Cool, curated and individual nail designs are another way to up the ante on your beauty game. Not only can freshly painted nails make you feel instantly more pulled together, but once done, they can provide days and weeks of wear without the need for a touch-up. That’s why finding a design you properly love is worth the effort.
Nail art has definitely undergone a luxe makeover in the last few years with understated, minimalist nail designs taking off amongst those wanting something a little more interesting than plain polish. But talented nail artists are flexing their talents to the maximum too, creating maximalist manicures that look more like works of art. Techniques and technology have enabled us to seriously raise our game.
“Nail technology has evolved so much over the years – I’ve seen huge changes in products throughout my career,” celebrity nail artist Michelle Humphrey told GLAMOUR. “The possibilities for nail pros to create insane sculptured nails has become much easier, with products that work like jelly or putty to sculpt and build, so the possibilities are now endless. It’s not for the minimalist, but it is nail art truly at its finest and most modern,” insists Michelle, who counts Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter as clients.
As for what’s hot, look to the biggest nail trends right now. Cat-eye nails are having a major moment. For the uninitiated, “cat-eye nails give the illusion of a velvet nail. Metallic particles are moved around in the nail where desired using a magnet,” explains Michelle. “This trend is so so popular at the moment and will definitely be here for the foreseeable future,” she adds. Likewise, aura nails bring a ton of personality to your fingertips creating a mood ring effect by blending two or more gradients out from the centre of the nail. Mix n match nails are heavy on individuality, too, meaning you can clash patterns and prints for a bespoke set that speaks to all the things you love. And shade-wise butter yellow is set to rule for another year running (after exploding last spring), alongside cherry red and curveball dill pickle greens (check out our explainer on the top trending shades of 2025).
For the maximalists, 3D designs will be everywhere, whether that’s with dinky stick-on gemstones and crystals, raised petals and bows or with fully-fledged works of art. We’ve seen plastic gummy bears, spirals and love hearts glued to manis to make a serious statement. And Y2K nail piercings have been given a modern makeover, so expect to start seeing a lot more of them.
Here are some of our favourite nail designs to try…
Cat-eye Frenchies
Eye-catching, mysterious and a whole load of fun, there’s a reason cat-eye nails have been taking off amongst the girls in the know for the past few years, but 2025 is set to establish it even more. Already we’re seeing new twists and spin-offs like these stunning green cat-eye Frenchies.
