Nailing It

FREE DAILY TRENDS

17 MAY 2013

The Age of Incense

A whiff of an old-fashioned home fragrance trend has entered the air

6 MAY 2013

Pajama Party

Bedclothes get fashionable

22 APR 2013

Mass Appeal

Nascent fashion ventures look to the masses for designs and dollars

8 APR 2013

Look Sharp

Knives get the design object treatment

5 APR 2013

First Fridays: Michelle Goad, CEO and Co-Founder of PS DEPT.

Q+A with the customer service innovator

22 MAR 2013

Memphis Woos Again

Memphis design is on the verge of a comeback

19 FEB 2013

Boy Meets World

Tomboy style becomes a fashion mainstay

15 FEB 2013

Where the Wild Things Are

Progressive personal care startups go into the woods for ingredients

11 FEB 2013

Growing Panes

The art of stained glass is being cast in new light

5 FEB 2013

Remote Control

Mobile and video platforms bring online shoppers personalized customer service

9 JAN 2013

Cycle Chic

Designers are tailoring garments for stylish cyclists

20 DEC 2012

Problem Salvers

Natural salves heal what ails you

5 DEC 2012

A Fair Share

Style startups adopt the Netflix subscription model

17 SEP 2012

Secondhand News

Luxury consignment shops flood the Web

3 AUG 2012

First Fridays: Bri Emery, Co-Founder of Blogshop

Q+A with the woman leading the blog design revolution

30 JUL 2012

(Do) Try This at Home

Digital tools facilitate better fitting apparel purchases online

14 JUN 2012

Shape Up

Geometric shapes and patterns are inspiring contemporary design

4 JUN 2012

Eat Wear Love

New blogs are pairing food and fashion. Naturally.

30 MAY 2012

Fashion Fauna

Designers are planting living greens to become wearable fashion

11 MAY 2012

Dream Weaver

Woven details make a modern comeback in the design landscape

This summer’s primary style theme seems to center on exploiting new creative forms and processes to near shocking effect. Given fashion trends such as feather hair extensions, it was only a matter of time before nails went from being a spot for color coordination to one for complex designs and 3-D art. New manicure styles, and nail accessories, are appearing even on formerly conservative hands.

Nail Patterns: Some nail painters are finding that a solid polish no longer offers their clients the distinctive aesthetic they seek. In response, an emerging trend in nail art involves using a top coat that shrinks when it dries to create a “broken” effect. Brands such as OPI and Sally Hansen are marketing polishes that offer this “crackle” or “shattered” look. A more personalized look can be achieved with specialized nail pens used to draw intricate designs, including Aztec patterns, flowers, and leopard spots. Nail artists who lack the dexterity required for such details can fulfill their creative impulses with a more forgiving technique: tie-dye.

Decaled and Decoupaged Nails: These nail decals featuring the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may be little more than a by-product of Royal Wedding mania, but the simple application of photos on nails is evolving into more elaborate nail collages. One way women are doing this is with newsprint—transferring the words from a newspaper onto each nail for a decoupaged layered effect, using everything from crossword puzzles to comic strips. All that’s needed is clear polish, rubbing alcohol, and a tear-out of one’s choice. Should the old-fashioned newspaper cease to exist, as is rumored, it wouldn’t be hard to envision a spin-off trend: the status update manicure.

3-D Nail Art: It’s becoming increasingly common for women to devote the kind of attention typically reserved for their clothes to their nails, to the point of treating those nails as a sculptural canvas. Creative manicurists are affixing tiny pieces of ceramic fruit to nails and even piercing the tips. The practicality of this 3-D style remains questionable, however, particularly because it demands a bold nail length that exceeds the bed. (Of course, those with nails too brittle for hoop earrings can fake the necessary length with synthetics.) How one can text without prompting an Auto Correct disaster remains another story.