Forget T-Shirts – Tie-Dye Nails Are Trending And We Want IN

Step aside beige and greige, it’s time to make some manicure space for the joyful, colourful trend that’s taken our lockdown style by storm: Tie-Dye. Spotted on myriad celebrities and fashion editors alike, our social feeds have been full to the brim with splashes and swirls of rainbow hued nails (and tees) since lockdown began. ‘Tie-dye has a sense of nostalgia behind it and reminds me of summer, festival season and being young,’ says celebrity nail artist, Michelle Humphrey, ‘it's also so easy to recreate in a manicure.’ Which is brilliant news, as we want in on this playful trend, pronto.

Read on to discover top tips and tricks from Michelle on how to nail this season’s brightest nail trend…

How To Do Tie-Dye Nail Art, Step-By-Step:

Step 1: prep and prime your nails as you usually would (we like to file, buff and push cuticles back) and apply a base coat.

Step 2: if you’re going for bright neon shades, always lay down a white base to begin with as this will really make the colours pop. Allow time for this coat to dry before you begin the design.

Step 3: choose between 4-5 different colours and using a fine nail brush, paint them on next to each other until you fill the nail plate. Try to work quickly, before the polish dries.

Step 4: use your fine brush to pull sections of the paint in and out from the centre of your nail – this will merge the colours. Top tip? Wipe your brush clean between each swipe with remover or else it will spoil the design.

Step 5: finish with a topcoat to seal in the tie-dye effect.

Watch: How To Do Tie-Dye Nail Art At Home

The Best Colour Combinations For Tie-Dye Nails

'Stick with similar colour palettes,' recommends Michelle. 'So, if you're feeling pastels, choose contrasting pastel tones and the same applies with neons, brights, monochrome, etc. Stick to the same family of colours for maximum impact.'

What's The Best Nail Shape For Tie-Dye Nail Art?

'Nail art is all about self-expression, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to length and shape,' says Michelle. 'The one thing I will say is that the longer the nail, the longer the design will take, and this can be super tricky if you're using nail polish as obviously it dries as you work.'

In search of some inspiration? Keep scrolling...

READ MORE: Tortoiseshell Nails Are Our Latest Manicure Obsession And There's An Interesting Hack To Getting Them Right