Words by Korean beauty blogger Vicky Lee.
By now, you are aware that K-beauty is at the forefront of skincare and makeup innovations. From sheet masks to cushion compacts and double cleansing, South Korea has completely revoluzioned your beauty habits for the better. Now it’s the time for Korean nail art designs to sweep your off your feet and give your talones the most mesmerizing of makeovers. Inspired by South Korea’s most influential nail artist Eunkyung Park, the new K-wave brings you diamond nails, barely-there cuticle looks and eye-catching colour blocks that play with negative spaces.
1. Diamond Nails
A more glamorous version of the “shattered glass” nail trend that took the beauty world by storm last year, diamond nails are created by sticking prismatic chunks of cellophane on your nail bed and setting the manicure with gel polish. The different facets reflect lights like the most sparkling of diamonds – or the iridescent abalone shells that inspired the trend in the first place.
2. Cuticle Nails
Long considered a flaw to be disposed of to create the perfect flawless manicure, cuticles are currently having their own moment of glory. The latest trend shines a spotlight on this usually neglected area by glamming it up with a line of matte nail polish, a shimmering coat of glitters or a cluster of crystals. Your imagination’s the limit!
3. Negative Space
While 3D nails continue to be as popular as ever, I’ve also noticed a trend towards a more flattening, yet extremely striking trend that plays on colour alone. The negative space trend leaves entire sections of the nail blank to create unusual geometric forms that give your nails a futuristic vibe. To make the look even more intense, combine it with the cuticle trend: a base embellished with glitters and crystals is all that’s needed to take this look to the next level.
4. Mix And Unmatch
Who said that all your nails must look the same? The most playful trend of the season allows you to play with different colours and textures, mixing and unmatching your nails to your heart’s desire. I like to keep a few nails simple and matte and adorn others with crystals and glitters for a modern, chic look that stands out from the crowd.
Recreating these beautiful trends on your own can be challenging, as I’ve personally discovered myself. Luckily, I’ve found my own Eunkyung Park here in London. Oblique Nails/Beauty is a chic salon on Bute Street, in the heart of South Kensington, that offers the most stylish and high-quality of beauty treatments, including nail art manicures. Their latest creation is this stunning mix of two trends, the diamond nail and the cuticle nails, which is absolutely out of this world.
Where to get the look: Oblique Nails/Beauty, 19 Bute Street, SW7 3EY, London, UK. Telephone number: 020 7225 3116. Website: obliquebeauty.uk.
