New year, new nails.
The new year is a time for a fresh start, and this doesn’t exclude our nails. The nail trends that dominated 2023 – the Hailey Bieber glazed doughnut nails and ‘clean girl’ nails – have been replaced by a much bolder, vibrant set of trends in 2024.
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But with so many talented nail artists offering a seemingly never-ending choice of colours and elaborate designs, sometimes a trip to the nail salon can feel daunting. To make it easy for you, we asked local nail artists about the trends they’re seeing the most and what they expect to see more of this coming year, so you’ll be armed with inspiration for your next appointment.
Contrast
Melbourne nail artist Snack By Roberta tells me contrasting nails is set to be one of the biggest trends of the year. “One side you have the playful critters and the other, groovy chick” – essentially, every nail has a different design. Think “urban and trendy with the literal polar opposite” on the next nail.
This trend is ideal for those who love to push boundaries and express themselves through their nail designs, or for those who are indecisive and don’t know which design they want – the easy solution is both! Horni Nails agrees, saying her clients aren’t scared of trying something new “or looking misplaced or even a little crazy”.
Maximalism
We’re leaving the clean, minimalistic nails in 2023; this year is all about maximalism. Expect to see charms, piercings and lots of texture; this trend is all about using your nails as a form of self-expression.
And don’t let your lifestyle stop you from jumping on the maximalism trend. Just because your nails need to be short, it doesn’t mean they need to be boring. Melbourne nail artist Peachi Nails specialises in maximalist designs and says “Short nails with maximal design are becoming more and more popular” among her clients with lots of texture, charms and 3D designs being requested.
Chrome
Melbourne nail artist Steph Fortuna says the chrome trend will continue its reign of popularity in 2024. “Specifically a lot of silver, gold and iridescent chromes with the sculpture art consisting of a lot of blob work (yes literally blobs),” she explains.
This trend aligns with the maximalism movement we’re seeing in the fashion world, and there are multiple ways to incorporate chrome into your next set whether that be a full chrome look, a delicate chrome linework or thick chrome French tips.
3D nails
3D nails started gaining traction in 2023, and according to 1011.com Nail Studio they “will be on everyone’s to-do list” yet again in 2024. Whether it be florals, spikes or hand-crafted charms, they tell me “Anyone who knows nails, knows they’ll need to try 3D gel designs at least once this year”. Sets by Onyx predicts that 3D hand-sculpted charms in particular will be a big craze this year, with her clients already pushing boundaries and opting for “junk/charm nails”.
Bows, lots and lots of bows!
Bows were a major trend in 2023 – from clothing and hair accessories to socks and homewares, bows were just about everywhere. Sass Nail Artistry says in 2024, they’ll continue their reign of popularity, with ultra-feminine ’90s and Y2K styles still being a major inspiration for nail art.
Animal print
With the rise of the mob wife aesthetic, animal print is proving popular this year – take inspiration from shows like The Sopranos and The Nanny, both of which had characters that favoured a bold animal print and a perfectly manicured hand. This trend can be interpreted in several ways, with prints being used for entire nail designs or more subtly on a thick French tip. Sets by Onyx tells me she expects to see “repetitive prints such as animal print” much more in 2024, in particular reptile, cheetah and leopard.
Red, red, red
Red is proving to be one of the most popular colours of 2024, and we’re seeing it everywhere from clothing and shoes to bags and nails. Sass Nail Artistry says that cherry cola, darker red and vampy burgundy tones will “be a hot pick” with inspiration coming straight from the runway.
For more of the nail trends that will be big in 2024, head here.
