Everyone knows that a good manicure is a must-have summer accessory.
There’s no other season where your digits are so consistently exposed, so it’s vital that they’re perfectly polished and on-trend. We got the inside info from salons across the North Shore to ensure you have everything you need to be a nail-fashion maven.
Trend: Pop of color
The hottest trend right now is to be doing anything at all, even if it’s just a splash of color or sparkle on the ring finger.
“Most art has a theme or inspiration requested by the guest,” says Amber Edwards, nail director at Mario Tricoci. So celebrate in style! If you’re going to a beach birthday party, pump up a nude mani with aqua polish on both ring fingers. Got a baby shower coming up? And it’s a girl? Pick a hot-pink hue, with sparkly accent polish on ring fingers.
Trend: Make it matte
There are plenty of ways to spice up a basic manicure that will fly in even the most conservative of environments. Matte colors are a great option for a strict dress code. “The matte version of that color speaks more softly ‘I’m different,’” says Alan Kossof of Teddie Kossof SalonSpa.
Trend: Fade into fab
Emily Schuman, creator of the drool-worthy blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, recommends a nude ombre manicure, as shown in this video. The color is still office-appropriate, but the ombre design adds an interesting, high-fashion element.
Trend: White hot
Even for the not-so-adventurous, the white nail polish trend is fun to experiment with. It stands out more than your average shell pink or taupe, plus it can be seen all over the red carpet. Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and Karlie Kloss have also been spotted sporting white-hot nails. OPI’s Alpine Snow is a crisp matte white that looks nothing like the Wite-Out we all painted on in grade school. If you’re looking for a more opaque shade, try Nars Écume
Trend: Pump up pastels
Coral is cute, but what’s hot right now is the super-intense pastel shades. Lemon-lime is as delicious on nails as it is in popsicle form, and Edwards says that bright yellow has been extremely popular (try Darcy by Zoya, $8). Kossof says that the bright and vivid pastels are his favorite colors to see on manicures. “It’s just uplifting. It’s fun and expresses that I’m carefree, I’m fun and I like to be creative.” Essie’s Summer 2013 line features several of these pumped-up colors, including a particularly fierce peony with a hint of sparkle called The Girls Are Out.
Trend: The nitty-gritty
Replacing the “shatter” trend, made famous by OPI, is a new trend of physical texture: grittiness or tiny feather-like pieces in the actual liquid polish. The British ladies behind the nail-focused blog Polish You Pretty tested the China Glaze Texture line and liked some of the polishes in the line better than others. Our favorite is the red-based pink Bump & Grind. Be careful with the lighter colors, because they can end up looking messy.
Photo via Polish You Pretty
Trend: Stick to it
It sounds too good to be true, but the latest wave of press-on nail stickers that emulate high-fashion nail art is a sweeping trend. From Sally Hansen to Essie to Incoco, these DIY kits offer patterns like lace, snakeskin, graphic prints and a host of other options. We especially love the easy application of the Essie stick nail appliques. But as Kossof points out, you might not get the picture-perfect results advertised on the box unless you have a steady hand and are a master with a nail file. We also like the Sally Hansen line—the strips are smooth and long-lasting, although they’re a bit more tedious to apply.
Photo via Essie
