With lavender fashion already dominating the style trends this summer, it was really only a matter of time until it spread to our fingertips. Now, despite blue nails and the whole ‘blueberry milk’ manicure having their five minutes of fame, purple nail designs are on the up.
If you’re not convinced, you need only scroll TikTok where you’ll be greeted with a plethora of purple manicure inspo—from soft, minimalist lilac hues and mauve French tips to full-on violet chromes. Even ‘Quiet Luxury‘ muse, Sofia Richie is jumping on the bandwagon and we couldn’t be happier.
To quote Taylor Swift, we really just want to “stay in that lavender haze,” because nothing elevates an outfit quite like a purple manicure. So to that end, here are all the chic designs and purple tones we’ve been spying everywhere lately and how to recreate them IRL…
The best purple nail designs for summer 2023
If you’ve been living in a Barbie world these last few weeks, wearing exclusively pink nail designs and sporting every iteration of the “Barbie” manicure (we don’t blame you), opting for a purple is great way to change things up, while still keeping that pop of color and summery vibe going.
You can really go as subtle or as statement—like Hailey Bieber’s maximalist nails—as you want with purple. If, as mentioned, you’re detoxing from hot Barbie pinks, an aubergine shade is a great shout, or if you’re still in your blue nail era, perhaps a cool-toned periwinkle? The possibilities are endless and we’ve just made the inspo gathering even easier…
MIL’s purple nail polish faves
OPI Nail Lacquer in ‘Do You Lilac It?’
RRP: $11.49
OPI Nail Lacquer in ‘Polly Want a Lacquer?’
RRP: $11.49
Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in ‘135 Immortelle’
OPI Nature Strong Natural Origin Nail Lacquer in ‘Spring Into Action’
RRP: $11.49
Essie Nail Polish in ‘Lilacism’
Essie expressie, Quick-Dry Nail Polish in ‘sk8 with destiny’
1. Sofia Richie’s minimalist lavender nails
@sofiarichiegrainge Lavender nails for summer 💫🪻💜
On Monday, July 24, 2023 Sofia Richie debuted her minimalist purple manicure on TikTok, sharing the whole process.
She opted for a pastel, lavender shade, which very much gives spring or winter vibes, depending on the season. She also chose to keep her natural nail length, with a clean, squared tip for an ultra-subtle mani, to compliment all of her chic outfits.
As for the polish itself, her nail artists used a gel polish shade—but as only one block color was used to create this look, you can definitely get away with using a normal, air-drying polish in a similar hue.
2. Purple chrome nails
@overglowedit
♬ original sound
@hannah.sewell
♬ There She Goes – The La’s
Chrome nails have been having a whole damn era it seems, with nearly every nail polish color getting the reflective treatment—seriously, TikTok and IG is a treasure trove of chrome mani inspo.
Shiny violet and lilac shades especially, are on the rise. Purple itself is perfect for summer and beyond and personally, we think it adds a bit of ‘mermaidcore‘ to your day-to-day styling, especially with that pop of iridescent shimmer.
Pastel lilacs and lavenders are also perfect if you’ve been loving Hailey Bieber’s nails—which are usually a milky white or soft pink—but want to change things up. A light purple will offer a slightly different vibe, but not dramatically so.
As for recreating a purple chrome look, either ask your nail tech for a chrome powder. Alternatively, if you’re doing your nails at home, apply your base shade, before rubbing on some shimmer powder and locking it in with a top coat.
3. Lilac French Tips
@nailzkatkat
♬ super freaky girl x luxurious – xxtristanxo
Micro French tips are also another 2023 nail trend that has been giving the purple treatment. We love how minimalist these are, whilst still giving a hint of whimsical spring and summer vibes.
This mani is very chic and surprisingly easy to recreate! Simply apply a nude, ‘barely there’ nail polish, before selecting your purple and painting it on with a thing nail brush, for accuracy—then seal in with a shiny top coat. Shop nail art brushes here, at Amazon.
4. Purple aura nails
We’re loving an aura nail look, especially in purple. It reminds up of the night sky or a colourful nebula and who doesn’t want that at their fingertips?
To recreate this look you’ll need to select two purple shades, one light and one dark. Personally we’d leave it to the professionals as the process is a little fiddly. But if you’re determined to do it are home, you’ll want to paint on your first shade (light or dark, depending on the style of aura you want) before it’s fully dried, apply a dot of your second color to the centre of your nail.
Allow it to blend out or help it along with a brush. Once both shades have tried, apply a top coat.
5. Grape glazed donut nails (we’re coining it)
@nailsbycalliemarie
♬ Mother – Meghan Trainor
@sullivang_
♬ super freaky girl x luxurious – xxtristanxo
Of course, we couldn’t not have a purple variation of the ever-popular ‘glazed donut’ nails. While we know they’re basically chrome nails—but with a cuter name—we wanted to give these super subtle, pearly lilac mani’s their own moment.
Like with chrome nails, to recreate this look you need only apply your purple base shade before topping it with an opalescent shimmer. However, if you wanted more of a lip gloss nail-esque, sheer purple, a good trick is to mix it with a clear polish or nude—this is a pro tip straight from Hailey Bieber’s nail artist, Zola Ganzorigt.
6. Purple hibiscus nails
Floral designs, in particular, these ‘hibiscus’ nails are the perfect combo of purple and summer vibes.
We love the look of this white detailing over a bright lavender or indigo. To create this, it will take a steady hand—so be sure to invest in a thin, nail brush and maybe have a few practice runs!
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