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No matter how how hard many of us may try to deny it, the ’90s are part of our DNA. The outfits, catch-phrases, hair-dos, and music are all seared in our collective unconscious. Some of us may want to leave the ’90s and its aesthetic in the past, but others are all for it. Chokers? Yes, please. Snappy hair clips? Yup. BUTTERFLY fingernail design? In the holy name of Cher Horowitz, give it to us right now. Kylie Jenner sure agrees.
Although she isn’t really a “’90s kid” — after all, she was born near the decade’s end in 1997 — she’s one of the many who embrace the era’s forever iconic looks. In a July 2019 look, Kylie Jenner showed up with blue butterflies as nail art. This certifiably ‘90s nail reminds of a time when we wore peace signs, retro flowers, and Lisa Frank-inspired unicorn shirts like they were going out of business.
And while the trend never really disappeared — plenty of us stan the ’90s forever, no apologies given — it is making a stronger comeback as of late. According to Rita Pinto, the owner of New York City’s Vanity Projects, talked to Refinery 29 and and confirmed the trend: “It sounds odd, but all of this summer’s biggest nail trends are ’90s throwbacks: deep white French, rainbows, and now butterflies.” Thank you, Rita, for this gift to humanity.
Pink Butterfly Nails? Yes, Please.
In an Instagram post, Kylie promoted a new body scrub made by her skincare brand, Kylie Skin. And yeah, the body scrub looked nice and all, but those nails. We’re sure manicurists were booked and busy the day that post dropped.
Blue Butterflies
These ’90s nails are a cool version of the pink nails Kylie was rocking. Of course (similar to the image above), you can have some fun with it; there’s no need to make a carbon copy. Do you prefer the pink or blue?
Clear Butterfly Nails
Clear butterfly nails are a sleek, glittery version of the previous two. Sparkle is key here — while the butterfly design is important, a little glitter will go a long way. Anyone remember jelly sandals? You’ll also want these nails to be on the long side.
Zig-Zag Nail Art
You’d find a zig-zap color splotch vibe on everything in the ’90s, from notebooks to book bags. With a manicure like this, you can channel the 90s, while giving it a modern twist. Feel free to play around with the colors (though, for an ultra-bold look, go for neons).
Fiery Nails
The ’90s were weirdly into the flame aesthetic. It was everywhere — on tattoos, album covers, and on t-shirts. We think they still hold up, though. With nails like these, you’ll look cool as heck, especially if you match it with a punk-esque outfit. You can go for a more traditional orange, red, and black, or opt for something alternative, like the pink and black nail art depicted above.
Colors, Colors, and More Colors
The staple of any ’90s look was ALL THE COLORS. Just throw lime green, pink, yellow and blue at something and call it a “lewk.” You can go the more advanced route and do different colors on each nail (for example, have one nail painted half green and half blue). If you just want to paint each nail a different color, that’s fine, too. This is an opportunity to mix and match, so take it!
The Basic French Mani
Nail Decals
Nail decals were also big in the ’90s. You might have popped on a few on yourself! Honestly, we think they’re still cool, even if they’re not as big as they used to be. If you’re not talented at nail art and you’re way too busy to actually learn, nail decals could help elevate your mani with minimum effort.
Thanks, Kylie, for reminding us that us ’90s babes still got it going!