Nail It! with the Season’s Hottest Manicure Trends

What was the most exciting part about your last visit to the nail salon?  Picking out your favorite color?  The 2-minute hand massage following the seeming hours of painful cuticle clipping?  With a new explosion of creativity in the nail industry, you will have much more to look forward to in a modern-day mani-pedi.

On catwalks, red carpets, and college campuses all over the country, nail trends are becoming more colorful, creative, and outrageous than ever before! Take Katy Perry, for example.  From her Smurf-inspired, rhinestone-encrusted nails, she has managed to incorporate a number of unexpected elements into her adorable, eye-catching manicures—even rainbow sprinkles! Other fashion icons such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna show off fierce pointed talons, further proving that simple polish and nail shape are a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, such extravagant styles don’t come cheap.  Fans of MINX nail adhesives such as Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé, while having the option of over 150 different patterns and colors, must also pay a pricey $55 for the adhesives (not including application price by a MINX nail professional). Even more costly are Terri Silacci’s snakeskin manicures—Customers pay up to $300 for the California manicurist to cut and apply each piece of naturally-shed snakeskin to their nails.

For all you fashionable collegietes who are looking to sport a trendy manicure without breaking your budgets, look no further. Here are three easy-to-follow tutorials that will leave your nails looking pretty, polished and chic:

1. The Faux Snakeskin Manicure

Terri Silacci’s famous snakeskin manicures have inspired a use of the scaly pattern. While this nail style doesn’t involve the real reptilian material, it’s the perfect way to achieve an exotic look for a fraction of the time and cost (not to mention, it’s more animal-friendly!).

1.     Paint 1-2 coats of base color on clean, bare nails.
2.     Let base color dry completely.
3.     Paint 1 coat of top color over base color.
4.     While top color is still wet, take piece of fishnet stockings and press firmly down onto nail and hold for 5-10 seconds.
5.     Remove fishnet material from nail.
6.     Paint 1 coat of clear topcoat.

2. The Newsprint Manicure

This style looks especially adorable if you use sections of your local newspaper’s crossword puzzle. Try to recycle a strip of the Daily Tar Heel for this!

1.     Paint nails with 2 coats of light color on clean, dry nails.
2.     Let nails dry completely.
3.     Place 1 strip of newspaper over nail.
4.     Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and press it onto the newspaper, transferring the text to the nail color.
5.     Remove strip of newspaper from nail.
6.     Paint 1 coat of clear topcoat.

3. The Ombré Manicure

From ombré hair color to dip-dyed garments, this gradual fade in color can be found in practically all facets of fashion—and now, your nails!

1.     Paint 2 coats of base color on clean, dry nails.
2.     Let nails dry completely.
3.     Pour a little bit of the second, slightly darker polish on a hard, throwaway surface.
4.     Use a cosmetic sponge to pat darker polish onto tip of nail in short strokes.
5.     Paint 1 coat of clear topcoat.