Summer Velvet Nails Bring Bright Colors To The Cat-Eye Manicure Trend

Taylor Swift brought to the spotlight the sharp cat eyeliner style, and, as a renowned cat lover, the iconic singer-songwriter has brought feline-inspired fashions into the voguish fold. Whether the queen of eras can be credited with all cat-themed trends is unknown, but it's undeniable that cosmetic hacks, techniques, and trends honoring cats are holding top spots this summer while the artist is on her international tour. 

When it comes to manicure modes, cat-eye nails are noticeable for their trademark diagonal line drawn down the approximate center of each nail, whether the nail itself is polished or left bare. Sticking to the unique nature of actual cats' eyes, each nail painted as part of a cat-eye creation is designed to be as individualized as fabulous felines themselves. The best part of the trend is that imperfections are perfection! In a summer of self-love, is there a better motto to follow?

Perhaps the only imperfectly perfect nail trend that can outdo the sly cat-eye style is the fresh take via vibrant velvet manicures. Using modern methods of magnetic nail polish and gel manicures, velvet nails are a summer sensation with the appearance of donning real velvet on your fingers and toes. With a vast variety of velvety options, the updated take on the cat-eye trend is smooth, multi-dimensional, chromatic, pastel, glitzy, and matte, along with any other innovation of your imagination. Here are a few ideas for this idyllic aesthetic for the festival season.

Common methods for achieving the aesthetic of velvet nails include salon-based gel manicures, at-home DIY gel styling, layered magnetic polishes, and professional services for deluxe designs elevated with embellishments. You also don't need to spend salon prices for a velvety smooth set of nails with at-home press-on options, specialized DIY tools, and savvy techniques for creating a velvet manicure – these include applying a black base coat to nails before layering with your summery selection of standard polish shades. Bonus points for polish with extra glitter!

For an even sweeter summer-infused sensation, a candy-themed trifecta is pure confectionary perfection with the convergence of velvet polishes, cat-eye designs, and a trend termed Skittle nails after the chewable, fruit-flavored sweet treat. The sugary sensation of velvety variations of Skittle manicures is the epitome of what it means to be imperfectly perfect while tossing out any and all rulebooks for what your nail fashion should comply with. Summer 2023 is undoubtedly the year of sun-kissed color — whether you're a fan of colorblocking with bold shades or you prefer pastel pigments, wear the rainbow! 

A crucial element of the velvet nail trend is the shiny aesthetic of actual velvet, made possible by means of a healthy dose of magnetic glitter. Soaking up the summer sun is the perfect time for sparkling polish, giving the sunny sparkle plenty of shimmer and glimmer to match the season's festive fun! Opt for a blue velvet manicure complete with glitzy elements for a wearable appearance of sunlight's glittering reflection on ocean waves as you dip your toes in the sand, perhaps with a perfectly pearly pedicure to match.  

A neat feature of the velvet spin on cat-eye nail styles is the ability to create multi-dimensional effects ranging from chromatic color schemes to holographic illusions to pearlescent additions for layers of creamy, silky polish that look as soft as velvet, velour, velveteen, and everything in between! Popular variations of velvety manicures are aligned with twists on other trends including mermaidcore manicures, phosphorescence pink polish honoring Barbiecore, and expansions on hologram makeup – including eye makeup — that's consuming the beauty world. Whatever your heart desires, the nails of summer 2023 have options waiting for you!