Navy nails are a classic look that’s gorgeous on everyone, but how you wear the shade is up to you. Keep it simple with a few coats of the rich, steely shade, or incorporate it into a show-stopping design. It’s adaptable enough to wear year-round, but it’s especially pretty during the cooler months. “Baby blue was such a popular color for spring and summer, and this fall, we’re taking a deeper approach with rich, vivid navy,” says CND co-founder Jan Arnold. “It’s the perfect transition color as it is such a beautiful cool tone, but still versatile.”
When painting navy nail designs, you can get really creative. “Navy can be a fun, playful color to do negative space designs with,” says nail artist Rachel Joseph. “It’s also a beautiful shade for French manicures. It makes for a nice bold statement.” Arnold adds that it pairs well with a “complementary deep orange to create a striking design.”
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Ahead, explore 30 navy nail ideas below to inspire your next manicure.
Liquid Blue Marbles
“I love this design because it looks like liquid, smooth marble, but also wave-inspired,” says Arnold. “The blues blend together beautifully with a pop of smoky white to really tie it all together.”
Rich and Monochrome
Lights Lacquer At Last ($11) is a gorgeous true navy blue. It’s a rich shade with depth thanks to subtle gray undertones.
Minimalist Lines
This is a minimalist negative space manicure designed by Paintbox using Marine ($18) by Bio Seaweed Gel. “I love how timeless this mani is. Great for those new to nail art,” says Joseph.
Slim Lines
Similar to the Paintbox look above, this design showcases how you can do the same minimalist line design on an opaque base instead of a natural nail.
Deep Cobalt
This Lights Lacquer polish is the perfect shade if you want something deep but not dull. The hue has a ton of vibrance and the high-shine top coat makes it even more eye-catching.
Royal Shimmer
Spice up navy nails by opting for a glitter polish. This deep blue-purple lacquer packed with shimmering and ultra-fine cobalt flakes is House of Hades ($15) from Moon Cat.
Black, Blue, and Brown
This nail tip design uses dusty shades of blue and brown anchored by black lines for a moody, yet graphic look.
Gray Navy
“This is a gray navy that is a one-coat wonder,” nail artist Erika Michelle writes in her Instagram caption for this manicure selfie. “I was in the mood for a very moody mani and remembered that I had this one in my stash to try.” She used the shade What Is This ($10) from Jessie Monroe Nail Care.
Cocktail Hour
I’m obsessed with this stunning look. It uses a navy so deep it leans purple to create these strong swirls for a beautifully balanced look.
Navy Chrome
Combine navy nails with a chrome powder finish for a strikingly dark, yet reflective look.
Alternating Tips
Lights Lacquer At Last ($11) is paired with a light green polish to create this look. Instead of creating tips with a bare base, the artist chose to use two opaque shades and alternate which one serves as the tip and which serves as a base, creating a graphic, yet simple pattern.
Cat Eye Shimmer
Cat eye polishes are so fun because each nail comes out a bit differently. This blue polish has tons of dimension and movement for extra pop.
Matte Navy
A matte topcoat can totally change the look of a polish. This look features matte navy nails with a single beige glossy nail as a contrasting accent.
Evil Eye
This high-gloss design features two little evil eyes on each hand, creating a subtle yet impactful look.
Thin Swirls
Three shades of blue — navy, denim, and baby — create this design. It features thin swirls of each color atop a nude base.
Thick Swirls
Swirls are often done on a nail base, so I love this look, which utilizes the trendy design on an opaque blue base, creating a fun monochromatic look.
Mixed Finishes
What makes this gradient so fun is that it uses similar blue hues in different finishes. It uses Lights Lacquer polishes in the shades I’ll Be Home ($11), Woman (discontinued), At Last ($11), and Barry ($11).
Fine Shimmer
Shimmery polishes are a great way to get a dimensional look with very little effort. We love how deep this blue shade is.
Matte Glitter
Confuse the eyes by pairing usually reflective glitter with a matte top coat. This navy-and-white look was created with polishes from OPI.
Mixed Metals
Accent a simple navy mani with a metallic pop. This look uses gold and silver accents that accentuate the shape of the nail bed.
Two-Tone Navy
While this dark navy shade is stunning on its own, the addition of bright cobalt on the ring fingers adds a nice bit of interest.
Magnetic Florals
Pair soft florals with edgy metallics to create this fun navy nail look. The polish has a ton of dimension and makes the nails look like a galaxy.
Glitter Topcoat
A chunky glittery topcoat can make any nail look a bit more exciting. This design pairs a solid navy shade with a swirly silver accent nail.
Blueberry Accents
By using a pale blue shade as the base for this blueberry design, the navy hue of the fruits is really able to pop.
Intergalactic
Blues, purples, and black create a great base for this manicure. It’s topped with a fine glitter top coat and star decals for an intergalactic look.
Snowflake French
For a winter manicure, do a shimmery navy French tip and accent it with thin blue lines and snowflakes on just one nail to not overwhelm the look.
Lightning Strike
This cool look is reminiscent of bolts of lightning. It features white and gray polish over a deep navy base.
Celestial Accents
Navy blue and gold will always be a stunning pairing. This design uses navy as the base and gold for celestial and astrological symbols.
