This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JHU chapter.
Instagram is the ultimate creator of trends. Nothing can catapult a person, style, or topic to soaring heights of popularity quite like Instagram does. It has spawned a new generation of models, focusing on those with hundreds of thousands of followers rather than modeling skill. It contributes to the rapid spread of news online, such as during the Paris attacks. It can also give rise to trends such as those in beauty, making the “Instagram brow” famous. Similar to beauty trends, various nail polish finishes have been popping up all over Instagram, some adopted by salons and others created by indie makers. These are some of the coolest looking finishes floating around Instagram.
- Magnetic nails: originally made famous by the Russian brand Masura, the polish contains magnetic particles, so that when a magnet is held over it, the particles gather in the shape of the magnet, creating a cat eye effect. (@solonails)
- Chrome nails: chrome powder is buffed into gel nails, giving a smooth mirror-like shine and finish to them. (@katclawscardiff)
- Holographic nails: a finished beloved by indie makers all over the world, it consists of usually silver pigment that when exposed to direct sunlight, shifts through the colors of the rainbow. (@anikibee)
- Thermal nails: another finish generally created by indie makers, these change colors depending on the temperature. The polish will be a different color when warm than it is when it’s cold. (@vellinails)
- Glow in the dark nails: these usually require exposure to sunlight before glowing in the dark. (@magic.polish)
- Flakie nails: flakies are little shreds of iridescent material suspended in a clear base. They look very opalescent especially when layered on the nail alone. (@cucumbercuticles)