From Micro French to Barbiecore: The Best Spring Nail Trends For Gen Xers

Did you know that refreshing your manicure is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to boost your mood? As we enter Spring, it is time to push aside the dark shades of winter and say hello to brighter and softer Spring 2023 nail colour trends.

Whether you usually have your nails professionally looked after every few weeks or polish them by yourself, having them always in good condition would not only make you feel more confident but also help in maintaining a classy image no matter the occasion or what you wear. 

The best spring nail trends: simple, glossy and sassy

The good news is that even though nail art is becoming ever more adventurous, creative and often wonderfully outrageous, the biggest nail trends of 2023 for women over 50 are clean, simple and glossy. 

According to the 2023 Pinterest Predicts Trends report, short, natural nails are taking the spotlight this year. “Maximalist beauty had its moment. Now, people are ready for a reset — and nothing says ‘fresh start’ like a fresh crop,” explains the report. “After years of coffin nails and almond-shaped extensions, people are realizing that nails don’t have to be long to make a serious statement.”

Minimalist style is clearly here to stay but is not necessarily synonymous with something boring. In fact, the range of natural colours for your nails this year is quite creamy and dreamy. We love toned-down subtle hues, muted browns, and creamy beiges: a colour palette that looks effortlessly chic and compliments any skin tone. 

Here are our choices for spring 2023.

Lip Gloss Nails

Originally created by celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik for his client Jennifer Lopez, the emerging lip gloss nails trend mimics the plush, sheeny finish of lipgloss applied on lips and consists of a sheer neutral base with a high-gloss top coat. 

This sophisticated and timeless look works with any base colour as long as it’s light and transparent. You can opt for a neutral beige, white or a translucent pale pink, with or without a hint of shimmer. The more complementary the polish colour is to your skin tone, the more seamless the look. 

Given that, your natural nails should be in good order. Make sure they’re buffed, super clean and immaculately filed into shape. But you can fake the effect by adding a couple of extra coats of your sheer tinted topcoat to build up a semi-opaque pink if your nails are a little bashed up. 

Micro French Manicure

For spring 2023, the micro French manicure has been absolutely all over our social media feeds, with the hashtag earning 6.5 million views on TikTok and inspiring plenty of Pinterest searches. Essentially, the micro French nail follows the same format as a classic French nail — a solid base with a contrast tip — but instead with a much shorter line of polish on the tip.

A wonderful way to elongate your nails, especially if they’re on the shorter side.

“The thin line imparts an elegant and delicate look, making it ideal for any occasion,” says editorial manicurist Jin Soon Choi, founder of JINSoon. Not to mention, it complements every single nail shape, outfit, and season—simply switch up your base and tip colours to match whatever style you desire.

The important thing is that the base colour — usually milky white or pink — has enough coverage to hide the natural smile line, where the pink nail bed and white free edge meet. In case you’d like to add a touch of sassiness, don’t shy away from getting a micro French manicure in different hues (no white-and-sheer-pink combo needed). Yes, you can play with different colours on the tip, like red, black or pastels.

Barbiecore style

Barbiecore is another trend taking Instagram by storm. In line with the launch of Margot Robbie’s live-action, Barbie, movie in July, this is every pink lover’s dream come true. 

“Think lots of pink (all shades from hot, Barbie pink to fluorescent pink) on long, oval-shaped nails,” says Metta Francis, nail technician and founder of Nails by Mets. “Alongside pink, there will be a nostalgic nod back to the ‘90s and a retro vibe, inspired by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s neon pink and green spandex and double denim — think of it as Barbiecore and dopamine dressing combined,” she adds.

To embrace the shade, you could simply go with a plain pink polish or opt for designs that mix pinks with clear or ultra sheer. Fuchsia-centric nail art does the trick, too.

Nail Accents

But what if you want something more exciting? A reverse French with a line of glitter hugging the cuticle or a simple crystal as a dot accent on each nail would add a modern accent to your look.

And when in doubt, you can also play around with colours using YouCam Nails, an app that might help you find the right one.

It virtually lets you try on any nail style and colour you want with your phone to see the exact look you want before you head to the salon. It has nail colours and textures, nail shapes, and accessories that you can add to create a fully customized nail look that’s both trendy and unique to your aesthetic.

Nail proper care

Since our hands are on show all the time, it’s only natural that we want them to look clean and healthy (in the end, most people judge a book by its cover).

The main thing is to keep your hands soft and smooth with daily moisturising and keep your nails clean and healthy. Keep your cuticles hydrated with daily application of cuticle oil. Don’t pick off your cuticles or trim them too close – this can cause cuts and open wounds, which in turn attract bacteria and infection.

And for some extra sprucing up, book yourself in for regular manicures – twice a month will do the job. A glossy polish adds a glam factor that unpolished nails just can’t do.

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