Spring Nails 🌷 Top Trends + How to Get the Look!

pring is finally here!!! The winter chill is melting away and it’s finally staying light out past 7pm, so now’s the perfect time to celebrate surviving another winter with a cute spring mani 💅

Whether your plans include breezy brunches, outdoor weddings, or simply soaking up the sunshine, we’ve rounded up the must-have nail looks to match the season.

Picture this: your nails wrapped around an iced matcha, perfectly complementing your floral dress, or adding a pop of color to your spring picnic photos. No matter your vibe—garden party chic or minimalist pastel—keep reading for:

• This year’s hottest spring nail trends
• Trending nail colors for spring
• How to get the ultimate spring mani

And more… so let’s dive in!

🌸 What is the hottest nail trend right now?

Spring nail trends this year are all about bright, fun colors and pretty luminous finishes. While winter’s deep, moody hues take a backseat, we’re seeing lots of soft, glossy, playful designs that let’s be honest, are just plain fun!

The top trends we’re loving:

• 🪼Jelly nails: From the Korean trend of layering sheer polish to get a pretty, glass-like effect
• 🌷 Garden party florals: Tiny hand-painted blooms, real pressed flower accents, and other botanical designs that bring springtime to your fingertips
• 🌟 Reverse chrome: Inverting the typical chrome nail technique to get a magical design with shiny negative space

🌷Jelly Nails

Starting off strong, there are SO many fun things you can do with jelly nails. Pretty Korean jelly nails started trending late last year in sheer, natural shades… and since then, the trend has taken off in every direction.

From bright jelly nails to artists who are using the jelly nail technique to replicate the unmistakable shine of crystals (!!!) to designs that combine jelly nails with bold lines, there are so many possibilities!

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Shimmery Sunset Blush Jelly Nails by Nailisland on Etsy
• Born Pretty Spring/Summer Jelly Nail Gel Polish
• Korean Jelly Nails with Sparkles + Hearts by FrenchKissNails on Etsy
• Cute Colorful Kpop Jelly Press on Nails by TwinkleStarNails on Etsy

🌷 Crystal Nails

Crystal nails or quartz nails are actually built using jelly polish, but there are so many stunning examples out there that they needed their own section! These designs compare thin layers of translucent polish just like any other jelly nails, but swirls of white or more saturated shades give them a totally unique crystalline look.

Okay sorry, and one more example because I simply can’t resist how pretty these are!! Layered like this, the blue and purple kind of look like flower petals, right?

Anyway, if you have some impressive at-home mani skills, you can probably pull off a DIY of this trend, however the rest of us mere mortals will be ordering our press-ons on Amazon or Etsy 🫡

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Blue Quartz Crystal Nails by NailBum on Etsy
• Translucent Jade Jelly Press On Nails by luxxynails on Etsy
• Rose Quartz Crystal Press On Nails by MomsNails on Etsy

🌷 Painted Floral Designs

Next up, a springtime staple: floral nail designs. But just because this trends comes around every year doesn’t mean it can’t be fresh! This year, the designs we’re seeing feel very cottagecore, either jam-packed with a bouquet of realistic, hand-painted flowers or kind of kitschy with more graphic representations of blooms.

Take the example above (with cute, stylized strawberries and bees) versus the one below (dainty, more natural flowers).

Whether you go elegant or groovy or something in between is up to you though – there are obviously tons of options out there for floral nails!

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Spring Dopamine Flower Nails by JXNails on Etsy
• Spring Florals Sparkle Nails by Nailgaze on Etsy
• Lavender Bloom Nails by HudiNails on Etsy
• Glamnetic Press On Nails in Pretty Bloom

🌷Real Dried Botanical Nails

Okay, I see your painted flowers and raise you… real dried flowers??

Yup! After a couple of dip powders with dainty petals went viral over the last couple years, real dried botanicals are becoming increasingly popular in nail art! So what better way to celebrate that spring has sprung than by incorporating a few real blooms into your next mani?

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Milk Bath Press on Nails with Dried Flowers by GPearlNails on Etsy
• Nail Boo Real Botanical Dip Powder in Shade Boo-Quet
• Nail Boo Dried Flower Dip Powder in Shade Flower Power
• Flower Fields Natural Confetti Short Almond Nails by CrittersNClaws on Etsy

PS - Get $10 your first Nail Boo Purchase when you shop using our link :)

🌷Reverse Chrome

Chrome has been all over the place lately, and if you’re getting sick of the basic metallic look, don’t worry: reverse chrome is here to save the day! The look is accomplished by starting out with chrome over your base layer, then designs are drawn in with a clear top coat or gel. When you wipe the nail, only the area under the top coat stays chrome, creating a cool inverse effect.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Reverse Chrome Spring Garden Nails by Nailgaze on Etsy
• Iridescent Butterfly Reverse Chrome Ballerina Nails by AllloveNails on Etsy
• Blooming Tulip Spring Fake Nails by LexLuxeNailShop on Etsy

🌷 Colorful Spring Frenchies

The classic French manicure is always in style, but there are also lots of ways to put a fun spring twist on everyone’s favorite nail design! Consider opting for springy colors, swapping stripes for flowers, or even incorporating real flowers a la the dried flowers trend we talked about earlier. Whether you DIY it, head to the salon, or grab a cute pair of press-ons, this is one of the simplest ways to get your nails looking their best in no time flat.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Candy Bright Short French Tip Nails by NailShopSugarcoated on Etsy
• Dried Flower French Nails by raishausofnails on Etsy (many colors available! 🌈)
• Fruity Frenchy Press-On Cherry Nails
• Painted Floral French Tip Nails

🌷Fully-Saturated Pastels

Okay, so hear me out: these are your average spring pastel shades, just charged up a little. They’re more fun, higher energy. Instead of dusty almost white hues, they’re not quite neon, somewhere in between a true pastel and summer brights. Think sherbert orange, butter yellow, cherry blossom pink, mint green, robin’s egg blue, and bright lilac. It’s like the nail art equivalence of swapping your Grapefruit La Croix for a Raspberry Rose Poppi.

Better, right?

Soho-based nail brand Chillhouse really crushes it in this space – it’s kinda why we think they make some of the best press-on nails on Amazon! Plus, their fun nails are cruelty-free, and they donate 1% of each purchase to mental health initiatives to help the world get a little chiller. What’s not to love?

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Chillhouse Chill Tips in Groovy Baby
• Chillhouse Chill Tips in Just the Tips
• Kawaii Spring Press on Nails by LittleNailsUS on Etsy
• Bright Periwinkle Spring Press on Nails
• Bright Pastel Gradient Nails by CreationsbyLynn on Etsy

🌷Citrus Slices

If you’re like me and you’re too old for spring break (😢), summer vacation can’t come soon enough. We’re daydreaming of a Mediterranean getaway with these citrus-y designs inspired by iconic getaways like Capri, Sorrento, and Crete.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Glossy Nude Citrus French Nails
• 3D Orange Fruit Nails by DianeNailArt on Etsy
• Spring Lemon Press On Nails by NeuNailsbyNikki on Etsy
• Cute 3D Fruit Nails with Plaid Accents by OrigamiNails on Etsy

🌸 What nail colors are in for spring?

If going all out on an elaborate nail design isn’t your thing, it’s all good! You can also pick up a new nail polish in one of this season’s trending shades for just a couple of bucks, and it’ll keep you stylish all spring long.

Ready to trade those fall and winter nails for something a bit sunnier? So are we.

But (until we get the official word from the spring Essie line drop)... what shades should you shoot for?

• Classic spring pastels
• Bright and bold hues
• Light academia color palette

🌷Pretty Pastels

Take some inspiration from the pretty pastel blooms starting to peep through the snow (er, let’s be real – mud). There’s a reason why pastels pop up every spring: they’re a light, bright antidote to dreary winter dark.

🌷Bright + Bold

Take those same pastel hues and crank up the saturation. Bright, bold colors are a little unexpected this early in the year, but don’t they just look so fun? How could you say no?

Olive and June is really rocking the spring brights this year with vibrant quick dry colors like Wildest, Berries, and Fragola… which honestly, we can see using all summer, too.

PS - Sign up for a Manicure System (like the Spring Quick Dry System that comes with all the colors above) and get 25% off when you use our link :)

🌷Light Academia

Looking for something a little more subdued? Everybody loves the broody color palette of dark academia (and if that’s your vibe, you can stick with it any time of year, btw). But in the spring, you can also take some inspiration from light academia fashion – those same browns and beiges, but mixed in with some orchid and olive and light cambridge blue.

🌸 What is the rich girl nail trend?

Simply put, the rich girl nail trend is all about achieving a timeless, classic look. It very much goes along with the Old Money aesthetic, and the color palette reflects that -- you'll see lots of neutrals colors, a couple of rich academia-inspired hues, and elegant nail shapes that elongate your fingers, like almond.

Along with the rich girl nail trend, you might have heard of a Russian manicure lately, too... and that's because the two go hand-in-hand! A Russian manicure is a technique for taking care of your nails that involves careful cuticle shaping, supporting nail health and growth, and other practices that make a great foundation if you ultimately want a polished, expensive nail look.

That’s it for our guide to this season’s spring nails! 🌸

We hope this list has given you plenty of inspo for your next manicure—whether you're DIY-ing at home, grabbing some adorable press-ons, or booking a trip to your favorite salon.

We’d love to hear what you think of this season’s trends! Drop us a comment and let us know.

Until then, happy spring, sunshine! ☀️