You raided stores looking for any possible shade of red and gold to get that Christmassy look, and now you’re out of budget and out of ideas for your Valentine’s day? Worry not, dear friend: I got you.
First of all, although there are some specific shades that everybody likes to wear when the sun’s out or when spooky season starts, any colour can be worn on your nails at any time. Red is a year-round timeless classic, although – together with pink - it is typically associated with love – therefore becoming a trademark for anything Valentine’s themed. Not a fan of these mushy-mushy shades? That’s okay too. Our selection of nail art ideas features a wide range of designs and colours to inspire you and, obviously, to go with your favourite outfit and hairstyle for your special day.
From French manicure to funky tips, prints, foil, glitter, and the trendy use of negative space with glossy and matte colours, these designs can be a real game-changer and give the final touch to your beautiful hands! Ready to embark on an adventure? We sure are. Here are 30 nail design ideas for Valentine’s Day 2022!
1. Nail Designs For Valentine’s Day: 70s Geometric Nail Art
In the past year we’ve been subject to the charming, eclectic colours, swirls, and geometric designs that characterised the 70s, coming along with flare pants and the dreaded comeback of the mules. Big hair and brown shades complete the look, and how could we not include any 70s inspired looks for your nails too? If you’re thinking of dancing to a jukebox in a cute, little retro bar on your Valentine’s day date, get your nail art brushes ready to recreate this hypnotic, geometric design.
Not a fan of abstract shapes? Inspired by the funky patterns typical of the disco scene during the 1970s, you will absolutely love this hippie-like floral look with added sparkles. Painted in the rich, earthy tones that defined an era – such as sienna red, avocado green, sunflower yellow, and cerulean blue – it will definitely steal some hearts.
Last but not least, if you’re all for the gemstones look, check out this 70s inspired nail art design curated by Buzzfeed, that promises to stay as loyal as possible to the original nail art trends in vogue at the time. Just like traveling in time, am I right?
2. Nail Designs For Valentine’s Day: Pink Glitter Nail Art
Sometimes simple is the best option! And remember: simple doesn’t necessarily mean boring, not at all. In fact, pink is an evergreen, solid choice when it comes to Valentine’s nails. If you’re not afraid of standing out, you can always add glitter to make your nails sparkle like it’s fireworks night, reminding everyone that you make like to keep things simple – but you’re not basic at all.
Don’t want to go all-in with the sparkles? Then why not try glitter gradient nails instead? This design focuses on keeping the glitter towards the end of your nail, with a major concentration of sparkle on the tip, and leaving space for a more natural, nude shade of pink around the cuticle. The combinations that you can play and experiment with are countless, between the base colour and glitters of your choice. With this tutorial, mastering the skill of glitter gradient nails will be the easiest thing.
Similar to the nail art above, glitter ombre is a trendy choice that you can make work the other way around too. Instead of having the glitter concentrating on the tips of your nails, they will start from your cuticles and fade out as they run towards the end of your nailbed. With dip powder, this gradient effect is soft and glamorous.
3. Nail Designs For Valentine’s Day: 3D Sweater Heart Nails Art
If you’re still not ready to let go of the cozy season, then sweater nail art might just be what you need.
“Sweaters are not exactly my first choice for beauty inspo” you may think, but please – think again! This cute, cable-knit-inspired design started trending on Instagram around 2016 – such a great time – and has been a recurring beauty bloggers’ favorite every year, as soon as the first brown leaf falls to the ground. Why not spice it up with a love theme for Valentine’s day?
Not a fan of heart-shaped anything? Then keep it classic with a winter must-have. Sweater nail art makes me want to curl up next to a fire with a mug filled with hot chocolate and simply forget about the world outside! If you, like me, are a huge fan of the snowing season and all the cozy, warm winter aesthetic, then the classic cable-knit-inspired sweater nail art will suffice and add a quirky but classy touch to your outfit. Keep it monochrome for a minimal, elegant Ralph Lauren effect!
If you’d like to re-create this look at home but don’t really like the thickness of this 3d acrylic powder look, then try this tutorial to achieve sweater nail art with gel polish only!
4. Nail Designs For Valentine’s Day: Rose Quartz Nail Design
What’s more romantic than rose quartz? Okay, perhaps a few things… Roses, candle-lit homemade dinner, cuddling on the sofa whilst watching your favorite film, and the lost art of love letters. Okay, okay, I get it. But come on, the beauty of rose quartz and its strong association with spiritual romance are absolutely undeniable! So why not make it part of your nail art routine every now and then?
If you love this precious stone look but are not the biggest fan of this particular shade of pink, feel free to experiment and try different type of minerals and crystals. Have you thought perhaps how jade nails would be equally amazing?
And last but not least, since it’s Aquarius season, why not getting lucky with this Amethyst inspired gemstone nail art?
5. Nail Designs For Valentine’s Day: Cow Print Acrylic Nails
Ah yes, someone mentioned it and I didn’t get the memo, as per usual. Animal prints are back! (Were they even ever gone?)
Sexy, quirky, magnetic: just like the beautiful animals that wear these patterns in the wild, these animalier nail designs are to die for! If you’re looking for a different animal pattern and want to detach yourself from the classic leopard print that your mom used to wear when going for a Martini with her colleagues when you were a teenager, try this quirky cow print nail design.
Also inspired by the animal kingdom and modernised with a dash of bright colour is the French croc print – similar to a French manicure, where the tips of your nails are painted in a funky coloured texture similar to crocodile skin instead. An interesting take on neon coloured nails and inspiration from the beauty of reptiles!
From the depths of Africa, one of the most underrated animal prints belongs to giraffes. Yes, that’s correct: not only these gentle giants have the world’s longest lashes, they’ve also been blessed with a unique coat design! A giraffe’s fur’s pattern varies from region to region, but it’s generally defined by large orange or chestnut blotches separated by thin, cream-coloured hair. Are you intrigued yet?
6. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Pink French Manicure
This nail trend gained its popularity during the 1920s and it’s easy to see why it lasted for a hundred years: the French manicure is the most classic nail art of all time, no doubt. Simple, effective, versatile! Usually obtained by highlighting your nail tips with white nail polish, you can pair it with different types of nail art: rhinestones, pastel or neon colours, 3D art and so on – not to mention that it’s perfect for literally any occasion, formal or casual. For the occasion, why not make it hot pink?
As time goes by and fashion changes, even the French tip manicure has evolved and resulted in many variations of this timeless classic. If you’re going for a slightly edgier vibe, make it a V-Tip French manicure (ideal for longer nails).
Last but not least, gradient French manicure (or French ombre) has been all over the internet and is a prime choice for many celebrities and influencers. Also known as the “baby boomer nails”, this particular look ditched the defined contrasting tips, blending the nude base and white tips together and resulting in a gradient colour transition. Here’s how to recreate it with acrylic nails!
7. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Pink Marble Nails
If you, like me, like to snoop around the latest trends in terms of fashion and beauty, then you will know there is no such thing as “being uninspired”. Life imitates art after all, isn’t it?
So why can’t your kitchen’s countertop be an inspiration for your beauty routine? That’s right, you heard me. Marble nails have been around for around 7 years now, and they have secured their place in the top 10 best nail art designs of the decade, with over 2 millions of posts tagged #marblenails on Instagram.
Once again, if you’re a fan of these artsy and delicate nail art designs but don’t like the thickness of gel polish and acrylics, don’t worry: you can still achieve it with regular polish. In this video tutorial, Tamsin shows us 7 different ways to get marble nails without gel polish.
Feeling experimental or simply not too keen on getting the full look? Then try this stunning design as shown by Infinity Nails on Youtube: pink marble extra-long French tips on a neutral background. With your favourite colours for both base and tips, the combinations are countless.
8. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Lavender Nails
Inspired by the lovely shade typical of the Mediterranean evergreen shrub, lavender nails are a popular choice for multiple occasions. Classy, young, fresh – this colour is the perfect alternative to the stereotypical Valentine’s Day choices without missing out on being extremely romantic. If you made lavender your choice for your special day but are unsure on the style, here’s a lavender-inspired design so beautiful you can almost get a whiff of its flowery look.
Lilac and bling-bling? Yes please! In this nail set lavender’s colour is incorporated in different styles (gradient French manicure, diagonal French manicure and marble nails) and finished with a touch of glitter and a few tiny rhinestones here and there. Absolutely perfect for those who appreciate the lavender shade but don’t want to give up on being a bit extra!
You can’t think of endless, gorgeous, purple lavender fields without thinking of spring and Nature waking up. Swallows fly high in the sky and butterflies flutter around under the pale sun of an early April’s day… You get the vibe. If you love all of this as much as I do, then you’ll fall in love with this lavender French tips design with butterfly stickers.
9. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: White Heart Negative Space Nails
If you love a low-maintenance manicure, negative space nails are your perfect match. I personally am the worst when it comes to maintaining an elaborated mani – meaning that my hands usually look fire for a few days, and then they start to chip away. Disgustang!
Thankfully, some artsy folk found the perfect solution for lazy, messy people like me that still want to look trendy: negative space manicure! A negative space manicure is a long-lasting choice for your nail art without missing out on creative designs. For Valentine’s day, heart negative space nails are an absolute classic.
If you wanted to keep it less geometric and more artsy, this lovely negative space nail design featuring magenta-framed heart windows on a bright pink background are a solid choice.
Not feeling artsy enough to experiment with complex DIY negative space designs? Then this adorable pill-looking half pink half nude manicure will do the trick. As seen on Lily Rose’s video, this simple design gets sparked up with the little heart stamps at the centre, resulting in a minimalistic and chic effect.
10. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Strawberry And Cream Swirl Nails
Ever heard the popular phrase “looks good enough to eat”? This abstract nail design (also known as milkshake swirl nails) has taken over the internet in the past year, probably following the 60s and 70s revival craze. The swirl nail art is a funky, creative design that can benefit both from negative space and bold background colours; versatile and adaptable, swirl nails are the ideal choice for beginners that would like to experiment with some simple yet effective nail art! For Valentine’s Day, this strawberry-and-cream-inspired swirl design will make you hungry (but keep you looking sweet as ever, I promise)!
Who said that basic equals boring? This French-manicure-inspired swirl style keeps it simple but it’s stunningly refined nonetheless.
And last but not least, as seen on Amy’s Youtube channel (Amy’s Nail Addiction), this style can also be slightly varied by adding some colour (pastel, bright or even neon) and use negative space to create beautifully crafted minimalistic and modern designs.
11. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Nude Nails
This is a classic choice – and probably the most flattering one out there. Low-key and vague but also elegant and polished (no pun intended), nude nails are a safe choice for every occasion. They can be worn as they are, or used as a base for delicate nail art and French manicure – and if you want to add drama, you can always opt for coffin-shaped long acrylic claws.
This is an interesting take on nude nails! Ever noticed how the bottom of your acrylics always tend to look not-so-good compared to the top part? LongHairPrettyNails shows us how to solve this problem creatively, adding a kick to a basic matte nude manicure.
And what about a multicolour nude manicure? As nude shades range from the palest beige, pink and brown to their darker counterparts, there’s a good number of nuances you can play with and get yourself a gradient manicure.
12. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Rainbow Pastel Nails
Who doesn’t like rainbows? Generally known as a symbol of hope, thankfulness and solidarity, rainbows are one of the most beautiful manifestations of nature in the sky. When applied to beauty, rainbow colours offer a very playful combination of shades that will make anyone channel their inner child without missing out on looking super trendy! And if you prefer to keep it low-key, here’s a glamourous pastel-coloured design to adopt for a colourful but subtle touch.
Remember how we talked about negative space and French-tips? What if I told you that you can combine them? This rainbow manicure by Tina Nails It was originally inspired by the subtle rainbow tips mani worn by Kylie Jenner a couple of years ago, and combined with a nail art design featured on Park Eun-kyung’s Instagram. For those who don’t know her, Eun-kyung is a South Korean nail artist and trend setter – arguably the most famous nail artist of our time! You can see her works on her Instagram: @nail_unistella).
If you wanted to go just a little bit extra instead, get inspired by this glitter rainbow manicure by Tracy Lou’s Nails!
13. Nail Design For Valentine’s Day: Pink Flame Nails
Who said the Valentine’s Day has to be all mushy mushy and chocolates? If you’re more of a fiery type, add some fire (quite literally in this case) to your manicure. Hot pink claws and flames, because yes, that’s why! This design by Ninja Nail Fairy (this is one of the coolest Youtube channel names ever, by the way) combines holographic magenta acrylics with white flames in contrast and – fifty points If you guessed it – NEGATIVE SPACE.
If you want to keep it hot but also subtle, this basic flame outline nail art on a nude base will do the trick. It’s a beautiful, delicate and minimalistic design that will keep your hands elegant whilst looking lit – no pun intended00!
And talking about minimalistic nail arts, how could I not include this genius design? Don’t get fooled by its simplicity; this simple white French manicure in the shape of flames is the absolute must for those that would like to go for a delicate yet fierce vibe. In this video, Imarni (of London's Imarni Nails) will show you how to achieve this look. It may look hard to achieve, but with a little practice and patience you too can make this nail art at home.
Neon, pastel, 3D, extra-long, square, coffin-shaped, pointy, glittery, matte… The possibilities are infinite! What are you waiting for? Whether you’re about to grab your tools and give yourself a manicure to swoon over.
