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Home » Beauty » Nail Ideas

How To Achieve The Viral Pop Art Nails Trend, Plus 13 Creative Takes On It

By Laura Davis | December 9, 2022 | Updated on June 10, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links that we collect a share of sales from. Click here for more details.
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Pop Art Nails - Pastel Pop Art Manicure
Pop Art Nails - Rainbow Stiletto Pop Art Nails
Pop Art Nails - Neutral Toned Pop Art Nails
Pop Art Nails - Glitter Comic Nails
Pop Art Nails - Blue Pop Art Nails
Pop Art Nails - Short Rainbow Nails
Pop Art Nails - Pink Ombré Comic Nails
Pop Art Nails - Purple Heart Nails
Pop Art Nails - Nude Pop Art Nails
Pop Art Nails - Rainbow Stiletto Pop Art Nails

Pop art nails are the new nail trend we’ve been loving lately. It feels like a total rejection of the minimalist, neutral, less-is-more approach that’s taken over in the past few years, so it’s an exciting departure.

Because sometimes, more is more! Not only for manicure art, this applies to whipped cream, Netflix episodes, and puppies. And cash. Yeah we said it.

Plus, matching your nails to your current comic book read is pretty satisfying. The “POW” is literally coming off the page now! Watch it, Batman. We bruise like a peach.
Pop Art Nails

We’ve demystified the process on how to create this look, so you can learn how to DIY these comic book nails yourself. Or, you can bring this inspo to your trusty nail tech and not blame us for all the nail polish spillage on your brand new throw pillows. The chocolate sauce stain was definitely our bad, though.

 

How To Create Pop Art Nails

One of the best parts about pop art nails is that they can be recreated in any color palette and are fully customizable to your own personal style. We recommend bright, bold colors like hot pink or neon green to mimic the source material. But just like pickle preferences, to each their own.

In addition to your base color, you’ll also need a black polish for the outline, a white polish for highlights, and nail art brushes. We know, it’s already sounding complicated. But the process is easier than it looks!

Directions

  1. Apply your base coat and one or two coats of your main color. For the main shade, you can either stick with one color for the whole hand, or go full-on Skittles and embrace the rainbow with multiple hues.
  2. Use a long, thin-tipped brush to lay an outline with your black polish. It’s easiest to create a wide outline, and then fill in the parts closer to your nail after. You can always touch it up with the original color if you mess up.
  3. Add the white highlights (and, optionally, lowlights in a darker shade of the main coat). If you took an art class in college, this is your time to shine. If you didn’t, simply add the white shade on one side of the black, and the darker shade on the other side. Check out this YouTube tutorial if you’re a visual learner.

Now that you’ve got the technique down, the creative options are limitless! Here are a few cool ideas to get you started.

 

13 Pop Art Nail Ideas

1. Pastel Pop Art Manicure

We’re getting pretty good and dropping the habit of biting our nails. But this design looks curiously similar to those chocolate covered candies at Easter. Cute, but very tempting…

Pop Art Nails - Pastel Pop Art Manicure
Photo Credit: @beauty_byhollie_

 

2.Neutral Toned Pop Art Nails

The comic book nail trend comes in all shapes and sizes, including long, square nails like these. This set uses black as an accent color instead of a deeper shade, so it’s ten percent easier. And we’re still one hundred percent going to the nail salon anyway.

Pop Art Nails - Neutral Toned Pop Art Nails
Photo Credit: @desp_nailz

 

3. Glitter Comic Nails

Who said this trend has to be matte? A purple, glittery take on this manicure features a simple white dot for the highlight approach. We’ll officially be spending the next three to four business days tracking down this nail polish shade. Don’t text.

Pop Art Nails - Glitter Comic Nails
Photo Credit: @sharonsbeautyroom_cndea

 

4. Blue Pop Art Nails

Already tired of sporting snowflakes on your nails for the winter season? This design is a fun set that still gives a nod to the colder temps. In the meantime, who’s going to break it to the nail techs that snow is actually white?

Pop Art Nails - Blue Pop Art Nails
Photo Credit: @miguel.artestetic

 

5. Short Rainbow Nails

Good news for biters everywhere: this manicure works on short nails, too! However, biting people is still frowned upon. Hear that, toddler nephew?

Pop Art Nails - Short Rainbow Nails
Photo Credit: @illustrated_nails

 

6. Pink Ombré Comic Nails

It’s all the best 2022 nail trends in one: Barbiecore, pink ombré, and now pop art, too. Duck nails, you can try again next year.

Pop Art Nails - Pink Ombré Comic Nails
Photo Credit: @teaonca

 

7. Purple Heart Nails

Will you be our Valentine? Okay, fine. Will you at least hold the camera?

Pop Art Nails - Purple Heart Nails
Photo Credit: @nailsbyzoeyy

 

8. Nude Pop Art Nails

So, we might have been a tad preemptive when we declared this trend a departure from neutral. This looks great, but what comic books are you people reading??

Pop Art Nails - Nude Pop Art Nails
Photo Credit: @buloushinails

 

9. Rainbow Stiletto Pop Art Nails

This look gives us all the colors, making our indecisive hearts happy. The brownies helped, too.

Pop Art Nails - Rainbow Stiletto Pop Art Nails
Photo Credit: @tbbartistry

 

10. Red Comic Nails

It’s giving Spiderman. It’s giving Wonder Woman. And you know these long coffin nails are giving the most satisfying “click clack” sound.

Pop Art Nails - Red Comic Nails
Photo Credit: @dmnika_nails

 

11. Comic Book French Tips

How to take a trend, and make it even more creative? Here’s a prime example. The pop art nail takeover just got the, “everything can be a French tip” treatment. Not to be confused with the “French dip” treatment. Or as tasty.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ✨Licensed Nail Tech✨ (@pretty.nails.by.claudia)

 

12. Mismatch Pop Art Nails

Andy Warhol, when did you become a nail tech?

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClfY4_CO0Hi/

 

13. Muted Pop Art Nails

If noir comic books are your jam, then these dark, moody pop art nails are for you. But maybe keep the PB&J sandwiches away from your collection? Some of those are first editions!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Caitlin Marie Brennan (@caitlinmarienails)

  • Author
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Laura Davis
Laura Davis
Laura is the Boston-based Editor at Darcy. She currently writes about products, entertainment news, beauty trends, and food, and has contributed to a variety of lifestyle publications, including Popular Science and Flixed. She is also the co-founder of Adultescence, a podcast and blog for post grads, where she writes about friendship and dating.
 
When she's not typing away on her laptop, you can find Laura working on her MBA at Boston College, listening to Taylor Swift, or sweating it out at an OrangeTheory class. Follow her on Instagram @LauraKristine21 and LinkedIn.
Laura Davis
Latest posts by Laura Davis (see all)
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  • All The Nail Colors, Designs, and Shapes That Are Trending For Summer 2023 - May 18, 2023
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon and other sites that we collect a share of sales from.
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