These 6 Nostalgic Nail Trends Will Take You Straight Back to Your First Manicure
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Taking a trip down beauty memory lane is equal parts cringe and endearing. While looking back on my ombré hair of 2012 and silver smokey eye of 2016 might send a shiver down my spine today, they were simply moments in time you had to be there for. But one category whose trends have evolved, while still holding up decades later, is undoubtedly manicures .
From the days of strolling down the aisles of CVS to pick up Mint Candy Apple for my next chaotic design endeavor, to now being a beauty editor who gets to write about nail trends every day, a lot has changed. Thick glitter polishes have transformed into shiny chrome finishes, while crackle and marble manis have made their way back to our fingers as a reminiscent throwback.
If you're feeling a nostalgic yearning for the good old days, you can actually try many of these designs again without fully reverting to your middle-school self. Consider this your guide to the nail trends that defined different beauty eras, with plenty of elevated takes worth trying today.
Marble Nails
I have vivid memories of coming home after school in sixth grade and sitting at my kitchen table trying to master the art of marble nails. I would meticulously drop polish into a red solo cup and swirl with a toothpick until my desired pattern appeared. It's safe to say that my 11-year-old mani did not turn out nearly as cute as the marble inspiration below, but the nostalgia still stands.
Thick French Tips
To this day, my mom still rocks a thick French tip, and for context she's the chicest person I know. Deep French was super popular in the '90s and early aughts, and has seen a recent revival (as proven by Kylie rocking them below) in recent years. Just choose a transparent pinky base and a bright white polish for the thick tip, and the result is an edgy take on the classic.
Crackle Nails
Crackle nails bring me straight back to middle school, and last year Sally Hansen brought the polish back from the manicure graveyard. For the unfamiliar, paint your favorite color(s) as a base, then coat the crackle polish on top and watch as it separates to create a fractured effect. And there you go, it's basically 2012 again and you're ready for Tumblr fame.
Colorblock Nails
If you were a fan of colorblock nails back in the day, good news: The trend is just as fun to recreate now, whether you opt for a full rainbow, a tonal gradient, or a combination of completely mismatched shades on each nail. The key to making the throwback look feel a little more elevated? Choose polishes with a shiny or milky finish that give each finger some depth. It's cute without looking like you pulled out your dried-up nail polish collection from elementary school.
Glitter Polish
It's important that chrome and cat-eye finishes remember their roots—glitter nails. Nearly blinding sparkly fingers were a mainstay in the 2000s, from subtle pinks to bright neons, and honestly, we're seeing a revival apropos of launches from big salon brands like Apres Nail's Enigmatic line and OPI's Infinite Shine .
Accent Nails
It was a girlhood rite of passage going to the nail salon for your first manicure and getting a single-nail design, specifically a tropical flower on the ring finger. While there are definitely playful ways to elevate an accent finger, the sentiment still remains, airbrush patterns and all.
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