Trust me when I say nail art isn’t just for maximalists. Yes, statement-making chrome manis and vibrant marble nails may be all over your feed, but more natural-looking nail designs are equally cool for 2023. The beauty of minimalist nail art and manicures done with subtle, neutral polishes is that they won’t clash with whatever you’re wearing, and you won’t tire of them as quickly as you would with a bolder design. Also great: Most natural nail designs are shockingly easy to DIY, so you can experiment with different mani ideas without spending a ton of $$ or making a trip to the salon.
Are you sold yet? Great, because I did hours of IG scrolling to bring you this roundup of the 30 best natural nail designs and ideas of 2023. From modern French manicures to pearl-studded accent nails, there’s something for everyone on this list.
Natural Nail Design: Euphoria-Inspired Nails
Euphoria-inspired makeup can be intimidating for minimalists, which is why I recommend getting in on the trend with a wavy mani like this one here. It’s subtle but still cool, and all you need is a clear base coat, opaque white polish, and a few tiny gemstones to DIY.
This Neutral Crystal Mani
There’s just something so stylish about nude nails, and this look ups the ante with a gem placed on each tip. This requires essentially no experience because all you have to do is paint your nails with your favorite neutral polish and then pop a sticky gem on top.
Natural Nail Idea: Simple Smiley
Nail stickers are all the rage these days because they’re inspired by professional nail art, but don’t require a steady hand. These still give off the same vibe as a carefully drawn on smiley, just without the time or expertise it takes to actually draw one.
This Moody French Manicure Design
This is for anyone in their Wednesday era. The barely-there black tips on these clear nails can be achieved by dipping nails into black polish rather than painting the polish on.
Natural Nail Design: Dominos
If your go-to mani is in a pale pink polish shade, the easiest way for you to experiment with nail art is by using nail dotting tool to add subtle black and white dots at the base of each nail. Of course, you can use any color polish for the dots, but I personally love the black and white vibe.
Natural Nail Design: The Peekaboo Mani
These nails are almost all white, except for one tiny strip where the natural nail peeks through for a negative space moment. The crisp white color keeps things fresh while the unpainted band helps to keep grown out nails looking intentional. I have this one saved in my summer nail art folder.
This Natural-Looking Pearl French Manicure
If you love the fashion and beauty moments from Emily in Paris, these nails are for you. The quintessential French mani gets a seriously cute but subtle upgrade by way of pearl accents.
Futuristic Nails for Mani Minimalists
Futuristic and shimmery but still suitable for minimalists, the sharp, graphic diagonal lines make this metallic silver polish look cool and modern. It’s a stunning winter nail art option IMO.
This Natural Nail Design for Fall
This ultimate fall nail look for minimalists. The brown accent nail on the ring finger and tiny dots at the cuticle channel autumn vibes without trying too hard.
Stars nail design
Finally, a celestial-inspired mani that feels understated enough for everyday wear. I love how crisp and clean the contrast is between the white and rose gold stars on the cloudy pink base.
This Half-and-Half Nail Design
If you want to get in on TikTok’s red nail trend without fully committing, this is the look for you. Get ready for the compliments to start rolling in—don’t say I didn’t warn you.
This Natural-Looking Triangle Nail Design
These nude nails are far from basic, thanks to the black graphic triangles placed in the corners. This one may take a little more dexterity than some of the other designs on this list, but it’s still well within the bounds of minimalistic nail art.
These Tiny Hearts for Natural-Nail Lovers
These red hearts on the white background almost look like they were drawn on with Sharpie as an afterthought, but I don’t hate it. I actually love how casual and cool the floating hearts are and that they’re placed in a different spot on each nail. A perfect nail idea for Valentine’s Day if you ask me.
Natural Nails Inspired by Lattes
You know the beautiful swirl that happens when you add creamer to your morning espresso? That’s what this reminds me of. Just look at those delicious layers of creamy white, caramel, and chocolate. Yum.
Natural-Looking Concrete Nails
Maybe an unlikely place to take inspo from, but there’s no denying that these “concrete wall-inspired” nails are pretty cool. My favorite part is the imperfect gold line that runs the length of the nail–it really elevates the textured design.
Nail Idea: Gradient Blue Hearts
The gradient nail trend is flirty and fun, but instead of painting the full nail with a different shade of blue polish, these hearts do the trick. If blue isn’t your hue, not to worry, this look can be done with any mix of colors.
Natural Nail Design for 2023: Gilded Tips
Why do only one line for a French mani when you can do two? Oh, and in gold instead of white? Yes, please! Any metallic shade is sure to stun, but this yellow gold polish really pops.
This Natural-Looking Sweetheart Nail Look
By turning the traditional half-moon tips into a heart shape on only two nails, this take on a French mani feels decidedly more modern. It’s perfect for V-day or whenever you’re feeling the love.
This Matte Natural Nail Design for 2023
Shiny nails get all the love, but can we take a minute for this monochromatic matte number? I can’t imagine anything chicer to go with a cozy, bundled up look. Something about these matte nails just says “pairs well with cashmere sweaters” to me.
Natural Nail Idea: The Safari Mani
Full-on zebra print can be overwhelming to look at for 3+ weeks your mani lasts, but with little touches here and there, we promise you won’t be getting sick of this design anytime soon. You can also tone this look down by only applying the zebra print to one nail instead of multiple as an accent nail.
Natural Nail Design: Fire Flame Nails
These nails are giving me Ed Hardy vibes in the best way possible. Early aughts fashion is back, after all! By keeping the French-mani-meets-fire-emoji design white and the base polish sheer, it maintains a level of tasteful, not tacky.
Wavy Nail Art for Natural Nails
This groovy design could look a little costume-y if it was done with, say, a neon nail polish. Instead, nudes and whites keep this retro motif looking modern and polished (pun intended). To me, it feels like a chic piece of art from artist Hannah Polskin, but in nail form.
This Natural-Looking Abstract Nail Art
In between two shades and can’t pick one that you like enough for a full mani? This here-and-there design is for you. You get a tiny taste of brown and cream on each nail, but the majority remains naked. Commitment-phobes, you’re welcome.
Natural Nail Idea for 2023: Cuticle Art
Whether you got your nails done at a salon or tried your literal hand at a DIY mani, you can easily elevate the look by applying a few gems along your cuticles. This design also doubles as a way to buy you more time between manis because the gems can be used to cover your growth.
This Natural Ombré Nail Design
Your hair isn’t the only place you can play with an ombré effect. The dark-to-light gradient looks stunning as a natural nail design. In this case, the “dark” is a soft neutral base that fades into a crisp white at the tips.
This Two-Tone French Mani for 2023
Black and white polish plus this simple French mani design is exactly what minimalist manicure dreams are made of folks. It’s giving me Chanel vibes and I’m obsessed.
Natural Mani Inspo: Blue Crush Nails
This teal and blue combo just screams surfer girl to me. Like, I can practically see these nails on Kate Bosworth’s character in Blue Crush. If you’re all about that ocean air and Cali waves, these are for you.
Natural Nail Design: Minimalist Leopard Print
If you’re of the “leopard is a neutral” camp, I’m with ya. Making the feline spots even more wearable, this mani features only two or three on each nail with a versatile base of pink. Oh and did I mention that the spots are special effect nail toppers? No design skills required! Meowwwww.
This Natural Tone-on-Tone Manicure
If you ask me, brown just might be the new black. And this brown on brown nail combo is just so damn good, I can’t get enough.
Tortoiseshell Tips for 2023
Typically reserved for claw hair clips and sunglasses, tortoiseshell is making its way onto nails with this upgraded French design. It’s still extremely understated, but is also a fun enough way to switch things up when you get tired of your same-old mani.
Via Cosmopolitan US