The nail trends set to sweep salons in 2023

Our obsession with Hollywood's nepo babies has officially extended to our nails. The key to a rich girl manicure? Keep it simple but luxurious. Think: your nails but better. A wash of sheer pinky-nude to complement your skin tone will do the trick, with a glossy finish and flawless cuticles to boot. She doesn't need to be showy, just quality.

Image via: @raelondonnails

Dua Lipa kicked it off with her endless chrome-finish tour manicures earlier this year, but this molten metallic trend is set to go mainstream in a huge way for 2023. Boasting a fun futuristic mirrored finish, it’s the ideal way to refresh your go-to colour – neutrals and brights are all fair game! We must say though, nothing showcases a chrome finish like a jewel tone, as proven by this electric emerald.

Image via: @betina_goldstein

Brights will be big again in 2023, but worn a little differently to keep the vibe fresh. Working with a natural nail, the goal is to bookend the diagonal sides of each nail with two different colours. Extra points if you switch up the colour combos per nail, and the brighter the better!

Image via: @overglowedit

Once JLo tries a trend, it's for real! And that's exactly what's happened with 'cellophane nails', the more natural take on the holographic and glazed donut manicures. They're a little bit sheer, a little bit shimmery, and (as JLo proved) incredibly chic.

Image via: @tombachik

DIY nail art is getting an easier upgrade, with the 'stuck on' type taking over from the 'drawn on' kind. An easy and achievable way to dress up your natural nails or go-to block colour, creating a collage of your favourite decals is as cool as it is crafty. Feature stickers (AKA one or two per nail) are fine and all, but in general, the gist is 'take up every inch available'. Our at-home faves? Selfie Nails of course. With a range of stickers to meet your mood, they’ll be able to please the maximalist in all of us.

Image via: @nailsbymh

Make like Ariel and embrace an under-the-sea aesthetic with a pearlescent manicure featuring hints of purple, blue and silver. Remember the magnetic marble polish we were obsessed with in the ‘00s? It’s ideal for creating water-like reflections when topped with a chrome finish.

Image via: @lolo.nailedit

We'll be seeing the Wednesday effect ripple through the beauty world for months to come, moving from makeup to manicures in early 2023. We'll be serving our gothic manicures with a pearlescent twist, and we hope Addams would approve. By opting for a fresher high-shine finish with a hint of shimmer, the end result will serve more 'Wednesday on her way to the Rave'N dance' than 'us trying to be edgy with chipped matte black polish in high school'.

Image via: @tombachik

We're not sure there was a hand that didn't sample Hailey Bieber's 'glazed donut' mani aesthetic in 2022, but for 2023 we're upping the opacity on the look even more, switching 'shine' for 'shimmer'. A holographic fairy dust-inspired take (that looks more 'gleaming' than just 'glazed') will be big, as we start to see the OG version as 'natural' and want for something that's still subtle, just a little snazzier.

Image via: @overglowedit

We're always excited to see which negative space style will reign supreme, and it seems as if 'borders' are the big ticket for 2023. Framing the nail without filling it in allows for subtle creativity that makes an intricate statement rather than an OTT one. Minimalists, in a year set to be filled with chrome finishes and statement stickers, this one is for you. A 'stitched' border like this is a great way to get involved.

Image via: @aliciatnails

Leave it to it-girl Jenna Ortega to usher in the era of magenta manicures just before Pantone named the shade as their 2023 Colour of the Year. Grabbing the baton from classic reds and burgundies, magenta stands out as a pinky-red hue bright enough for summer and yet still moody enough for winter, locking it in as the year's most versatile solid shade.

Image via: @thuybnguyen

Fluid shapes are set to make (literal) waves in the nail art department, with layered designs like these ready to sweep salons. It's a look that still allows for plenty of personalisation, leaving the shape of the waves, the colours used, the presence/absence of borders, and the amount of nails the waves sweep across all left up to your personal preference.

Image via: @betina_goldstein

The 3D nail trends we were all obsessed with in 2023 are pivoting toward a more practical direction, lessening the sacrifice we make for great nails while still remaining incredibly aesthetic. 'Broken glass' is the standout we're lusting after for the year ahead, with the holographic nature providing all the glam factor you could be after while, well, still allowing you to actually use your hands. An enormous win, we know.

Image via: @aliciatnails