There’s nothing quite like warmer weather and a little extra sunlight to inspire you to switch up your look, and one of the easiest ways to do so is with a fresh manicure. As we bring out the cute floral dresses and strappy high-heels from deep within our closets, I couldn’t help but wonder, what 2023 spring nail trends should I be pairing my outfits with?
Amidst dark and cold days it can be hard to imagine that spring is around the corner. But, pretty soon, the flowers will start to bloom and the sun will be shining. While transitional dressing can always be a little tricky, tweaking your manicure is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to usher in the season. Spring nail polish colors, in all their happy-go-lucky glory, can help bridge the gap ‘til summer and possibly even boost your mood along the way.
Today on the Style Edit I’m sharing some beautiful manicure ideas to usher in the sunny season. If you’re new here, The Style Edit is where I talk about the next biggest fashion trends seen around the web. Make sure to subscribe for more style tips!
Luckily there are countless spring nail art trends to choose from, whether you want to go for Y2K details, a sleek micro French manicure or cotton candy jelly nails. (No really, that’s a thing.)
Let’s dive right in,
1. Glazed Donut Chrome Nails Call them Hailey Bieber nails, Glazed Donut nails, or whatever you want—chrome nails are simply the biggest nail trend of 2023. Many variations on the look have gone viral on TikTok, with the hashtag #glazeddonutnails racking up over 170 million views. Silver, bronze, metallic, — chrome nails in any color are sure to turn heads this year.
Chrome Nail Powder 2. Floral French Mani As Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada says: “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” It really wouldn’t be a spring manicure list without a flower or two, but rest assured this year’s take on the classic design is not as mundane as you would think.
This year it’s all about turning your tips into a lush wildflower bouquet with hand-painted leaves, stems, and petals. Sticking on floral decals and botanical prints can also turn your tips into a garden.
3. Groovy Swirls & Y2K Nails Mixed pattern trends are still really popular – this season we’re loving swirly designs with other motifs layered on top. Swirls give totally different vibes depending on the colors you use on the design or the base. For something more retro pick out funky, bright colors like pink and yellow, then layer on plenty of hearts, smiley faces, and flowers.
4. (Not Your Average) French Manicure The 2023 version of the French mani is waaaaay cooler than it’s ever been before — I’m talking color, decals, and really fun shapes. I’m truly obsessed with these smiley and cherry manicures 🙂
For more french manicure ideas, make sure to check out my post: 60 Cute French Tip Nails That Are Anything but Basic
5. Gold Tips Listen, I’m never not excited about nail trends, especially when gold is in the mix. Whether it’s an ever-so-slight sparkle or a full-on bedazzlement, gold nails are all the rage this spring.
For more gold manicure ideas, make sure to check out my post: 15 Stunning Gold Nail Inspo To Copy For Your Next Manicure.
6. Clean Girl Nails aka “Milky Nails” The clean girl look that has changed how we approach makeup can also be incorporated into your next manicure. This aesthetic is still going strong and I’ve been seeing A LOT OF sheer, milky manicures lately. It’s a great option for a ‘your-nails-but-better’ look, like a tinted moisturizer for your nails.
I put together a little how-to tutorial on how to get the look with instructions for both my gel cure girlies and my traditional nail polish ladies.
DIY: How To Do The Viral Milky Nails Trend At Home On A Budget
7. Lilic nails Lilac nails is this season’s hottest nail color. It’s easy to understand why – lilac is flattering on most skin tones. Lilic is a great go-to shade for both casual and formal occasions (aside from the usual versatile nudes or reds).
8. Green with envy Now that spring has arrived, it’s the perfect time to start incorporating some fresh, new colors into your manicure repertoire. Green nails can be subtly elegant or eye-catching and vibrant, depending on the shade and style.
Um, is green my new favorite color?
9. Baby Blues Need a playful and flirty nail color to wear this spring? If you’re an avid Tiktok user (as most teens and young adults these days are), then you might have stumbled across the “light blue nails” trend a few months ago that had every girl on a chokehold for at least a few weeks.
10. Cotton Candy Jelly Nails The K-beauty Jelly Nails manicure has been trending heavily on Pinterest over the past 6 months. In fact, my Jelly Nails tutorial ( DIY: How To Do The Viral Jelly Nails Trend At Home On A Budget ) is my most viewed article this month. 2023’s version of the jelly mani is a mix of 2-3 colors creating a cute cotton candy galaxy. You can recreate the oh-so-coveted “gwiyeoun sonyeo” Korean look by adding cute emojis, small flowers, rhinestones, glitters and so much more.
11. Unexpected French Nail Tips Love them or hate them, the staying power of the French manicure is undeniable. Timeless does not mean boring — and these two abstract multi-colored french tips prove that.
12. Cat Eye Nails Cat eye nails, inspired by the mesmerizing pupil slits in actual feline eyes, add hypnotic depth to all sorts of polish colors by harnessing the power of a magnet. These endlessly unique manicures practically beg to be stared at all day long. The other best part about cat eye nails? Just how easy they are to do at home. With so many brands and companies offering their own magnetized nail polish in an assortment of colors and styles, all you need is a tiny magnet, which is often included in polish bundles at kits.
13. Queen of Hearts Valentine’s day may be over but hearts will never go out of style. For more heart designs you’re guaranteed to love no matter your relationship status, check out 11 Cute Valentine’s Day 2023 Nail trends You’ll Want To Copy.
14. Leaf Syndrome Contrary to what I used to think (that green nails were exclusively for St. Patrick’s Day at best), I’m now fully committed to playing around with some shade of green this year, whether I’m Instagramming a fresh set of acrylics or just swiping on a quick coat of spring nail polish.
15. Aura & Dotted Nails It’s easier than ever to get aura nails, aka polish that perfectly blends from dark to light. This is spring 2023’s take on ombre nails. Instead of the color fading from the base of your nail to the tip, the aura swirls out from the center for an updated look. Add dots up and down the nail to create a pop-art effect.
