Diamond Aura Nails Are the Mesmerizing Mani to Try This Spring

So glittery.

As we ride out the last weeks of winter, it seems that mani enthusiasts are favoring shimmering nails over the dark, moody manicures of years past. If you have an affinity for sparkling polish, allow us to introduce you to your next nail obsession: diamond aura nails.

Ahead, everything you need to know about the mesmerizing trend.

What Are Diamond Aura Nails?

Celebrity nail artist and the mind behind the nails of Euphoria, Natalie Minerva, first coined the term “diamond aura nails” when she shared a set of shimmering black and silver claws to her Instagram. For those up on their nail trends, the name might sound self-explanatory—still, here’s a bit of background.

Over the summer, aura nails had a major moment, and the manicure style features an opaque matte base on the entire nail, paired with a hazy wash of another opaque matte color in its center, creating the “aura” effect. Diamond aura nails simply swap out of one the matte colors for one that has glitter or shimmer, creating a dimensional, sparkling aura effect. 

Why Are Diamond Aura Nails Trending?

Following Hailey Bieber’s notorious glazed donut manicure at the 2022 Met Gala, there was an onslaught of reflective, glimmering nail trends like the naked glitter trend, velvet nail trend, and even the galaxy nail trend. Amongst all those glitters were the matte aura nails, so it was only a matter of time before glitter would find its way into the aura nail trend, too. 

How to Get Diamond Aura Nails

First, you’ll want to grab two nail polishes—one matte and one shimmer—that contrast one another in color. If you’re creating a design that has matte edges and a sparkly center, apply your matte base color in a thick ring that borders the nail bed. Using a nail art brush, create tiny strokes to blend the nail polish into the bare center, and then allow that to dry. After that, apply the glitter polish to the center of your nail bed and blend the color into the matte border until you achieve a hazy aura finish. 

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If you’re after a diamond aura mani that features glitter borders and a matte center, nail artist Angie Bonilla of @amelodyxnails previously shared with Byrdie her favorite hack. “You can use a few drops of gel polish and mix it with acetone,” she says. “My usual ratio is three drops of gel and four of acetone.” Apply the gel-acetone mixture to the center of your nail in layers until you achieve an aura result.

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