The Barbie movie has been released for a few weeks now, which means the Barbiecore aesthetic has been invading every corner of our lives for months now. Between our nails, our clothes, our beauty products, and the cast’s unbelievable hot pink press tour, it feels like everything has been Barbie-fied. And while it’s certainly been fun, I’ve personally had enough hot pink to last a lifetime.
If you’re still loving summery, hot pink manicures, then I love that for you. But I’m a tired Barbie, and I’m ready for something new. So if you, like me, have been burnt out by Barbiecore and are searching for inspiration in a (plastic) sea of pink, I’ve got you covered. Ahead, find 10 anything-but-Barbie-inspired nail ideas for those that are ready to bid the summer of Barbie, adieu.
1. Baby Blue Nails
If you’re in line with the belief that pink and blue are as mortal of enemies as children’s clothing sections would have you believe (a bigger issue, but I digress), then blue nails probably don’t come to mind when you think Barbie. So if you’re looking for a break from all the pink, try cooling your color palette down with some baby blue nail styles like blueberry milk manicures, Tiffany blue polish, or blue French tips.
2. Iced Coffee Nails
Barbie can’t drink coffee—or anything for that matter. So, that makes iced coffee nails the perfect way to quench your thirst for all things not-pink. There are a few ways to achieve the iced coffee nail effect, be it mocha swirl style, French tips, chocolate drip nails, or just plain coffee-colored brown. All of these take the warm, neutral tones of your favorite caffeinated beverage and put them on your nails.
3. All-Black
These all-black goth-revival nail ideas are definitely more suited for Bratz than Barbie. Too edgy for Ken to appreciate—or honestly even understand—and not colorful enough for even “weird Barbie” to sign off on (if you know, you know). Black and goth-inspired nails are perfect if Barbiecore has done more than exhaust you from pink, and even color in general. You can go with black French tips, black with edgy stars on top, or go more ethereal with black ombre nails.
4. Baroque Nails
Barbie’s aura is definitely pink, but chances are yours is not. Aura nails come in every color, shape, and style and can easily be changed to reflect your inner aura. Try out sunset aura nails, diamond aura, icy aura, or any color combo your heart desires.
6. Blood Orange Nails
If you have been having a tomato girl summer, this nail trend is right up your alley. Not quite red enough to be a tomato, but not quite orange enough to be an orange, blood orange nails are the perfect in-between to try out for those into the colorful-ness of Barbiecore but are over the hot pink shades it’s comprised of.
7. Chrome
Chrome nails aren’t going anywhere and are a safe bet to fall back on if you’re seeking a return to pre-Barbie life. There are thousands of ways to wear chrome nails, from drippy renditions, web designs, French tips, and vanilla chrome. They’re all sleek, all stylish, and all Barbiecore-free.
8. Matcha Nails
Whether you like the flavor of matcha or not, these nails are the perfect way to transition out of Barbiecore and into other colorful manicures. You can try just plain matcha green nails, add some chocolate swirls, add French tips, or add some gold embellishments.
9. Sea Glass Nails
These might technically be worthy of mermaid Barbie, sea glass nails are a cute way to ride out the rest of summer. Sea glass nails are exactly what they sound like—a manicure resembling those tiny shards of sea glass you would collect on the beach. Semi-sheer, cool-toned, and with a matte finish, any color you would find on the beach works for this nail trend.
10. Cloud Nails
