Ombre Nail Art - 21 Ombre Nail Designs To Inspire Your Spring Manicure

While setting our sights on a far-flung sunset might still seem like a pipe dream (it is, after all, still only April), that won’t stop us from bringing that feel-good energy in every other way possible, including our manicures. Enter: ombre nails, a tonic for the dreary weather still pervading our hopelessly optimistic sun-filled plans.

Whether you fancy muted monochrome, pairing pastels or mixing metallics, the ombre movement shows no signs of fading on Instagram, with #ombrenails already amassing 8 million photos.

What are ombre nails?

According to NUKA nail founders Kadimah Aaliyah and Anouska Anastasia, ombre nail art involves blending different shades to trick your visual perception and 'create an illusion of colours fading into each other.'

While ombre offers up an endless choice of colour combinations, a word to the wise: there are some shades that won't look so great together. 'Don’t put clashing colours next to each other, for example a green and orange fade will make brown,' adds Aaliyah. 'It’s best to work through the rainbow.' Smart.

How To Do Ombre Nails

The beauty of ombre is that you don't need to be a Hockney or a Picasso to achieve the look – a handful of your chosen colours, a sponge and a bit of creativity will do the trick. For those of us who can't wait until their next nail appointment to master the trend, Aaliyah and Anastasia break down how to achieve an ombre nail at home:

Step 1. Apply 2 coats of white polish (this helps the colours pop) and let your nails dry for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2. Load your sponge with 2-5 colours, in a horizontal line overlapping each other.

Step 3. Dab your sponge onto the nail without moving the placement of the sponge. If you move the sponge your colours will end up mixing instead of fading, it won’t be cute!

Step 4. Repeat step 3 until you get the desired vibrancy.

Step 5. Dip an angled brush (an old eyebrow or eyeliner brush works well) in acetone & use the brush to clean up excess product around your nails.

Step 6. Now it's time to topcoat. Let your nails dry for 15-20 minutes.

Step 7. Nourish with cuticle oil.

For those of us not blessed with the steady hands of a nail tech, we've rounded up some of the slickest ombre nail art to save, screenshot and squirrel away for your next nail appointment.