Is your mind in a bind over the gazillion nail designs to choose from these days? There are so many decisions to make each time you book an appointment with your favourite nail artist—from the colours of your nail polish to the complexity of your nail art (and how they go with your everyday getup).

To protect you from decision paralysis at your next manicure/pedicure sesh, we have sussed out the latest nail trends of 2021 for your viewing pleasure. May these nail art trends keep you inspired and focused at your next nail spa appointment! 

Sweet pastels

When is pastel never "in"? They are sweet and enduring, and can be achieved easily with any kind of nail polish. You can even DIY or look for press-on nails if you find doing up your own mani a relaxing after-work activity.

Go bright and colourful

Let's face it, it has been sort of a depressing COVID-ridden couple of years, so this is one of those nail trends we fully support. Give your days a sprightly lift with this Skittles-inspired manicure. Go bold with primary shades like green, red, yellow and blue. Like the pastels, this is one set of nails you can very well achieve without the help of a professional.

For the love for florals

This might be one of our favourites yet—an abstract, hand drawn flower on each nail, perfect for sunny days on our shore. For those not used to 3D nail art, such designs are the perfect place to start experimenting. You can play around with different colours of nail polish or add shimmer at the edges too.

Pink is classic

Fans of the French manicure will be thrilled to know that pink is probably never going out of style. Plus, the classic French mani is relatively easy to maintain—light chipping doesn't look as obvious. Keep it simple or like Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown, you can bling it up slightly by adding a rhinestone to each nail.

Let your heart fly

Dua Lipa set hearts aflutter at the 2021 Grammy Awards for her Best Pop Vocal Album win and the butterfly nail art that she wore to the event—Demi Lovato is also reportedly a fan of this design. Butterflies were trendy the year before, and this trendsetter just extended our love affair with these gorgeous creatures.

It's all about the tips

Less is more in this minimalist but fun nail art design. Keep most of the nail neutral and just give the tip a splash of colour—rainbow stripes, a gold rim or mix it up!

So cool it hurts

There is a good reason why metallic shades are a main stay in every brand of nail polish: they simply look good. You can choose a single hue across all nails—chrome is huge right now—or colour block them with neutrals or muted shades. Either way, you will look absolutely fashion-forward.

(Pic credit: Instagram) 

Match your mask

Got a favourite patterned mask? Get your nail colours to match and you have a conversation starter right at the tip of your fingers (pun fully intended). From smiley faces to cartoon characters, fun wacky designs can serve as fresh inspiration for your nail artist to create a tailored mani for you.

Negative space

Creative without being OTT, this nail art trend, while not new, appears to be here to stay. In a negative space mani, the base of your nail is nude and darker hues appear to float atop. From abstract swirls to hand drawn emojis, this is one style you can play with over and over again in different ways.

Feeling inspired yet? Show this page to your nail artist and both of you will have fun creating a brand new look for your nails!