as big a fan as I am gel manicure And neutral nail colors (I will be wearing funny bunnies and bubble baths until the day I die), I recently discovered the magic of acrylic nails after meeting fashion people during my daily commute in New York City. When it comes to feeling together, basic nail care And neat-looking nails have always been unattainable for me. I’ve been giving myself permission to step out of my comfort zone and play with nail lengths, designs and 3D details in recent months.
Wondering which ones I’ll try? Below are 20 unique acrylic nail designs I’d request during my manicures and try to recreate at home, plus a look at the inspiration and products the experts used to perfectly create their looks. I will take a look. Trust me when I say that you’ll want to take screenshots of these for quick and easy access when you’re asked to choose your nail color at the nail salon.
best acrylic nail designs
1. Delicate Gemstone
This stunning crystal-embossed manicure is perfect for anyone fond of clean, semi-minimalist designs with a hint of sparkle. Celebrity manicurist creating this nail look for Megan Fox britney boyce Clear Gel-X stiletto tips used with a thin coat of spring sigh On extensions to faux natural nails from Après, leaving the rest of the nail clean. The nails were decorated with topcoat and scattered stones.
2. Stardust
If you’re looking for an easy way to update a classic cosmos-inspired manicure, consider recreating this design by Boyce for your next trip to the nail salon. I’m obsessed with how beautiful the sleek black stars look with the delicate rhinestones at their center. Plus, the blush-pink base definitely allows the stars to shine here.
3. Yayoi Kusama Dots
It’s for modern art lovers and anyone who appreciates a playful polka-dot design. Inspired by the striking contemporary style of artist Yayoi Kusama, this manicure look was hand-painted by a celebrity nail artist Bettina Goldstein Each nail features alternating playful patterns – ranging from a vibrant red and white design to tiny black dabs against a yellow background.
4. Pearly white
As someone who tends to lean more on the minimalist side when choosing acrylic nail designs, I love when elegant manicures incorporate nail trends in neutral colors. This white chrome nail look by celebrity nail artist iram shelton The sparkle of pearls with the sparkle of gems sprinkled here and there gives off the ultimate glamour.
5. Flames like gold
Another nail art trend I’m looking to try for my next set of acrylics is metal-toned flames. Paragon Beauty LLC The take on trend includes vivid shades of white, green and yellow with glittering gold flames that dance across the surface of the nails. If you want to try more than one nail art trend at once, I can imagine trying it out with Aura nails in one of my favorite colors.
6. Silver Chrome
Since the chrome manicure has been reaching astronomical heights in popularity over the past few years (which can largely be attributed to Hailey Bieber’s internet-breaking chrome nails), you’d think there are only so many ways to wear this trend. This silver chrome manicure with cross detail is clear proof that chrome and Gothic Beauty Trend is an unbeatable pair.
7. Kintsugi
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique of repairing broken pottery by joining the pieces together using flexible lacquer or mixed with gold lacquer. These neon-green nails were created by a celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigat They also have a similar look with gold details that resemble that art form. To get this particular shade, they mixed together OPI’s gel colors no fake yellow And green come true,
8. Shiny Daisies
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, floral nail designs are always a good idea, even if they aren’t exactly new. This pearl manicure from Shelton is one of my favorites because it combines a playful daisy-inspired nail design with delicate rhinestone details on a creamy white base. It’s cute, concise and very easy to recreate with a little patience.
9. Blue flames
For anyone who’s planning to jump on the blue-flame art trend without committing to too much color, try recreating these Y2K-esque blue-flame nails with a touch of chrome. If you look closely, you’ll also be able to see a hidden heart on each nail where the flames reach their point of contact. How funny is that?
10. Mixed neutrals
For those of you who are having difficulty deciding which nail design to choose, take this as your sign that you really don’t have to choose one over the other. In fact, you can mix and match up to 10 of your favorite patterns in the same color scheme. If you ask me, it’s the perfect way to try out some of those new nail designs you’ve had your eye on all at once.
11. Rainbow Fade
I know I said I prefer neutral acrylic nail designs, but this looks whimsical and bright marigold nails What has been dubbed the “rainbow fade manicure” has probably won my heart. There’s still enough natural nails shown that it’s versatile, and the semi-arched rainbow design that reaches the nails is soft and effortlessly chic. I think this manicure would look great on different nail shapes, but almond is always and always going to be my favorite.
12. Mother of pearl
I often wear pearl jewelry, so knowing that there is an acrylic manicure that puts pearls front and center brings me back immediately. mermaidcore and siren beauty trends We saw the entire summer of 2023. To create this look, Goldstein used no wipe top coat And a pearl powder by CND with real freshwater pearls.
13. Comic Book Outline
I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this fun comic book-inspired French manicure Ganzerigt created for media personality Liza Koshy at the 2024 AMAs is insanely fabulous. This is a unique nail design so Detailed, and if you look closely, you can see some cartoon-like light flashes and curves. To be honest, I’m already considering it as part of my casual Halloween look for next year.
14. Green-and-brown aura
Well—I’ve been seeing the aura emerging everywhere lately, from fashion-forward content creators on social media to stylish celebrities on the red carpet. (I’m looking at you, Megan Fox and Vanessa Hudgens.) Ganzorigt created these green and brown aura nails for Hudgens, adding a retro starburst to the third finger.
15. Mod manicure
Mod acrylic nails like these provide the perfect opportunity to play with shapes and colors until you find the best look. For the nails above, Shelton shared via Instagram that she took inspiration from the HBO hit series Excitement And used Ella+Mila nail polish Dream And lights out,
16. Pattern Play
This mismatched manicure created for Madeline Cline by Ganzorigat has been stuck in my mind rent-free since it appeared on my feed. Not only does this nail design have one of my favorite color combinations (citrus and marine tones always look gorgeous together), but it also has lots of cute designs and textures.
17. Graphite Frenchie
Light-hued metallic tips like this French manicure from Boyce will always win my heart and grab my attention, especially when they’re created with a graphite nail polish shade instead of your usual silver or gold. I will be copying this look ASAP!
18. Deep Aura
Not all aura manicures on acrylic nails need to be in primary and pastel colors. Instead, try this moody, dark aura nail design using navy blue and deep black colors. Boyce chose two of these shades après To bring this delightfully bold look to life.
19. Folded Tuxedo
I spent hours A day scrolling through nail inspiration as part of my work, and I can definitely say this is one of the most unique acrylic nail looks I’ve seen. Ganzorigat’s goal was to create something classic, chic and Chanel-inspired for Hudgens ahead of her appearance on the Oscars 2023 red carpet. To create the twisted effect, she used OPI nail polish black onyx And funny Bunny,
20. Neon Aura
Lastly, I’m loving these bright and shiny neon glow nails, which have pink and orange on one side and green and yellow on the other. The finished look is playful and unique – like many of the iconic manicures created by Boyce that look especially good on long acrylic nails.