Nail Art: Stay on Top of the Trend
The popularity of nail art has exploded in recent years. Simply watch footage from a fashion show, catch a glimpse of a beauty magazine, watch “Claws” on TNT or follow a fashion influencer or blogger online to get a sense of how sought-after nail art has become among fashionistas, stay at home moms, tweens and everyone in between and beyond.
Citing “Nails Magazine,” CBS News reports that nails account for an $8.5 billion industry. More than 50,000 nail salons operate in the United States alone. Out of all the nail salons in the U.S., approximately 75 percent of them offer nail art.
What Is Nail Art?
Like body painting or face painting, nail art is another way for people to express themselves. Nail art differs from simply painting your fingernails or toenails with a base color and calling it a day. By its very definition, nail art is extremely personal by comparison, giving people the chance to make a statement or complete a look in a way that’s as unique to them as they want it to be.
Nail art includes just about any technique a nail technician might use to decorate a person’s fingernails, toenails or both. Polish, UV gel, hybrid coatings, marbling, stenciling, artificial nails, stickers, rhinestones, various effects, extensions – all those things and more can be used to create highly detailed nail art.
Current and Emerging Trends in Nail Art
With nail art having a strong grip on the imaginations of technicians and eager clients alike, it’s only natural that this burgeoning niche of the beauty industry is witness to some current and emerging trends. In fact, the vertical is now where minimalism and maximalism are sharing center stage.
Here are some of the trends that are or will be dominating the landscape in nail art in the near future:
● Mix and Match Patterns: This trend employs contrasting shapes and colors to create patterns that almost seem as if they’re random. Typically bright and colorful, mix and match nail patterns are reminiscent of late ‘80s pop culture with a modern twist.
● Negative Space: While mix and match patterns consume all the available space on a person’s nails, the negative space trend takes an opposite approach. Leaving most of a nail “blank” or looking natural, this technique may simply sport a line of beads, rhinestones or a line of singular color running up the center of each nail.
● Nails Shaped Like Coffins: In recent months, squarish and rectangular nails have enjoyed a resurgence, and the emerging trend of coffin-shaped nails will push their comeback to the next natural plateau. To better envision this look, think of a tapered almond that’s not as narrow or sharply pointed as a stiletto heel.
● Offbeat Nail Shapes: Nails shaped like miniature coffins won’t be your only choice when it comes to nail shapes moving forward. New shapes like the lipstick variation that was invented by Eun Kyung Park, founder of South Korea’s Unistella nail salon, are expected to grow in popularity in the not so distant future.
The Future of Nail Art
While some people may think that nail art is a passing fad, people’s prolific use of social media to show off their latest nail designs proves that nail art is more than the flavor of the day. Nail art is a beauty trend that’s here to stay. And it’s one that’s increasingly accessible throughout mainstream America and well beyond.
If you doubt that nail art has staying power, consider the following – an online museum of nail art has been established that allows people to show off their latest nail art creations. Called Nailpolis, the museum is the digital face of a growing community of nail enthusiasts who are devoted to all things nails and nail art.
Sign Up with Our Nail Technology School
Are you ready to be a part of an $8.5 billion industry that has proven staying power and an even brighter future? If so, we encourage you to enroll in our nail technology school in Wausau, WI so you can get the training you need to pass the state exam and become a nail technician. Contact State College of Beauty Culture to learn more today!