The 1980s was an era that gave birth to new and extreme fashion styles, music genres, film, and beauty trends the world never saw coming. Moreover, the 80s popularized the art of nail painting, a craze that hasn’t stopped to this day. From bold and neon colors to subdued nude and pink tones, the “Yuppie Decade” or “Decade of Greed” showcased the essence of the times through nail trends. Experimenting with acrylics, different nail shapes, and press-on nails took over the beauty world. To get a glimpse and recreate these claw looks, check out this list of 10 80s nail trends to try in the 2020s.
Thanks to Black female track and field stars, like Florence Griffith Joyner and Gail Devers, long squoval acrylic nails commonly seen in Black culture were pushed to the mainstream and perfectly matched the over-the-top and eye-catching aesthetics of the 80s. These super long square-oval-shaped nails were trendy and super popular at the time, with the most creative and longest of them dubbed as “Flo Jo” nails after the late athlete. The flattering shape was versatile for everyone during the decade, from Princess Diana to the late songstress Selena Quintanilla.
When anyone thinks of the 80s, neon automatically comes to mind. Neon nail polish was a huge fad 40 years ago, with luminous bold colors like yellow, blue, green, pink, and purple sported by women everywhere and paired with everyone’s favorite matching neon clothing item. Icons, like Madonna, often wore neon nail polish, making it an even more popular nail craze in the 80s. In fact, neon nail polish is a current trend we’re experiencing today and probably a nail color we won’t stop seeing for quite some time.
Metallic gold and silver nail foils was a huge nail trend during this decade and even made a comeback a few years ago. This look was achieved in the 80s by simply pressing the pretty foil on some nail glue and carefully peeling the foil back to reveal a shiny result. The 80s was all about bling and greed, which was a fitting pair of claws to have at the time. While the trend was short-lived in the 2010s, nail foil art will have its rebirth, yet again, in the 2020s.
A classic red set of nails always goes a long way, a look not lost on people of the 80s. This nail trend was well executed by many film stars like Joan Collins and Cher, who fashioned the best red nails of all time during the decade. Despite the 80s being a time of maximalism and gaudiness, red nails represent luxury and beauty. Analyzing and recreating red nails of the 80s will restore a simple yet beautiful nail trend that is needed in the nail world today.
Like the classic red nails, nail blush became another iconic and very simple color popularized in the 80s. The nail brand Cutex first came out with nail blush when blush shades such as Rose, Nude, Mauve, Beige, Peach, and Lilac could be worn by any. Since then, so many people worldwide have fallen in love with the sheer and romantic colors. These colors are appropriate for any event, and nail blush will definitely have its spotlight in the 2020s.
The Decade of Greed couldn’t go without gold, silver, or bronze, which is why glitter detailing was a nail trend everyone hopped on in the 80s. Glitter stripes and tips on nails weren’t uncommon to the eye 40 years ago. Today, the nail trend can be seen in combination with other claw crazes, like negative space nail art and the french manicure. If the 80s taught us anything, it’s that sparkly and glowy nails will always do the trick.
Nail painting was fresh and new in the 80s, with many teens around the world experimenting with polishes to create stripes and polka dot designs on their nails. The look became popular amongst youth and an overall cool aesthetic at the time. This style can easily be reiterated and modernized today by using trendy nail colors and incorporating nude bases to subdue the look. This is a cutesy and harmless nail trend to consider.
The 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper found her true colors in holographic nails, a nail trend that dominated during the decade that made girls just want to have fun! What makes holographic nails stand out from regular polish is the Spectraflair pigment that deflects light extremely well in the formula. The glitz and glam of holographic nails’ three-dimensional qualities truly encompassed the 80s and everything it had to offer. It is definitely a look anyone at any age can pull off, making it a cool and timeless trend waiting to happen.
It was nearly impossible to have not seen a Lee Press-On Nails commercial in between your favorite shows back in the day. The convenient press-on nail brand was launched and notorious in the 80s, with various nails, colors, and lengths to choose from. While the nails were super popular at the time, they also came with a plethora of issues, like easily snagging on things, being ephemeral, and not being realistic to the eye. In 2020, Lee Press-On Nails has made a huge resurgence! There is a wider range of patterns and designs, better technology, and many celebrities and models who wear the nails on carpets and runways.
Longwear polish is a nail category created in the 80s for a light polish application that is also long-lasting. Many brands today, like Essie and Maybelline, continue to make gel lacquer formulas that lessen your worries about nail chipping and color fading. Reliable, long-wearing polish is huge and will guarantee long-lasting nail color, so don’t sleep on this nail trend.
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