The 1990s have inspired A LOT of current trends. From television reboots to velvet chokers to thick-sole sneakers, it's basically like we are living in the '90s all over again — except without the pagers and crimped hair (although I would not be surprised if that came back in style too). The nostalgia of Nicktoons, Lisa Frank, and Clueless are popping up on T-shirts, tattoos, accessories, and even nail art. We already saw a rising trend in jelly nails, which were inspired by the popular jelly sandals, but these nail designs are a whole new level of throwback. Seriously, these designs will give you all of the flashbacks.
People have gotten manicures that reflect everything we love about the '90s. The flame prints, "S" doodles, holographic aliens, and classic toys — people thought of it all. There are nail designs with Furbies, Trolls, and tons of our favorite shows that aired on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and MTV. People have illustrated Scooby-Doo, Daria, and The Powerpuff Girls on their nails and it looks insanely cool. In addition to the iconic cartoons, people have also done interpretations of Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Goosebumps. It is crazy how many memories a simple logo, color scheme, or print can bring back. All of these creative and detailed manicure ideas have us wanting to call up our nail salons to make an appointment right now! These manicures are just what we needed to go with our overalls and butterfly hair clips. Here are 20 nail art ideas that are all about the '90s nostalgia.
'Saved by the Bell' 1990s Nails
Saved by the Bell was arguably one of the most-loved shows of the early '90s. These nails were inspired by the fun artwork used in the intro to the hit sitcom.
Peace & Flames '90s Nails
These funky '90s nails embody the best of the best nostalgia trends: aliens, flames, smiley faces, and those weird "S" things we all used to doodle in our notebooks. Gotta love it!
Classic Toys '90s Nails
The toys of the '90s were undoubtedly iconic. These nails feature a troll doll, a Furby, and a Tamagotchi.
Cynthia '90s Nails
Rugrats fans will undoubtedly recognize Angelica's favorite doll, Cynthia. These pink sparkly nails are amazing!
Holographic Alien '90s Nails
The whole "alien chic" trend of the '90s has often been attributed to people's love of the The X-Files, which first aired in 1993. These holographic alien nails are out of this world.
Trolls '90s Nails
Plastic little Troll dolls were popular in the '90s — I'm sure most of us had a collection of them with all different hair colors. This fun manicure idea is playful and nostalgic.
'Scooby-Doo' '90s Nails
Scooby-Doo and the rest of Mystery Inc. have been around since 1969, but the cartoon adaptations were wildly popular during the '90s, especially for kids who watched Cartoon Network. This groovy manicure nailed it!
'Aaahh!!! Real Monsters' '90s Nails
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters was a cartoon that aired on Nickelodeon from 1994 to 1997. This nail art features a couple of the main characters from the show, but with a glam mix of matte burgundy nails as well.
Lisa Frank '90s Nails
Lisa Frank is a true '90s staple! Who could resist those rainbow leopards, big-eyed cats, and purple dolphins?! This manicure used Lisa Frank-esque details.
'Goosebumps' '90s Nails
The creepy show Goosebumps, based on R.L. Stine's book series, offered chilling campfire tales for kids from 1995 to 1998. These nails are not only great for '90s kids, but they're pretty cool for Halloween, too!
'Clueless' '90s Nails
The 1995 cult classic movie Clueless made the phrase "as if" and yellow plaid all the rage when it was released. These nails do a great job at hinting at the film in a stylish way.
'Daria' 1990s Nails
Daria was a popular animated sitcom that aired from on MTV from 1997 to 2002. These nails feature the moody teen Daria and her best friend, Jane Lane — and pizza of course.
'The Powerpuff Girls' 1990s Nails
No one fights crime like the Powerpuff Girls! These adorable nails have close-up designs of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.
Nostalgic TV '90s Nails
Just about every young person in the '90s watched cartoons on Nickelodeon and music videos on MTV. This glittery nail art also includes the show All That and the iconic "S" doodle.
'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' '90s Nails
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a family sitcom starring Will Smith that aired from 1990-1996. These nails expertly detail the funky '90s style that Will always expressed on the show.
'Ren & Stimpy and Cow & Chicken' '90s Nails
These neon nails take characters from two different cartoons. Ren & Stimpy and Cow and Chicken were both silly shows that were funny, kind of gross, and totally bizarre.
'Recess' '90s Nails
The cartoon Recess aired in 1997 and lasted three seasons. This creative nail design shows each of the main characters: Gretchen, Gus, T.J., Vince, Mikey, and Spinelli.
'Hey Arnold!' '90s Nails
Hey Arnold! was another classic Nicktoon. This nail art features Arnold and his friend/enemy who is secretly in love with him, Helga G. Pataki. We love the contrast with the teal and pink.
'Space Jam' 1990s Nails
Space Jam was one of those movies that I'm sure many of us watched on repeat (I know I did). The 1996 film starred NBA legend Michael Jordan and showed him playing basketball with the Looney Toons! classic. This manicure shows some of the Looney Toons, as well as their competition the movie, The Monstars.
NickToons '90s Nails
This Nicktoon design combines characters from a few different '90s shows: Ren & Stimpy, CatDog, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Rocko's Modern Life, and The Angry Beavers. It also includes the iconic Nick logo. Perfection!
