There's so much to love about spring. For starters, the weather is warming up nicely, but it's also my favorite time of year to get out of a nail rut. I know we're not meant to *actually* hibernate during the winter, but sometimes, I get lazy and fall into familiar nail patterns and don't try anything new. Or, I don't get my nails done at all (*gasp*). Now, I'm changing all that and my seasonal mood board is on another level.
When going down my periodic inspo rabbit holes lately, I'm finding all kinds of cool ideas—from the best short nail designs to trending colors for the month. One that really stood out to me, though, are crystal-inspired nail looks. And, I don't mean your average rhinestones. I'm talking real rose quartz, tiger's eye, and more! Nothing excites me more because I'm a reiki healer who uses them often in practice and an overall crystal enthusiast already. I'm not the only one who loves them either—nail artists all over back me on this.
Celebrity nail artist Rachel Sun lives for creating looks like this. "I love creating encapsulated designs where you can see into the nail, like a crystal ball or marble paperweight," she says. "It adds dimension in nails that you don’t normally get with 2D designs while also maintaining a sleek silhouette."
Article continues belowBerkeley-based nail artist Alyssa Nader is also a huge fan, championing one-of-a-kind designs. "I love using real materials like crystals, pearls, glass, and abalone," she shares. "Classic rhinestones are also very fun. I lean towards an abstract style, conveying impressions and feelings rather than literal representations. I work intuitively and layer elements to create the look as it comes to me. Something I’m working on is having more restraint!" Above all, Nader loves to think outside the box. Real crystals provide the perfect medium. "I value experimentation and creating things that I have not seen before, so that’s another element that I enjoy about working with crystals—taking something that is sort of classically for nails, and then putting my own spin on it," she adds.
If you really want to up your nail game this season, you're going to want to keep reading. Nader and Sun shared their absolute favorite crystal looks they've created below.
Watermelon Tourmaline
Sun was inspired by the vibrant shades of watermelon tourmaline for this nail look, a rare-hued crystal that's found in areas like Brazil, Nigeria, and even Maine. What characterizes it is its unique green and rose shades which Sun perfectly captured on this stiletto nail set. It has a special place in her heart. "[It's] my all time favorite design," she says. "[They] have multiple layers of color and metal beads embedded inside. The metal beads inside give it extra depth and help create a realistic crystal-like texture.
I added this to my mood board immediately and while I, ahem, won't be trying this at home due to my limited skills, Sun recommends trying out jelly polishes or polygel which help you achieve the effect. Her favorite jelly polishes are from Après Nail (some of which you can check out below).
Tiger's Eye
This rich, almost lava-like set Sun created is reminiscent of special stones like tiger's eye. This silica-based gemstone is known for its gold, orange, and brown tones that swirl together beautifully—making it the perfect inspiration for a fresh spring nail look. This set contains tiny specks of gold glitter to give it extra pop. While this design is pretty intricate and you might want to take it to a nail artist if you're interested in getting it, you can bring some small gold flakes or glitter along of your own to add some extra spice.
Black Tourmaline
Black tourmaline is one of my personal favorite protection crystals that I purchase often from my local shop. I'll consider this my sign from the universe that it's time to wear that protection in a different way—like, on my nails for the season. This design from Sun took my breathe away TBH. Not only does it perfectly capture the deep midnight tones of this stone, but, some pieces of raw tourmaline also have a slight pomegranate tone on the inside as well.
Even if your budget won't allow for a salon visit ATM, try Mooncat Polishes. They have the same amount of depth, rich color, and dimension as a look like this for less!
Imperial Topaz
Imperial Topaz is a highly coveted red, orange, and golden stone mostly found in Brazil. This rare golden variety acts as the perfect sounding board for some new nail inspo. This liquid-y, swirling golden-orange nail is another one of Sun's favorite creations. A bit tough to re-create at home, but Mooncat's Taipan Venom shade is similar in tone and dimension.
Multi-Crystal
This multi-crystal design made by Nader was created using a slew of real crystals. Nader detailed the design in an Instagram post where mixed gems like tiger's eye, amazonite, red agate, citrine, and green aventurine. Crystals are said to bring different energy into your life, so this is the perfect way to do something special for spring while having extremely cute and unique nails.
While getting nails that are this creative (especially with actual crystals) can be a challenge, Nader has it all figured out. "One of the biggest complaints that clients have with crystal designs is that the crystals fall out," she says. "When I get clients from other nail techs, a lot of times they’re coming in missing a lot of crystals. I am known for my sh*t never coming off. The most essential product for getting gems to stay is a hard gel. I secure all crystals and other adornments with a hard gel and also, if possible, incase the entire embellishment in a hard gel."
If you want to try this at home, the below will be your BFF.
Ruby Velvet
This velvet cat eye nail design is in the richest ruby shade. It's so opulent and expensive-looking that it brings to mind the whole ruby scene in Aladdin (IYKYK). I love how this design shimmers in the light, almost giving the effect that it's shifting colors.
Cat eye polishes are also a bit easier to handle at home once you get the hang of using the magnet to create the velvet finish. DND cat eye gels are my favorite or, of course, Mooncat lacquers.
Opalite and Gold
This gold and crystal-adorned look Nader created was inspired by a pair of bejeweled shoes nonetheless. All the gems are stunning, but what really stood out to me are the opalite-eqsue blue stones and the gold French tips. This is another unique way to switch up your crystal nail look—add a gold-tipped base or other unexpected color to take things up a notch.
Rose Quartz
Honestly, nail jewelry doesn't get enough love, but this design using it on top of a rose quartz base is just *chef's kiss.* I'm not sure how celebrity nail artist Imarni (whose long list of celebrity clientele includes everyone from Lily Collins to FKA Twigs and Olivia Dean) did it, but it's absolutely magical. The base truly looks like little raw pieces of rose quartz, varying in shades of deep rose to light pink. It might be hard to replicate yourself, but at the very least, you can try some epic nail jewelry to throw on top of your next spring design.
Chrysoprase and Gold
Another of Nader's one-of-a-kind designs that I instantly saved to my spring mood board. She shared that this look was inspired by Byzantine empire era art. It definitely emulates the famous mosaics of the time and Nader used real crystals, shells, and murano glass for this design. This entire look made me think of the crystal chrysoprase. Chrysoprase is a rare green stone that's highly coveted for its intense color. The detail of this entire look, cloaked in varying hues of luscious green, must have taken hours. While Nader's looks truly can't be replicated, a nice chrysoprase shade for spring is a start!
