Nail art is no passing phase, which is why we turned to Stephanie Lavery, the editor in chief of Nail It! magazine, to tell us the dos and don'ts of artful manicures. She dishes on all sorts of nail tricks and tips, from at-home to professional polish jobs and even nail safety.
Zooey Deschanel is the queen of quirky nail art designs. With the season finale of New Girl airing last night, you'll have to wait until the next season to get your fill of Zooey's slapstick comedy. But hopefully this roundup of her best manicures will hold you over and inspire an impromptu trip to the salon — even some DIY nail sessions at home.
Nail art is a regular occurrence on the red carpet, but we've been seeing stars sporting a variety of geometric nails as of late. Demi Lovato showed off a black manicure accented with three metallic stripes over the weekend, while Kerry Washington paired her black polish with a white chevron tip to complement her dress at the recent Peeples premiere. January Jones also got into the graphic trend, sporting a classic red polish topped with a black triangle accent at the base of her nails for an edgier take on the moon manicure. We even saw geometric nails on the Fall 2013 runways, so clearly this trend is here to stay.
You can get similar looks, too, with these nail art tutorials:
Ciaté is known for taking the nail-art trend from the streets to the comfort of your own home with its easy DIY kits, like this Very Colourfoil Manicure Set ($25). The end result is a colorful and intricate design that looks far more complicated than it really is. To see how to use this genius kit, just keep reading.
After spotting Bella Thorne's Summery nail art at the Iron Man 3 premiere, I was dying to re-create the simple design. What makes the look stand out is the complementary color combination of yellow and blue, but the design itself is very simple. I started off with a coat of Essie First Base ($8), and then I applied two coats of Chanel Le Vernis in Mimosa ($27), leaving my ring fingers bare. Next, I applied two coats of Essie Bikini So Teeny ($8) to my ring fingers. While the paint was still wet, I used a dotting tool to create the random white spots with Chanel Le Vernis in Eastern Light ($30). A high-shine polish, Essie Good to Go ($10) topped off this cheerful style.
Like what you see? Then be sure to check out even more manicure ideas on our Ultimate Nail Guide!
When it comes to double-take manicures, like this full-lashed eyeball nail art look, Ke$ha is no stranger to the out-of-the ordinary. But this isn't the first time the singer shared her love for the eye-catching design. Earlier this year, Ke$ha showed off an impressive set of eyeball nails (pictured below), which were pointed at the end to resemble the real deal. Other stars have also presented their own takes on the microtrend. Sophia Bush painted an Eye of Ra symbol as an accent nail a few months back, and Alexa Chung showed off an evil eye nail art look early last year. Would you set your sights on this style?
Nail appliques have made it possible to create a salon-style manicure practically any time, any place. In our latest episode of Lazy Girls' Guide to Beauty, host Jackie Perdue shares how to fake a perfect manicure in a flash with these easy steps.
Zooey Deschanel has made a name for herself in the nail art world, and it's all thanks to celebrity nail technician Tom Bachik, who has also created red carpet nail designs for Jennifer Lopez and Anne Hathaway, too. We sat down with Bachik to discuss the upcoming trends of the season, and he even spills his tips on getting red-carpet-worthy manicures without spending your afternoon at the salon. On Kirbie: Bebe dress.
While gel formulas give professional manicurists the ability to create fantastic nail art, there are plenty of other tools of the trade that you can use too. Get ready to take your DIY designs to the next level with the objects the experts use to create eye-catching nail art. The best part? Almost everything is under $10, so you can get a professional-looking manicure at a fraction of the cost at home.
For even more nail art and polish trends, be sure to check out our ultimate nail guide!
Source: Getty
With all the new makeup launches, it's pretty clear that turquoise nail polish is the must-have shade for Spring and Summer. Not only does this blue-green color pop against springtime pastels, but also, it looks even cooler set against a golden sparkle.
For this mermaid-inspired look, I used the teal-hued Paul & Joe Nail Enamel in Caribbean ($14), along with the gold-glittered Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow ($20). Start off with a base coat like Butter London Nail Foundation ($19), and then swipe on two coats of the turquoise polish. Next, dab the gold glitter polish on the base of the nail to create a gradient effect. Once you have your desired look, seal everything with a top coat like Essie Good to Go ($10) for fast-drying shine. Even if you're not soaking up some sun at the beach, one glance at your nails will take you there.
For even more nail art and polish trends, be sure to check out our ultimate nail guide!
