Furry nails are back, and they’re just as wild than ever! Whether you love them or despise them, you can’t deny their ability to turn heads. These fluffy manicures clawed their way onto the scene in 2016 and started a frenzy. Then they faded into the dark depths of beauty history for a while. Now they’ve returned with even more outrageous and creative (and even cute) appeal. Is it high fashion or a hairy situation? One thing’s for sure: you won’t be able to look away from fur nails!
Who Invented This Extreme Nail Style?
You can point the finger at Jan Arnold, one of the founders of CND and a total style maven. (Fun fact: her dad, Dr. Stuart Nordstrom, was the fellow who invented acrylic nails). In 2016, Ms. Arnold decorated the Libertine models’ nails with faux fur in a show for New York Fashion Week.
Here’s a sample of some of the first furry nails to liven up fashion sites and Instagram. Some artists chose to taper or trim the fur while others preferred a wilder look. At times, the fluffy nails seem to grow organically from the fingertips.
How to Make Furry Nails?
How did Jan Arnold create the original furry nails? It was super easy. First, the CND team applied neutral shades of Vinylux Weekly Polish to every fingertip. Then they brushed on Super Shiney High-Gloss Top Coat and positioned pre-cut swatches of fur on each nail. Once the lacquer dried, the models were ready to march. You can see an example of how the fuzzy manicures turned out below.
A Word of Advice to the Adventurous Nail Artist
If you haven’t tried creating fur nails yet, there’s something you should know. The process can make you want to claw something in frustration! It’s tricky to work with faux fur. Just like glitter, the little hairs end up everywhere.
We highly recommend trimming what you need ahead of time, plus a few extra pieces. Try to comb out the excess fuzz before you glue them to the nails. Also, paint and glue only one fingertip at a time.
A fun alternative is to use flocking powder or other types of fabric that don’t shed so much. You can see examples below. No matter what material you choose, you’ll end up with a textured manicure that’s hard to ignore!
Someone asked whether it’s possible to do furry nails with gel top coat. It’s not ideal as the light needs to penetrate to cure the polish. An air-drying polish is more effective.
OPI Nail Polish Base & Top Coat
Hairy Nails
Is it fur or hair? If you were to attach furry extensions like these, it might be best to use nail glue since it’s stronger.
How long do furry nails last? We imagine you might get a few days’ wear from them, depending on the materials and how much you use your hands.
Lavis Glue Extra Strong 3 Senconds Only
Leopard Fur Nails
Here’s a sample of animal print nails with a fuzzy texture. This could be an eye-catching accent nail or part of a larger scheme with other fur designs. Can you imagine a set with all your favorite animal prints? Ideas like this aren’t just for Halloween anymore!
Furry Cow Print Nails
3D nail art with fur brings this cow print design to life. The photos online don’t show the thumb and now we wonder if there was a friendly cow face there.
What animal would you like to recreate on furry nails? Would it be a homage to your family pet or something wild seen on safari?
Teddy Bear Nails
Here’s what flocking powder can do for a furry nails design. It provides a gorgeous texture that begs to be touched but still allows tiny details to shine through. It’s more manageable than faux fur in nail art that needs precision placement like the details of the teddy bear’s face.
This brings us to another point about fur nails. If you haven’t tried them before, what about practicing on a set of press-on nails? Then you can pop them on to show them off and recycle them later for another project.
3 In 1 Soft Gel
Monsters, Inc. Fur Nails
Here's one to shock all the skeptics that think that furry nails have gone the way of the dinosaurs. This fuzzy set of Disney nails was created in honor of Monsters, Inc. in 2024! A nail tech in Phoenix went the extra mile to get the perfect colors plus the fun shape.
Nail Art
Furry Nail Extensions
Also recently, another artist came up with fuzzy nails done with lash extensions for a nighttime photo shoot on a beach. Question: would the model feel comfortable wearing them in daylight?
So far, we’ve seen faux fur, flocking powder, and what appears to be fuzzy fabric. We’re curious to see what other materials techs will try when exploring furry nail art.
But Why Furry Nails?
Furry nails trigger an interesting conversation about art and beauty. They challenge ideas about what’s beautiful (or even acceptable) and spark debates. Some see them as self-expression or something playful, while others dismiss them as an absurd fad or an over-the-top experiment that goes too far.
Similar to other extreme nail styles (like junk nails), furry nails blur the lines between art and fun. Really, why can’t something be both? How essential is it to conform to standards of beauty? Should we rethink them? Fur real, the discussion shows that even the wildest ideas can push boundaries and redefine style in a way that allows everyone to express themselves.
Conclusion
Love them or hate them, anyone who’s a nail junkie should at least know that furry nails are a trend that keeps coming back. They can’t help but get attention!
If you were to do fur nails for yourself or someone else, what supplies would you need right now? Drop by our store and stock up on essentials plus the trendiest colors and styles for any manicure you can dream up.
Source:
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/news/a53756/fur-nails-at-libertine-fall-show/