If 2017 nail trends have taught us one thing, it's that there is nothing too great to affix to a 1-cm square inch of space. We've seen wire nails, glitter-tear nails, weed nails — and this was all just in the past three months. But the manicures we saw by CND Polish for the upcoming fall season have quickly eclipsed all the others.
A little background: For six weeks out of the year, CND's Nail Design Lab works feverishly to create hundreds of carefully-designed acrylic nails, which, come Fashion Month, are individually adhered to the models' fingers using nail glue. These trends then become the industry standard for the upcoming season.
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And, judging by their past looks (remember furry fingers?), they're not backing down from wild trends any time soon. We decided to go behind the scenes with the brand's co-founder Jan Arnold and creative ambassador Miss Pop to get a sneak peek at how they create some of the craziest and most beautiful nail art. As you can see, we're not talking simple swipes of colour or even negative space — instead, expect 3D nails that incorporate everything from thread to fringe as well as geode shapes.
Check out the video above and a breakdown of the trends below. Then let us know which ones you'll be trying in the comments.
Texture, Texture, Texture
At Libertine, the clothes were inspired by gypsies and artisans — and the manicures followed suit. Each individual nail was hand designed and painted, and could take up to an hour to complete. (Multiple that by 10 fingers and 24 models and just try not to feel exhausted.)
At Libertine, the clothes were inspired by gypsies and artisans — and the manicures followed suit. Each individual nail was hand designed and painted, and could take up to an hour to complete. (Multiple that by 10 fingers and 24 models and just try not to feel exhausted.)
One nail in particular, called "The Shag Carpet," stands out. "I love the idea of the shag carpet," says Arnold. "All the strands are hand-cut, knotted, and hand-placed, then blended using a brush. Fringe is such a huge trend of the season." Judging by the video above, this technique takes the longest — but has the coolest payoff.
3D Is The New 1D
The colour palette for The Blondes show was all about rich, deep hues so CND decided to create a 3D python nail. (Casual.) The key products? Nail stamps and Brisa Sculpting Gel. "In the olden days we'd take netting or different fabrics to create different designs, but now we have nail stamps," says Arnold. "Once we have the base, we add dimension using the Brisa Sculpting Gel. We want it to stand up and stay 3D, so we cure it with an LED light."
The colour palette for The Blondes show was all about rich, deep hues so CND decided to create a 3D python nail. (Casual.) The key products? Nail stamps and Brisa Sculpting Gel. "In the olden days we'd take netting or different fabrics to create different designs, but now we have nail stamps," says Arnold. "Once we have the base, we add dimension using the Brisa Sculpting Gel. We want it to stand up and stay 3D, so we cure it with an LED light."
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Fresh Powder
And if you thought there couldn't be anything matter than matte, you have yet to see powder nails. The snow-like effect was mostly done over light colours, such as white and pastel pink. When combined with airy floral motifs in the collections, the nails have an almost vintage wallpaper vibe.
We may not all have the skill or patience to craft artwork of this caliber on our nail beds, but that doesn't mean you can't take inspiration from it. Maybe toss some thread or spare yarn onto an accent nail next time you do a classic red manicure, or try a powdery topcoat instead of your typical, high-shine one. If you're truly committed, Arnold recommends visiting salons like Paintbox and Valley Nails in NYC. Props to anyone who commits to that python manicure. Meow.
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