The Top Nail Designs of 2024 That Are Easy to Recreate at Home and Help You Make a Manicure Statement

Having a fresh manicure is an instant confidence boost, no matter if you’re doing nails yourself or having them done at the nail salon. Adding a fun design or testing out a new shade or manicure technique ups the confidence factor. And though getting a nail design never goes out of style, different nail trends are constantly ebbing and flowing through the trend cycle. For example, in 2023, we saw a lot of velvet nails, French tips and jelly nail designs. While these looks are definitely still on-trend for 2024, we’ve seen a few new nail looks and trends enter the chat this year. The best news? All of them can work on both short and long nails, and are actually much easier than you’d expect to recreate. Keep reading to see the top nail designs of 2024 that are sure to make you and your nails shine.

Why try out different nail designs?

One of the best parts about doing your nails or getting them done is you can really let your creativity show through. Nail art lets you experiment with different designs, colors, shapes and trends and allows you to make a pretty statement in the meantime. Plus, having our nails painted can make us feel more confident and put-together, and can easily elevate any outfit.

Even more, nail designs can actually have an effect on our mood. Studies show that different colors can evoke different emotions. For example, red often is associated with confidence and passion, whereas green can make us feel calm, grounded and relaxed. Even more reason to paint your nails pretty!

The top nail trends and designs of 2024

Keep reading to see our favorite nail designs and nail trends of 2024 to use as inspiration at your next salon appointment or when doing an at-home manicure.

1. Aura nails

Speaking of how nail colors can affect mood, the aura nail trend is all about that. Your “aura” typically refers to the energy and emotions you portray, and usually is depicted as different colors that surround someone. With the aura nails trend, it’s created by painting this similar depiction, an array of colors that slightly blend into each other in a circle or oval shape, also called ombre aura nails.

Watch the tutorial by YouTuber @GabbyAngelique to learn how to do DIY aura nails in the video below.

2. Butter yellow nails

The “it” color of spring and summer this year? Butter yellow, without a doubt. This shade was seen on countless celebrities and runways, and hundreds of brands included it in their summer lines. And fear not, butter yellow nails were not left out. The color looks gorgeous alone as just a solid mani, but also can be used to create butter yellow French tips, polka dots and more designs. A few butter yellow polishes we love are OPI Nail Lacquer in Blinded by the Ring Light and Olive & June Quick Dry Polish in Sunny.

3. Cherry cola nails

Red nails are always classic, but this year we are seeing a different type of red trending: cherry cola red nails. The deep hue has a brownish tint to it, making it the perfect red shade for fall and winter. It looks good on all skin tones, and makes a statement simply by swiping on a few coats. One to try is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color in Cinna-snap.

4. Bright orange-red nails

The reds didn’t stop at cherry cola — bright orange-red nails are also another major nail trend of 2024, and ruled the summer. It’s bold and daring, and is perfect for your next beach vacation or tropical nail design. For the perfect orange-red polish, try essie Nail Lacquer in Geranium.

5. Citrus/fruity nails

Painting on a fruit-themed mani is perfect for summer, and will brighten up any day.This 2024 nails trend mainly consists of oranges, lemons, cherries and strawberries, but you can make it your own with whatever your favorite fruit is. To make it easy, try using fruit nail decals, like Winthrop Fruit Nail Art Stickers.

Watch the video by @NailArtBreak on YouTube below to DIY your own fruity nail design.

6. Tortoise nails

Tortoise has been on-trend for years, and we’ve seen it on everything from home decor to jewelry to clothing and, now, nails. The neutral hues that make up tortoise nails help the design go with just about anything, and it looks great for the fall. We especially love tortoise French tips, which helps ensure the design isn’t too overwhelming.

7. Chrome nails

Chrome was a huge nail trend last year in 2023, and has continued its reign in 2024 (and we don’t think they’re going anywhere anytime soon). Also called “glazed donut nails”, the design has a pearl-like, luminous finish and looks beautiful in a wide variety of colors, from whites to pinks to even baby blues.

Watch the YouTube video by @MarlaKris below to learn how to do chrome nails at home (without needing gel!).

8. French tips

We’re pretty confident that French tips will always make our top nail designs list year after year. The classic style has been around for decades, but in recent years, nail artists have gotten creative with the look. From micro French tips to experimenting with neon colors or pastels to adding chic details like bows, cherries or flowers, the French tip is not what it was 20 years ago. You can really get creative with the design and experiment, or keep it simple!

9. Floral nails

Who doesn’t love chic flower nail art? Whether you want to incorporate florals on just one statement nail, paint them on as French tips or do a full floral mani, the design is timeless and instantly elevates any nail look. Blake Lively even sported the nail trend for her recent It Ends With Us press tour, done by Celebrity Nail Stylist Elle Gerstein. Even better, flowers aren’t too difficult to DIY! There are lots of hacks to creating the perfect flower in just a few easy steps.