These are the nail trends you’ll be seeing everywhere in 2022

If you thought nail trends of the last few years were the stuff of dreams, albeit with a somewhat DIY flavour (for obvious reasons), then prepare to have your interest piqued by the fresh and funky take on the 2022 nail trends to come. 

We spoke to three major influences in the Australian nail industry for their forecast on the year ahead: Sydney nail artist Victoria Houllis AKA Mannequin Hands, Bridie Alman and Crimson Dunstan, founders of FLOWERBED NAILS, and Melbourne Nail Artist Sass Nail Artistry. 

And let’s just say, the nail trends for 2022 are all about living life in technicolour.

Summer vibes, loud prints and texture

When it comes to nail art in 2022, we’re looking at a broad range of styles.

According to the folks over at FLOWERBED NAILS, it’s time to embrace the positive vibes associated with summer. “Think gradient hues, fresh summer fruits and beams of light across your fingertips,” says Alman and Dunstan.  

“With the world (hopefully) set to open back up again, we'll finally be in the headspace to fully embrace Lorde's ‘Solar Power’ energy,” the duo explained. 

And you can look forward to more subtle nail shapes too. “There's been a lean towards long nails in the last 18 months but we see the trend shifting back to a more natural shape à la Billie Eilish and Emma Chamberlain's respective recent changes of pace.”

As for prints, Melbournian Sass Nail Artistry predicts chequered nails to be  a hit, “along with bold prints and patterns, [with] lots of retro and Y2K styles coming back” too.

And for Victoria Houllis of Mannequin Hands fame, it’s all going to be about 3D design.. Artists are playing around with all the different ways they can incorporate texture,” she says. “Think organic nature-inspired shapes and raindrops.”

Bright, bold colours

Across the board, all of our nail experts concur – manicures in 2022 are going to be technicolour.

“We see men getting a little more experimental with bright forest greens and Mediterranean blues,” says the FLOWERBED founders. “With tangerine orange nails also set to rise into the mainstream.” 

“Pink is always going to be a cult favourite for nails,” says Sass Nail Artistry. “But green has been huge lately and cobalt has slowly been creeping into the spotlight as well.” 

In Houllis’ opinion, the attraction to “big, bold brights” is natural, given that “it’s been a tough year.” 

“People love to brighten up their day with their nails so I think we’ll see bright rainbows and neons,” explains the Sydney-sider.

Nail stickers are set to be huge

Nail sticker aficionados FLOWERBED NAILS think nail stickers are going to become less of a lockdown activity and more of a “vehicle for inspiration and experimentation.”

“[We’re] all about collaboration and working with the most interesting artists and creatives from different creative fields to continually bring new and exciting works that our community can put their own personal spin on,” explains Alman and Dunstan.

Sass Nail Artistry, on the other hand, loves that nail stickers offer “a more budget-friendly and efficient option for clients who wanna be fun but don’t have the budget or time for hand-painted art.” Adding that they’ve seen “some awesome brands come out with super cute and trendy stickers,” too.

“I think decals always reflect what artists are loving to hand-paint,” Houllis muses, “So I think we’ll see more aurora decals, four and eight-point stars, and art-inspired decals!”

Some 2021 nail art trends are here to stay

We’re not leaving everything in the past, though, and the DIY manicure will still be going strong in 2022.

“At-home nail art has been tested and perfected over respective lockdowns and while we definitely do see nail aficionados rushing back to the nail salon as soon as possible, there'll also be a broader mix of people willing to experiment with manicures at home,” explains Alman and Dunstan.

As for the tried and true techniques that’ll still be on point, both Mannequin Hands and Sass Nail Artistry are all for swirls. “They’re just so easy to wear,” says Sass.

Houllis on the other hand is mixing things up, combining swirls with everything from “coloured French tips and checkerboard sets” that are simultaneously “approachable and fun.”

One thing’s for sure, we can’t wait to wear each and every one of these trends on our digits this year (and maybe even all at once?!).

Main image credit: @flex.mami, @sassnailartistry, @flowerbed_nails

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