K-Pop Nails Are The Biggest Korean Manicure Trend For The Proud Fangirl
K-pop's effect on American culture has become undeniable in recent years. Not only have their loyal followers impacted online fan culture, but the Korean idols themselves have influenced Western society through music collaborations, fashion brand sponsorships, and internet-driven beauty trends.
For example, the recent introduction of male beauty lines from celebs like Harry Styles and Pharrell Williams is likely related to South Korea's flourishing male cosmetic industry and the makeup worn by K-pop boy band members. Meanwhile, the "glass skin" fad that recently popped off on TikTok originated from Korean beauty, with the look worn by many music group members.
Beyond fashion and makeup, we've also seen these celebrities influence nail art. Not only do fans strive to recreate looks worn by K-pop idols, but they also create nail sets inspired by the aesthetics and branding of a group. One recent manicure trend in particular does just this, making it the perfect fad for the dedicated K-pop fangirl. Spoiler alert: It's all about bunnies.
Recent K-pop nails have been all about bunnies
As mentioned, the aesthetics of a K-pop group can influence nail art trends, with fans striving to support their favorite artists through themed nail sets. Nail artist San Sung Kim says that this is what has spurred an increase in bunny motifs in Korean manicures.
"The new K-pop sensation NewJeans featured a bunny on their first debut album, which has quickly become their main mascot...The bunny has shown up in all sorts of merchandise and is now on the nails of fans who want to support their favorite group," Kim explains to Who What Wear. Blue-toned nail sets recreating this rabbit mascot are all over the K-pop nail art hashtag, with the look from @valerie.nailartist_ being a great example.
The use of the bunny goes beyond NewJeans, though, with Kim explaining, "The rabbit itself is becoming a popular trend in Korea, as 2023 is the year of the rabbit." This can be observed in other K-beauty-inspired nail sets that feature bunny imagery, such as the cutesy nail set from @tina_yong or the Lunar New Year design from @nailsbyteeny.
These sets incorporate other Korean nail staples
In addition to featuring rabbit imagery, these recent nail looks also feature other popular elements of Korean manicure trends. For example, many of these sets spotlight 3D designs, which have been consistently popular in K-beauty nail art recently featured by professional creators such as @drawing__show and @nail_unistella.
Syrup nails, another design trend that originated from Korean fads, are also characteristic of many of these NewJeans-inspired and bunny-featuring designs. For the unfamiliar, this is a type of gradient effect that fades from a concentrated drop of color to a translucent shade. The result looks similar to a syrup drop, where the trend gets its name.
If you want to sport your own set of K-pop-inspired rabbit nails, we recommend considering some of these design elements. While you'll likely have to go to a professional or order a set of press-on nails unless you're adept at recreating 3D designs, we think the resulting look is definitely worth it for any proud K-pop stan.