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From Milk Bath Nails to chrome and crocodile, 2022 has had plenty of nail trends. You might be surprised that many of these trends are easy to ahem, “nail”, from the comfort of your own home.
Milk Bath Nails
Milk Bath nails are very easy to create from the comfort of your own couch, as long as you’re willing to skip flower appliques a la Dua Lipa. All you need is a sheer polish in a pale shade and a dense, high-gloss top coat. What better polish to achieve the look with than OPI “Bubble Bath” ($11). Apply one coat, then follow with OPI Brilliance Top Coat in Clear ($25).
Glazed Donut Nails
The Glazed Donut Nail trend was famously kicked off by Hailey Bieber and her nail tech Zola Ganzorigt at the Met Gala in May, and has spawned thousands of tutorials and attempts, with a whopping 210.6 million views on TikTok.
Why couldn’t we look away from the glazed donut? It’s that ever so slightly opalescent reflection that elevates the otherwise boring mani (is that a milk bath nail underneath?) and makes it mesmerising. For her Met Gala look they used OPI, “Pale to Chief”, one of their salon exclusive shades.
To get the look at home, apply a coat of OPI Infinite Shine Long-Wear Lacquer in “Funny Bunny” ($11) — a creamy, off-white polish, with OPI Infinite Shine, Pro-Stay Top Coat ($24).
Then, for the DIY component: mix your top coat with an OPI, Powder Perfection Dipping System in “Funny Bunny” (45) or “Chiffon My Mind“, ($54) for that delicious, glazed and donut-y effect.
The Supermodel Manicure
Of all the boring nail trends of 2022, the Supermodel Nail was possibly the *most* boring. Dainty, the look features clean cuticles, square or squoval natural (or very subtly extended) nails, with sheer pink and/or beige washes of colour.
Nicola Peltz Beckham’s nail tech Tom Bachik coined the term when he “created” the manicure on her wedding day. He described the process as all about the cuticle, starting with a hydrating massage, before completely cleansing the area. He worked with Chanel polishes layering Chanel, Longwear Nail Colours in “Onirique” and “Ballerina” and finishing with Le Top Coat, also Chanel.
She may be boring, but she’s flawless.
Barbiecore Nails
Barbie has been everywhere this year, as has Barbiecore. It’s less than surprising that with the onset of spring/summer, searches for chrome pink nails are popping off. The best thing about the Barbiecore trend, whether you’re looking at beauty or fashion, though, is that it’s incredibly achievable. Just think pink! While much fuss was made over Selena Gomez’s pastel, square-tipped moment, we like a different type of Barbie girl.
Personally, we like to imagine the Barbie of our childhoods, but after she left Ken at home and stole Action Man’s car for a joyride. This Hot Wheels x Barbie-mani is very *that*. Skip hours fiddling around at home with Paintlab, Red Danger Press On Nails ($30), as close to as exact a dupe as you’re likely to find.
Chrome Nails
Kylie Jenner’s killer chrome claws stole the show at Kourtney Kardashian’s wedding in May. We’ve also seen chrome nails on Dua Lipa, Halle Bailey, Sydney Sweeney and Megan Thee Stallion.
The trend can work with any colour. For a metallic effect as seen on Kylie, opt for OPI Infinite Shine “Silver On Ice” ($14), before layering on plenty of glossy top coat for a mirror-like shine. Think ‘bonnet of a car’-level gloss.
Crocodile Nails
This reptilian nail trend sported by Storm Reid and Lizzo has brought verdant shades of olive, emerald, lime and chartreuse into the spotlight, and there are plenty of tutorials to be found on TikTok for creating the 3D scaled effect.
If you want to attempt these, invest in an at-home gel manicure kit. In terms of the best lamps, the Ovlux Professional ($44) is a highly rated option. You’ll then need a “bloom gel” polish — that’s a LED curable product that allows colours to seep, which creates the blooming effect on the nail. Try the aptly titled Blooming Gel Nail Gels ($14), add a builder polish for a three-dimensional effect, and dot your colour of choice.
Simply want to channel some croc vibes without the 3D fuss? Nail colours like Mavala Switzerland, Green Apple ($8) and Gucci, Vernis à Ongles in “Melinda Green” ($52) will have you feeling snappy.
Duck Feet Nails
It was one of the most reviled trends of the 2000s, but with the revival of all things Y2K across beauty and fashion trends in 2022, Duck Feet Nails made their terrifying return. Reported with trepidation as far back as 2021, Cardi B made a case for them in September, and while we’re not sure how we’ll fit our rings over them, it was… kind of a vibe?
How to get them? You are unlikely to have naturally spade-shaped nails and will have a hard time filing normal acrylics down, so order a set from Amazon. Then? Go crazy. Duck feet nails are served best with a kaleidoscope of accessories, so go big or go home. Whether it’s bows, holographic appliques, or hub-cap-worthy rhinestone bling, too much is never enough when it comes to Y2K trends.
Aura Nails
Spotted on Megan Fox back in August, Aura Nails made woo woo cute in 2022. The manicure version of that sweaty mood ring you wore in primary school (that invariably did not pick up on your vibes), aura nails do not require a professional aura reading – but you can take one here and ignore it if you don’t like your colour. How to apply? While a lot of nail techs are using airbrush guns, you can create a pretty similar look at home.
There are two approaches. If you already got technical with the crocodile nail trend, you can prep your nails with an uncured layer of base gel polish, then go in with your bloom polish of choice before curing. If you’re skipping the UV/LED lamp, prep your nails with a base polish and shade, then tear up your old beauty blender and work your colours in. You’ll want several pieces of sponge and quick fingers as standard polishes set fast. Because this technique is likely to create some messy texture, finish with a thick, glossy top coat. We love Seche Vite, Dry Fast Top Coat ($15) because of its sparkling clarity, thick, smoothing consistency and speedy dry down, perfect for when you’re running thin on patience.
