9 Spring Nail Trends You'll Want to Start Wearing ASAP
9 Spring Nail Trends You'll Want to Start Wearing ASAP
If you’re like me, the way you get through an especially long and brutally cold winter is by planning all the spring outfits and new makeup trends you’ll be wearing soon enough (even if you’re the only one who’ll be seeing them this year). And that much is especially true for nail polish. Something about swapping out moody winter nail colors for softer spring nail shades instantly changes my overall vibe, know what I mean?
Although you can definitely wear whatever color or design you want any time of the year, it’s still nice to have some ideas to inspire your nail selections each season. To help you out, I rounded up nine spring 2021 nail trends below to look forward to. And if you need a little pick-me-up, start wearing them now. Why not?! I won't tell anyone.
1) This Playful Pink Spring Nail Trend
There’s a time and place for sheer, plain pinks, but that time is not spring 2021, and that place is not on your nails. Just kidding, pale pink nail polish is one of those colors that works year-round, but this spring it’s wayyy more fun than in seasons past. The bubbly shade is made even better when paired with an equally fun and playful design, like the organic shapes shown here.
2) This Colorful Checkered Print Spring Nail Trend
This spring, bring out allll the color. No, seriously. Go grab your whole stash of nail polishes so you can try out a checkered look like this. Paint the pattern of your entire nail, or paint them in little waves along the edges of your nails, like this. Grab a couple of fine-tip striping brushes to 1) easily paint the tiny square shapes and 2) dip in nail polish remover to clean up and sharpen the edges.
3) This All Shades of Green Spring Nail Trend
Greens of all different shades will continue to be popular for spring 2021, so don’t put away those Christmas nail polishes and St. Patrick’s Day lacquers just yet. Earthy green (like this one), chartreuse, bright neon, classy emerald—should I keep going, or do you get the idea? The point is that spring this year isn’t just about mint and seafoam greens (although, yup, those will be big too).
4) This Velvet Nails Spring Nail Trend
Prepare to see a lot of versions of this mesmerizing look in all different shades come this spring (if we all haven’t started wearing it already). You might need a special magnetic polish or gel polish to achieve this cool color-changing velvet effect (use this tutorial to get the exact look), or you can get a similar look with a little less effort by using a holographic nail polish.
5) This Sky Blue Spring Nail Trend
Coming out of a long, dreary, gray few months (is it obvious how I feel about winter?), you’ll be thinking of blue skies ahead, so much so you’ll want to paint ‘em across your nails. Add a few white fluffy clouds with a white nail polish if you want to add a little ethereal nail art to your baby blue nails.
6) This Colorful French Mani Spring Nail Trend
Speaking of blue nail polish—French manicures have been making a comeback in recent years—but with a twist, like this thin stripe of turquoise on a pastel blue base. If you prefer to wear a shorter nail length, this is one nail art look you can still definitely pull off.
7) This Zebra Print Spring Nail Trend
Animal print has been a fun trend for a while now, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. Remember that striping brush we talked about earlier? You’re gonna want to use that to create these organic stripes that resemble that of a zebra. I know what you’re thinking—black nail polish for spring? It’s unexpected, and that’s what makes it especially cool. But if you’re into bright hues, the stripes are just as good in rainbow shades.
8) This Alternate Colors Spring Nail Trend
This look right here is what you get when a handful of colors turns into a hand full of color. Alternate different shades in the same color family or throw in a few other spring nail polishes to make a custom color combination, like this pink and orange pairing, for a super-easy nail art look.
9) This Pastel Tie-Dye Spring Nail Trend
Pastels are about as groundbreaking for spring as florals, but if you’ve already got a pretty serious collection of pastel nail polishes and just need a design idea that incorporates them all, a tie-dye nail look like this one is a fun way to change things up. When you use faded shades instead of bright, vibrant colors, you get a finished look that feels worn-in in the best way—like your favorite comfy tie-dye T-shirt.
How soon is too soon to try these? Asking for a friend...