Warning: The latest manicure craze may cause severe hunger pains and frozen custard cravings.
After first spotting the ice cream nail art trend on Popsugar.com, we’ve looked through thousands of #icecreamnails on Instagram and searched through an endless scroll of ice cream nail pins on Pinterest.
We’ve found that the nail looks fall into several distinct categories: abstract drips, detailed cones and intricate, three-dimensional masterpieces.
Scroll down for our favorite nail-spo and then learn techniques that’ll transform your digits into delicious frozen treats.
Cones on cones! Nothing screams summer like ice cream – unless it’s ice cream cones being held with sundae-inspired nails. Props to graphic designer Allison Supron for this photo
ABSTRACT DRIPS
The most common #icecreamnails tagged on Instagram are whimsical drips of color that evoke a sense of the melting treat running down a cone.
There are several ways to get the look, but the hardest part may very well be choosing your colors. Everything from soft pastels to punchy neons will work, but make sure there’s enough contrast between your background hue and your drip color.
If you’re not up for using a dotting tool or free-handing the drops, a dripping stencil like these from Whats Up Nails is an affordable, goof-proof method.
You can give every nail the melting treatment, or just a few – it’s up to you. For a more intricate take, consider adding ‘sprinkles’ with either another color or a polish that has a bit of texture or glitter in it already.
She’s got talent! In the abstract ice cream category, this hand-drawn version from Instagram user Nash_Nails wins, hands-down
Ahead of the trend: Last spring Ciate London offered an Ice Cream Nail Collection that included easy-to-apply stickers. The kit is sold out but there are still a few to be had on eBay
Not all accents are created equal: We love that the nails that got the hot fudge treatment vary on each hand
Pretty in pink: The pastel, almost nude, pink base color looks chic when topped with the greige shade
Mint chocolate chip: The texture in the green base color on blogger Hannah International’s nails adds to the ice cream effect, and the colored dots in the topping are a fun nod to sprinkles
DETAILED CONES
For those wanting to take their #icecreamnails to the next level, we give you the abstract drips + detailed cone category.
Once again, options abound for re-creating the cone effect on your nails. Some artists use nail wraps while others prefer to draw the criss-cross pattern directly on the nail using a striping a brush. Nail tape and stamping sets are also available.
One method we like is the Caption Art Screen. You can see them in action in the video below, but if we were going to use them to make an ice cream cone, we’d use the lower left cross-hatch design found in the Dreamcatchers set.
Once you’ve created your cone, let it dry and apply the same abstract-drip technique outlined in the section above.
Life’s a beach: Especially when you’re on a beach and your nails match your frozen treat
Top it off: We love how polished (no pun intended) this look from Instagrammer NailsbyCambria is. Even if you’re not a pro, don’t underestimate the power of a good top coat to seal in your design
Go retro! The sparkly blue polish color on the non-ice cream nails is giving us a 1950s diner feel
Sometimes stick-on nails are the only way to go. Shop similar fake stiletto nails from Etsy seller NiceClaws
Well that’s clever! These ice cream cones only take shape when you put your fingers together
Cup or cone? This nail guru combined four whimsical ice cream nails with one that showcased the whole cone
3-D MASTERPIECES
Why work in two dimensions when you can work in three?
The nail gurus featured below use everything from acrylic and crystals to edible sprinkles to create their works of ice cream art.
And while they may not be the kind of thing you can DIY, these major manicures offer an abundance of nail art eye candy.
Nail-fetti! Actual sprinkles were used to create this sundae-topping-inspired look
How life-like does this bedazzled double-scoop ice cream cone look? Almost makes you want to bite your nails
Good enough to eat: Amber Trawick, a nail artist on the Oxygen network’s Boss Nails, takes the cake for these dessert-filled digits
Go faux: These acrylics are definitely not DIY, but the subtle 3-D effect is gorgeous, and the squareletto shape lends itself to an ice cream cone perfectly
