20 Simple Valentine’s Day Nail Ideas Perfect for Every Minimalist
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Valentine’s Day is, without a doubt, our favorite time of the year for manicures. Why? Well, the nail options are limitless. However, these days, it seems like all designs are next to impossible to accomplish. What about those of us who still want to get into the lovey-dovey spirit without a super complicated design? Lucky for you, we found 20 simple mani ideas to rock this Valentine’s Day (and no—they are not boring).
French Hearts
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Don’t let this design scare you—it’s simpler than you might think. While it might take some extra time, we think the heart tips are worth it. After applying a glazed donut base using chrome powder, paint mini red hearts onto the tips of each nail for a similar look.
Polka Dots
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While you can never go wrong with hearts for Valentine’s Day, we also love the idea of opting for polka dots, as seen here. First, choose a base color, like a neutral or sheer pink. Then, using a dotting tool, apply tiny white polka dots across the surface of each nail.
Negative Space
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These negative space nails are perfect for the cool girl, and you’ll only need two colors to accomplish this—a red and a nude. For a few nails, lay down the nude base and paint on red French tips. For the others, you’ll paint one nail nude with a red heart and another nail red with a nude heart. How darling!
Baby Pink Chrome
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We’re total suckers for anything baby pink, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to rock the shade. We’re majorly into this baby pink look, and if you want to get it for yourself, apply two or three coats of a baby pink polish, finishing with chrome powder.
Candy Stripes
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French tips are about as simple as you can get, but if you want to take things up a tiny notch, we suggest copying these candy stripes. All you need is your favorite pink and red polish for this French mani.
Hot Pink With Hearts
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Take advantage of the holiday and embrace hot pink polish. Complete the vibrant set with hand-drawn white hearts.
Glazed Donut
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Hailey Bieber nails (aka glazed donut nails) have been trending for years, and they make the perfect Valentine’s Day set. Start with a layer of milky white polish and top it off with chrome powder.
Soft Neutral
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If you want to keep things super simple, there’s no judgment here. Go for a soft neutral, like this stunning mauve shade. It’s perfectly creamy and glossy.
Charmed
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Barely-there nails are perhaps our favorite, and these that feature charms are too cute to pass up. Apply a neutral polish as your base and add chic silver gems to the tips of each nail.
Frenchie Gold
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French nails with a twist? Sign us up! To achieve this look, start with classic white French tips and paint a thin line of shimmery gold down the center of each nail.
Glass Nails
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Glass nails look super complicated, but trust us when we say it’s all about layering magnetic polishes. Give the glossy manicure a loving touch by adding white hearts to a few nails.
Iced Out
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If you want to avoid the typical reds and pinks that Valentine’s Day is known for, we suggest a shimmery, iced-out look. The silver polish is glitzy and glamorous, making it perfect for any date night festivities.
Pink Aura
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Aura nails are a hit year-round. If you want to rock them for Lover’s Day, pink is the obvious way to go. Start with a baby pink base (at least two coats), then, using a sponge, apply a darker pink to the center of the nail.
Silver Hearts
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Although these stiletto tips are show-stopping, bringing the look to life is relatively simple. You’ll want to decorate your glossy nude base with silver heart-shaped tips.
Heart Tips
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Here’s another fun take on a heart-shaped French manicure. First, you’ll apply a few coats of a nude shade, and then, for your tips, you’ll switch between red and pink polish.
Red and White
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These red and white nails are so romantic. Paint French tips onto your nails (switch between red and white!). Then, using the opposite color, draw on a mini heart.
Barbie Pink
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Come on, Barbie, it’s your time to shine on Valentine’s Day. There are loads of bubblegum pink nail polish options to choose from, and we can pretty much guarantee that your nail salon will have a similar shade to this.
Heart to Heart
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This dazzling nail set is a bit more complicated, but it’s still relatively easy in the grand scheme of things; it just requires some patience. Paint glittery red French tips on a few nails; for the remaining ones, go for sparkly silver and red mini hearts.
Pearly French
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For another nail look that doesn’t scream over-the-top Valentine’s Day, we’re into this pearly French set. After creating your white French tips, glue tiny pearls onto the base of each nail.
Ombré Tips
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Another nail design that always hits is ombré nails, like this French set that cascades from light to dark pink. Pick out five shades of pink and paint a different color onto each nail tip.
