The Balletcore Nail Trend Will Make You Feel Like a Prima Ballerina

TikTok is in it's dainty era. No longer dominated by "clean girl" beauty, the biggest trends on the app are all about embracing your feminine side, from girly goth to coquette. The mother of all these styles, though, is balletcore, and the aesthetic has had us in a chokehold since it popped up last year.

The trend shows no sign of slowing down and is now making its way into beauty. First came the ballerina bun, then the hair bows, and now balletcore is coming for our nails. Ahead is everything you need to know about spring's girliest nail trend.

The Trend

TikTok trends come and go quickly, but balletcore has stayed strong since it first surfaced last year. From the resurgence of ballet flats (often paired with leg warmers) to shrugs and mesh fabrics, it's officially gone mainstream.

As it relates to nails, balletcore is nothing without a healthy dose of baby pink, which is a staple of the current “lip gloss” and “milk bath” manicure trends. The color is the cornerstone of any ballet-inspired outfit, and it's also a perfect base for ballerina-inspired details like bows, flowers, and glitter.

How to Get Balletcore Nails

The balletcore manicure is more of a vibe than an actual nail design, so you’re free to try the trend in any way that unleashes your inner ballerina. Start with a pale pink base if you need inspiration—two coats of sheer pink polish, like the (aptly named) Essie Nail Polish in Ballet Slippers, the (also aptly named) Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Ballerina, or Jin Soon Nail Polish in Pixie, will do the trick.

After that, use your discretion to choose whether you'll go with a minimalist or maximalist approach. If the less-is-more attitude wins out, you can create a glittery “lip liner” manicure by applying a thin line of silver glitter nail polish along the nail edge. If you want to amp up the ballerina look, you can create faux “ribbons” lacing up your nails like ballet slippers. Simply paint a white polish in horizontal lines across your entire nail using a criss-cross motion or head to the salon for a cute bow design.

And it wouldn't be balletcore without referencing the Japanese “kawaii” nail style. For years, Japanese nail artists have created multidimensional manicures with ornaments small enough to glue onto a nail bed—try bows or gems for a stage-worthy mani, and prepare your tutu.