When the weather gets colder, we have to swap our high heels for boots, our fancy updos for hat-proof styles, and find creative ways to stay warm without feeling like a snowman. It’s not easy to stay positive and happy all year round, but having the right manicure can give us the boost we’re looking for and ensure we stay on trend, too.
Having a uniquely designed manicure is a fun way to add a touch of our personality to any outfit. There aren’t a whole lot of ways to go wrong with a manicure. Even the most extravagant designs have a place and minimal ones can have a big impact, too. The trends are as varied as our tastes and these can mean short nails, long nails, subdued colors or bright and bold ones.
For anyone looking for inspiration for their next manicure that will help you feel your best self, we scoured the internet to find the best nail designs. These are a mix of extravagant, minimalist, glitter, and basic designs, and there’s something perfect here for everyone. Take a look!
A Winter Scene
Some nail techs channel their inner Bob Ross and turn nails into small canvases, and the results are incredible. We love this winter-themed nail design with the bare trees with snowy branches. It's perfect for winter, but can also be amazing for fall with some brighter splotches of orange and reds for leaves. And that sky gradient on its own is incredible.
Matte Glitter & Rosy Pink
There is nothing that says nails have to be fully painted to be a good look. This minimal look with matte glitter would be beautiful on long or short nails, and in any shape, too. There is also a lot of play room. For example, using a brighter base color or using a shiny glitter. Of course, this look with the light base and sporadic tiny glitters is amazing on its own, too.
Pink, Gold, & White
We love a long almond shape and while our first instinct might be to make them either bright or neutral colors, there’s so much more we can do with the manicure with all that extra space. We love this bright pink look that brings some fun for the eyes with the different subtle looks on each nail. It’s a great middle ground for someone who wants a bold look that’s not too loud.
Milky White
We’re so excited that textures and embellishments are so welcome in manicures now because they really elevate a look. This would be boring if it was just a solid milky white. Nothing wrong with that, but the addition of the solid whites, the sweater pattern, and snowflakes takes this to the next level.
Purple With Texture
Obsessed is one way to feel about this manicure. It has everything to grab our attention and the mix of textures, patterns, and colors all work so well for this shape. This would look just as amazing in any other shade, too. If purple isn’t a favorite, try blue, brown, or even neon looks for an '80s vibe.
Blue, White, & Accent Design
Blue is a beautiful color, but not all tones of blue work with every skin tone. That’s why we love this look though. This is the absolute perfect blue that would look good on every skin tone — and every nail shape, too. This longer nail look is given a little snowflake accent that brings a little pizazz without going over the top.
Stiletto Nude With a Pop
Stiletto nails are amazing for those who are comfortable rocking them. They can be a bolder look, but there are ways to wear the shape without having the hands be too much of a focus. This stiletto nude with a pop color is an example. The simple tip designs keep the minimal look to this manicure, but of course there’s the embellishments on the accent nail that take all the attention.
Blush & Gold
There are a lot of situations where a shorter nail is the best bet, but that doesn't mean playing with colors isn't possible. We love this subdued look with a light rose color covering the nails. To add a little something, these beautiful gold stripes stand out and bring a real beauty together that's going to get this manicure noticed.
Foil Pops
Texture is often overlooked when it comes to designs for our manicures, but this set shows just how powerful and eye-catching texture can be. This look uses a foil texture on two full nails, which is then repeated as the French nail accent on the other nails. This helps the look stay modern, completely on trend, and something we bet nail techs will see a lot of requests for this year.
Blue Tips & Snowflakes
There is something special about this look and it probably has everything to do with the unique tips. These have foil embellishments encapsulated in the nail tips, giving a dimensional effect. It's a modern twist on glitter where the pop of flash is still right there on each nail but it doesn't feel like it's competing for attention. We love the blues and whites together.
So Much Sparkle
For anyone who is not shy about standing out with a manicure, this one is so beautiful it almost hurts. It's bright, it's blingy, the long stiletto nails are beautiful, and we love the cool but regal vibe to the colors of the embellishments. When it hits the light in the right way, these look like crowns for each nail — and we love that.
All the Colors
This manicure design is a great example of how to do color while maintaining a minimal look. These tend to work really well for a variety of workplaces, but still let the person infuse their personality into their nails. The nude base color doesn't compete with the bright stripes. Each finger could have its own color like this look, or a stripe of each color per nail would look amazing, too.
Bring Spring Into Winter
If adventure in a manicure is the goal, we're obsessed with this look because it has a little bit of everything. We see various textures, design elements, and bold colors — and it's absolutely beautiful. This is a great look for someone who likes to stand out, and the longer nail lets the art shine.
Minimal But Cute
This manicure stands out because it shows how to do soft colors the right way. It allows for some fun with the different colors — using circles, lines, and abstract patterns — and how well that can play with a shorter nail. This is an example of a manicure that would work for day or night and for play or work.
Play With Textures & Patterns
We don't have to have bold and bright colors to make a real statement with our manicure. This design shows the different ways that patterns and textures can change the feel of the look — even if the colors are muted, gray, white, and black only. We love the different white spaces added on a few of the nails, too. There are times where nothing on a nail can be a really strong look.
A Little Love With Red
Sometimes, a manicure is screaming for a red, but that color can come across as overly aggressive. This design — with the red tips plus a white stripe horizontally in the middle of the nail — all on a neutral light color, still gives that bright color but doesn't seem too loud or overwhelming. The best of both worlds, really.
Dual Colors
This manicure gives a little something extra than just choosing one color. This could be recreated using the nude and black or using brighter colors if that's more the vibe we're going for. The reason this one looks so good is the alternating colors on the nails. One has nude then black and the next finger has black then nude. It can be as subtle or bright as desired.
Golden Glitter
Every once in a while, glitter is what we need to bring us out of a funk. While it's not always the most grown-up look, there are ways to incorporate it into the manicure while not risking looking like a kid obsessed with Disney princesses. We love the white stripe along the middle of the nail and the glitter covering just the tip of the nail.
Short But Eye-Catching
Not every manicure has to be loud, bright, and full of color to make an impact. We love this super minimal look! It's a gorgeous neutral color with a small swipe of black and white on the tips. The shorter nails means this could work for moms with young kids and in a variety of professions. The look would be just as strong for someone who has longer nails, too.
That ‘90s Vibe
Sometimes it's hard to narrow down what color we want to use and that's where getting creative with them helps. This manicure has a fun '90s vibe to it with the colors and patterns. But with the neutral base, it can work with a whole variety of outfits, and we could all use that extra pop of color!
