What is that Nail Art Trend and Where Can I Get it?
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Raised
When you see sweater patterns, seashells, flowers, or even bubbles, these were most likely hand-raised by a nail artist. Raised nail art normally refers to the slow build up of gel polish to form a three-dimensional object. This can take minutes, hours, or in some extreme cases, days (see NAILS Magazine’s Next Top Nail Artist). If you are in love with a design that involves raising an intricate object, be prepared to sit for a while and pay up big-time.
Where to get it in NYC:
Arete Nail de Vue in Flushing: This is our top place for raised work. We’ve gotten raised art by them before and it was great.
Judy in Corona: We love Judy and she is great for raised work, she even won a prize for her hand built flowers. However, appointment time is super limited.
BISOU in SoHo: We haven’t gotten to try this place first-hand, but here are some examples of their raised work on their Instagram.
MG Nail in Flushing: The nail artist here is great, there are examples of their raised work on their Instagram.
Royal Beauty in Flushing: They also have examples on their instagram and we had a great time at their salon.
13.5k Likes, 79 Comments - ICYNAILSX🖤 (@icynailsx) on Instagram: "Happy new year 🥰☁️☁️ ombré to clear princess icicles"
super clear
Sometimes referred to as glass nails, super clear has to be one of the weirder nail trends in my opinion. It refers to making the whole nail, but especially the tip, look like glass. This is usually achieved by sculpting an extension out of clear gel/acrylic, a method which I’ll talk about more below. This look can be worn long or short, though all methods require extending the length of the nail with gel, since there is no way to make the natural nail clear.
Where to get it in NYC:
Jenny Spa BX in the Bronx: Cardi B’s nail artist is well known for her extensions.
Nails on 7th in Upper Manhattan: The Manhattan location of Jenny and her partner’s studio chain.
Marie Nails in SoHo: There appear to be one or two examples of this on their Instagram, but I would check with them first.
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Jelly Nails
When I first heard about this trend, I thought it meant to make your nails feel soft and squishy…not very appealing. It turns out however that ‘jelly nails’ does not in fact mean making the nails feel like jelly, but rather making them resemble the plastic jelly shoes of the 90s. They have also been described as “candy” or “Jolly Rancher” nail. A relative of super clear nails, this trend is also normally completed with the help of clear extensions. If you don’t like extensions, the results might not come out as pictured here.
Where to get it in NYC:
Jenny Spa BX in the Bronx: Jenny Bui recently posted jelly nails on her Insta.
Nails on 7th in Upper Manhattan: Both Bui-run salons have the same capabilities.
Generally speaking, you want to go with a salon that is very familiar with extensions. If you are interested in a studio, be sure to look at their Instagram or Yelp first, or give them a call and ask if they can do the design you want. If they seem uncertain, don’t go and call someone else.
1,559 Likes, 28 Comments - LUXAPOLISH ® LUXA ® (@luxapolish) on Instagram: "Jolly ranchers 🍬 by @cb.nail @naildesigncraze using luxa Glass Gels. Www.luxapolish.com...."
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Sculpted
You might be thinking, “Why are all these Instagram posts captioned with #sculpted nails?” Well, thanks to years of nail tech development, technicians now have the option to create completely custom nail extensions. This can be done with gel, aka goop from a pot, or acrylic, which is powder and liquid mixed together and molded like play-dough. Both are used to create extensions by putting a sticker under your nail and then adding the material on top and drying it. If you want to know more, I’ve added a video below. What’s special about these methods is that unlike plastic glue-on extensions, the material has no shape of it’s own, so it can be customized to fit the wearer and sculpted into the exact shape you desire.
A side note: Hysterically, all of these systems started in dental technology; OPI originally stood for Odontorium Products Inc.
Where to get it in NYC:
Jenny Spa BX in the Bronx: Cardi B’s nail artist Jenny Bui is well known for her extensions.
Nails on 7th in Upper Manhattan: Bui’s Manhattan location also has extensions galore on their Insta.
Generally speaking, you want to go with a salon that is very familiar with extensions. If you are interested in a studio, be sure to look at their Instagram or Yelp first, or give them a call and ask if they can do the design you want. If they seem uncertain, don’t go and call someone else.
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hidden Diamond
The hidden diamond trend is a super fun addition that can be used on nails of any length. It’s created by adding a diamond-shaped impression to the clear top coat. A less complicated embellish, it won’t run the risk of falling off like traditional gems, and can be added to any design that needs an extra oomph.
Where to get it in NYC:
BISOU in SoHo: I’ve been seeing this trend on a lot of Japanese nailstagrams, so I would put my money on a Japanese salon. BISOU is a very capable studio that I’m sure could do this design. You can check their Instagram to get a better idea of their work.
Marie Nails in SoHo: Also a Japanese nail studio. I’m confident that they could pull it off. Here’s their Instagram for reference.
Arete Nail de Vue in Flushing: Not a Japanese studio, but they are amazingly talented and can basically can do anything.
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Ombre
Ombre reached its peek couple years ago, but it’s still beautiful in so many ways. Ombre is often created by putting polish on a sponge and wiping it over a different colored coat. The two colors will then look like they are fading into each other. In designs these days, ombre is often combined with other techniques for even more fun.
Where to get it in NYC:
Any of our three-star or above rated studios in NYC should be able to add ombre to your nails. See our studio list to find the one closest to you.
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Baby Boomer
This style is a specific type of ombre where light pink is delicately blended into white. Said to be very popular in Europe, it’s basically the ombre version of a french mani. According to Refinery29, it’s called baby boomer because it dates back to Europe in the 1940s, or the baby boomer years. The baby boomer style can be combined with stones or other embellishments to create an elegant, yet exciting look.
Where to get it in NYC:
Any of our three-star or above rated studios in NYC should be able to achieve the baby boomer style. See our studio list to find the one closest to you.
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Matte
Matte is actually just a type of top coat that can be added to nails to take away shine. If you haven’t gotten it yet and are expecting something complicated, be prepared to be semi-bummed. However, the effect is still super cool and can be applied to any color. I personally enjoy it when it’s combined with glossy and glittery textures to add contrast, as you can see in the picture to the left. The effect slowly wears off over time and starts to look less matte and a little more glossy.
Where to get it in NYC:
Any of our three-star or above rated studios in NYC should have a bottle of matte top coat in their arsenal. See our studio list to find the one closest to you.
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chrome
The intention of chrome is to make finger nails appear to be metal. This is achieved by first painting the nail black, and then rubbing on a chrome powder with an eyeshadow sponge or rubber tipped nail tool. The powder is then covered with a clear coat to increase shine and prevent fallout. Chrome comes in a variety of different colors, some with an iridescence. Replicating the exact type of metal texture you want depends more on the powder than the person applying it. Most salons will have chrome, but they may not be the exact color you are looking for. My advice would be to either consult with the studio you are interested in first or check their Instagram or Yelp to see if they have used the color you want on a previous customer. Also, chromes dull over time, so don’t wait to get your pics!
Where to get it in NYC:
Any of our three-star or above rated studios in NYC should have all the tools for chroming nails. See our studio list to find the one closest to you.
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Holographic
Similar to chrome, this effect is achieved by rubbing holographic powder over the nail. The quality of the holographic effect, like chrome, depends on the powder rather than the application. If you want an effect like the picture on the right, you will definitely want to check with your tech first, because more common holo powders are not as transparent and won’t show the base color as well.
Where to get it in NYC:
Jenny Spa BX in the Bronx: Cardi B’s nail artist Jenny Bui, also known as “The Queen of Bling”, does a lot of very flashy designs, so it’s very likely that she has high quality holographic powder.
Nails on 7th in Upper Manhattan: The Manhattan location of Jenny and her partner’s studio chain.
We really want to find more salons with quality holo, so if you know any good places please comment and let us know!
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Magnetic
Magnetic polish has magnetized particles in it that will create a directional shine after coming in contact with a magnet. If you see people tagging #magneticnails or #catseyenails on Instagram, this is what they’re referring to. It’s a lot of fun to have on your fingers - I personally played with mine for like 30 minutes after I got this polish for the first time.
Where to get it in NYC:
Arete Nail de Vue in Flushing: This is where I got my first magnetic nails.
6,946 Likes, 106 Comments - ᶜᵁˢᵀᴼᴹ ᴺᴬᴵᴸˢ ᴮᵞ ᶜᴴᴵᶜᴴᴵ (@bestnailsclub) on Instagram: "✧𝓈𝒾𝑒𝓇𝓇𝒶 𝒹𝑒 𝓁𝒶 𝓁𝒶𝑔𝓊𝓃𝒶✧ * * * * * the mountains outside of cabo for birthday babe natalie!🥳..."
hand Painted
I’m going to be honest, I’m not sure if this counts as trend since it’s never going to go out of style. Definitely dependent on skill, this is where techs turn nail polish into nail art. Using teeny tiny brushes, techs paint beautiful little scenes on your fingers. It’s a tedious process. It’ll have you wondering why the technician agreed to what you asked for, but then you’ll see the bill and understand.
Where to get it in NYC:
BISOU in SoHo: If you’re looking for motivation to spend your money on nails, look at their hand painted masterpieces Instagram.
Marie Nails in SoHo: Another studio with a lot of hand painted designs on their Instagram.
MG Nail in Flushing: Allison got her nails hand painted here and we were all in love. Here’s the studio’s Instagram for reference.
Royal Beauty in Flushing: They also have a lot of hand painted designs on their Instagram and we had a great time at their salon.
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If you have a favorite studio that does great work, please let us know in the comments below!
- XOXO the Jung Sisters