This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase (at no cost to you!)
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been wearing dark nail polishes all autumn and winter long. But, now it’s time to put those darker shades to the side and embrace the bright nail colors that come with this season.
In this article, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite spring nail design options, ranging from a Spring-appropriate take on the French tip, elevated floral designs and, of course, lots of pastel shades for your next mani.
What you need for a beautiful gel nail look at home
I’ve been doing my own gel nails at home for years now. It’s much easier (and much cheaper) to do it myself rather than going down to the salon. Gel polishes last longer than traditional polish and, when done right, you don’t have to worry about chipping after the first couple of days.
Since doing my own nails, I’ve tried so many different polish brands, builder gels, curing lamps – you name it. So, after a lot of trial and error, I think I’ve found the best products for any gel starter kit.
SUNUV UV Led Nail Lamp, 48W
There are plenty of lamps that you can buy that are a lot cheaper than this, but I would really recommend the investment. I like the SUN UV lamps that you can get from Amazon.
With the cheaper lamps, I found that my polish never seemed to fully dry, and would peel off so much easier. With this lamp, I haven’t had any of those same issues.
Gel Nail Tool Kit
The most important tools when doing your gel nails at home are the usual manicure tools like nail files, nail trimmers, buffers, cuticle pushers, gel removal tools etc.
You can usually get all of these tools in a bundle from somewhere like Amazon, which will save you a lot of money rather than buying everything you need individually.
As you’ll soon find out after doing your own gel nails, preparation really is key. If you fully prep your nails before applying any polish, the gel will go on smoother and last much longer.
Beetles Builder Gels
I really swear by builder gels for helping my natural nails to grow long and strong underneath. I usually get the Mylee builder gels as they are pretty affordable and come in a nice range of shades.
A builder gel is made with ingredients that nourish and strengthen your nails, but I also find that it just makes my gel nails that little bit more durable.
Beetles Gel Polishes
In terms of colors, I usually use the Beetles Gel Polishes. You can get big kits full of different shades for pretty reasonable prices online.
Although they are on the affordable side, they are still great quality. You get a really opaque finish that lasts 2+ weeks if applied correctly.
The Best Spring Nail Art to Try This Season
Whether you go to the nail salon or do your nails at home, spring is a great time to get experimental and embrace some fun spring nail colors and designs.
Here are some of the best spring nail designs to try this season.
Colorful spring nail art ideas
When the sun starts to come out and the weather gets nicer, it only seems right to start breaking out the brighter polishes. Here are some of my favorite designs that you can take to your nail artist.
These are super fun nails that have hot pink and bold orange to bring the warm weather vibes. It may not be the easiest nail art to do yourself at home, but they look so great.
Pick your two favorite colors and you can create a really fun nail design like this. Using contrasting colors, these really pop.
The ombré nail trend is back this spring. I love these orange-pink ombre tips; super simple but still look really cool.
Another trend that I have been loving for nails is maximalist designs, like this one. This is where each nail has a totally different pattern. It’s great for indecisive people like me who always seem to have too many ideas for nail designs.
I love the bright orange of these nails, it’s the perfect spring-into-summer mani. It would also be easy to DIY at home if you don’t like paying for the nail salon. I like how this uses negative space and bold colors for a super eye-catching look.
Spring French tip designs
French tips are timeless nail designs for spring, but this year I want to experiment with different manicure looks that are a bit different to the typical, traditional French manicure designs.
I love how these nails have taken the simple spring manicure and elevated it with the use of lemons. Lemons are on-brand anyway, and it works so well to have the double French tip that looks like a slice of lemon. These are giving me Italian vibes and I can’t get enough.
Another super simple design, yellow French tips and then teeny tiny little cherry graphics on the accent nails. This is a fun play on the classic French tips. If you’re doing this yourself, you could even get some nail stickers and put a sticker on each nail rather than having to draw the cherry!
It doesn’t matter what pastel colors you choose, they’re always going to look good as a French tip. In this design, they’ve used a pastel blue across the nail and I think it looks great – a much more elevated take on the usual white tip.
You also don’t need to just stick to one color for your French tips, use every one of your favorite polishes. In this look, they’ve used a different pastel shade for each nail and I think it looks great. This may be the perfect spring nail look! It also looks like they’ve sheered some of the shades out, or used jelly nails, either way, it’s pretty and subtle.
A few months ago, chrome nails were every celebrity nail tech’s go-to design (thanks, Hailey Bieber), and I still love this look. Rather than giving a sparkle like a glitter polish would, chrome gives that metallic, iridescent look that I can’t get enough of. Rather than using it all over your nails, I’ll be doing chrome tips this spring.
Short nails inspo
I spend so much time typing on the computer that having long nails isn’t always the best idea. Here are some fun nail designs that are perfect for shorter nails.
This is a super simple design that you could easily do at home and make your own. Choose your favorite nail polish as a base color and then use a dotting tool with a contrasting shade across the nail.
Another fun design that uses contrast colors. You could easily use the same colors on every nail or do what this person has done and completely switch it up every time.
This may be the next design that I do because it’s so cute and perfect for spring. Take a colored builder gel as the base coat and then use a range of pastel colors to create little flowers on each nail.
Who said that you can’t do a French tip on short nails? I love the blue that they used in this look, but I’m going to have to find a similar polish for myself. Simple but still has that pretty pop of color.
I’ve really been into abstract nail art recently, and I think this is going to be perfect for spring. It’s also a really achievable design for people who do their own nails. Start with nude nail polish as your base coat and then use a small brush to paint on curving lines in a color of your choice.
Pastel manicure ideas
It wouldn’t be a spring nail design post without a whole section dedicated to pastel polishes. Pastel shades are some of my favorites all year round, but here are some designs that I love for this season.
I love how this design plays on negative space and has some fun abstract designs on each nail. It would be easy to do yourself and would let you be super creative with your color combinations.
I’ve been seeing these constellation nail designs everywhere, and I love this spring take on the trend. Using pastel colors to create the starbursts looks so pretty and is perfect for people who don’t like bold nails but still want to add a little bit of color.
This is another really fun design that has a selection of pastel tips and then some added pearls to make the design a little bit more interesting. It looks like the morning dew you always get in the spring season!
I think this color combination is so gorgeous and just screams springtime. Be creative with the different shapes you use and you’ll create a stunning design that isn’t too in-your-face.
Then we have these fun floral pastel nails that have really cute pops of color. I think these look really delicate and pretty, making it a fun design to take your nail tech next time.
Floral mani inspiration
I know that florals are one of spring’s biggest trends so it’s nothing new, but you can just never go wrong with these designs
These floral nail designs are really cute and simple. Just choose a pastel nail polish of your choice (in this case, they’ve gone for a pretty light pink) and then use a dotting tool to create some daisies on each of the nails.
If you want something a little more subtle, these are a cool artsy take on the typical floral nail. It’s not all about bright colors, but this spring mani is elegant and chic.
Start to incorporate the colors of the spring season with these gorgeous flower nail art designs. Blue is a really popular color at the moment, and I’m taking big inspiration from this manicure. It gives the perfect springtime vibes and uses my favorite color!
One of the hottest nail trends of the year was a surprise, using sheer polishes that let your nails show through. I’ve seen almost every manicurist give their take on this trend, but I love this design. With the pale pink base coat and the pops of color, it gives a really classy look.
Finally, if you’re just starting to get into nail art, this is a great way to start to incorporate a bit of design. Paint your nails with your usual go-to polish (mine’s normally a pastel pink), and then put a small flower on each nail. To really dial it down, you could just add a flower on one nail as an accent nail.
What are your go-to spring nail design ideas?
Will you be ditching the acrylic nails this season, or maybe trying out a fresh take on the French mani?
Whatever your plans are at the salon, I hope that these spring nail trends gave you some inspiration. From floral French designs to something a little less simple, there’s been a bit of everything, and I’m already getting excited for my next nail day.
If you want to see more ideas, check out my previous nail design post, or get on Pinterest (my favorite way to search for new nail design inspo).
