The Top Spring 2013 Nail Trends

One of the hottest accessories this spring season is glamorous, eye-catching nails. At the New York Shows, one could see looks varying from dark and edgy, to light and simple. The element that so many of the looks had in common, however, was contrast.

Pastels are in for spring and projected to be the most sought after shades including, canary yellow and mint green, with creamy and sparkle finishes add to these candy coated nails.

Detouring from the familiar bright shades, darker shades of gray and a variety of unconventional styles are also trending. This dark romance can be seen in the grayish navy shades by Jason Wu (OPI’s Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees), to the purple hues by Marchesa (Essie Tuxedo), as well as in the “dripping blood” look by Prabal Gurung--done by dipping a fine-tip striper brush into a blood-red polish, and then allowing it to drip down onto the nail.

Other dazzling styles include the metallic polishes, and rich two-toned manicures. These two-toned manicures (a dual polish effect), are a fresh twist on the French manicure and created by picking two contrasting shades, and using a small brush to paint on a graphic style (try a half mood, a vertical split, a diagonal strip, or a V–shape). You can also take on the conventional French manicure by creating a matte-shiny French. Do this by laying a somewhat darker matte pink shade on top of a glossy one.

To balance out these bolder nail trends, the more traditional pale nail color has also been seen used by Marc Jacobs, as well as Chanel. Neutral, creamy, milky, white, off-white, and pale pink are all making an appearance this spring, and, although these pale colored nails aren’t much of a shock, they are a stylish way to play it cool, and offer a more sophisticated and clean look.

The best thing to do? Play with all the trends! You know it’s going to be a good day when the toughest choice you have to make is which nail polish to use.

-Nicole Lawrence