“Kirby” Manicures Are Instagram’s Cutest Nail Art Trend Yet

Throughout social distancing time, Instagram nail artists have blessed followers with some truly adorable manicures for DIY inspiration. Lately, following in the footsteps of Animal Crossing nails and manicures made to look like tiny skies, comes the Kirby manicure.

It's unclear what's inspired the recent nail art adoration for Kirby, but the manicures do come as the character celebrates his 28th anniversary. In recent weeks, the hashtag #kirbynails has been filled with new, and very pink, takes on the trend. While some artists added sparkles and shimmer to their Kirby, others have used a pink base coat, turning their nail into a mini replica of the character's face.

On Tuesday, the trend secured major celebrity support, when nail artist, Mei Kawajiri, also known as Nails By Mei, debuted the Kirby manicure she gave to singer, Kemio. For her nail art, Kawajiri chose a clear base coat for the nail, and then placed colorful Kirby elements on top. Along with a miniature cupid-inspired Kirby, the artist added stars and dots.

If you're feeling inspired by everyone's favorite pink video game hero, there are easy ways of recreating the trend. You could simply paint your entire nail your favorite shade of pink, and then add Kirby's face, or you can get crafty, and turn each nail into a video game-inspired scene. For those that aren't quite ready to embrace their inner nail artist, some online shops do offer Kirby nail decals.

Check out some of the cutest takes on this trend, below, and then grab your favorite pink polish and get started on creating your own version.