Forget eyes — nails are the real window to the soul. With a quick glance at someone’s polish color choice, finish, and nail art — or lack thereof— you can gain some serious insight into their psyche. According to top celebrity manicurists, expect next year’s nail trends to feed into your aesthetic impulses, be they minimalist and subtle or fantastically over-the-top. The 2023 nail trend predictions promise an extreme, exciting year ahead, but which end of the spectrum you end up on is totally personal. With so many fresh looks and takes for the low-key and festive types alike, it looks like 2023 could end up as the best time for nails yet.
In the coming year, expect a continuation of those opulent finishes that made 2022 so fun — think innovative takes on glazed donut nails, eye-catching finishes, and deep, luxe colors you can completely sink into. Nail shapes, lengths, and designs get an overhaul too, with a concentrated emphasis on overall elegance that’ll satisfy all manicure lovers. Ahead, TZR turns to two top celebrity nail artists for their professional insight on exactly which nail trends are poised to dominate 2023. Why not flex at the holiday party and go for them now?
Nail Color Trends For 2023
Looking back at the nearly complete year, 2022 was full of instantly recognizable nail trends beloved by both celebrities and civilians. Some shades, like browns and greens, stood out in their own right, but the year was mostly about finish — chromes, mattes, crystals, and textured, 3D designs. According to Holly Falcone, celebrity nail artist, expect to see the return of glazed donut nails, but in frosty, cool-toned shades she’s dubbing “ice queen nails.” Falcone says blues, greens, and purples with a snow-like metallic finish are the next wave of chrome nails to watch out for — and blue seems to be something of a consensus in the pro-nail world.
Jin Soon Choi, celebrity nail artist and founder of JINsoon, says you’ll notice next year’s nails dressed up in shades of blue, a parallel to fashion’s current fixation on the color. “I see blues in 2023 — from pastels to hot blues — which may have been influenced by the return of the washed out denim fashion.” In fact, those more muted, natural world-inspired colors will actually trend across the board, incorporated into familiar-favorite designs. “French manicures with either a deep curved or skinny tip will carry over into 2023, but I'm already seeing a segue toward earthy colors,” she says, listing shades like clay, putty, and rich brown as just a few examples, adding that they work well with all skin tones.
And if you’re feeling something a bit spicier, you can always rely on a classic — Falcone says rest assured, red nails will never go out of style.
Nail Design Trends For 2023
Aesthetic creatives, 2023 is your year. Choi says that while the French manicure train continues to chug along, it’s not without fresh, exciting twists. “A more artistic version of the French manicure will be in,” she tells TZR, noting that she’s already seeing abstract versions using a thin layer of foil or metallic polish for the tips. “In contrast to that, pastel French tips, like what Team JINsoon did for the Brandon Maxwell SS/2023 runway, are also popular.”
As far as true nail art goes, there’s no such thing as too much — unless you’re after an opposite vibe altogether. Falcone says she sees the ever-present trend going both ways next year, with the more-is-more designs living in harmony alongside its more subdued counterparts. “While 2023 nail art will definitely have an element of maximalism,” she says, “the trend towards natural, shorter shapes and subtle styles like ‘patent leather nails’ (think hyper shiny nails) also indicates a concurrent demand for minimalist nail art.”
Nail Shape Trends For 2023
If the world’s penchant for ultra-long nails isn’t quite your thing, get ready for the new year. Falcone confirms that the short nail trend of 2022 will be carried over into the new year, with plenty of shape possibilities. “Long nails are always going to be iconic, but I foresee shorter nails becoming more popular in 2023,” she says. “In addition to a shorter nail length, the trending shape is likely to be more square or squoval.” She even adds that we could see a resurgence in short French tip nail alongside the longer, oval- and almond-shapes so popular this year.
Indeed, elongated, almond-shaped nails might have yet to reach their peak. Choi says, “almond shapes for long nails and round shapes for short to medium nails will de rigueur for 2023.” An always-elegant option, they’re a celebrity-favorite for a reason.
Shop everything you need to get a jump on 2023’s biggest nail trends just below (before everyone else does).
