The 7 Types of Manicures You Need to Try in 2023

Do you ever get bored with your regular manicure? It happens. It’s challenging to avoid wondering if the grass is greener with a different style when there are so many new options appearing, on top of the acknowledged classics that you might not have yet explored.

Check out these manicures to inspire your next semi-impromptu trip to the salon or at-home self-service, whether you’re feeling restless with your creative juices or just want to stay on top of all the new trends!

THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF MANICURES

A typical manicure comprises cuticle care, which may include cutting and a cuticle oil treatment, as well as shaping, filing, and buffing your nails all before receiving a relaxing hand massage.

Pro tip: If possible, choose a dry manicure over one that calls for soaking in water. Your nail bed increases when you soak your hands in water. When you apply polish on it, it crackles as your nails return to their original size. That results in a shorter wear time, which is something we avoid like the plague!

THE ORIGINAL LACQUER MANICURE

It all started with lacquer. If you’re new to manicures or are wanting a basic service, opt for lacquer. Given the variety of possibilities available today, lacquer can occasionally be overlooked, yet lacquer has advanced significantly. Holo Taco, I Scream Nails, and UN/DN Laqr are just a few of the up-and-coming brands that are revolutionizing traditional nail polish.

Death by Rainbow by I SCREAM NAILS

There are many exquisite lacquer patterns and techniques available nowadays! Take Maniology for instance, the lacquer-based brand produces nail art stamping plates accompanied by their signature “stamping art polish” that creates some of the most beautiful designs in the realms of nail art itself.

Boo-gie French Nail Art Stamping Bundle by Maniology

CULT CLASSIC: GEL NAILS

Gel nails come in two varieties: soft and hard. Because soft gel (also known as gel polish) is porous, you can soak it off in the salon. Sculpting gel, on the other hand (no pun intended), is a hard gel. With hard gel, you can extend the nail and make interesting shapes like long coffin, ballerina, or stiletto nails that you couldn’t otherwise. Since hard gel is not porous, you must file it off when the time comes for a fresh manicure.

Heart Shaped Cut-Out Gel Nails by CULTVISION

If you’re doing an at-home manicure with nail art, regular gel polish is the way to go. It must be dried under an LED lamp or UV lamp, which makes nail art nearly foolproof because you may dry in between sections of the design once you’re happy with the outcome and any mistakes you make later can be removed with acetone without damaging the parts you’ve already dried.

HONORARY MENTION: BIAB NAILS

Hard gel, sculpting gel, or builder gel is having a moment. BIAB, or “builder in a bottle” has been around for ages, but thanks to TikTok it has resurfaced as the latest manicure trend. BIAB was developed by the brand The Gel Bottle, it’s a gel nail enhancement designed to add strength and structure to your natural nails.

Source: @Gellybeannails on Instagram

PRESS-ON NAILS APPLICATION HACK?

It’s also currently being marketed as the absolute GOAT of press-on nail application hacks. While we don’t necessarily condone the latter due to risks that only a professional can avoid, BIAB nails are great if you’re looking to grow out your natural nails underneath. Even long-term nail-biters or those whose nails are prone to breakage have success with growth!

ACRYLIC MANICURE

If you’re looking for the all-time classic, then acrylic is probably for you. A liquid (referred to as a monomer) and a powder (called a polymer) are the main ingredients used to create acrylic. These combine to create the hard acrylic enhancement, which then naturally cures… and fast. In my personal opinion as a nail artist, the timing of the curing process alone makes it harder to work with than say, full cover soft gel extensions.

Source: @Noodle_Yess on Instagram

NAIL ART WONDERS

In addition to adding embellishments or nail art, the nail technician can utilize nail forms to mold the acrylic into any desired shape, such as a coffin, square, ballerina, flare, round, etc.

The classic look of acrylic nails is here to stay. There is a vast universe of fantastic acrylic nails available for you to draw inspiration from when creating your next set, @noodle_yess has tons of amazing #nailinspo tricks and treats on her Instagram.

FULL COVERAGE SOFT GEL TIPS (PRESS-ONS)

It’s our time to shine! If you want beautiful, short or long nails that are great for achieving more involved nail art trends, opt for a Gel-X manicure. Although Apres invented full-coverage soft gel tips, many other companies now also make them in a wide range of colors, sizes, and forms.

“Bubbly” Gel-X Soft Gel Tips by CULTVISION

In a regular acrylic manicure, the tip that’s glued on before acrylic or gel is put over it is made out of ABS plastic, which is virgin plastic. Soft gel tips are gel tips that are adhered to your natural nail with more gel nail polish. So the entire nail is gel. Even though soft gel tips are a fantastic option for everyone, they’re especially helpful for those wishing to sport some of the season’s most popular nail art since they add length, which gives more space for patterns.

There are tons of options out there for Gel-X tips or press-ons. When we think “creative nail design”, soft gel tips are at the forefront of our minds. We’d like to think that our line of gel-x tips are a great contender for those seeking intricate, premium handmade nail art designs!

POLYGEL

Polygel nails are essentially the happy medium between acrylic and gel nails. You can achieve the strength of liquid and powder acrylics and the flexibility of LED hard gels with the thick, gel-like solution of the original Gelish PolyGel, but polygel is lighter and feels more natural. Polygel is said to hold up even better than hard gels because they’re the right balance of strength and flexibility.

Because it doesn’t set until you cure it under LED light, it also gives the artist plenty of time to work with it making it the supreme choice for nail artists. You can even do a polygel manicure at home! We recommend Beetles Poly Extension Nail Gel Kit for beginner babes on a budget, and of course the original Gelish PolyGel Brand Nail Enhancement Kit if you’re able to splurge a bit. Makartt also has a fantastic line of polygels in a range of colors that are sure to pique your interest.

DIP POWDER NAILS

The method of applying dip powder nails is to either dip or sprinkle the finger in layers of what is effectively acrylic powder and resin. The most important difference between dip powder and acrylic is the bonding agent required. Dip powder requires a resin-based agent, like super glue, while acrylics require a liquid monomer to hold the acrylic and the nail together.

NO UV LIGHT OR LED LAMP REQUIRED

There is no need for a dry period or UV/LED lights because the adhesive layers that seal the powder are sufficient. The dip powder manicure preparation is completely dry other than the bonding agents since dehydrated nails are required for the product’s strongest adherence.

AT-HOME AT-EASE

Dip powder nails are the ultimate at-home manicure due to the ease of use of the step-by-step dipping method. Since dip powders first arrived on the scene, there’s been an influx of custom made dip powders from small businesses that are beyond fantastic. Sure, you can get your dip powders from Kiara Sky or SNS, but Etsy sellers like YouCanDoNailsBoutique or CNDesigner Dips will blow you away with their custom-made dip powder selections.

CNDesigner Dips on Etsy

VINYLUX

What is a vinylux manicure? Vinylux, a professional color line created by CND, the company behind Shellac manicures, is superior to regular nail polish because it lasts longer (while still being usable at home and in the salon). It is a two-step process that starts with a self-adhering nail polish color coat that doesn’t need a base coat and a top coat that’s made tougher over time by reflecting natural light. Jan Arnold, the co-founder of CND, says “The result is a striking color and lasting high-gloss shine and protection.”

In addition to being easy to apply and remove, Vinylux works as a protective coating on the nails to shield them against normal wear and tear. You can buy a bottle of CND Vinylux Longwear Weekly Polish for about 10 bucks on Amazon.

When it comes to your nails manicure styles, there is no need to be constrained between one or another. You may discover the ideal look for any occasion whether it be regular nail polish, gel nail polish, acrylic nails, polygel manicure or vinylux polish. There is no wrong approach to get beautiful nails or a relaxing manicure; nonetheless, we highly advise trying out press-on nails or gel-x nail tips for your next mani. You never know how much you’ll love something until you give it a go!

XOXO, CULTVISION