Over the past few years, we’ve seen the rise of feminine, girly trends, from cottagecore to the coquette aesthetic, and of course, balletcore. Inspired by the romantic, ethereal vibe of ballet dancers, the trend features bows, dainty elements, and lots of pink. While balletcore has dominated the fashion world, it’s also made its way to nail art. Featuring soft, neutral colours, ballet-inspired shades, and playful vibes, it’s one of the best nail trends to grace our social media feeds. Want to get the look? Here are 10 balletcore nail ideas to make sure your nails are on pointe!
The Balletcore Aesthetic Explained
Inspired by ballet dancing, the balletcore aesthetic includes anything feminine and is inspired by silhouettes and styles worn by ballerinas- both onstage and in the dance studio. It’s all about embracing the dreamy aesthetic of the dance world, while combining elegance and ease. In fashion, this includes pieces like tulle, bodysuits, ballet flats, leg warmers, wraps, headbands, tight buns, and bustier tops. When it comes to your nails, it’s about embracing all things delicate, romantic, and usually pink. Balletcore is strongly associated with the coquette aesthetic, a hyper-feminine look that celebrates all things girly and romantic.
How to Get Balletcore Nails
1. Think Pink
If you want ballet-inspired nails, pink polish is the way to go. There’s nothing that says ballerina quite like the colour pink. You can use the girly colour in various ways, from fully pink nails, to pink tips, to chrome pink nails, and more. The great thing about pink is that there are so many colours to choose from! Essie’s Ballet Slippers is an obvious option if you’re doing your nails at home.
2. Playful Elements
Add playful, feminine elements to your nails like pearls and bows. This is a great way to amp up the girly vibes that are essential for the balletcore aesthetic. Adding glitter to your nails is another fun element that evokes the feelings of ballet.
3. Personalize
The other great thing about balletcore is that you can go as big or small as you want with the trend. You can go as minimal as adding a pearlescent finish over neutral nails, or go all out with maximalist sets featuring bows and other girly elements. Choose what works best for you and feel free to switch things up!
10 Balletcore Nail Ideas to Inspire Your Next Manicure
1. Pretty in Pink
We love everything about this balletcore nail art, from the pink French tips to the bow to the delicate pearls. It’s super feminine and pretty, and immediately makes you think “ballerina”.
2. Pink Chrome Nails
If you’re looking for something a little more subdued, pink chrome nails are a subtle take on the balletcore trend. Pink is quintessentially ballet, so pick a shade of your choice and ask for chrome on top to make it even more feminine.
3. Pink Micro French Mani
Micro French manicures are all the rage right now. The minimal, barely there pink tips are super on trend and a great way to dip your toes into pink nails if you’re more of a neutral nail girly. This nail look is so chic.
4. Delicate Bows
These delicate bows are so perfect if you want to embrace the balletcore aesthetic. Ask for a neutral/nude base colour then have your nail artist paint on bows in a nice, soft pink. These bows also have tiny gemstones in the centre, which gives them an extra feminine touch.
5. Pink French Tips
French tips are a classic nail trend that is very much in style right now. Instead of doing traditional white tips, opt for tips in a pretty pink to achieve a ballerina-inspired look. While sometimes a light pink base is used for a French manicure, ask for a nude shade for more of a contrast.
6. Milky Pink
Milky pink nails like these are girly and chic, and the perfect addition to your balletcore look. They’re not too pink, but have a touch of the feminine shade that peeks through. Want to know how to get this look? Ask for one coat of OPI’s funny bunny, and one or two coats of OPI’s bubble bath.
7. Sugar Plum Fairy Nails
The sugar plum fairy is an iconic character from The Nutcracker ballet. Glittery nails are reminiscent of fairy dust, making this the perfect mani to embrace all your ballerina aesthetic dreams. It’s perfect for any time of the year, but we especially love it for the holiday season.
8. Pointy French Manicure
For another ballet-inspired twist on a French manicure, go super pointy with your nail shape. Pointe shoes are one of the most quintessential parts of a ballet dancer’s outfit and pointed tips are a cheeky way of giving a nod to ballerinas.
9. Black Swan Inspired Nails
If you’re not big on pink, take your inspiration from Black Swan, the psychological thriller movie based on the ballet Swan Lake. It’s a darker interpretation of the romantic dance, but ballet-inspired nonetheless. As you can see, these nails are still super girly, they’re just not totally pink.
10. Pearlescent Finish
Adding a pearlescent finish to any girly base colour will always look amazing. Pearls are as feminine as it gets, and instead of being so obvious with pearl rhinestones, add a more subtle tinge with a pretty pearl finish.
These balletcore nail ideas are the perfect inspo to bring to your next manicure!
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