Elegant styles for short nails, long nails, acrylic, gel-x and everything in between. Your biweekly nail appointment can be a self-care ritual that steadies you and reinvigorates your week. From the time you sit down in the chair at the salon or pull out your collection of nail polishes to DIY your favorite designs at home, the relaxation begins. Virtually nothing can interfere with these moments of pure bliss. That is unless you can’t think of what to get this time. That’s where our list of simple and cute nail designs comes in.
Glitter Stars
Sparkle and shine with these glossy, glittery stars. If you’re new to drawing designs with paint, you’ll want to create small triangles and connect them. The best part is you don’t have to create full stars to get the idea across.
Flame Tips
A fresh take on a French tip incorporates lively flames. Try out this design in white or mix it up with neon or primary colors.
Pastel Hearts
This sweet design may remind you of a popular Valentine’s Day candy. Take a break from your typical red and hot pink hearts and opt for this variation of pastel tones.
Green and Gold Accents
Not quite a French tip, but these elegant gold and green accents on the tip of the nail make for an interesting negative space nail design.
Yellow Half Moons
Add a pop of color to an otherwise subtle manicure by filling in half moons at the base of your nail. Yellow is the star here, but feel free to explore other shades as well.
Bejeweled
If you ask us, these nails have the perfect amount of bling. The heart-shaped jewels at the center of the nail and golden starburst surrounding it are both eye-catching and easy to execute.
Blooming Flowers
Bold colors make this design a fun option but the blooming gel base is the true star. When you arrange five dots of your favorite color polish on top of the base watch it “bloom” on its own as the colored dots will slowly expand and disperse to create petals.
Gel Fruit
Little beads of nearly translucent gel hues are turned into the most adorable fruits with just a few flicks of green polish. Add them to a neutral base as seen here or paint them onto a bright color of your choice.
Racing Stripes
Anyone who’s partial to a classic French tip will love this innovative variation. Instead of creating a full arch at the top of your nail, concentrate double white lines to the left of your nail for this sporty look.
White Lines
Understated doesn’t mean boring. In fact, these horizontal and vertical white lines add just the right level of interest to a fairly simple mani.
