Overview
- Year-end reports from Vogue, Refinery29 and Glamour say 2025 was defined by reinvented classics and high-shine finishes like chrome, glass and cat-eye.
- Forecasters expect prints to broaden in 2026, with deer or fawn motifs and plaid evolving into texture-rich effects such as velvet plaid.
- Magnetic techniques are projected to evolve into jelly-like blends, dual cat-eye effects and mixed-metal details like silver bases with gold tips.
- Stylists predict a return to very short, no–free edge nails, with minimalist bases optionally finished with small gems or 3D accents.
- Color direction points to milky cloud whites linked to Pantone’s Cloud Dancer, bolder pairings like baby blue with chocolate and a shift from chrome toward gold leaf.