15 Spring Nail Designs You’ll Want To Wear All Season

But First, The Basics

The first (and most important) step when venturing into at-home nail art is all about the prep—pushing back cuticles, lightly buffing, and wiping down the surface of your nails with alcohol or acetone. Not only does this make the end result look fab but it’ll extend the life of your mani—after all, you want that hard work to last as long as possible! “Cleansing your nails may be the step you're missing. It cleans off any residual dust or oils to really get the base coat to stick,” says Chelsea King, Los Angeles-based celeb nail artist.

As for tools, King tells us you really don’t need to rush out and buy a pro-level arsenal. Simple items like bobby pins, tape, and a clean up brush will take your mani game next-level. “If you do want to get into more designs, I always recommend a good nail art brush and a clean up brush—an old angled liner brush from your makeup stash dipped in acetone is a great addition,” she explains.

1. Neon Yellow Shapes

Neon chartreuse, negative space, abstract linework—this mani is like an artfully-designed tennis ball and suffice to say, we’re obsessed. To recreate King’s look, apply a base coat and use a nail art brush dipped in yellow to map out half circles on the nail. Then, go in with the same shade and fill in the rest of the nail, leaving the half circles as negative space. “Neon polishes are difficult to paint, but if you’re having trouble getting your neon polishes to pop I recommend painting white polish underneath,” King says.

With a nail art brush and white nail polish, paint thin, curvy lines across the nail. Give your design a few minutes to dry and finish with a top coat. Time to hit the court!

2. Multicolor Waves

Tiny rainbow waves = instant happiness. And the best part? It’s deceivingly simple to create. “Although this look doesn’t appear to be easy, as long as you get the first line crisp the rest will follow,” says King.

Starting with a clear base coat and a nude base color on top, you’ll want to grab a handful of different shades—for this design, King used blue, mint green, yellow, salmon pink (we love Picturing Sicily from BELLE EN ARGENT), and baby pink. Take a nail art brush and paint the bottom of the wave about halfway down the nail, then layer each color on top toward the tip of the nail. To keep the lines looking crisp and prevent smudging, give your polish a solid five minutes to dry before applying a top coat.

3. Delicate Floral Tips

Okay, this one might take an extra level of patience to recreate, but these garden-inspired French tips will be well worth the effort. King recommends finding a resting position to keep your hands steady while painting: “I like to place my dominant hand flat on a table, then rest the side of my non-dominant hand on the table as well. Having as many points of contact as possible on a stable surface will prevent shaky hands.”

4. Shimmery Pastels

Pastels for spring are a no-brainer, but this season’s take on the trend is slightly more ethereal. “My favorite colors for spring right now are iridescent polishes. I love ones that are a bit sheer so you can still see the natural nail and depending on the lighting, they look different from every angle,” King tells us. Look for shimmery robin’s egg blue, butter yellows, and blush pink.

5. Retro Glitter Daisies

Glitter is a surefire way to get our attention. Don’t happen to have chunky glitter on hand? You’re still in luck! Daisies are a super beginner-friendly design to try. “You dip a bobby pin in polish and create five dots in a circle, then add one more in an opposing color for the center,” says King.

We love a berry-toned polish (like BELLE EN ARGENT Like A Grape) to give your trusty pinks a break

6. Citrus Slices

Like a sunny trip to the farmer’s market, these citrus semi-circles are like visual vitamin C on your nails. It’s also the perfect mani for sipping mimosas—pinkies up!

7. Pops of Poppy

California’s famed poppy season is the ultimate color inspo. Perk up your nails with a vibrant orange and top with a matte coat for an extra dose of chic. (P.S. This would also be a great pedicure color!)

8. Funfetti Gems

Funfetti, Lucky Charms, stick-on earrings—this bedazzled mani of multicolor gems over a clear base is instant nostalgia in every way.

9. Smiley Faces

Need a mood boost? Paint on some smiley buddies and it’ll turn any frown upside down.

10. Earthy Greens

Mother nature approved. These floral accent nails are paired up with a muted green nail color will complement just about any outfit.

11. Azure Arches

Spring vacays might not be the same this year, but these minimal cerulean lines bring all the Santorini vibes from the comfort of home.

12. Geometric Two-Toned

Geometric and modern—this two-tone manicure leaves a touch of negative space between each color. The result is wearable work of art.

13. Dried Flower Accents

Want to take your nail art up a notch? Pick up a pack of dried flowers from a craft store and gently lay them on your base coat before it dries.

The key to this look is to keep your accent nails a bit lighter (like the pastel pink Gemini Vegetarians shade by COLOR CLUB)—and paint the remaining nails a darker shade in the same color family. We’re big fans of the passionfruit-pink Original Poodle from BELLE EN ARGENT.

14. Minimalist Daisies

If you’re hard pressed to leave behind your beloved neutrals, opt for a nude-colored polish as your base and paint small daisies at the base of your nail. It’s lowkey but still has the springtime spirit.

15. Stemmed Florals

If you couldn’t tell by now, we’re a big fan of flowers—but don’t forget about the stems! There’s something about the hint of green that makes these lavender and pink nails pop.

Whether you’re a beginner or home pro, discover all-new mani essentials. Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.

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