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My favorite souvenir to take home from Seoul, South Korea is a manicure.
@love_xxsummer,@yomyblair, and Odd Nail Studio/ Instagram
Every time, my fingers became a sampler of the latestnail art trendsin Korea.
She gave me a major preview of what was to come for Korean nail art trends.
They have become a staple in the nail world to create K-beauty’s trendy “syrup nail” look.
Ellie also played around with tubes of squeezable 3D gel to create little chrome beads and blobby lines.
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Ellie even added one tomy thumbnailwhen I stopped by Unistella.
However, she didn’t simply glue them onto my nail.
Instead, Ellie actually made the chrome bead from scratch with clear builder gel and chrome powder.
She built up thin layers of each until a perfect little metallic sphere flecked my nail.
The disco ball-like accent often also top round- and rounded square-shaped nails.
Blob Nails
Blob nails are another way Korean nail artists bring 3D elements to their work.
In Korean, this nail art trend is called , which translates tochunkorlumpnail.
I prefer to refer to them as blob nails, though.
Abstract Gradient Nails
Park calls this pastel-yet-edgy nail art trend abstract gradient nails.
“I got the inspiration from various design posters,” she tellsAllure.
“The base design has some retro elements and gradation colors matched with tribal patterns on top.”
This look even appeared on Giselle’s nails for Aespa’s"Girls" music video.
The overall look has majorY2K vibeswithout the typicalbutterfly, smiley face, and cherry designs.
It reminds me of an airbrushed T-shirt from a Jersey Shore boardwalk in the best way possible.
Quail Egg
Quail egg nails are about as abundant as cheek nails.
They are an excellent option for those who want a minimalist nail art look without simple lines.
(Just search the hashtag for on Instagramfor more inspo.)
Ellie even gave one of my nails the speckled treatment by hand-painting tiny black flecks onto a white base.
Chrome Acrylics
No acrylic set done at a salon in Korea is complete without some chrome.
She often adds the mirror-like vibe to extra-long square nails and French tips.
Korean singerCamoeven indulged in the metallic extravagence, as seen in the top right-hand corner.