In case you haven't heard, maximalist prints are in the middle of their comeback season, and these retro patterns are having such a huge impact on fashion show runways that they're inevitably bleeding over into the beauty trend cycle as well. We saw it happen last summer when polka dots were incorporated into dozens of blouses and dress designs before every It Girl from Dua Lipa to Simone Biles was wearing the print on their nails just months later. Fast forward to today, and it's leopard print that's beginning to show up on everyone's Instagram feeds as the season's maximalist nail design of choice, and it's been a go-to design for celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Vanessa Hudgens.
Believe it or not, leopard and cheetah prints are actually incredibly versatile nail designs that can easily be toned up or down, depending on the look you're going for. For example, you could always decorate your nails with a classic, all-over leopard design to honor the traditional print, or you can swap out the color palette for something bolder and brighter. Plenty of people have also incorporated leopard print into their French manicures, swapping out the white tips for bold prints—but that's just scratching the surface of how many ways a leopard print manicure can evolve.
