Hottest nail trends for AW18
Trend one: bedazzled
Images L–R: CND for Sophia Webster AW18; Jessica for House of MEA
The more the merrier was the motto for the coming season when it came to embellishment – and not just in the jewellery. Fashion houses such as The Blonds and Sophia Webster made it clear that the best place for gems to shine is on your fingertips.
Not an inch was wasted as both designers chose to embellish their models’ nails with adornments such as gold spikes, red gems and Swarovski crystals.
At the Mulberry show, session tech Michelle Class also used the nails as an accessory with a much more subtle nude base colour, which drew the focus to the Swarovski-emblazoned accent nails for a more wearable look.
Get the look:
While the embellishment in your nail art might come from decals, there are plenty of new AW18 shades to get your creative juices flowing, from pale tones to use as a base that will make the sparkles pop, to new chunky glitters for this season’s simplest way to shine.
LCN’s AW18 line is Fall Oh Me, a six-strong collection designed to get nails selfie-ready. The standout sparkling shade is chunky gold glitter Nail Post. Daily Story also packs gold glitter into a black base for high contrast, while Glam Light offers up a high-shine purple shimmer. Three sophisticated red-brown shades complete the line.
Trend two: live the wild life
Images L–R: CND for Gareth Pug AW18; Instagram/@beautysalonsammys
Animalistic inspiration brought the AW18 catwalks to life as bold patterns replaced the fur fetishes of previous years. No beast was left untouched as leopard, snakeskin and even zebra made an appearance on the catwalks. Tom Ford, Max Mara and Givenchy were among the designers going wild for animal print.
The look was adapted for the nails at Jeremy Scott. The quirky designer put a cool, techno twist on the leopard print look. Using Essie, session tech Miss Pop worked with bold colours on a transparent nail to bring the classic pattern into the 21st century, showing that the look really can be personalised for any client.
Get the look:
Whether you’re looking to recreate animal prints in your clients’ nail art, or simply to complement their bold fashion choices with a safari-inspired colour, these collections have your go-to shades.
The African Safari collection, available in Gelish gel polish or Morgan Taylor polish, has a shade to suit any print. From the pewter Are You Lion to Me, to the warm nude Neutral by Nature, all six shades draw inspiration from the sweeping landscape of a safari and vibrant graphic prints from African culture.
Available in Shellac and Vinylux, CND’s Wild Earth is inspired by the textures, colour palette and landscapes of nature. The six new shades include raw, earthy hues and bright pops of colour. Experiment with deep cobalt Blue Moon, dusky purple Dreamcatcher or terracotta Spear.
Gellux’s AW18 collection is called Walk on the Wild Side and features eight colours in both muted natural tones and brighter shades inspired by exotic climates. Standout shades include the hot purple Cheeky Monkey, gold glitter Serengeti Sunrise, and bright coral Toucan Tango.
Trend three: cable-knit cool
Images L–R: Jessica for Eudon Choi; Instagram/@thehouseofnails
“Grandad style” is predicted to explode this autumn, and Erdem led the way with its boy-meets-girl collection, featuring cable knit, oversized cardigans on top of delicate cocktail dresses. Rejina Pyo, Christopher Kane and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi embraced the cosy look on the catwalks with argyle and cable knit galore.
If the thought of the encroaching sweater season fills your clients with happiness you’ll be glad to hear that, thanks to fashion house Libertine and CND style director Jan Arnold, the cosy knit style has been adapted for fingertips.
Libertine designer Johnson Hartig wanted nails that evoked a home-spun feel, just like your favourite jumper. The look works best with warm pastel winter tones that evoke crisp autumn walks and family time around an open fire.
Get the look:
Recreate yarn texture on the nails using a builder gel or acrylic, or, for a twist, experiment by embedding fibres. To finish the look, or complement your clients’ snuggliest sweaters, try these subtle shades.
Orly’s AW18 line The New Neutral comprises six sophisticated tones to see you through the cold season. Cashmere Crisis is a beautiful soft grey crème, while Snuggle Up is a soft pink that will match any tones your client wears. Other key shades include olive, pewter, brick red and earthy rose.
Jessica has two AW18 collections. Autumn Romance, in six shades of Jessica polish, and Rendezvous, available in three shades of Phenom long-wear polish. The Phemon shades – a slate grey, deep aubergine and russet red – offer a classic autumnal palette, while Autumn Romance features standout shades Morning Haze, a misty grey shimmer, and Mauve-Lous Nights, a soft purple crème.
Trend four: cuticle colour pop
Images L–R: Instagram/@docklands.nails; Instagram/@buffcsvanda
As ever, Moschino delivered fun and quirkiness to the catwalk with its bright, bold pieces inspired by Jackie O. The retro yet futuristic theme was reflected in the nails, which carried a colourful cuticle design, in a new variation of the reverse-French style.
The bold combination of pinks and reds are perfect for those clients not quite ready to let go of summer, although the simple yet chic style means it can easily be adapted to different colour variations.
Get the look:
Anything goes for the cuticle colour pop trend. Try clashing colours or pairing one of the new season’s brights with a cool, classic nude. Steer clear of the dusky tones for this look and experiment with one of the new, bolder collections.
You can always rely on OPI to bring the brights, whatever the season, and the AW18 Peru collection is no exception. Designed in collaboration with Peruvian fashion model Juana Burga, the collection comprises 12 strong shades. Make cuticles come alive with the vivid purple Grandma Kissed a Gaucho; hot pink Suzi Will Quechua Later; or turquoise Alpaca My Bags.
Artistic Nail Design’s new Caution: Extremely Hot collection features six bold shades that will give the cuticle colour-pop trend an autumnal edge. Try the coral crème Too Much Sauce; green iridescent crème Wok & Roll Baby; or Serving Up Sass, a navy crème. For the first time, all six shades are available in Artistic’s Perfect Dip powders too.