Wear your heart on your fingertips this V-Day with one of these flirty Valentine's Day nail art ideas. From subtly embellished nail art ideas to bold patterns and plenty of (non-cheesy) hearts, there are Valentine's Day nails for everyone -- and nail art designs for every skill level. Get Pinterest-ready fingertips with nail-art tutorials, straight from our favorite nail polish brands and bloggers.
By this time of year, your nails probably look like crap. They're peeling; they're splitting -- they're obviously dry and unhappy. Instead of swearing off nail polish completely, choose a healthy, good-for-your-nails formula, and get a treatment manicure. When you use one of these new polishes -- infused with hydrating oils, strengthening botanicals and reinforcing proteins -- your nails will become healthier over time. They're significantly better for your nails than wearing no polish at all -- and they look prettier, too.
In 1917, Cutex introduced the first commercially available nail polish -- a rosy pink, the only nail color a proper flapper needed for a bangin' mani. One hundred years later, it's possible to find nail polish in every color of the rainbow. With so many options, how does a gal choose?
Matte black nails: They're dramatic, vampy, totally badass, and yet, incredibly versatile. They're the mani equivalent of your favorite leather jacket or your go-to LBD -- the things we wear to look effortlessly chic. And like these closet staples, matte black nails can be worn with basically everything.
Do you remember your first French manicure? Tagging along with your mother to the nail salon when she finally let you copy her manicure of choice? Or perhaps it was for your first school dance? There was something about those clean lines and stark white tips that meant you were dressed and ready for a special occasion.
In all the their gradient glory, ombre nails are a unique way to elevate a basic manicure without an elaborate nail design. From monochromatic fades to sunset explosions, ombre nails appeal to the colorphile in all of us -- and are surprisingly easy execute. All you need is nail polish, a small sheet of paper, a nail sponge and a little confidence.
The holidays are quite literally your time to shine. And sure, you can go crazy with strobing powder or twinkly eye shadow, but one of our favorite ways to get festive is with our sparkly nails. We're talking gorgeous, glistening glitter nail polish.
The best way to showcase your festive flair this holiday season? With your decked-out, holiday nail design. We've put together the ultimate advent calendar of holiday nail art for the days of December, and it's got enough holiday nail designs to keep you busy from now until January 1 -- whether you spend it curled up watching "The Christmas Story" for the umpteenth time, sipping hot cider by a crackling fireplace, or jetting from one champagne-fueled fete to another.
Look out, ugly Christmas sweaters. There's a new holiday trend that outshines you in over-the-top festive flair. We're talking, of course, about spectacularly bad Christmas nail art.
If no matter what you do, your nails are constantly breaking, chipping, peeling, or just generally look unattractive, it's time to consider the state of your cuticles. The skin at the base of the nail plays a crucial role when it comes to nail health: "The cuticles cover the area underneath the nail bed known as the matrix, which is where growth begins," explains editorial manicurist Geraldine Holford. A damaged cuticle can lead to an unhealthy matrix, which results in an unhealthy nail. And that aside, let's talk about the aesthetics -- there's nothing cute about ragged cuticles. "Your nails will never look nice if your cuticles are a mess. Well-groomed cuticles are the foundation for healthy, attractive nails," says hand model Susan Schell. To learn how to keep your cuticles -- and by extension, your nails -- in tip-top shape, we went straight to the people who best know the importance of cuticle care -- manicurists and hand models. Ahead, they share their expert advice.
Believe it or not, there's more to finding the perfect nail color than just picking the first one that catches your eye. There's actually a whole science behind what our choices in color say about our personalities, which is especially important when you're hoping to project a certain persona or make a particular first impression.
Summer may be the season for beachside vacations, but autumn's almost inarguably the season for fashion and beauty. After all, it's that time of year when statement boots and oxblood lips start coming into style — and it's no different when it comes to the nail world. Suddenly, polish colors shift and settle into something a little darker, a little bolder and a little more altogether grown-up.
Honestly, is there any better way to relax than to endlessly scroll Instagram while admiring manicures? Forget baseball, let's make this the new national pastime. After all, there are definitely nail artists out there who know how to hit metaphorical home runs with their intricate nail art as well as any major league player can hit a literal one with a bat. Call them the MVPs of nail art, if you will.
You know the theme song by heart. You've walked approximately 46 miles out of your way this week. You're currently in the process of incubating no fewer than six eggs and have told your significant other that all you want from this life is a Mew Two. Face it: You're addicted to Pokémon Go. Here, some of our favorite Pokémon-inspired nail designs to rock while you take yourself down to Niantic City, where the grass is green and the Psyducks are pretty.
Summer is the season of grand debuts. For some, that means showing off that bikini body you've worked your ass off to achieve. For others, it means pulling those sundresses, shorts and crop tops out of storage. But for us? It means we finally get to reveal the most sizzlin' summer nail colors (that complement the new strappy sandals we've been dying to wear).
You go all out when it comes to searching for the perfect wedding dress. You tear out photo after photo of wedding updos, down 'dos and curly tendrils before deciding on the right hairstyle. And makeup artists -- forget it, you lost count. So why settle for a boring French manicure or simple pale pink polish on your wedding day? Your wedding nails should complement that gorgeous dress, show off your ring and of course, look great in the billions of photos you'll be posing for. We scoured Pinterest and the nail art blogs for the best wedding nail designs and nail art ideas for your big day.
In the two weeks after I first tried gel nails, I thought my life was changed forever. Cursed with dry, flimsy nails, I can't get a normal polish to stick around for two days -- let alone the two weeks that my gel nails lasted. It was only when I went to get it removed that I realized this gift from the nail gods was too good to be true. The gel formula had ravaged my delicate nails, leaving every last one of them peeling and weaker than ever.
Let's try a little exercise in visualization: Close your eyes. Imagine that you're seated on a stool in Hogwarts' Great Hall. (Yes, we know you're geeking out). Headmaster Dumbledore (R.I.P.) is in front of you, the rest of the magically inclined first-years are behind you. But when the Sorting Hat is placed on your head, it sing-songs not only your House, but the nail polish shades that best suit your personality.
