Why are “aura nails” trending at the moment? A look at them and you’ll know!

We’ve all done ombre nails at some point of our lives, regular ombre is kind of passe now; “aura nails” are what everyone’s going for these days.

A variation of ombre nails, aura nails sees the gradient start from the centre and “spreads” outwards to the rest of the nail.

 

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Like all ombre nails, this manicure is not easily achieved at home. However, if you’re up for a challenge, you can try using a nail sponge like the manicurist did in the video.

She takes a nail sponge and dabs the centre colour of choice onto the base colour. We love the vibrancy of the colours and the smooth contrast that the “aura nails” have.

You can chose any two colours to play around with but here are some pictures we have found for you to draw inspiration from.

“Aura nails” inspiration

Vibrant “aura nails”

The stark contrast between the baby yellow and the neon pink of this “aura nail” looks so unique. We love how this Xiao Hong Shu user paired two warm colours together and chose to put the lighter tone in the middle to make it look like the vibrant energy is blooming outwards.

You can play around with two warm colours like red, yellow, orange, or pink to get the same level of vibrancy.

Bejewelled “aura nails”

Adding a little bling to your nails is a great way to give your manicure a little pizzazz. The grandeur of the blood red that blends out into the clear polish is perfectly complemented by the glimmering stones that these nails are decorated with.

Ocean “aura nails”

Blending two shades of the same colour gives a more natural and softer gradient compared to using two totally different colours.

This look features varying shades of blue, which reminds us of the gentle waves of a clear ocean.

Play around with a blue ombre and leave it as it is or add some streaks of silver polish here and there for a more detailed look.

Cloudy “aura nails”

You probably have a good sense on how “aura nails” should look like now. The centre colour is usually dabbed onto the nail to form a uniformed oval. This look however doesn’t have a smooth gradient like the others.

Instead, it looks like the centre polish is swirled like a cloud on top of the base colour.

Achieve this look by plopping one drop of the centre colour on top of your base and take a tooth pick to swirl and blend the colours with each other.

Try to keep your swirled motions in small circles to maintain a centre circle for the “aura” effect.

Peach macchiato “aura nails”

The smooth blend of these two sweet colours reminds us of a refreshing cup of peach macchiato. The peachy centre gives your nails a sweet-filled vibe as it softly diffuses out.

Thanks to its white base, you can almost pair this manicure look with any getup you may have.

Small “aura nails”

This one features a smaller centre that gives it a slightly more youthful and cuter vibe.

Strawberry mochi “aura nails”

Don’t you just want to take a bite out of these nails? The matte finish and pink hues look so delectable just like a fluffy strawberry mochi.

You may think that taking away the usual shine dulls the entire look down but when you look at the entire nail look together, you will see that the matte finish complements the pink gradient perfectly.

Wine “aura nails”

Sophisticated and elegant, the wine red dabbed in the centre of the nail beds make for a very mature manicure.

This colour choice may not go well with those of you with a more youthful vibe but if you’re someone who often attends more formal events, then this variation of the “aura nails” is a great choice for you to follow.

Wine red polish just screams “regal” so this nail look is great if you want something elegant yet trendy.

Coffee jelly “aura nails”

“Coffee jelly nails” may be a familiar name to you. For the uninitiated, “jelly nails” are distinctive by their sheer polish that gives the nails that candy-like appearance.

This version of the “aura nails” combines the sheer characteristic of the “coffee jelly nails” into one gorgeous combo.

Create your own sheer polish either by using a pre-made one or by mixing a clear polish with two drops of a brown opaque one. Afterwards, simply dab on as you would for the “aura nails” effect.

Bandung “aura nails”

It may not be obvious but this look actually consists of three colours unlike the usual two: baby pink at the tip, rose in the centre, and light pink at the base.

With the addition of the baby pink shade at the nail tip, this “aura” blend reminds us of the gradient that our favourite local drink, Bandung, usually has before it gets mixed completely.

You can try this variation of “aura nails” for a sweet and refreshing look.

Product you need for “aura nails”

Nail Brush Double-ended Shading Pen

Other than your usual polish you really only need one thing to try out this manicure trend. You can take any round sponge that has a mushroom tip you have lying around and dab on your centre polish.

We recommend you to get a nail sponge that has been designed to create ombre patterns. One option you can explore is this one from Shopee.

It’s one of the best-selling nail sponges on Shopee with many past-buyers praising that it is of good quality with a soft sponge that is easy to use.

Nail Brush Double-ended Shading Pen retails for RM7.99, available at Shopee.