Top Nail Ideas On Trend For 2024

From pastel French tips to bold floral inspired designs and chic, modern coffin nails, the internet is full of gorgeous nail ideas right now. Here are our favorite nail art ideas to inspire you.

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What Nail Ideas Are Trendy Right Now?

A new nail polish or a fresh manicure and pedicure is a fun and super easy way to update your look, and who doesn’t feel gorgeous after a nail salon appointment?

If you’re ready to try out some of the latest nail trends, or just want a classic look for a special event, check out the latest nail art designs and fun nail shapes. We know that you’ll find something that you love.

French Manicure Variations

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Play with the classic French tip by adding half-moons at the nail’s base for a reverse French manicure, or be bold and try out dramatic triangular lines in colors like blue or bright red. You can also pay homage to the french tip with a very narrow, subtle line at the top of each nail, paired with a nude base color.

Textured Nails

This is one of those simple nail ideas that works well in any season, with almost any shade of nail polish. You can give a manicure a subtle pop by adding texture to an accent nail, or go all out by reading a bold pattern on some rainbow nails. Have fun!

Lip Gloss Nails

This is a cute and surprisingly simple nail trend that’s easy to achieve. A nail artist uses a very shiny nude base that’s close to your skin tone, then adds a glossy topcoat. You can add a little color by putting some nail art onto an accent nail, or wear it as-is. It’s a fresh look that’s great year-round.

Our Favorite Nail Ideas

Nail Ideas For Every Color

Nude Nail Ideas

A nude manicure is the perfect canvas for abstract designs like lines, swirls or graphic shapes in bright colors like pink and lime green. A lot of the best nail art ideas come from modern art designs.

Pink Nail Ideas

This season, why not swap your regular French tips for pink ombre nails? Adding some delicate white flowers like roses or daisies to this is one of the best nail art ideas that we’ve seen, since it enhances the beauty of this manicure without distracting from the ombre effect.

Black Nail Ideas

Don’t just paint on plain matte finish- add dots or lines of gloss for extra texture. For something fancier, add a few zircon jewels to the negative space, or a dramatic line of silver glitter.

Purple Nail Ideas

Glitter or zircons are a must-have to make any purple manicure stand out. This creates depth and contrasts with the deep, rich color. If you want something more subtle, try out some geometric nail art ideas, like contrasting nail shapes in a lighter shade.

White Nail Ideas

If you’re looking for cute nails ideas for your white manicure, then why not give some black flowers a try? This creates a playful silhouette that breaks up the negative space. If you don’t want a floral design, then go for some fun cow print- it’s one of those nail art ideas that’s both fun and classic.

Blue Nail Ideas

Everyone has a favorite shade of blue, whether it’s bright sky blue or deep aqua. There’s a blue for every occasion. One of our favorite blue nail ideas is a reverse French tip, with beachy blue half-moons at the nail base. It looks great on a glossy bright white or neutral nail.

Red Nail Ideas

Red velvet nails are a nail art trend that’s here to stay (it looks cute in pink, too). A nail artist can achieve this effect by layering matte, metallic and glitter nail polish, and the latest trend uses magnetic gel polish to get a cat’s-eye effect.

Black And White Nail Ideas

Checkered print nails are very modern, and they go with almost any outfit. You can even DIY your favorite checkerboard nail art ideas at home, using a thin brush. The trick is to create each line carefully, then fill in the gaps afterwards. Remember to protect this cute mani with a top coat.

Brown Nail Ideas

Ask any beauty editor, and they’ll tell you that brown is a classic color that will always be on trend. One of the most adorable nail ideas that we’ve seen combines brown, beige and white swirls for a coffee effect.

Green Nail Ideas

Green is a perfect color for spring days, and we wish that more people would try out their favorite nail art ideas in this adorable color. Try swirling a lighter shade of green on top of a darker one, then adding a few tiny flowers for a fresh look.

Yellow Nail Ideas

Now that warm weather is here, there are a ton of yellow nail color ideas out there, and we just love this cheerful shade. Try adding some floral designs to an accent nail in either white or a soft pastel color for a sweet, spring-inspired mani.

Orange Nail Ideas

For a subtle pop of color, apply a thin coat of orange to create narrow French tips. We also love this as a reverse French manicure, especially with a clear or neutral base coat.

Clear Nail Ideas

Your clear manicure is like a blank canvas where you can show off your favorite nail art ideas. If you’re looking for clear gel nail ideas, then check out this glass glitter- it’s easy, and has tons of sparkle.

Hot Pink Nail Ideas

Both 90’s kids and fans of the recent Barbie movie will appreciate the nostalgia associated with hot pink nails. We love it on its own, or with a bit of silver glitter on an accent nail.

Gold Nail Ideas

Upgrade a neutral or dark manicure with gold foil or swirls. Gold reverse French tips will catch everyone’s attention with their bright, yet chic style.

Nail Ideas For Every Season

Spring Nail Ideas

You can create a simple and sweet design that matches any spring outfit by applying flowers or floral nail art to a pale or neutral base color. This is one of our favorite short nail ideas, too. For a longer manicure, why not add pastel French tips to your spring mani?

Summer Nail Ideas

This summer, why not try a playful but chic manicure in bright colors- you can spice up a simple French tip with rainbow nails, or a soft blue nail color with beach-themed stickers. Gel manicures are also great for busy summer days, since your nails will look amazing for longer.

Fall Nail Ideas

Ask your nail artist to paint a seasonal floral design, some autumn leaves, or apply some fun nail stickers to customize your fall manicure. It’s easy to be inspired by the beauty of this amazing season.

Winter Nail Ideas

Winter isn’t just about Christmas nails ideas - you’ll also need a chic design or two that you can wear during the rest of the season. Blue and white aura nails will give you a frost-inspired look, and a clear or neutral base with airbrushed snowflakes is one of our favorite acrylic nail ideas.

Nail Ideas For Special Occasions

Birthday Nail Ideas

Use thin lines and a dotting tool to add rainbow birthday candles to a base color of your choice. You can also alternate these with some cute polka dots or birthday-cake colors swirls.

Christmas Nails Ideas

This season is the perfect time to embrace cute nail designs and fun, holiday-themed nail art. Try using a dotting tool and a brush to create thin lines that look like Christmas lights, or pair a classic, dark red manicure with a glitter French tip for extra sparkle.

Halloween Nail Ideas

If you love nail art, then Halloween is the perfect time to try out a new nail trend. You can add white lines to a black base for a spooky cobweb manicure, or apply black bat nail stickers to an orange base. It’s easy to achieve a fresh, fun and festive look.

Valentine’s Day Nail Ideas

Heart-shaped nail art designs are a romantic choice, and you can make them as subtle or bold as you like. You also can’t go wrong with something sweet like pastel candy hearts with tiny messages inside- this is one of our favorite cute nail ideas that’s easy for a DIY nail artist.

Thanksgiving Nail Ideas

Try using a warm brown nail polish with some bright bronze, gold or copper glitter on the tips or an accent nail. It’s a chic way to add some sparkle and give your type of manicure a fancy look for an evening out.

Easter Nail Ideas

You can get super-sweet Easter nails by having your nail artist add bunny ears to a French tip, then adding bright, colorful swirls and dots to the other nails to make them look like Easter eggs. It’s cute, fun, and very versatile.

Cute, Classy And Fun Nail Art Ideas

Flower Nail Art Ideas

Ask your nail artist to add some white shading to each flower for a realistic effect. Or, if you want a fresh and fun manicure that’s very playful, try some rainbow daisies in bright shades of pink, yellow and blue.

Rhinestone Nail Art Ideas

For anyone interested in easy nail art ideas, we recommend using rhinestones and a few simple lines against a dark base color for a shooting star effect. It breaks up negative space and looks gorgeous.

Heart Nail Art Ideas

Hearts look great in any color, and we just love these cute, heart-inspired French tips. This nail art puts a romantic twist on a classic style.

Easy Nail Art Ideas

You can use everyday objects to DIY lines, shapes, and dots on your nails. Try using a bobby pin to make swirls, or use a toothpick to create polka dot nail art.

Line Nail Art Ideas

You can use geometric or straight lines to turn your nails into modern art, or you can draw some playful swirls in bright colors against a clear or white base.

Butterfly Nail Art Ideas

Butterfly wing nail art is relatively simple to do, but looks very impressive. This is one of the best vintage-inspired nail art ideas, and we’re happy to see it back in fashion. Doesn’t it look cute?

Awesome Black Nail Art Ideas

Add a classy bit of sparkle to a black manicure by including some contrasting lines in a metallic shade like silver or gold.

White Nails With Art Added

Give all-white nails a personal touch by adding some golden nail art stickers- flowers like daisies and rosebuds are especially trendy, in the spring and summer.

Simple But Elegant Nail Art

By adding a flattering curve or a couple of clean lines in a complimentary color, you can make any simple manicure look like it was done by a professional.

Nail Ideas For Different Nail Shapes

On-Trend Almond Nail Ideas

Have you heard of the negative space mani? It uses colored polish in sections, while leaving parts of the natural nail exposed, and it works well with the dramatic almond nail shape.

Ideas For Short Nails

A reverse French manicure works on both long and short nails. You can even make shorter nails look longer by using a light or neutral base color. Another flattering nail art idea is adding a super-thin line at the top for a micro French manicure.

Ideas For Long Nails

No matter what shape you choose, the extra length of these nails makes them perfect for showcasing elaborate nail art like swirls, geometric patterns, or floral nails designs.

Inspiration For Stiletto Nails

Since stiletto nails are already so eye-catching, why not pair them with some dramatic colors like neon pink, or ask your nail artist to create some Instagram-worthy nail art. Animal print is one of our favorite French tip nail ideas for stilettos.

Coffin Nail Ideas

You’ll need acrylics to pull off the long, dramatic shape of coffin nails, so you can draw your inspiration from some of the classic acrylic nail ideas, like a silver glitter ombre design on a white or pink base.

Ideas For Square Nails

We love the way that minimalist nail art looks on square nails, especially because you can wear this shape with both long and shorter nails.

More Gorgeous Nail Ideas

Ideas For Chic But Short Nails

Try a micro French mani if your nails are short. It’s one of the classic nail trends that’s always in style, and you can use whatever color you like.

Gel Nail Ideas

Since gel nail polish is famous for being long-lasting, it’s a great choice for protecting your favorite elaborate nail design during busy spring and summer days at the beach or park.

Ideas For Acrylic Nails

Acrylics are stronger than regular nails, which makes them a great choice for anyone who wants extra space for a complex nail design, but they’re also great for sporty people who want extra strength in their manicure, which is why there are so many short acrylic nail ideas out there.

Dip Nail Ideas

At your next visit to the nail salon, try asking for a neutral dip powder nail color that’s close to your natural nails. This will give you a “natural nails, but better” look that’s just as eye-catching as any amount of nail art.

Ideas For Pretty Nails

Barbie French tips. This is another of the hottest acrylic nails ideas that we’ve seen this year. By pairing a soft pink base with a shiny chrome tip, you create something that’s both cute, chic, and professional at the same time.

Cool Nail Art Ideas

We love this dark blue manicure with its denim-inspired pattern. It’s both effortlessly cool, and can be worn in both formal and informal settings.

Ideas For Classy Nails

If you’re looking for an instant classic that will work with any outfit, start with a clear or neutral polish, then add a few lines in black and gold.

Awesome Toe Nail Ideas

With spring and summer nails ideas here, we can’t ignore our toe nails. Why not try out a matching manicure and pedicure with some polka dot nail art in your favorite colors?

Cute Short Nail Ideas

Add a few gems at the base of your nails. You can do this with any shade of nail polish, and it creates the illusion of length, along with a bit of sparkle.

Sparkly Diamond Nails

Instead of painting on nail designs, why not create a cool pattern using diamonds or colored nail gems? We recommend doing this on a few nails, while sticking to a single color or some simple nail art on the others.

Chic And Elegant Nails

These airbrushed white flowers on a pink base are one of the top spring nail ideas that we’ve seen, but they work well year-round and look absolutely timeless and elegant. Depending on your skin tone, you may want to use a neutral or beige base, instead.

Recommendations

What we love about manicures is that it’s so easy to express yourself and try out new nail designs or shapes. It’s an inexpensive way to make yourself feel (even more) gorgeous, and it’s so much fun.

If you’re still not sure which nail ideas you’d like to try out first, then we recommend saving a few photos and bringing them with you for inspiration, the next time you visit the nail salon.

Citations

Nail anatomy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/

Finger nail plate shape and size for personal identification – a possible low technology method for the developing world - Preliminary report
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajhs/article/view/30795

Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes?
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/