26 Ways to Rock Negative Space Nails
One of this year’s biggest runway trends was negative space nail art, which are manicures where your un-colored nail peeps through bold lacquers like cutouts in clothes, and we — along with every other minimalist style fan — fell hard for the less-is-way-more look. From complex cutouts to simple half moon-icures, the possibilities are endless to spruce up a basic paint job into strokes of genius. Keep scrolling for 26 negative space nails looks that are guaranteed to get positive feedback!
1. Metallic Mashup: At first glance, it seems like a basic B&W, but a splash of silver amps up this striped mani. (via Sprinkles in Springs)
2. Geometric Neutrals: Start with a neutral base mid-nail and layer on blocks of color. We love this soothing palette. (via The Fashion Medley)
3. Dotted Digits: This is hands down the simplest mani of the group. Let’s just say that we’ll never underestimate the power of a single dot again. (via The Fashion Medley)
4. Jewel-Toned Matte: Alternating chevrons in jewel tones with a matte top coat to add texture — this royal look rules them all. (via Polish Hound)
5. Slanted French Tip: For a French manicure with a twist, paint a slanted black line on the tip. For the final touch, add your fave midi rings into the mix! (via Popsugar Beauty)
6. Jagged Jade: Just like an everyday V-neck tee, this earthy green shade looks great on everybody — and the gold-fanged accents take this mani to the next level. (via Julep)
7. Wave on Wave: Layer one coat of polish over all your nails and use a dotting tool to create a squiggly line down the nail by wiping away the nail polish, revealing the nail bed. (via Style Bistro)
8. Half-Moon French on French: Talk about a ripple effect! This meta mani will have you seeing double if you stare at it long enough. (via Madeline Poole)
9. Pastel Plaid: We have a feeling Cher Horowitz would rock this colorful mani in a heartbeat. Think it’s too tough to DIY? As if! (via Teen Vogue)
10. Thin Set: A super sleek take on the French manicure, get this whisper-thin design on your digits by carefully outlining the tip of your nail. (via Byrdie)
11. Gold Outline: Jazz up your nearly bare nails with glittery tips and half-moons. Rest assured that this manicure is suitable for even the fanciest black tie affairs. (via Style Vanity)
12. Pastel Color Blocks: Swipe on color blocks and highlight the negative space in black. What can we say? Less is so much more. (via Beautylish)
13. Standout Spaces: Black outlines add structure to the dove gray and yellow pastel accents, which make this look ultra modern. (via Maoya)
14. Moon Cycle: This alternating moon cut-out mani was spotted at the Charlotte Ronson Spring 2015 show at New York Fashion Week — and it’s soon to be spotted on every employee at Brit + Co. (via Beauty Editor)
15. High Gloss: These red tips with lipstick pink accents have the sheen of classic lip colors. Get the full effect with a high-shine top coat. (via Madeline Poole)
16. Black and White: Combine multiple negative techniques — chevron, keyhole, and Pacman — in any color combo for a mani that keeps ’em guessing, though black and white do just fine. (via Sonialicious)
17. Watch Out: Yup, these evil eyes are indeed watchin’ out for you. At last, a minimalist mani with some cheeky personality. (via What We Are Wearing)
28. Dotty Daisies: Use a dotting tool and thin nail brush to grow a garden of flowers on your nail beds. We’ll keep this one bookmarked for Spring. (via Divine Caroline)
19. To a T: Next to the dot mani, crossing Ts have never been easier. Dip a thin nail art brush in basic white polish, swipe two lines and you’re set! (via Alicia Torello)
20. Gilded Lines: These gold stripes look like midi rings that inched their way up to our nails. It’s not stopping us from layering them on anyway! (via Alicia Torello)
21. Summer Sunrise: The gold accent on this look works for all seasons. Change out your base color for a deeper shade during fall and winter. (via Popsugar)
22. White Stripes: This brings us back to the school days when we’d paint our nails with White Out (eek!), but we could never get sleek lines with that funky wedge. Use a thin nail brush to swipe simple lines for a not-so-basic manicure. (via Lili Ngyuen)
23. Denim on Denim: It’s no secret how much we love chambray around here. Now you can get the classic jean-tastic look on your nails with this denim textured polish, in shades of blue of course. (via Lucky)
24. Hollow Hearts: This sugar-sweet look isn’t for the faint of heart. But once you’ve achieved the look, it’s hard not to fall in love with the results. (via Lili Nguyen)
25. Tropical Lilies: We can hear the ukulele singing and grass skirts swaying. This mani takes us away on a mental vacay, and we’ll definitely be bringing this out come summer. (via Lili Nguyen)
26. Karl Lagerfield: Um, how adorbs is this designer digit doppelganger?! Search for a selfie (of yourself or your fav style icon) and get creative with a minimalist mini-portrait. Très chic! (via Madeline Poole)
Which look(s) are you going to try? Tag us at @BritandCo in your Instagram nail selfie!
