Nail art is satisfying to watch on social media videos, especially if you’re looking for inspiration for your own nails. Don’t like the complex designs or intricate details? I will tell you about an easy method you can use at home for minimalist nail art.
Minimalist nail art is a fun way to express yourself in an understated yet bold way and is simple, and easy to do. Popular minimalist nail art designs include Korean, simple, false, trendy, and natural and vary in shapes and lengths.
Are you looking for some fresh inspiration for your nails? Want something simple and easy to do at home, or understated yet bold?
What is Minimalist Nail Art?
Minimalist nail art is simple, abstract, geometric, or even monochrome designs. It is geared towards those who like understated nail art, don’t want a great deal of detail, or just prefer a more natural-looking nail art. Minimalist nail art can be done at home without special tools or stampers — it’s simply beautiful.
Popular Minimalist Nail Art Designs
There are multiple ways to achieve the perfect minimalist nail art to suit your personality and taste. Researchers Namsoo Peter Kim and Jihye Kim of the University of Texas at El Paso and Myung Sook Han of Dongu College found that nail art can be printed three-dimensionally for better design and less exposure to acrylic materials. Let’s look at some popular minimalist nail art designs.
Simple minimalist nail art is simply beautiful and more natural looking.
Korean Minimalist Nail Art
Korean minimalist nail art is about cute, understated designs and natural looks. For example, a clear topcoat with only a thin white line down the length of the nail and a single colored spot on each nail. This can be done with a nail pen, a toothpick, or even a bobby pin. Korean minimalist nail art is simple, understated, feminine, and trendy.
Natural Nail Minimalist Nail Art
Natural nail minimalist nail art is about letting your natural nails’ beauty shine. Natural muted colors or clear coat, French tips in white or any color, and a natural shape to the nail. This can be accomplished with French tip guides, stampers, or even free-handed. Natural nail minimalist nail art is perfect for front-line workers, moms, daughters, and even men.
False Nail Minimalist Nail Art
False nail minimalist nail art seeks to look like you’re wearing false nails or using predesigned and clear false nails for painting. These don’t have to be dramatic; they’re simple and understated but look almost too good to be true. Simply shape your nails or place your preferred shape of false nails and paint with a natural-looking color, perhaps a single line in a bright or contrasting color.
Simple Minimalist Nail Art
If you’re looking for something easy to do with a bit of flair, there’s simple minimalist nail art. Choose any color you like, and throw in a brightly colored tip or a few spots in your favorite colors. No special tools are required for this look — the simpler, the better! Simple minimalist nail art is simply beautiful and more natural looking.
Trendy Minimalist Nail Art
Trendy minimalist nail art is what’s popular on social media and can vary. It could be multi-colored French tips, a dark blue with a single white line across the middle, or even multicolored nails with two different colors on each nail. It just takes creativity and being on-trend to wear this nail art!
Minimalist Nail Art Designs for Nail Shape
Everyone’s nails are shaped differently, some by genetics and some by clipping and filing. Here are some examples of minimalist nail art designs if you’re looking for a particular look by nail shape.
Almond-shaped Minimalist Nail Art
Do you prefer a more natural shape for your nails? Almond-shaped minimalist nail art has a natural look with options for fun designs and colors. You could do a pink base with a sparkly silver squiggle on two or more nails for a simply sparkling look. Or consider a curved, offset French tip in white or multiple colors. It’s a pretty, girly look that is easy to shape and paint.
Square-Tipped Minimalist Nail Art
If you like a more modern look to your nails and have the tools, there’s square-tipped minimalist nail art. You can achieve the square-tipped look with a long, natural nail or with fake nails. Many different designs are a good fit with this look — French tips, geometric lines, spots, the choice is yours!
Rounded Minimalist Nail Art
This look is another natural-looking shape that fits many different minimalist nail art designs. It’s a simple shape for a natural look, in understated or even bold colors. You could do a brightly colored nail with one glitter nail or have a single line to contrast the rounded look. It’s a great, more natural look in terms of nail shape.
Minimalist Nail Art Designs for Nail Length
Nail art has been around for quite some time, and graduate student, Annie P. Quan of Kent State University Honors College, found some people have their nails done for work, while some get them done only for significant days like a wedding. Whether you keep your nails short for work and play or wear them long, here are minimalist nail art designs for nail length that might interest you.
Minimalist nail art for petite nails includes geometric shapes in bright colors, lines to make the nail look longer, or fun designs on the tips.
Minimalist Nail Art for Short Nails
If you need short nails for work or play, consider minimalist nail art for short nails. The color is whatever you choose, from natural-looking colors to bright colors on the tops. There are yin-yang designs in similar or opposing colors, spots, and lines, just nothing too flashy. They’re short and functional but also very pretty.
Minimalist Nail Art for Petite Nails
Petite nails may be small but are still beautiful. Minimalist nail art for petite nails includes geometric shapes in bright colors, lines to make the nail look longer, or fun designs on the tips. Minimalist nail art for petite nails also works well for children.
Minimalist Nail Art for Mid-Length Nails
If your nails are a little longer, they can still rock minimalist nail art. Consider an ombre look in muted colors, multicolor tips, a line in a contrasting color, or even a marbled look. There are so many options for minimalist nail art for mid-length nails to choose from; deciding which one to start with might be challenging!
Minimalist Nail Art for Long Nails
When you have long nails, you can work with more canvas. There is a lot of minimalist nail art for long nails; so many you might just have to choose more than one: geometric lines, wavy lines, French tips, simple patterns, and bright and muted colors. These are great for the fashionista, the social media stars, and anyone who loves those long nails.
Learn how to simply create three different minimalist nail art designs for summer in this helpful video.
Related Insights
Can you get nail designs on natural nails?
Yes, you can get nail designs on natural nails. Especially if your nails are healthy and in good shape, it’s the ideal way to go!
How do you do natural nail art?
Natural nail art uses simple designs, understated colors, and looks that suit your taste and interests. It’s not complex to do — it’s really quite simple! You probably already have the only supplies you might need — like toothpicks, bobby pins, and (of course) nail polish!
Minimalist Nail Art The Preferences From Real People
I asked friends and family to list the top two things most important to them with their minimalist nail art: length, color, style, art, and shape. Here is a table representing the percentages of their responses and what I learned from the poll about their nail art preferences.
| Nail Art Preference |
| 16% of people polled said understated nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
| 21% of people polled said short nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
| 10% of people polled said simple nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
| 11% of people polled said muted-colored nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
| 21% of people polled said naturally shaped nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
| 5% of people polled said long nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
| 16% of people polled said natural-looking nails were most important for minimalist nail art |
Other Resources:
- Minimalist Aesthetic – How to Incorporate This Clean Style
- Wabi-Sabi – Incorporating An Aesthetic of Imperfect Beauty
- Minimalist Tattoos – Examples, Aesthetic, and Their Appeal
- Aesthetically Pleasing – Elements of Calm, Simple Visuals
Final Thoughts
Minimalist nail art can be a fun way to express yourself in an understated yet bold way. The possibilities are endless with natural or bright colors, contrasting colors and shapes, and even choices by size and shape. Which minimalist nail art will you choose first?