2023's Biggest Nail Trends Have Something For Everyone
Every year, we get excited about new beauty trends. In 2022, nail art flourished, paving the way for this year to be even more epic. Given the nature of at-home manicures and the limitations of our own amateur nail skills (which, we will admit, did mildly improve during the past few years), we're ready to enlist the expertise of professionals to help us try all the newest nail trends of 2023.
That's why we asked the industry's top manicurists to share all the fun nail-art trends you'll be seeing everywhere this year, and their answers have us eager to change up our manicures ASAP. To preview, you can expect people to wear bright and bold colors among the top nail-color trends of the year, in addition to muted looks like "rich girl" nails; experiment with fun finishes with chrome nails; and load up on intricate textures. The best part is there's something for everyone: dark, goth-inspired nails à la Wednesday Addams; aura designs to suit your every mood; and so much more.
Whether you're looking for inspiration for popular nails to take with you to your next salon appointment or searching for fun designs you can do on your own at home, we've got you covered. Keep reading to see new nail styles worth trying in 2023.
Nail Trends 2023: Rich-Girl Nails
Rich-girl nails are proving to be a popular nail style for 2023 after stars like Jennifer Lopez, Marsai Martin, and Hailee Steinfeld wore the look. The manicure is minimal, clean, and very chic. "'Rich girl' nails are a modern take on a sophisticated classic," celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik previously told POPSUGAR. "[The] color is a creamy, full-coverage nude playing homage to the greige inspiration originally seen with Chanel."
Nail Trends 2023: Rich-Girl Nails
Because the rich-girl nail trend is all about the color, you can wear it on any shape.
Nail Trends 2023: Rich-Girl Nails
Rich-girl nails are perfect for year-round wear thanks to the minimal style.
Nail Trends 2023: Aura Nails
You've probably seen aura nails on your social media feed at least once in 2022, but it's predicted to be huge in the next year. "The style features a circular ombre effect that emulates a glowing aura," Pattie Yankee, consulting manicurist for Dashing Diva, tells POPSUGAR. Not only is it stunning, but it's easy enough to re-create at home on your own.
Nail Trends 2023: Aura Nails
To be clear: aura nails don't have to feature your actual accurate aura reading, but rather utilize colors that mimic the colors of the body's chakras and energy fields. (Think swirls of colors that diffuse outward, starting in the middle.)
Nail Trends 2023: Aura Nails
Rita Pinto, founder of Vanity Projects nail salon, previously told POPSUGAR: "It's very New Age meets Gen Z because the colors of the manicures are way more interpretive and expansive than the usual aura-chart colors. I've also heard them be referred to as 'color trips' in the salon by clients."
Nail Trends 2023: Ballerina-Slipper Nail Shape
For the last few years, popular nail shapes have always included oval or round. In 2023, however, it's getting a little more fun. The proof? "Ballerina slipper" nails are trending. "To break it down, it's a monochromatic french tip in an almost-coffin-shape nail that resembles ballet pointe shoes," manicurist and Orly educator An Cao previously told POPSUGAR. "It's really girly and pretty."
Nail Trends 2023: Ballerina-Slipper Nail Shape
To get the look, Cao recommends you be specific at the salon. "Ask for a coffin-shaped nail with round edges and a pink french tip with a sheer pink base."
Nail Trends 2023: Ballerina-Slipper Nail Shape
While you can certainly wear the trend on your natural nails, if you don't naturally have the length to make this shape work, you may need to ask your manicurist to apply gel extensions first.
Nail Trends 2023: Chrome Finishes
Perhaps the biggest trend in 2022 was chrome nails, and that will be continuing into the next year. "It won't be a surprise to see chrome or metallic nails all over," says manicurist and LeChat nails educator Hemi Park. Expect to see chrome finishes across a range of different colors — silver, gold, blue, and pink, to name a few.
Nail Trends 2023: Chrome Finishes
Like any other nail design, chrome can be used on the entire nail or as part of a nail art look — like french manicures, stars, and more — and the latter take will be a new twist on the trend you'll see a lot of in 2023.
Nail Trends 2023: Chrome Finishes
When the trend first hit the mainstream, finding the chrome pigment you need to create the look was difficult and expensive. Now that it has become more popular, you can find the finish just about anywhere nail products are sold, including most salons.
Nail Trends 2023: Layered Textures
3D nails are nothing new, but embrace even more drama with layered textures in the new year. "This is when multiple textures are encased in separate layers to create dimension," says celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein. You can embrace this trend with different patterns, embellishments, or decals — or all of them all at once.
Nail Trends 2023: Layered Textures
This is one way to make a statement with your nails. Take this gold detailing with pearl and charm accents.
Nail Trends 2023: Layered Textures
For an easier take on the trend, Gerstein suggests playing with your finishes. "Mattes and shiny options in polish and gel make it easy to achieve the layered texture look for DIYs," she says.
Nail Trends 2023: Jelly Nails
Jelly nails have been a celebrity mainstay for the last few years, but it's also a trend you're going to want to take a bite out of in 2023. "Like lip gloss for your nails, we'll see these semi-sheer shades interpreted in multiple color ways, such as juicy reds, pinks and oranges, blues and smoky grays, as well as paired with a chrome finish — resembling sea glass on your nails," Yankee says.
Nail Trends 2023: Jelly Nails
The semi-sheer, shellac-esque finish also gives off Y2K vibes — like the jelly shoes that have also made a recent comeback this year.
Nail Trends 2023: Jelly Nails
If you want to try your hand at re-creating the trend at home, we're sharing our favorite jelly-nail-polish options here.
Nail Trends 2023: Opalescent Polish
Thanks to Hailey Bieber, glazed-doughnut nails reigned supreme in 2022, but for 2023, we're stepping up our game with opalescent nail polish. "Get dreamy nails with shimmer-stacked shades that shift with every twist and turn of light," Thea Green, founder of Nails.Inc, tells POPSUGAR. "Pearlescent polish is all about the shade-shifting magic, so your nails will always look different depending on the light and the angle."
Nail Trends 2023: Opalescent Polish
While many brands offer opalescent shades in polish form, you can also try press-ons with the finish from companies like Static Nails or OPI.
Nail Trends 2023: Opalescent Polish
While you can choose a polish with an opalescent finish, you can also DIY the look with a luminescent eyeshadow and a clear top coat. (Follow these steps here to try the hack yourself.)
Nail Trends 2023: Airbrush Nails
"Airbrushing has been a tool in the nail industry for decades and slowly disappeared, but will be making a comeback as ombré nails [become more] popular," says Park. "Airbrush nails will stay for a while as trend as we are witnessing ombré [looks] trending like ombré french manicures, which require perfect blending of colors."
Nail Trends 2023: Airbrush Nails
Like aura nails, the key to this trend is all about blending, blending, blending. "We'll be reaching for airbrush guns and starting to create flawlessly blended blushing accents on the nails," says Park.
Nail Trends 2023: Airbrush Nails
You can add designs to your nails using stencils and an airbrush machine, like this blue and black star manicure.
Nail Trends 2023: Goth Nails
Take a page out of Wednesday Addams's book and embrace dark, goth-inspired nails — another fun trend for 2023. "Goth is so in right now, I have to hold myself back from releasing only goth looks," Braelinn Frank, founder of Rave Nailz, tells POPSUGAR.
Nail Trends 2023: Goth Nails
When a swipe of black polish just won't do, add either an accent nail or some extra texture in an equally dark or moody color — think gray, red, or dark blue — to give your manicure some gothic flair.
Nail Trends 2023: Goth Nails
To get the look, Frank suggests the Cast A Spell Nailz ($23) or the Bad Witch Nailz ($23), which are part of the Rave Nailz signature collection.