Spring means far more than the end of a brutally cold winter—it's a sign of everything new, from the leaves on the trees to flowers blooming to a change in wardrobe. For us beauty lovers, though, it's a sign that we can swap our dark, deep nail colors for brighter shades in pretty pastels and neat nudes. But if you're looking to branch out from the basics and try something a bit more trendy this season, here are the seven shades celeb nail stylists can't get enough of for Spring 2018.
There's nothing quite like the put-together look of a fresh gel manicure. Unfortunately, there isn't always time to head to the salon — not to mention the cash to make it happen. But should a busy schedule and tight wallet keep you from putting your best finger forward? We think not. To help you rock the gel mani of your Insta-inspired dreams on the weekly, we searched high and low for budget-friendly at-home gel manicure kits and polishes, and the products to maintain your nail health in-between paintings.
Capsule collections are everywhere -- heck, sometimes it feels like beauty guru collabs crop up on the daily. Not that that's a bad thing: After all, they represent a great way for your favorite beauty brands to mix things up -- while also providing you with cool limited edition products to covet. Seriously, if you're a pop culture junkie, chances are you find them tough to resist. We all have our favorites -- whether that means "Star Wars," "Mean Girls," or even Mickey Mouse is completely up to you.
Do you ever try to replicate the adorable nail art designs you see all over Instagram, only to realize that maybe you don't have the steady hand (or skill) to do it yourself? You're not alone. While there are tons of skilled nail artists out there who can give you the dressed-up digits you crave, sometimes it's even more satisfying to DIY. We're here to let you in on a little secret: There is an easier way to add some pop and pizazz to your nails at home.
There's no better time than Halloween to embrace the nail art trend. Unlike most holidays where you have to play it safe (you're not going to show up to Easter Mass with a 3D bunny on your thumb), Halloween is made for going all out. After all, the entire purpose of the holiday is to completely transform yourself -- right down to the spookiest Halloween nail designs.
Long nails don't happen overnight. Growing out your nails is a process that requires patience, cautiousness and acceptance. Things don't always go according to plan. But once you make the decision to grow out your nails, there's no turning back -- at least until one breaks and you're left with nine medium length nails and one short one. Then it's back to square one (or round one, depending on your style).
The spring shows were a tale of two extremes: There was the lazy-girl way (no-makeup makeup, messy hair), and at the opposite end of effortless, there was drama, and well, effort with graphic swooshes of eyeliner and bold hits of color. And amongst it all, there was a lot to love, no matter how much time you want to put into your beauty routine. Here, the looks that caught our eye -- that we're already recreating in our bathroom mirrors.
Beach vacations, poolside margaritas and neon pedicures may be behind us, but that doesn't mean there's not plenty to look forward to in the fall. Along with pumpkin spice lattes, football season and cozy ensembles, gorgeous fall nail colors are here to make the seasonal transition just a little easier.
If you're like me, you love a good manicure. But, if you're also like me, you don't always have the time or the money to make an appointment at your favorite salon. Such a bummer. Luckily for us, beauty protege Alexis Irene felt the same way. And thus Static Nails was born. As the founder of what Cosmo considers "the best unexpected gift to give your BFF," Alexis' main goal was to create a brand focused on elevating some of our favorite products (manicures) to produce real, good-for-you results tested and proven (the ultimate set of press-on nails). And since she brought her goal to fruition, I figured it was my turn to test and determine whether these little press-on beauties are really as good as the rave reviews.
Raise your less-than-TV-ready hand if you suffer from dry cuticles, hangnails or constant chips in your freshly lacquered manis. That's what we thought (you can put your hand down now).
I love anything Fourth-of-July themed (hello red, white and blue cupcakes!), but when it comes to nails, I'm declaring independence from cheesy patriotic nail art designs. The founding fathers totally would have wanted it that way.
As unicorn everything continues to reign supreme -- from unicorn-inspired frappuccinos to unicorn-inspired eyeshadow palettes -- it's officially time to give holographic unicorn nails a try. The term has many interpretations -- but all are equally fabulous (and some aren't even too difficult to pull off). After all, who out there doesn't love fairy-tale-level holographic nails? When it comes right down to it, if it's good enough for a unicorn, it's good enough for us.
Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, but thanks to nail art, we beauty junkies can express just about any thought, emotion or passion on our fingertips. And with pride month here, we're using this versatile canvas to show our support for gay rights with a colorful collection of rainbow nails.
Nothing ushers us into summer like a bright and beaming manicure. And this summer, nail colors are more spirited than ever. Say goodbye to spring's gentle pastels and the dark, brooding colors of winter -- unlike your typical summertime palette, nail colors this year are taking on a newer, friskier personality.
Are you a big follower of astrology? Do you religiously read your horoscope every morning, or are you a more casual fan? Either way, it might just be key in finding the perfect nail art to fit your personality. After all, there are certain traits that go along with each sign, which makes it fun to customize your look based off of your sign's preferences. Leos are famously bold, Scorpios are known to be sexy and Virgos like to keep things simple — you get the picture; it all translates quite nicely into nail art.
The best drugstore nail polish should be long lasting, have a gorgeous selection of colors and work just as well as their high-end counterparts for a fraction of the cost. But figuring out which drugstore nail polishes deliver on those promises can be tricky — after all, there are tons of nail polish brands out there and even at drugstore prices, it would cost one person a fortune to test them all.
Spring is usually the time of year when we shed our lacquered coats of oxblood, emerald and plum in favor of lighter finger fare a la lavender, baby pink, and mint chip green -- spritely and spring-y -- albeit totally predictable and borderline cliché. Lucky for you, this season's nail colors are far more daring than dainty, giving you the perfect opportunity to upgrade your next manicure with an unexpected polish shade that's as fresh as it is flattering.
Three-free polishes used to be the non-toxic nail world's darling. But now, these clean polishes, free from what's known as the "toxic trio," are being one-upped by nail polish brands that boast a list of banned ingredients anywhere from five to 10 ingredients long. But do you really need to cast aside your three-frees? Cosmetic chemist Arlette Forshage, founder of Hygieia Cosmedix, says no.
