Once upon a time, black nails were considered to be a grunge beauty choice. Now, we’re shown just how beautiful and chic they can be. When the polish choice is combined with trendy designs like French manicures and swirls,
or when it’s transformed with unexpected finishes, the end result is always eye-catching. To prove it, we rounded up nearly two dozen black nail designs currently trending on social media.
No matter your manicure preference, you’ll soon learn that black is one polish color that should never be off the table.
Matte Black Leopard Nails
Animal print nails are a popular pick, and they’re even more alluring when paired with colorblocking and a black, matte finish. Best of all, this type of nail art is pretty simple to DIY. Start by dotting your nails (no need to be super neat with it), then use a fine-lining nail art brush to outline partial edges of the spots. Finish with matte topcoat et voila!
Minimalist Black and Silver Nails
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If you prefer more minimalist nail art, consider a glossy micro French manicure interspersed with floral accent nails. This is yet another easy-to-DIY nail look. Where Orly Half Moon Guides ($7) can help create perfectly crisp French tips, dotting tools can make painting flowers easier than ever.
Gold Lightning Bolt Nails
For a rocker chic mani, opt for a black and gold color palette. If you don’t have a steady hand, you may want to enlist the help of a professional nail artist to recreate this nail art. Another option? Use nail decals—Etsy sells a bunch.
Black and White Pastel Gradient Grid Nails
Grid nails had a moment earlier this year so if you’d like to keep the trend rolling, opting for a black base is a way to go. Then, if you love color, too, you can add a gradient stripe here and there for a fun, ’90s-inspired pop.
Matte Black Crystal Nails
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While the solid black nails in this set will be easy to recreate, the magical accents will require notable skill, so go ahead and dial up your nail artist.
Black Mix-n-Match Nails
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How fun are these black-and-white mix-n-match nails? With French tips, aura accents, and shimmering rhinestones, they’re trendy in more ways than one.
Matte Black Smiley Nails
These matte black nails remind us of a chalkboard. The happy smiley faces will become a bright spot in your day, trust us.
Dual-Finish Black French Tips
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Dual-finish French manicures are stunning, no matter what color you craft them with. Here, you can see how going darker doesn’t take away from the nail look; it adds to it.
Black Glitter Swirl Nails
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Swirl nails remain a popular request this year. When opting for black swirls, consider glamming it up with glitter while you’re at it.
Black Opal Heart Nails
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Black nail designs don’t always require black bases. Sometimes, a sheer, shimmery base with black nail art is the way to go. Case in point? These pretty heart-dotted nails.