas are available for any non-professional to purchase and experiment with, Anna Miles, a professional manicurist, has insight for those interested in purchasing a bottle.
“Blooming products are not compatible with traditional nail polish,” Miles says. Noting that it can be tricky to use and that contact dermaтιтis is a potential risk, she recommends that you visit a professional for the best results.
Fair warnings aside, however, Miles says that for best results when working with blooming gel, she often works on one nail at a time (rather than painting an entire hand before curing). Further, the success of the “blooming” depends on the exact pigmentation of the gel colors you’re using — so there can be quite a bit of trial and error before nailing the exact look you want.
Haile adds: “Less is more — using too much blooming gel can cause your design to be smudged or look distorted.” She also says to avoid overdoing it with dots, as too many will make your design look cluttered. Lastly, she warns against using too many dark colors, since they can make your desired design more difficult to see.
4 Blooming Gel Nail Designs
Alien Superstar Print
Whether you opt for a whole lot of neutrals or much prefer a set in full color, these unique dots, swirls, and patterns have an extraterrestrial vibe that’s super trendy in mani space right now.
Pearly Frost
A super realistic white croc print? Check. A wintery, frosted finish that looks holographic? Check. Unique pearls and rhinestones placed all over the nails? Also check.
Groovy Tie-Dye Tips
In the world of beauty, all things 1970s-inspired are truly taking over — and what better way to embrace the playful trend than with some groovy tie-dye tips?
Colorful Croc Print Frenchies
Take classic French tips to a creative new level and experiment with an out-there crocodile print design that features two vivid colors, like this purple and blue combination.
Beauty
Get into it.
@beauty_by_kᴀssy_
When it comes to on-trend manicures, one thing is for certain: Chrome nails are *always* a vibe. While countless chromatic colors are having their main character moment — like ʙuттery yellow, Barbiecore pink, soft baby blue, and even edgy black — one shade in particular is as timeless as it gets.
In the world of metallic nails, gold polish reigns supreme. Similar to their cool-toned silver counterpart, golden manicures look just as luxurious and eye-catching as fine jewelry of the same hue. Warm undertones also make this sheen look deliciously sun-kissed — a perfect choice for the warmer months ahead.
Most recently, Khloé Kardashian wore a gold chrome manicure on the cover of TMRW Magazine — a masterclass in “loud luxury.” Before that, Jennifer Lopez rocked a softer metallic color on her nails, using the CND Shellac Gel Polish in Frostbite ($15.30) to achieve the look.
In need of some inspo ahead of your next salon visit? Below, find all the chicest ways to sport the gold chrome nail art trend — from subtle metallic details to beautifully bedazzled press-on sets.
Simple Gold Chrome French Mani
Manicure minimalist can still get in on the gold nails trend. In lieu of a traditional stark white polish shade, opt for a metallic French tip instead.
XXL Gold Chrome Manicure
These extra-long, coffin-shaped claws put the “loud” in “loud luxury” whenever their bold metallic shine catches the light.
Abstract Wavy Frenchies
Gold chrome nails are anything but basic IMO — and these abstract, wavy French tips are both unique and eye-catching.
Gilded Celestial Stars
Shimmering celestial star designs are a stunning way to decorate neutral nail polish colors.
Glittering Gold Ombré Nails
Bring all the drama to your look by way of lengthy nails that feature a daring ombré effect. Truly chef’s kiss.
3D Coquette Ribbons
In recent months, the rising coquette trend has caused a serious industry-wide obsession with bows. This adorable manicure embraces the look in an unexpected way, with hand-crafted 3D ribbons in shimmering gold.
Yellow Gold Double-Tined Tips
Double-lined Frenchies — also known as “invisible” French nails — are an entirely unique take on the tried-and-true nail design.
Gold Chrome Nail Cuffs
Add a hint of metallic in a small and unexpected way, with gilded nail cuffs near the cuticle.
Chic Golden Studs
Outline each nail with cool-girl studs using itty bitty liquid gold dots. Blake Lively rocked a similar studded mani at New York Fashion Week.
Minimalistic Line Details
These understated nails are designed with fine line details, adding just the right amount of sun-drenched color to your mani.
Luxe Metallic Croc French Tips
Take cues from tastemakers like Hailey Bieber and try the crocodile print nail art trend. It’ll immediately add a sense of luxuriousness to your set.
Jewelry-Inspired 3D Swirls
A-listers like Sydney Sweeney and Halle Bailey have co-signed the 3D nail art trend — which makes these unique mani details celeb-approved.
Edgy Golden Angles
For a subtly chromatic manicure with a bit of edge, elevate a classy “mannequin manicure” by adding gold angled lines on every single nail.
Beauty
Here’s how to rock the bright and cheerful trend.
@marydominiquee
And just like that, spring is basically here. To go along with the sunshine, warmer temps, and blooming plants, manicure lovers are obsessing over pastel nail polish shades with cool-girl chromatic finishes.
Alongside soft-girl colors like pale blue and light lavender, a more unexpected ʙuттer yellow is one to watch for the spring season. Moreover, near-neon shades of yellow-ish chartreuse are expected to be a major nail polish trend as the weather heats up.
“After a particularly wet and snowy winter season across most of the country this year, we believe people are going to be ready to flaunt loud pops of color,” Jacqueline Carrington, the founder of nail polish brand People of Color, previously told Bustle. Hence: warm-toned golds and creamy yellow shades are expected to reign on your FYP.
Next to pretty shades of yellow, chrome nails are H๏τter than ever before — and when you combine the two into one manicure, you’ve got one fire, trendy set.
Below, find nine ways to rock the yellow chrome nail trend, from minimalistic details to glittering nail polish toppers that gorgeously catch the sunlight.
1
Glazed Yellow French Tips
Instead of just painting on some cheery pastel yellow French tips, top the entire look with a softly chromatic “glazed donut” finish for some extra head-turning sheen.
2
Sunny Metallic Nail Polish
Mooncat creates polish colors that are basically art in a bottle. Case in point? The Demeter’s Harvest shade, which has a golden, sunny hue that glitters with intensity.
3
Soft Girl ʙuттer Yellow Chrome
For a simple yet seasonally chic set, try adorning your nails in an opaque ʙuттer-yellow shade with an edgy chrome finish.
4
3D Lemon Zest Details
An easy way to take your mani to the next level is to add some 3D details — and this artful set features textured tips that look like real lemon slices.
5
Gilded Press-Ons
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These metallic, cat-eye-like press-ons are a foolproof way to tap the rising yellow chrome manicure trend for the springtime months.
6
Neon Yellow Mirror Mani
Go bold by rocking a neon yellow set, complete with a mirrored finish, that’ll positively glow in the sunshine.
7
Minimal Flower Petals
This low-key set features pale yellow chrome flower petals on alternating nails — because florals for springtime manicures are always groundbreaking.
8
Glittering Nail Topper
Meant to paint on solo or atop any polish color, this luxe Dior lacquer in the yellow-gold shade “Dorure” adds a near-chromatic shimmery finish.
9
Star-Topped Yellow Chrome Tips
For a playful take on the yellow chrome manicure trend, try topping the sunshine-inspired metallic polish with a few white star details.
Beauty
Calling It Now: Green Chrome Nails Will Define Spring 2024
Make that sage manicure even more swoon-worthy.
@samrosenails
Suddenly, spring is just around the corner, and with it, the season’s buzziest nail art trends are offering a major refresh for the manicure lovers of the world.
Next to popular polish hues like electric cobalt blue, iridescent lavender, timelessly “old money” neutrals, and the more unexpected mid-tone stone gray, shades of green are set to own the warm months ahead. And it happens to work particularly well with the reigning chrome nail trend, which isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Green Chrome Nails For Spring 2024
The winter months were defined by chrome nails in shades of black, fiery red, Barbiecore pink, and frosted baby blue. For spring 2024, however, green chrome nails are primed to have their moment. Think airy sage hues, eye-catching neon greens, and more dramatic emerald pigments with a mirror-like metallic finish.
The color green, of course, is closely linked to the spring season, as it represents rebirth and evokes the fresh essence of plants, grᴀss, and flowers growing once more. So it’s *not* just a manicure move for St. Patrick’s Day.
To take your green chrome mani into more maximalist territory, you can pair it with other trending details, like twinkling stars and Y2K-inspired rhinestones, for example.
The color also looks extra bold when you couple it with 3D textures, and it adds a unique flair to French tips in place of a classic white polish.
The manicure color has celebrity approval, too. Most recently, Cynthia Erivo rocked emerald green metallic French tips at the 2024 Oscars. Not long before that, Taylor Swift was spotted in a set of short chrome nails in alternating green and red colors.
