A new year means new nails, and although aura manicures have been trending on and off for the last year or so, they’re showing no signs of going anywhere as we head into 2024.
The blurred, colourful orbs are perfect for embodying an optimistic, positive ambiance, and they’re ideal for adding some good vibes and pops of colour to an otherwise dreary January. Although choosing a colour to reflect the mood you want to start your new year off with, you don’t necessarily need to tap into your ‘spiritual’ shades to enjoy the look, with a whole host of different designs doing the rounds on TikTok.
(Image: HeyGreatNails/Instagram)
Giorgia Cappella, training and education manager at The Gel Bottle , told Vogue: “While bright colours are best used to create this effect because they stand out, it depends on the spiritual aura of the client – they may want specific colours to reflect how they are feeling. While some clients want their nails to reflect their current aura, or the one they wish to give off, for others it’s just a trend they love and like the look of.”
The colours you choose can have different impacts and meanings, with pink and orange being two of the most popular shades, representing self-love, romance, creativity and confidence – all vibes we want to bring into the new year – and they also look great together, aesthetically speaking.
(Image: brushedbyb_/Instagram)
You can work with just about any nail shape when it comes to creating the look, although oval and almond nails helps amp up the naturally circular aura shape whilst giving it length and a tapered edge, but you can still achieve it with a square nail (which happens to be the trending nail shape for 2024).
You don’t need to be a wizard nail tech to achieve the look either, as although many manicurists will use an airbrush to create the soft, blurred edges and blended shades, there are plenty of how-to videos on TikTok that show how to do the design at home too.
(Image: Amiri Studios/TikTok)
One video from Amiri Studio demonstrates how to create the perfect diffused effect using a simple sponge pen, like the Mylee Dual Ended Sponge Applicator Pen, £6.99 here, although you can also use the pointed end of a small beauty blender if you want.
To start with, they apply a base colour in a very pale pink shade, similar to OPI’s Beyond the Pale Pink, £13.52 here (was £16.90), before taking the sponge applicator and gently pressing a much bolder fuchsia hue into the centre of the nails. The colour they’ve chosen looks just like Gucci Vernis À Ongles Nail Polish, 402 Vantine Fuschia, £26 here, but you can choose any contrasting or complementary colour to suit the aura you’re going for.
(Image: Amiri Studios/TikTok)
The secret is to dab the aura colours on whilst concentrating on the centre, which you want to be opaque. You’ll want to apply it in several very thin layers, concentrating more and more on the middle each time which helps to diffuse the colours together and create the blurred edges and ombre-style effect. You can do this with multiple colours – just remember to change or clean the sponge in between to avoid muddying the shades too much!
Finish off with a glossy top coat, or a glazed one if you want to incorporate another trend thats sticking around for 2024, and voila.– one perfect manicure to start your January off with good vibes only.
