25 Simple Nail Designs 2024

July 20, 2024

Bright Lines

Bored of the classic French mani? Try a reverse French using bold, alternating shades of polish.

Little Hearts

Even on otherwise naked nails, the tiny design shines. For a more unexpected take, try using black polish, as seen here.

Half and Half

You can use any two colors to do a two-tone look, but we're smitten with this muted version from NYC nail salon Sundays.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Dip Dye

It looks fancy, but this dyed effect is deceptively easy: Add a few drops of polish to a small bowl of water, then dip your nail in, and clean up your cuticles with polish remover. Et voila!

Dainty Flowers

Florals can be as minimal or intricate as you want them to be. For something on the easy end of the spectrum, consider this design, created out of simple dots.

Negative-Space Neon

Swirls of highlighter-yellow polish are even more vibrant against a neutral background.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Glitter Tips

Berry Cute

Who knew? Paint a few little dots and flicks, and suddenly you'll have a bushel of blueberries on your fingernails.

Marble Mani

This abstract look hardly takes any skill at all. Add a few drops of the colors of your choice—no more than three or four, or it could get muddled—to a clean surface (like a paper plate), then take a clean brush to just barely swirl them together. Then, drag the brush once across each nail.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Snow Leopard

Using a dotting tool, blot a bit of polish in haphazard "spots" across your nail for an animal-print effect. Side note: How cute is it in white?

Minimalist Dots

One dot, two dots, three dots, four: This look proves that even the smallest effort can be highly effective.

Rainbow Half-Moons

The half-moons are easy, especially with a guide like hole-punch stickers. The hard part will be choosing your fave polish shades.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Evil Eyes

Eye motifs don't have to be super-intricate. As Betina Goldstein proves, you can keep the negative energy at bay with just strategically placed blue polish and sparkles.

Modern Art

If you can draw a straight line, you can do this look in minutes.

Single Heart

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Tortoise Texture

Alternate drops of amber and black polish, and barely blend together. Boom! You have tortoise nails.

Subtle Aura

You may want to see a pro for results this consistent, but you can get a similar look using a makeup sponge.

Shiny Swoops

Once your base polish dries completely, use a contrasting nail shade to paint a curved line on top.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Loose Lines

Calling all doodlers: All you need is a couple of nail polish pens to draw on this fun design.

Sequin Dream

Yours don't have to be this perfectly placed (glitter polish exists, after all). But if you have the patience, it looks pretty fantastic.

Lindy Segal is a beauty writer and editor. In addition to regularly contributing to BAZAAR.COM, she also writes for Glamour, People, WhoWhatWear, and Fashionista, among other publications. She lives in New York City with her Chihuahua mix, Barney.

Watch Next

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qa3RqZyrq5KWx6Kt0WeaqKVfl7KiwdOyZqeZmaHAcLOTa29yamBshnC%2FyKanpZ1do66quIydnKyhl6PAcA%3D%3D