For so long, getting your nails done was all about being primped and polished. But the color aspect has, for the most part, been a one-hue-fits-all-nails sich (unless you're the kind who opts for intricate out-there
nail-art designs). A new trend, however, is throwing everything you thought you knew about color conventions for your nails out the window.
Multicolored manis—or Wabi Sabi nails—involve your five fingers being painted different colors. As reported by Refinery 29, mismatched nails are blowing up all over Instagram. Despite sounding like they could look sloppy—and something perhaps a small child would choose to do—these perfectly imperfect nails actually look really cute. Consider it an easy and fashionable way to flip the bird to staying within the lines.
"[Mismatched nails are] playful, fun, and pure self-expression." —Amy Ling Lin, Sundays owner
"Mismatched nail colors have always been popular among kids, but I'm seeing more and more adults sporting it these days too—which I think is great," says Amy Ling Lin, owner of Sundays, a New York City nail salon-slash-meditation studio. "It's playful, fun, and pure self-expression."
The thing is, choosing just one nail polish color is extremely hard—so five is particularly daunting. (Because surely I'm not the only one who sends various color options to my friends before settling on one, right?) To pick for each finger separately, Lin recommends sticking with shades in the same color family—like with purple or gray undertones, for example. "But when it comes to this trend, the rules don't really apply," she says. "So go with whatever colors you feel like. Let loose!"
Sounds good to me—BRB as I grab the colors of the rainbow.
Keep scrolling for some Wabi Sabi manicure inspo.
For other mani ideas, here's the easiest nail art you can do on your own. Or you can rock Ariana Grande's fave nail polish color: lavender.
