In the past year or two, we’ve seen that many men have been embracing a little color on their nails. Maybe in an attempt to showcase some form of self-expression or style while spending the majority of time at home, maybe to continue to blur the lines between what society deems as masculine or feminine. Regardless, the art of painted nails seems to be growing rapidly as manicurists step up their game more and more. 

While nail polish on men isn’t a new thing by any means, the trend once perceived as “punk” is becoming so much more elevated, making a subtle political statement while adding a new way to accessorize. Celebrities like Harry Styles and A$AP Rocky have been known to rock a detailed manicure for a while now. Playing with different colors and mix-matched shapes while keeping it sharp and clean. A$AP shows off his accented nails in Gucci’s “Life of a Rockstar” campaign.

Nail artist @nailsbymei, who is known for painting the fingers of many celebrities, models, and influencers, is no stranger to tiny drawings on fingertips. She has created fun, cartoon-ish styles on comedian Gavin Matts on multiple occasions.

The bright colors and playful patterns are the perfect indicators of nail trends to come. With the pandemic giving pretty much all of us one of the most constricting years of our lives, the need to be and feel optimistic is sure to be seen in a more playful way of dressing and personal style. What better way to achieve this than cartoon bunnies and bags of money?

Bobby, member of the kpop boy band iKon, showed off his block letter nails in a quirky instagram selfie. The combo of the bright colors and bold graphics over a nude nail are a unique take on the detailed nail trend.

Not into the details? There’s still an easy way to make your polish feel exciting and unique. Rapper Lil Nas X can often be seen with a monochrome nail look, matching the paint to his hair or outfit. This feels effortlessly cool, and can easily be recreated at home for anyone not looking to break the bank at a salon.

Now, as these men are rocking their nail polish and looking extremely hot while doing so, the look continues to be normalized. Some are even pushing it even further through exploring length and shape.

Musician Bad Bunny has been seen in a lengthy nail a handful of times as well. Here, on the cover of Paper Magazine. As if the rapper didn’t have enough sex appeal, throwing in comfort in his own masculinity and the power of smashing stereotypes make him seemingly unstoppable.

But if you’re even more like me and you can only afford to head to a salon every couple of months, there’s still hope! Here’s how I’ve been adding subtle touches to my hands using drug store polish.

Now, I am by no means an expert, and can hardly do anything with my left hand, so this just goes to show that you can still achieve these simple looks with just a little patience, a super-thin paintbrush, and a whole lot of acetone. So start practicing, get creative, and you’ll have a DIY mani down by the time you’re allowed to leave the house.

Photos c/o Instagram