“Bug nails” are the latest whimsical trend to combine nature and nail art. It celebrates the small creatures we ignore until they annoy or startle us. It's easy to observe the beauty of a butterfly’s wings or the bright red of a ladybug’s back. It may be harder to appreciate a beetle's iridescence or an ant's ingenuity. But we promise if you choose bug nails for your next manicure, this style will creep up on you. Once you discover what a conversation starter they are, you may find yourself leaping at the chance to include insects on your fingertips more often.
Bug Nail Ideas
Bug Nail Accents
Bug nails can be as simple as a strategically placed sticker or two. You can hand-paint the insects, use nail charms, or form them with acrylic. They can be scary or cute, tiny or huge. Any bugs that creep, skitter, fly, or crawl are fair game.
Butterfly Wing Nails
Butterflies are a charming introduction to bug nails. Their gorgeous wings make for a stunning manicure. You can achieve this look with line art gel and a dusting of chrome powder. Alternatively, you may find nail decals that provide a similar lovely look.
Did you know that while they appear colorful, butterflies' wings are actually transparent? The colors we see are light reflections from thousands of tiny scales covering the wings. Underneath these scales, the wings consist of layers of chitin, the protein that forms an insect’s exoskeleton.
Chrome Nail Powder
Line Art Gel
Ladybug French Tips
Aren’t these pastel ladybugs delightful? We love how their spots are tiny hearts. These are some of the cutest French tips we've ever seen!
We were shocked to discover that although most ladybugs are red, they also come in orange, pink, brown, yellow, and black! The bright hues warn predators that they taste terrible.
Moreover, they eat garden pests like aphids and are helpful to gardeners. But if they feel threatened, ladybugs spew a stinky fluid from their knees to keep attackers away.
Bee and Flower Nails
Do you know that bees can see ultraviolet light? That's what makes the iridescent background on these bee nails so beautiful. It reminds us of the breathtaking world they see.
Bees perceive patterns on flowers that are invisible to humans. These UV markings are guides like signs in a supermarket directing them to nectar and pollen.
Lavis OP2 - 28 - Gel Polish - Lavis Wanderlust Collection
Charmed by Bees and Honey
Here, the bees are nail charms ready to take flight from honey-covered fingertips. At first, we thought the sunflowers were just accent nails. But then we learned that honeybees and sunflowers have a mutually beneficial relationship. Sunflowers provide bees with pollen and nectar, essential food sources for them. The pollen is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, crucial for the bees' diet. As bees collect these resources, they pollinate the sunflowers, vital for plant reproduction and seed production. Sunflower fields are an ideal habitat for bees as they supply a steady source of food throughout the blooming season and provide shelter from predators and adverse weather.
Nail Charm
Chrome Beetle Nails
There's only one human species right now, but there are approximately 400,000 known species of beetles. They make up 40% of all insects and 25% of all known animal species! Plus, there could be as many as a million beetle species waiting to be discovered!
While these chrome beetles seem too colorful to be real, these insects frequently have iridescent wings. For example, jewel beetles (Sternocera aequisignata) are known for their metallic iridescent wing cases that change color depending on the angle of light. This iridescence is not just for show; it can help the beetles hide from predators by camouflaging them.
Emboss Gel Polish Nail Art - .5oz Clear
Butterflies and Pink Ombre Tips
We taste with our tongues, but butterflies use their feet! When a female butterfly lands on a plant, she drums the leaves with her feet until the plant releases its juices. The taste helps her find the perfect plant for laying eggs.
Nail Stickers
Fluttery Nails
While these pretty butterfly nails aren't practical, they will definitely attract attention!
Butterflies have surprisingly strong wing muscles for flight. Their wings move in a figure-eight motion that you can see if you take a video and slow it down. You’ll need to be quick—they can fly up to 12mph, three times faster than a human walks. But you might be in luck if the weather is chilly. Butterflies have to warm up before liftoff, which is why you might see them basking in the sun.
Touchable Bug Nails
A little embossing gel, acrylic powder, or poly gel can create these textured bug nails. The 3D aspect makes the insects look like they just crawled into place.
Recently, a nail artist started a trend with ant-infested picnic nails. They featured a plaid pattern that resembled a picnic blanket with ants marching across and enjoying snacks. That design symbolizes how we often view these six-legged intruders as pests. However, ants are amazing!
They live on every continent except Antarctica. Furthermore, they are extremely strong for their size and capable of carrying objects 50 times their own weight.
Queen ants have been known to live for up to 30 years. As the head of a complex social structure, she communicates with drones and workers using pheromones. These chemicals allow the ants to convey different messages, such as trails to food sources or danger alerts.
What’s more, some ant species are farmers! They cultivate fungus gardens or herd aphids to ‘milk’ them for a sweet substance called honeydew. We bet you’ll never look at ants the same way again!
Lavis Poly Gel
Conclusion
We hope we’ve inspired you to decorate your next manicure with insects. “Bug nails” are a delightful nod to the intricate world of these fascinating creatures. They can make any manicure unforgettable and unique.
If you love discounts, check out the complimentary gifts and free shipping deals we have for you. We aim to help the nail artist in you reach your full potential!