No shade to the classic ring finger, but the accent nail is finding a new home this spring. Playful, practical, and with way more real estate to get creative, thumbs are the latest hot spot to go wild with nail art — and one scroll through Instagram is proof.
From minimalist yellow smiley faces to heart-shaped embroidery, nail pros are turning to thumbs to show off their most intricate creations. "With everyone posting close-ups of their hands on Instagram, thumbnail art has recently taken off," says Olive & June founder Sarah Gibson Tuttle. And nail pro Jessica Washick echos that the thumbnail accent is a subtle way to upgrade any simple manicure. "You can be as expressive as you want on your thumbs," she explains. "And then, you still have the classic look of a polished manicure on every other fingernail."
The last time we saw a similar trend take off was in the early aughts when "Blackberry Bling " was all the rage. And while we sadly can’t bring back our Sidekicks, this might be the next best thing. Scroll through for the coolest takes on the thumbnail accent, and wonder why you ever resorted to the ring finger in the first place.
We love the cheerful simplicity of this smiley face design. If you don’t have a steady hand, just use a sticker.
In-the-know nail pro Hang Nguyen combines two major spring trends — hearts and floral accents — in a look she calls "wearing my heart on my thumb."
Washick makes a feminist statement on her thumbnail with a sunny yellow polish that’s aptly named Living Your Best Life.
If you keep all your other nails nude in tone, a teensy rainbow stripe at the cuticle feels especially fresh.
Show pride for your hometown with alphabet nail-art stickers, like these ones designed by L.A.-based nail boutique Olive & June.
A sunflower thumbnail accent basically screams summer.
Admittedly, these hyper-realistic flamingo accents might require you to enlist a seasoned nail artist. But the end result is undeniably adorable.
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Source: Refinery29 – Megan Decker