When it comes to my nails, I always play it safe. I have two colourways of choice and I’ve not dabbled in any nail art. Call me boring but I’m a minimalist at heart. However, there’s only so much baking I can do, so in an effort to find a new lockdown hobby, I’ve been dabbling in minimal nail art.
I thought I’d start off slow by baby-stepping my way into the world of nail artistry. Not too sure if I should call it artistry at this point, but I tried. I also wanted some new styles to cut out and keep for when I book in for my post-lockdown manicure. Sometimes, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
If you’re like me and have an aversion to wild styles gracing your fingernails, then keep scrolling for all the minimal nail art inspiration that you need.
All that’s required here is a steady hand, a crystal clear nail polish and a statement colour of your choice. Keep it simple with a nude shade or go a little bolder with a darker hue.
Use this camel tone to carefully draw a fine line across your tips, then down and across one side of your nails. It’s such a classic colour so you might as well paint your toes while you’re at it.
As this will be the coat that will be on all of your nails, it needs to be a good one. With added retinol and raspberry leaf extract your nails will be protected, strengthened and fulfil all of your glossy needs.
Nude Rainbow
If you’re not up for experimenting with dots and lines, you can still get in on the action by adding some tonal energy to your manicure. Go for five different polish shades in the same colour family and job done.
Nailberry Oxygenated Nail Lacquer in Honesty (£15)
A colour that you’ll keep coming back to with a formula that actually lets your nails breathe. A winner.
Dior Vernis Nail Polish in Palais Royal 403 (£19)
With this manicure that’s all about how precise each colour is applied, you need a super smooth formula and a great brush. This polish ticks both of these boxes.
OPI Infinite Shine in Suzi (£16)
The ultimate khaki shade for this tonal polish party and one that will go with more outfits than you think it will.
Dot It On
Dots are a nail art staple and with the right tools, its way easier to do than you may think. Pink and red look surprisingly low key if you want to add in a hint of colour to your nail art adventures.
Essie Nail Polish in Fiji (£8)
Pastel pink is the subtle dose of colour we all need in our lives right now. This one is a softer bubblegum shade that works with all skin tones.
Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in Rock The Runway (£10)
This shade of red can often feel intimidating but for the colour shy, using it to create these dots is the ideal first step.
Goliton Nail Dotting Pens (£5)
This set has got you covered with all of your nail dotting needs. There’s different sizes here, so you can experiment with your next mani.
White Out
There’s something undeniably cool about white nail polish. It looks effortless but works as a great update for clear nail polish. To add a fresh take, create some blocks of white polish in the middle of your nails.
Essie Nail Colour in Blanc (£8)
A watered down white, just won’t cut it for this look. This one is a solid, shiny, opaque white and you’re about to have a new polish obsession.
French Manicure 2.0
We’re moving on from white tips into a pop of pastel. If you want to keep your nails stripped back and simple but happy to indulge in some colour play, then sticking to the tips is a fun move.
Nailberry Oxygenated Nail Lacquer in Minty Fresh (£15)
If you’re a pro in the coloured tips game then you can carefully swipe the brush in a freehand way. Not too sure? You can use some tape as a guide instead.
Art Class
Yes, I know, it looks impossible. If you have no desire to even attempt this, then this is one for the pros when salons re-open. If you do want to give it a go, then your art is your art. Get creative and try your hand at creating some figurative designs.
NARS Nail Polish in Endless Night (£15)
Rethink the idea that berry tones are only for winter, by adding a brighter colour in the design detail.
Seeing Stars
Just look at how simple this is. There’s no excuses to change up your nail look here, when all you need to do is pop on some stars and pair it with your go-to polish shade.
Ebanku Nail Sequins (£6)
All the stars you can ever need. Mix and match with different polish shades when you want a style refresh.
Simple Sploshes
The beauty of this look is that you can’t get it wrong. Mini splashes of colour with a clear base are the definition of minimalism. Go for white, to get this cloud-like style but you can also go for a shade of grey or neutral.
Sally Hansend Vitamin E Nail and Cuticle Oil (£7)
Make sure your nail health is in order if you’re giving this one a go, by keeping your cuticles nourished.
Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat (£8)
The star of the show is just how shiny and mirror-like you can get your top coat. Plus, when you’ve done all of your handiwork, you don’t want anything peeling off. This is the one to go for to keep everything in place.
Up next, your guide to the key trends for summer 2020.
This article originally appeared on Who What Wear
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