Quirky nail art is turning heads

Nails with 3D figurines, hoops, danglers, and inlays are trending. They take hours to create and need extra care, nail technicians tell Asra Mavad

These nails by Ruchita Mhatre have 3D nail flower toppers on them. Credit: Special arrangement

A double-ombre French nail design by Maude Abraham. Credit: Special arrangement

A hand-painted design by nail art technician Zalak Thakkar Panchal. Credit: Special arrangement

From rapper Cardi B’s extra-long nails to superstar tennis player Serena Williams’ eye-catching acrylics on the court, nail art is now becoming increasingly popular across the globe.

Indians are looking for both classy and whacky inspirations from global celebrities, says Maude Abraham, founder of Get Gorgeous Beauty Bar, Bengaluru. “In the last five years, the nail art space has rapidly picked up its pace. A lot of inspiration is drawn from the internet. Hollywood and Bollywood celebs like Kylie Jenner, the Hadid sisters, Huda Kattan, and Priyanka Chopra have led the way,” says the nail technician.

Nail art has moved from a simple French manicure to intricate artwork that is hand-painted, three-dimensional, and can take anywhere from one to three hours to create.

3D artistry

Be it nature-inspired nails involving roses and raindrops or K-pop-inspired nails with more abstract designs, nail technicians spend hours creating figurines, which then adorn prepped nails.

“It is a labour of love,” says Ruchita Mhatre,
who owns Nailarium, a nail salon in Mumbai. Most commonly, the 3D figurines are created using acrylic powder, and a mould is used to shape them.

“I also make handmade 3D nail toppers like flowers. These are very intricate, each petal is first moulded by hand separately and then the petals are placed together to form a flower. It is quite time consuming,” she says. After this, the 3D toppers are placed on prepped and painted nails.

“Usually, gel polish is used to stick the flowers to the nails. Once the gel is cured under an LED lamp, it
hardens and holds the nail art in place,” she adds.

Another increasingly popular 3D nail trend is inlay nails — an intricate nail art that uses a clear base to trap objects like dried flowers and sequins within them.

“In simple terms, these are similar to an aquarium. In this form of nail art, a clear acrylic or gel product is used to create an empty curve of sorts to be placed on top of the nail. This is then filled with the design of your choice, using glitter or sequins, and then sealed using the same clear polish. This gives it the fish tank effect,” she explains.

It is much easier to work with gel products for 3D nail art, says Maude. “3D gel pots are a new nail technician’s best friend as it is easier to mould and doesn’t require a quick hand unlike 3D acrylic nail art,” she says.

A gel polish usually forms the base of most nail art designs. “Gel can be used in different ways depending on its composition — it could be just a gel polish directly applied on the natural nail or a gel extension, which has been used along with nail tips or forms, to enhance your nail’s length. Gel nails are cured under LED lights,” explains Maude.

The other popular nail art base is acrylic extensions. “These use a polymer powder along with monomer (a liquid), which is applied on the nail after appropriate nail prep, to build the nail extension. This dries by itself and doesn’t require an LED light,” she adds.

Keeping up with the trends

Despite the craze for extravagant and long nails online, regular clients prefer simple manicures, says Ruchita. Her nail salon sees customers of all ages. “The younger generation is more interested in designs inspired by what they see on the Internet,” she says.

According to nail art technician Zalak Thakkar Panchal, “once something becomes a trend on social media, it will be the only demand by customers, till a new trend is created”.

Lately, the internet went gaga over model Hailey Beiber’s glazed doughnut nails. “These are basically just like chrome nails. That is what they were called before the model made them famous and this design went viral online,” explains Zalak, who owns a nail studio in Bengaluru.

Another popular trend involves adding hoops and charms to a basic gel or acrylic nail extension. These charms are pierced through the edge of the nail extensions, so they dangle at the tip.

Challenges

On a daily basis, a nail technician deals with nails of all kinds. “From nail biters who barely have any nails left to people with irregular and brittle nail growth, we get all kinds of clients. We always create an even nail bed, on which nail art is done. This is a priority and can be a challenge,” explains Ruchita.

Once a strong nail base is created, the next challenge is to match the customer’s expectations, says Zalak. “It is important to explain to customers beforehand that art cannot be replicated. It is similar to trying to copy a famous painting, it will never be exactly the same,” she says.

Trending now

*Double-ombre nails

*Embellished nails

*Glazed doughnut nails

*Droplet manicure

Tips for care

*Be gentle with your nails.

*Moisturise your hands and cuticles.

*Avoid foods that stain, like turmeric and chilli powder.

*Prioritise nail health over length.