The season for sandals is upon us, and that means manis and pedis are in full bloom. From pretty, every day hues to the fashion forward, couture colors of the season, a fresh manicure and pedicure will help get you prepared for the arrival of summer. We looked to the runway for some inspiration and surely enough found some great new ideas to copy cat. Designers in the Spring 2012 fashion shows used trendy new shades of color and designs on models nails to complement their styles. This season’s manicures work together to create a palette that’s clean, vibrant, and adds some oomph to your overall look. Check out our favorite Spring 2012 nail trends to try out yourself:
Long, Shaped Nails
At Zac Posen’s Spring 2012 fashion show, models’ nails were kept long and oval shaped. This is a very natural, all grown up look that requires very little work. To get the perfect curve while doing it yourself at home, just mirror your cuticle shape!
Monotone-Print Manicures
While you can’t really do this yourself at home unless you’re super crafty, the wow factor for Joy Cioci’s spring show gave us a great idea that’s easy to copy. When you’re doing detailed prints on your nails, stick to one color instead of rainbow brights. It’s better for every day and adds a classy touch to the trend instead of looking like a 12 year old girl who just got her first manicure.
Reverse French Manicures
Stars like Leighton Meester and Lady Gaga have been spotted sporting the reverse French manicure look. We think it’s a great call for Spring – it’s sexy, adventurous and not too showy. The exotic dark reverse French manicures were seen at Pamela Love’s Moroccan-inspired jewelry presentation. This style looks good with really any color as long as its kept simple, but for a classic look try a plum and cream mix.
Chartreuse Nail Polish
The yellow shade that the models rocked at Karen Walker’s show is simple yet different enough to get noticed.  It’s also a great color for Spring that you don’t see every day.
Nude Nail Polish
This is one of our favorites from the Spring 2012 runway. This nail polish will match anything, is light enough for warmer weather and it’s sophisticated, fresh and sexy. You can also do it yourself or get it done at a nail salon. Plus when it chips it won’t be so noticeable so you can extend your in between manicure time a few days.
Classic Red Nail Polish
This classic style is not going anywhere. Not only is it a bright option for Summer, it also works for colder temperatures. Reese Witherspoon rocked red nailpolish at the premiere of . If wearing a little black dress, red nail polish is the perfect touch of color. Apply a layer of high shine topcoat to any flattering red shade to update your polish!
Ombré Manicures
First came the ombre trend with hair and now its moved to nails. Deciding on just one color is always tough – so here’s an option for those of you who just can’t choose. The ever more popular one-color-merging-into-another trend is a delicate alternative to spring’s OMG nail trends.
Simple Manicures
Sometimes a simple light pink polish is all you’re looking for. It’s the good old faithful nail polish trend that looks good on everyone, matches everything and while simple, it’s also sexy in a modest kind of way. The models at the Tory Burch fashion show looked elegant in the neutral classic.