So, you’ve got your next salon appointment booked, or your fancying giving yourself a lil’ nail art loving at home, but you your stuck for ideas. If you’re ready to venture into the world of nail art, but not ready for all-out-extra designs, then dip your toe in to creative nails with these cute minimalist ideas that still give major wow factor.

Experiment with tips

We’ve all seen (and love) a classic French mani, but if you’re looking to take your look up a notch then consider swapping out your white polish for something a little more vibrant. If you’re aiming for a fun look you could try out rainbow tips á la Kylie Jenner, or try out adding some cow print to the tip of the nails. If your after something a little more classic, why not tip your nails in pillar-box red or black for a chic twist on a French manicure.

Lightning Bolt

Give simple nails an edge with a little lightning bolt. This is a good one to try if experimenting at home as the motif is angular and simple, you’ll just need a super-fine brush and a steady hand!

Graphic lines

Eye-catching yet minimalist, graphic lines are an easy way to create a cool, simple set of nails. Whether it’s hand painted with a fine brush or using striping tape, your nails will look sleek and polished. You can also experiment and mix match where you place the stripe on each finger, or have it the same on every finger for a uniformed look.

Floral

Whilst full-on floral may seem a little bit daunting, a subtle floral motif can give a super sweet edge to a mani. They can also be some of the easiest looks to try and recreate if your experimenting at home. Larger rose-like flowers look cute edging onto the nail or go for a super-delicate ditsy print all over. 

Hearts

Possibly the easiest, and one of the most effective, additions to a plain mani is a tiny little love heart. Whether you do it on just one nail or a few, adding a small hand-painted love heart in the corner of the nail (usually works best on square or squoval nails) looks minimal and chic.

Ying and yang

This is such a simple but super-cool way to give your natural mani an update. With Yin at the base of one nail and Yang at the tip of the other, we’re hoping this will mani will bring balance and harmony to our life. Possibly.

Stars

This one is a little bit more fiddly to get those perfect shapes, so maybe best leaving for your nail tech. Stars are a cute way to give your mani a cool-girl edge. Whether they are peeping over the sides, or adorning a naked nail, stars are the next on our nail wish-list.

Foil outline

The perfect combo of minimalist and glam, a fine foil outline makes for a seriously chic mani. A little shimmer never hurt anyone! A lot of the end result of this look is rooted in the nail shape, so make sure you do your prep.

Polka Dots

Another easy one to try and recreate at home, all you need to create super simple polka dots is a dotting tool or a stick with a very small diameter, a tooth pick works well. You could go all-out with one colour or mix a few complementary colours for a fun yet minimalist style. If your fancying taking your polka dots to the next level, try embellishing them with tiny pearls or crystals. Like jewellery for your nails!

Nail cuffs

Using the same technique that you would for adding a tip, add a cuff to the base of the nail at the cuticle. This look has been seen across IG (back when salon trips were still a thing) and isn’t going anywhere any time soon. You can try different complementary or clashing colours, or go metallic for a glam moment.