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If you're looking for fresh nail art ideas to kick off the spring season that go beyond the traditional pastel colours, floral patterns, and bright designs that come around each year, why not look to other art forms for inspiration? Specifically, "Kintsugi" nails.
You might have noticed this manicure style in Joey King's engagement announcement, but Kintsugi nail art is actually a nod to the famed Japanese pottery style. "Kintsugi is a Japanese art that is centuries old," says celebrity manicurist Mar y Sol Inzerillo. "When you have broken pottery you don't throw it away, instead you mend it by dusting on gold or silver leaf."
As for why this art form makes for a solid manicure, she adds: "Kintsugi and nail art coincide because it is very easy to have an imperfection, a grown out manicure, or a chipped nail, and they can all be easily mended with gold or silver leaf to give your manicure a whole new life. Inzerillo says that people are also embracing imperfections as we continue fighting against a global pandemic. "We are all healing from the impact of the pandemic and this is a beautiful reminder that whether it's on pottery or on your nails, you should embrace your imperfections and make something beautiful of it."
Not only is the shattered effect perfect for nail art, but they also make a great conversation-starters — a win-win in our book. If you're curious about the look and want to try your hand at recreating it yourself, we asked Inzerillo to break down everything you need to know about Kintsugi nails (including the products you might need to DIY).
What Are Kintsugi Nails?
As versatile as the pottery technique itself, there are actually different types of Kintsugi nails that people can get. "You can look at Kintsugi nail art from two perspectives," says Inzerillo. "One is a nail art design with gold leaf purposely put in to mimic cracks over a marble or tile design over a solid nail, and the other is to touch up your [chipped] nails using gold leaf or a gold or silver nail polish colour."