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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Stony Brook chapter.

It’s February, and while that means Stony Brook is currently frozen solid, it also means spring is around the corner. But this is Long Island, we wear jackets until June, making it difficult to express springtime through fashion. So one of the best ways to express your floral mindset is through your manicure… at least until the island thaws. Here are five colorful spring manicures to try this spring. 

 

1. Smiley faces ala Harry Styles: Put positive vibes on your fingers. Paint your nails a sunshine yellow shade like OPI “Sun, Sea and Sand in my pants,” Expressie “Sh00k” or Olive and June “Bright and Focused,” then add a smiley face in a dark color. Harry rocks his sunny face with black details, but you do you. For an extra bit of happiness, add the smiley in a metallic shade for a bit of sparkle. 

2. Floral tips in bright hues: Florals for spring? We know. But this manicure gives you a bouquet on the tip of each finger. Start with a nude base like OPI “Bubble Bath,” then add floral blooms in any color you like. To stay on trend consult the Pantone color recommendations for spring/summer 2021. We recommend combining a bright pink, with a coral and a rusty shade. Try Olive and June “Xoxo,” OPI “Got myself into a Jam-balaya” and Essie “Bed Rock and Roll” to finish the look add some white blooms and greenery. 

3. Bold blue: A monochromatic look. Pantone recommends a french blue or cerulean blue to stay trendy and cool this season. Try Essie “Butler Please” or OPI “Rich Girls and Po Boys” for a french blue. For a cerulean look try People of Color “Moremi,” or OPI “No Room for the Blues.” 

4. A hint of metallic: Add a rose gold accent. Start with a a creamy nude like Olive and June “Bi” or Debroah Lippman “Let Nature Sing,” then add a metallic accent as a messy french tip. You can get as creative as you want and create any design with a metallic polish, even doing a full metallic manicure. For metallics we recommend Essie “Penny Talk” for a rose gold shade or Orly “Bronze Ambition” for a bronze shade. 

5. All the greens: With St. Paddy’s day around the corner, show your pride with a green mani. Green shades pop up all over during spring. Pantone is recommending “Mint” and “Green Ash” as colors of the season. Try Orly “Green with Envy” for a bold green. For a darker shade try Essie “Off Tropic,” for a lighter shade go with Sally Hansen “Thyme is Money,” and for a more olive shade, Olive and June’s “WFK” is perfect. 

 

Tag us in all your mani pics @hercampusstyle and @hcstonybrook

Julia is a national writer for Her Campus. While she writes for all verticals, her focus is the wellness section, bringing you everything you need to know about relationships, astrology, and the best ways to get down and dirty. Julia is a recent grad of Stony Brook University, where she studied journalism with a minor in women's studies. During her time at SBU, she was a VS PINK campus rep, and an active member of Her Campus @ SBU. When she isn't writing, you can find Julia reading a smutty romance novel, hitting up her local crystal shop, or thrifting with an iced oat milk latte in hand. She's a Capricorn (but you probably already knew that) and a practicing yogi.
Cece Cruz

Stony Brook '21

President/Editor-in-Chief here at the Her Campus Stony Brook Chapter! I joined Her Campus in Spring 2018 as a Junior Writer and I am currently majoring in Journalism with a minor in Political Science. My personality is somewhere between Rachel Green and Phoebe Buffay. I call that balance. In my free time you can find me doing... I'm a college student, if I appear to have any free time I'm probably procrastinating.