5 Nail Art Ideas You Should Try This Spring

Or Show This To A Friend Who Will Try It On You

i was browsing through japanese beauty magazine websites (i'm on maquia's today) when i chanced upon these beautiful and simple nail art designs in spring colours! i'm always amazed at how meticulous and how skillful japanese nail art is - it really is an art form. even though i don't usually wear nail polishes (because i'm kinda lazy and impatient when it comes to letting them air dry, and glitter nail polishes are a pain in my ass when removing), i enjoy looking at how people combine different colours and elements together to form a new piece of art work.

here's a few of my favourites, along with translated instructions if you want to try it yourself!

starting off with my favourite.

WINTER KNIT for hands

the combination of pearly white, grey and purple is like a person holding on to the tail of winter, the way the spring sun will slowly melt the winter ice. the addition of gold accent is a touch of minimalistic perfection.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. apply the pearly white polish to the thumb, first finger, and pinky.
(ADDICTION BEAUTY | milk break | 1800 yen)

2. use the smoky gray shade to make a knit art on the middle finger.
(RMK | nail art liner EX-02 | 1500 yen)

3. accentuate the ring finger with a pearly purple shade.
(CHANEL | vernis 641 | 2900 yen)

4. apply a leather texturizing top coat to the thumb, first finger and pinky.
(MAC | nail lacquer texturizer | 1800 yen)

5. add triangle studs to the thumb, first finger and pinky.

BEJEWELED GLAM for toes

the high contrast between the red/hot pink and white is striking and a little bold, making this a perfect way to experiment with vibrant colours. the cluster of crystal, pearl and metal studs brings a royal touch to this design. what a way for your toes to say hello to spring?

INSTRUCTIONS

1. apply an opaque white coat to the thumb, middle finger and pinky.
(RMK | nail colour P-31 | 1500 yen)

2. use a pinkish red for the ring finger.
(ESTEE LAUDER | pure colour nail enemal GE | 2500 yen)

3. on the index finger (or first finger?), apply a hot pink shade.
(CHRISTIAN DIOR | vernis 660 | 3000 yen)

4. add some stones and different elements on the thumb, while using studs on the center of the middle finger and pinky.

RETRO PASTEL for hands

the combination of pastel shades will never go wrong for spring (even though you can wear this any time of the year you like!). what i like about this design is the touch of white, studs, and stones on one of the fingers. so fresh, it stands out from all the pastel designs i've seen.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. on the thumb, apply a dolly pink shade with pearly finish.
(anna sui cosmetics | nail colour N 305 | 1400 yen)

2. coral adds a taste of grown up sweetness, apply it to the middle finger.
(THREE | nail polish 02 | 1800 yen)

3. apply 2 layers of clear purple to the index finger and pinky.
(THREE | nail polish 04 | 1800 yen)

4. on the ring finger, use sheer pastel green as a base.
(JILL STUART BEAUTY | nail colour R 28 | 1500 yen)

5. stick 6 small gold round studs near the base of the thumb. add a mixture of stones and studs to the ring finger in a random fashion. 

FEMININE BOUQUET for hands

you should already be able to tell i have a thing for floral pattern. it's not considered a fetish, is it? haha! i don't think i can ever rock floral nails, but i really enjoy admiring them. it's as though the flowers on the nails are blooming together with those cherry blossoms. what's more lady than pink nails? with a touch of princess-ness to it too.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. apply a pigmented pink beige on the index finger.
(RMK | nail colour EX EX-26 | 1500 yen)

2. on the pinky, apply two coats of raspberry pink.
(RMK | nail colour EX P-13 | 1500 yen)

3. using a pure white shade, apply this as a base coat on the thumb and middle finger.
(RMK | nail colour EX P-31|1500yen)

4. to the ring finger, apply a rose pink as an accent colour.
(YSL | la laque couture 12 | 3000 yen)

5. after the white base coat has dried, draw flowers using nail polish 1, 2 and 4. add a square to the index finger. for the ring finger and pinky, stick a square frame and opal stone for a touch of glam.

DUSTY PASTEL for toes

i'll let you in on another liking of mine, as much as i love the entire spectrum of colours, i'm mysteriously drawn to "dusty shades". dusty rose? right up my alley. that slight addition of greyish tones adds character to the colour and resonates well with me. the elaborate stone pattern gives a ethnic vibe to the overall design - kind of like the elaborate carpets from the skillful artisans from india.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. to the big toe and 3rd toe, apply a smoky gray.
(RMK | nail colour EX EX-02 | 1500 yen)

2. on the 1st toe and pinky, apply a sweet pink shade.
(RMK | nail colour EX P-19 | 1500 yen)

3. for a hint of freshness, apply mint green on the middle toe.
(RMK | nail colour EX EX-29 | 1500 YEN)

4. adhere a square frame in the centre of the big toe, align the stones accordingly. also add stones to the base of the middle toe.

here are my top 5 of the dozens of nails i saw. if you'd like to see more, you can visit their website to have a peek! if you noticed, all 5 designs feature some form of studs. i wonder if it's because i drift towards studs/stones, or is it japanese who like to embellish their nails with these wonderful inventions?

QUESTION
do you like the designs i picked out? do let me know below if you do! we can be friends :D and i'll share more nail designs in the future if you enjoyed this entry.