Summer’s aura nails didn’t die when temperatures dropped — Hailey Bieber continued to wear the style into fall and winter, like on a trip to Tokyo for the opening of Tiffany & Co.’s Omotesando store. She topped off her Bottega Veneta dress with a deep nude lip, sleek bangs and lime green aura flecks.
Now that the sparklier season is upon us, there’s even more room to play with the aura nail trend. Julie Kandalec, a celebrity manicurist and salon owner, is getting a lot of requests for the aura nail trend and is excited to update it for the holidays. “It’s a painterly way to wear multiple colors that aren’t too graphic or flashy,” says Kandalec about why the style remains popular. “It’s more Monet than Mondrian.”
To update the holiday aura trend, Kandalec says to skip the neon shades and—you guessed it—go for shimmery shades that mimic tinsel and twinkling lights. If you’re a traditionalist, festive greens, golds and reds are a natural fit, but I went for Studio Gel in shades of pink, purple and iridescent opal, all from The Gel Bottle.
Once the nails are shaped and prepped with a thin layer of nude polish, Kandalec says a sponge and gel polish are the perfect combination to get the diffused look that aura nails are known for. the mini ones from EcoTools because they are denser, which means it is resilient, absorbs a lot of pigment and does not transfer to the nail. And while we live in a world where quick-drying polish is always attractive, Kandalec adds that this look is difficult with anything that sets quickly, as it makes the sponge stiff and unusable.
The result is a playful holiday variation of the aura nail trend. “We always see more people requesting metallic or holographic nails during the holidays because the shades are so festive,” says Kandalec.
Add a glass of sparkling champagne in hand and you’re party ready.
