Spring manicure trends are showing a softer side with cute nail designs that emphasize airy simplicity over baroque embellishments. Instantly freshen up your look with these 10 nail designs.
1. Lucite Sunset
Essie’s Global Color Designer, Rebecca Minkoff let fans choose which cute nail designs by Michelle Saunders her models would wear on the runway. American Salon reports, “The winning design, “lucite sunset,” was directly inspired by the chunky lucite heels found throughout the Spring/Summer 2016 footwear collection.” Check out their easy tutorial too.
2. Subtle Stripes
When in doubt, decorate your mani with a pin-thin subtle stripe or two. If you’ve got a striping brush, it’s one of the easiest nail designs on the planet and the results are clean, modern, sophisticate and perfect for elongating your nails.
Read Related: Round or Square Nails? How to Know Your Manicure Shape
3. The French Manicure Reinvented
Some version of the French manicure will always be making the rounds. It’s amazing how much variety we’ve gotten from this perennial classic. This season it’s been deconstructed to emphasize on exaggerated shapes, negative space, reversed to highlight the moons rather than the tips and done with a sliver of vibrant color at the top edges.
4. Glitter
This isn’t mirrored, disco ball glitter. Think more along the lines of Delpozo’s low-key ethereal fairy queen look created with Essie Sparkle on Top. Buckingham Square from Nails Inc is a metallic version.
5. Modern Geometry
Opening Ceremony’s two-tone Check Mate mani by China Glaze is one of our favorite cute nail designs this spring. It totally puts the Mod in Modern.
6. Jelly Nails
Jelly nail polish made a splash last summer and it’s still giving us a juicy burst of translucent color.
7. Floral Mani
Work that floral trend with blossoming nails in bright spring colors.
8. Glass Nails
Glass nails are the latest trend in super cute nail designs. The technique was born in Korea and it’s officially gone viral.
9. Nude
Like no makeup makeup, there’s some artistry to the the nude nail. Sheer nude colors and velvet or matte top coats are key.
10. Brush Strokes
If you have a hard time keeping your manicure picture perfect, go for painting perfect instead with free-form abstract brush strokes which are all about imprecision.
