25 Nail Art Trends You Need To Try Now

Tired of keeping your nails short and clean, yet unmanicured? We know we are. Now that some nail salons are open once again, we’re excited to try some trending nail art designs we’ve been seeing on our feeds. If you’re set to make an appointment with your go-to nail artist soon, we’re saving you the trip down the #nailart Instagram wormhole as you look for pegs. Ahead are some of the cutest nail art 2021 trends to try soon.

Green hues

Green nail polish is the go-to nail colour of the moment. It’s certainly fresh and easy on the eyes. And ICYDK, shades of green were also forecasted to be one of the most-worn nail colours of the year. Muted green shades, in particular, are popular in this trend. The deeper, forest green tones look super chic, but lighter greens have a more playful vibe. It’s up to you to decide which spectrum of green you’ll sport. In our opinion, this nail trend would pair perfectly with a look using the ColourPop Baby Yoda palette since it has similar green eyeshadow colours.

Change it up: Throw in some different finishes — matte, glitter, foil — in addition to using varying shades of green.

Tiny daisies

We might not have a spring season in our part of the world, but these cute daisies are too cute to pass up. It’s quite fitting, since kitschy floral prints were predicted to be a hit this year. This one, in particular, was inspired by the Melissa x Lazy Oaf sandals from their recent collab, according to nail artist Livvy Lyman. Get it by asking for a simple French tip using navy blue nail polish and have it adorned with a white daisy as the final detail.

Change it up: You can make it three-dimensional using PolyGel polish and a little gem in the middle. Use this as a reference when you go to your nail appointment.

Cloud nails

You’ve heard of the cloud makeup trend, but now it can be on your nails too! Spending a lot of time indoors has led a lot of people to appreciate the outdoors. If you find yourself in the same boat, this is one little way you can have a bit of the outdoors with you even while staying inside your house. Your nail artist will have to freehand this design, but we promise the end result will be worth it. Cloud nails can be watercolour-ish, as seen in the photo above, or simpler dots of solid white nail polish.

Change it up: Don’t be tempted to stick to blue nail polish for this trend, explore other options like pink, purple, orange, yellow… basically anything your heart desires.

Artsy swirls

Abstract nails aren’t new, but these fun swirls of nail polish have been everywhere on our feed. Google searches for abstract nail art have been on the rise since 2021 started. The designs range from groovy retro-inspired swirls to paint-like strokes. To hop on the trend, you can choose to use just two shades of nail polish from the same colour family. Another option is choosing one muted nude shade and one eye-catching colour to alternate on each finger.

Change it up: Can’t decide on the colours? Then maybe some rainbow swirls will be the right fit.

If you need a little reminder to smile, this fun nail art design will do just that. This minimalist design paints big smiley faces all over your nails, in every colour imaginable, adding a dose of positivity to your day. This nail art trend is also linked to the on-going “indie beauty” trend among Gen Z that spotlights “cheeky, colourful products” versus the posh, minimalist tastes of older generations, according to Byrdie. We guarantee you’ll end up smiling every time you glimpse at your hands. The best part is it can be done on both short and long nails, so nobody would miss out on it.