Bow Nail Art Is The Perfect Combination Of The Balletcore And Blokette Aesthetics

There are few pleasures in life sweeter than the joy of putting bows on everything you own — on your water bottle handle, your car keys, your dog, your clothes, and definitely on your hair. Everything can be made better with the simple addition of a bow — or so TikTok would lead us to believe. And who are we to question the trend-making professionals of social media? 

It's official: The bow trend has transcended the fashion realm to influence nail art, and we're already in love. Just the prospect of looking down as we do our daily nail inspection and seeing bows at our fingertips has us giddy with joy. The trend is simple, if boasting bows all over can be called simple. It combines the latest, ultra-feminine trends — such as the balletcore, coquette, and blokette aesthetics — to create sweet and dainty nail designs that have our inner children screaming for more.

So, if you're looking for ideas on how to elevate your coquette game, look no further. We've gathered the cutest ways to decorate your nails with bows.

For the obvious choice, you may decide on a pale, rosy pink color that matches the balletcore trend to a T. While bows will look good on absolutely anything — as showcased on TikTok on everything from food to pets — the heart of the trend started with the ballerina aesthetic, and it's still the obvious choice.

You can't mess up pairing bows with pink. Choose your favorite shade of pink and a complimentary white for the bows. A thin paintbrush is best for getting a clean, delicate line for this design. And don't forget your sparkly accents!

If you already have your tried-and-true, go-to classic nails that you don't fail to get every time you visit the nail salon, don't worry. The bow nail trend won't force you to break up with your cherry red nails or your glazed donut nails. They'll just make them even better.

Think of bows as the cherry on top of your favorite dessert. Get your usual nails — we're partial to white nails topped with chrome — and embellish them with bow nail stickers or charms. These can be as small or big as you want. All bows are beautiful.

Some of us cannot separate the coquette aesthetic from French girl beauty, and what's more representative of French girl trends than the classic French tip manicure? It only makes sense that these two trends would go together like bread and butter.

Combining the bow nail trend with the classic French manicure is as easy as doing your regular white tips — or any color if you want to spice things up — and then tying things up with a bow. Literally. Just draw a bow front and center exactly where the white meets the nude part of your two-color nails.

With the resurgence of animal prints, we think it makes the most sense to take advantage of all the girly trends while they're at peak popularity. We suggest going all out if you're in the mood for combining trends. Long nails, remixed French tips, sparkly charms, and, of course, pretty bows. Simply paint your nails a sheer nude, draw a thick line for the tips (leave enough space to add the cheetah spots in black and brown), and accessorize with silver rhinestones and charms. Place the bows as a last touch on one or two nails.

Who said the coquette girls can't be a little quirky? Not us. In fact, that's what the blokette aesthetic is for — to allow and embrace touches of quirkiness and boyish fun in a world of ribbons and all things rosy. After all, duality is important in life.

Be as girly or as tomboyish as you want with this one. Choose your favorite cartoon, illustration, or art print — Precious Moments, Renaissance cherubs, or Snoopy, to name a few ideas — and follow your inner child while decorating your nails. Top it all off with some pastel-colored bows to match.

If all else fails, make your way back to basics. Maybe you want to enter your trendy girl era but don't think that extravagant bow charms and dramatically long nails are for you. We understand, which is why we love a good basic.

If you wish to remain understatedly chic while partaking in the bow trend, simply keep your nails short and painted a low-key, sheer shade of pink. Then, all you need is an ultra-thin brush and black nail polish to draw tiny, wispy-thin bows on each nail. Place them off-center and randomly for added movement.