Nail art is a tricky thing: When it’s good, it’s so good, but when it’s bad, it’s literally a train wreck—and you can’t stop staring. And it seems the latest nail trends continue to take a turn for the weird. To give you a good laugh, we’ve rounded up the strangest creations to ever grace a nail canvas, from the furry to the frightening and everything in between. Check out six of the craziest nail trends of all time.
The Worst Nail Trends of All Time
#5 Duck Nails
Instagram/@nailsbylinda
Instagram/@established_1987
Nothing says 2005 Jersey girl quite like a “Snooki” poof and a set of duck nails. The now-infamous nail shape caused a frenzy in the nail world, creating a polarizing effect between those who swore by duck nails and those who despised the “webbed” look. But allow us to break it down for you: Duck nails are not flattering. The flared tip makes your nail bed look shorter and your fingers look stubby. Not to mention the thick, boxy shape is anything but natural-looking. Please heed our advice and just say no to duck nails!
#4 Plant Nails
Instagram/@arozona
Instagram/@simplynailogical
Succulents are adorable around the house. Wearing them on your nails, however, is a much different story. Sure, you may have a “green thumb,” but that doesn’t mean you have to decorate your tips with live greenery of any kind. The only way this trend could get any worse? If the plants actually started to grow on your nails. No thanks!
#3 Nasty Nails
Instagram/@nailglam
Leave it to avant-garde designer Hood by Air to debut grimy tips on the runway. At the Fall 2016 NYFW Hood by Air show, models sported dirty digits—on purpose. That’s right, manicurist Dawn Sterling painted models’ nails with Chanel Black Satin, a sleek black polish, then wiped the polish off to make the nail look like it was caked in grease, dirt and grime—gross.
#2 Polish Mountain
Instagram/@pocapontis
In 2016, the “#100 Layers” challenge took over social media, inspiring influencers all over the globe to slather on 100 layers of lipstick, foundation, deodorant, etc. But perhaps the strangest interpretation of the trend was #PolishMountain. With nail blogger Simply Nailogical leading the pack, polish aficionados painted their nails with layers of nail lacquer, resulting in a thick, goopy, misshapen mess. The end result wasn’t pretty, and while there may be some satisfaction in successfully applying up to 100 layers of nail polish, you’re not only left with a horrendous manicure that will take hours (or days) to remove, you’ve also wasted a ton of nail polish—a major no-no for any lacquer fanatic.
#1 - Teeth Nails
Instagram/@davidfootstudio
Instagram/@taykeller
This next trend is literally terrifying. Teeth nails may have just recently popped up, but they’ve already earned the title of being the weirdest nail art trend in history. Known for its off-the-wall nail designs, including “toilet paper nails,” “toothbrush nails” and “comb nails”, Russia-based salon chain Nail Sunny posted a photo of the “teeth-tastic" manicure on social media a couple of months ago, with the clever caption, “Yay or nay?” The oddball manicure pretty much “broke the Internet”—giving an endless supply of nightmares to anyone who saw the “biting” nail art.
