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The reptile nail trend is kinda cool, kinda creepy

Slithering into salons everywhere

By Briar Clark

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / February 15 2022

Look, we’ll be honest, reptiles kind of creep us out.

But just because they’re not the most snuggly members of the animal kingdom doesn’t mean we can’t share the love.

Enter: reptile nails. The nail trend that takes reptilian textures and spins them on their head. We’re talking scales and croc skin in daring, contrasting shades – if your digits look subdued in any way we suggest going back to the drawing board with this one.

So for nails that honour our serpentine friends, here’s a wealth of reptile nail inspo.

1

So bright they could be mistaken for candy, these multi-patterned nails offer a psychedelic take on the reptilian mani.

Image credit: @mannequin.hands

2

Even Kylie Jenner, who we often look to for celebrity nail-spo, is getting in on the action with this multicolour-over-negative-space take on the scale-centric trend.

Image credit: @kyliejenner

3

Reptile texture just got radioactive with this out there set of neon orange and toxic waste-green nails.

Image credit: @mannequin.hands

4

This stunning set of translucent falsies is a glassy, marbled take on the trend.

Image credit: @mannequin.hands

5

We don’t know why, but we *need* an outfit to match these nails. The eclectic patterns blend tie dye techniques with reptile textures for astounding results.

Image credit: @ninakieunails

6

Keep things monochrome with a pink moment like this square-cut set here. Adorn with charms for an extra, eye-catching bit of something-something.

Image credit: @3615_zbobinails

7

This high-shine, 3D finish is to die for. Keep it simple with one unifying colour (as pictured) or mix things up with a different hue for each nail.

Image credit: @theset.bykj

8

Reptile texture melts into swirls of murky blue and green watercolour for an interpretive take on the trend.

Image credit: @megnailedme

9

Up the ante with a classic French-tip mani in varying shades of chocolate that’ll match your croc skin handbag.

Image credit: @badgirlsgoodnails

10

Still unsure about scales? Take your cues from Dove Cameron and ease in with a reptilian mani that focuses on colour rather than texture.

Image credit: @dovecameron

11

U.K. singer Anne Marie has officially given us two things we'll forever be grateful for: The timeless track "2002" and pictorial proof that the reptile mani looks next-level amazing in neon pink.

Image credit: @annemarie

12

Singer Rosalia is clearly a fan of the reptile trend, too. We're loving her multicoloured neon-and-dark shade mix (and of course, the addition of glitzy rhinestones).

Image credit: @nailsbymei

13

Dua Lipa is quite the nail art fan, so her stamp of approval (in the form of a reptile-style French manicure) means a lot for the look's longevity.

Image credit: @dualipa

14

Celebs seem to be loving the look silly, as evidenced by Sabrina Carpenter's latest reptile mani reveal. We enjoy how she's flipped the script on the traditional reptilian colour scheme, embracing the texture in her own neon way.

Image credit: @sabrinacarpenter

Obsessed with nails? These are the upcoming nail trends to know for 2021.

Main image credit: @annemarie

Briar Clark

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).