Celestial Nail Art Is All Over Instagram — Here Are Our Favourite Takes on the Trend

For winter nail-art [1] inspiration, sometimes it helps to look to the stars.
Celestial nail art is all over Instagram and is an easy way to try an intricate-looking nail design.
Celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein told POPSUGAR how to achieve the trend.

As the incredibly tumultuous year that was 2021 comes to an end, some of us are getting into the holiday spirit the only way we know how: getting our nails done [2]. With the inevitable barrage of holiday-inspired nail art [3] that finds its way to our Instagram feeds every December, it can be easy to revert back to a basic red or green polish when the options get overwhelming. Yet there's one winter manicure trend that puts the stars right at your fingertips and looks great no matter how simple or intricate: celestial nail art.

Perfect for adding a bit of whimsy to any nail design, celestial nail art can be surprisingly easy to achieve. "This look definitely needs a chrome detail," celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein [4] previously told POPSUGAR. "I think gold against matte, as well as gold against light and baby blue, translates the best in order to give you that starry-night effect." She recommends using grey and blue nail-polish colours for the base and silver and gold for detailing. Oh, and don't forget glitter — Gerstein said that's necessary for replicating stars.

Whether you want to try your hand at the dreamy design [5] at home or take a screenshot of your favourite inspiration photo for your next trip to the salon, we've rounded up the best celestial nail-art designs that will keep your mani looking next-level ethereal ahead.

Celestial Nail Art With Gold Details

This nail art is for the minimalists at heart. Featuring a very light, almost translucent base colour allows the gold detailing to really shine in this manicure.

Celestial Nail Art With Silver Details

Mixed-metal accents and a glitter chrome french tip take this nail-art design to new levels. Keeping the base colour a baby pink makes the mixed-metal detailing all the more otherworldly.

Celestial Nail-Art Decals

The easiest shortcut to the celestial nail-art trend? Decals. This design features gold press-on stickers that make this trend look just as intricate as if it were hand-drawn.

Pink Celestial French Manicure

We know french tips are coming back in a major way, so combining the design with the celestial art trend is a surefire recipe for stunning nails.

Black Celestial Nail Art

Working with finishes is another fun and unexpected way to play with nail art. These nails feature a matte, all-black nail, and the celestial design is done with a normal glossy, clear nail polish.

Cat-Eye Celestial Nail Art

This design combines what is known as a "cat eye" design [6] with celestial nail art. Cat-eye nails are a play on line work and look stunning in different types of lighting, which further punctuates the gold detailing in this celestial mani.

POPSUGAR UK