Before you default to your usual French tips or classic red polish for your next manicure, there’s a new nail-art trend you should know about: geode nails. A sophisticated evolution from the marble-effect nail-art trend that has dominated the past few years, geode nails incorporate artistic patterns and a hint of gold for a stunning finish. The best bit? They couldn’t be easier to re-create at home. 

Much like crystals, geodes are natural rock formations that are believed to hold different energies able to assist with balancing moods and calming stress, as well as providing a focus for meditation. While geode nail art isn’t quite the real deal, we like to think they can embody some of their natural healing powers nonetheless.

Taking inspiration from semiprecious stones such as amethyst and rose quartz, geode nail art replicates the banding and coloration found in the natural rock formation by using different shades from the same color palette painted in squiggly, smokelike lines. To finish, a light trace of gold or metallic details along the main bands elevates the look and gives it that classic geode finish. 

All you need to create the look at home is a fine-tipped brush and a couple of nail polish colors. Paint your base layer as normal and, while it’s still wet, draw squiggly lines on top, using a different color. Blend out some of the lines so they are not so fine, or swirl and mix the two polishes together until your get the look you want. Let nails dry and clean your brush before adding in the gold accents to keep them crisp.

For full coverage of your chosen geode color, like nail artist and creator Isabel May did, use your brush to keep swirling and blending the polish into your base coat, making sure to cover the entire nail bed rather than one section.

Once you’ve nailed the basics of the application, the possibilities are endless. We love minimal nails with dainty gold-outlined geode windows like nail artist Mikki Gulley created, as well as the way Instagram nail artist Boheme Beauty paired geode windows with a gold reverse French manicure. 

For those who are feeling confident, you could also try geode tips à la nail artist Nia Ho, who chose a luxurious amber hue against a soft, milky nude base coat. 

Or you could try Nia’s negative-space look, where she painted geode-like rings onto otherwise naked nails in alternate shades of green and gold—stunning!  

For more nail art inspiration, check out these cute Valentine’s Day designs, as well as the tip-and-mix nail trend that’s taking over Instagram. 

This story originally appeared on Glamour U.K.

Rose gold is a common highlighter shade (cue Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight in Transcend), but it turns out that it also makes for a fabulous nail polish shade, per Jennifer Lopez’s recent manicure. 

Lopez’s nail artist, Tom Bachik, shared a photo of the singer’s manicure in an Instagram post on February 9. For this nail set, he tells Allure that he used Daily Charme’s Rose Gold Powder to decorate her French manicure tips and Swarovski Crystals in the shade Golden Shadow on the very tips of her nails. 

Bachik also posted a video of the singer wearing the subtly chic mani while singing onstage for Marry Me Tonight! Jennifer Lopez & Maluma Live, a one-hour concert event that premiered exclusively on Peacock on February 8. Lopez and her costar, Maluma, performed several songs from her new movie, Marry Me. 

This manicure comes a week after the debut of her nail set that looked as if it was dusted with real flecks of silver and gold. In reality, the semiprecious metal effect was all an illusion and was made possible by one nail polish alone. Similar to her new rose gold tips, the silver and gold manicure also erred on the more subtle yet opulent side of all things nail art. 

We can probably declare thousands of manicures that have been brought into existence as perfect Valentine’s Day nail inspiration, but this nail set is more than ideal for those who are not so into all the classic reds and pinks that go along with the holiday. Thanks for the last-minute Valentine’s Day nail art idea, Tom and J.Lo!

This story originally appeared on Allure. 

Pale-pink nails topped with arcs of stark white along the tips have long been known as a French manicure. After briefly falling out of favor, the classic look has fully had its revival, and nail artists have started to tweak it with patterns, brights, and creative color schemes. These fun twists now have a new name in the nail-art world: the American manicure. 

Well, I take that back. The moniker isn’t actually new, but it’s taken on a new definition. Manicurist Tom Bachik first heard of the American manicure back in the ’90s after graduating from nail school. (Now you can catch him decorating the tips of Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, and Olivia Rodrigo.) At the time the American manicure was basically a French manicure with tips painted a less intense white with a more natural, skin-tone-flattering base. “A great way to achieve this was to polish the white first, then apply the neutral shade over the whole nail, including the white,” Bachik recalls. “It softened the look.”

Back then, Bachik also heard people referring to monochromatic French manicures as American manicures. For example, baby-blue nails with navy-blue tips. In both cases, he believed the term was a marketing tactic in the ’90s. However, with nail art trends sprouting on a daily basis in 2021, thanks to social media, calling alternate takes on the classic French manicure an American manicure just makes sense. 

These days American manicures are mostly done with subtler tones, nail artist Lolly Koon tells Allure. A sheer, natural-color base—or simply a clear coat—is painted on to look more like the actual nail. This change also flatters each individual’s complexion in a more subtle way than the striking pink of traditional French manis, Bachik explains. 

As for the tips, manicurists often reach for a creamy, off-white polish for the latest American manicures. He most recently graced the nails of Lily Aldridge with the look for the 2021 Met Gala (as seen above), as well as J.Lo’s for a fashion event in Venice. 

“People in Boston are generally very conservative with their nails, but there is a growing clientele that’s starting to play around with minimal and abstract nail art, which is super exciting,” says Boston nail artist Nina Park. She says her clients are loving shades of nude, mauves, metallic, and different shades of blue. Her most requested shade? “Deco Miami’s Champagne Mami is always a crowd pleaser. It’s a gorgeous rose gold metallic polish that compliments all skin tones.”

New York City: Quirky Neutrals 

New York City’s Paintbox is known for its modern, minimal nail art that still packs a punch, and the salon’s most requested shades follow suit. “Our clients are really going for brick and terracotta tones–our Like Spice polish has been our top-seller and a client favorite,” says creative director Mabelyn Martin. When clients want to break out neutrals, Martin notes that the forest green Like Wild has been popular, as is the glittery Like Magic, which she calls “nail art in a bottle.”

Chicago: Classic Blush 

Chicago women are all about nail art. “My clients tend to take risks and go outside their comfort zone with their nails because social media influences them,” says Tuyen Day, owner of T Nail Bar. She says different shades of nude are always the most popular, since they make the perfect backdrop to go all out on nail art. The most requested shade? OPI’s Put It In Neutral.

Las Vegas: Baby Pink 

The women in Sin City apparently leave the risk to the slots. But can you blame them when baby pink looks so good on everyone? “We have a very diverse clientele,” says Samantha M., owner of Nohea Nails. “A lot of people will only wear baby pinks, but we do get others who love bright colors no matter what time of year it is.” The most popular color requests she gets: OPI’s Funny Bunny and Mod About You. 

Seattle: Mismatched 

At Seattle’s Urban Nail Box, it’s not so much about one color, but several—the mismatched nail trend is going strong. “Mixing and matching different shades are a favorite at our shop,” says founder Rachel Dang. “This time of the year, people tend to go with neutral colors or very dark colors, but in different shades.” One of the more interesting popular colors people mismatch with? OPI’s It’s a Piazza Cake, a warm orange. 

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.