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63 Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Nails do not have to be painted in vibrant colors and do not have to be full of gems and flowers to get noticed. You can have simple nail designs that will catch everyone’s eye as sometimes less is more. We have found 63 simple yet eye-catching nail designs. There is a nail idea for every style and you can have a go at recreating them yourself at home. Take a look to find your favourite.

1. Light Nails with Gems

A simple way to jazz up any nail color is with gems. Little crystals like the ones featured will subtle sparkle and will give your manicure a touch of glamour. You could choose any nail polish color but choose a light one like this for an elegant look. Gems are low in cost and are easy to apply.

Light Nails with Gems for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @amur_nails

2. Pink and Glitter Nails

Glitter polishes are a great way to make your nails look stylish. A glitter accent nail will give you an eye-catching manicure. These nails have a pink polish and a gold glitter accent design. This combination is cute and it could be easily recreated at home. All you will need is two similar shade nail polishes. You could even choose a different color combo for your own unique look.

3. Light Nails with Metallic Stripes

Our next nail design idea features an accent nail with metallic strips. The strips create a professional looking manicure and you can create this look at home. All you will need is metallic nail tape, nail polish and top coat. You paint on your polish and it let it dry. Then cut small stripes of tape, put them onto the nail in strips and cut off the ends. Add top coat and you are done! You could create something light and elegant like this or something vibrant and bold.

4. Shimmering Nails

You can give your nails the wow factor by making them shimmer! These nails have a subtle silvery sparkle and you can create something like this with a shimmering nail polish. These polishes can be bought online in a variety of colors. You can have different polishes in your collection to create different sparkling looks. Nails like these will suit anyone for any occasion.

5. Soft Color Manicure

To create an elegant manicure easily try to use soft polish colors. This manicure has used a very light pink and beige polish to create beautiful nails. With just two shades you can simply create nails that will give everyone envy. A design like this will suit all nail lengths.

6. Glitter and Chrome

You don’t have to use bright colors to attract attention to your nails. You could create a stylish nude manicure like this one. It features a shiny nude polish, light glitter polish and a chrome polish. This combination is trendy and statement making. Nails like this can easily be recreated all you will need is three nail polishes.

7. Matte Nails and Glitter

Matte nails are must haves for 2017. This next manicure has created a simple but stylish design with blue matte polish and glitter. Nails like these will get everyone’s attention. All you will need for a mani like this is a matte polish and a glitter polish. You could also have a color underneath the glitter. Choose any color combination for nails like these. The design possibilities are endless.

8. Colorful Gem Nail Designs

A subtle and simple way to jazz up your nails is by adding colored gems. This design has used a different colored crystal on each nail. The gems add color to a neutral manicure. You could use any colored sparkles but make sure you use a light color nail polish so the gems can pop.

9. White Glitter Nails

White is a soft, chic and elegant color. It does stand out on its own but this manicure has stepped up the game by adding a white glitter accent nail. The glitter creates a trendy statement making manicure. You can create this look at home with a white nail polish and white glitter polish.

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10. Glam Glitter

Looking for glam nail designs then this next pick could be for you. These nails have a soft neutral shade on all the nails accept one. The other nail is covered in gold glitter. The use of glitter on long nails creates a glamorous manicure. You could recreate this with similar colors, try out the long nail length for a trendy look.

Glam Glitter for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @mznguy3n

11. Funky Yellow Nails

Creating funky nail designs is not as hard as you might think. Our next pick features a half color design. Half the nail is yellow and half is the natural nail color. You would just have to put tape over the part you don’t want to paint and then paint your half design. Try the yellow or a different color for a unique look.

Funky Yellow Nails for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @pony_nail

12. Subtle Silver Glitter Manicure

Next, we have an elegant white and silver glitter nail design idea. The white and the silver compliments each other perfectly. Nails like these would be great for a wedding or a special occasion. You could try gold glitter with this design to.

Subtle Silver Glitter Manicure for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @adibuki

13. Cute Purple Nails

Light purple is a pretty nail polish choice. It works very well with other colors. On this manicure, the purple has been worn with white and little crystals. The combination is very cute. You could recreate the purple look with just the white polish or just the gems. If you have time try both!

14. Chic White and Gold

If you liked the metallic strip idea from earlier in the post then you may like this one to. The idea is the same with the metallic tape but there is two strip and one strip nail designs. The colors used are also different as this manicure has used white and gold. White and gold is a chic color combo. Nails like these would be perfect for a night out or special occasion.

Chic White and Gold for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @meyanails__

15. Pretty Pearl Nails

Embellishments are a great way to jazz up your manicure. This next design idea features light blue nails with a pearl accent nail. The pearls add instant elegance to your look. Pearls also go with most colors so you could recreate this design with different polish shades.

16. Stylish Pink Manicure

Our next idea is simple but stylish. It features a light neutral shade with a pink chrome accent nail. You will only need two polishes to create this look. So, it is easy and won’t take a long time to complete. We love this design and think it would look awesome in other colors to

Stylish Pink Manicure for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @myauart

17. Silver Dot Nails

Here is another simple embellishment. This trendy manicure has silver dots placed on two nails. It is a creative idea that is easy to recreate. You could buy some silver dots or use some silver polish. If you didn’t like the silver you could try another color to.

18. Light Blue and White Design

Next, we have a blue manicure that has a thin white strip painted at the top. It has French manicure look to it but as the white strip is thinner it looks trendy. You could use a white polish to create this but you will have to have a steady hand. With practice though it will awesome.

19. Creative Paint Drip Nails

Here is a French manicure with a creative twist. Instead of the clean white line there is a paint drip design instead. This is a subtle and stylish design for your nails. There are many paint drip nail stencils available online. You could even try painting the design in different colors.

20. Blue French Nails

Give your French manicure a twist by adding blue tips instead of white ones. This is a subtle way to jazz up your usual manicure. Once you have tried blue you can try other colors to. The design possibilities are endless. These nails feature a light and very dark blue. We love this color combo.

21. Spotty Accent Nail

Spot nail designs are cute and chic. You can easily create dots with a thin nail art pen. These nails feature a dot design and a glitter nail. If you wanted you could try both the dots and glitter or you could just choose dots. Spotty nail art can also have a vintage look to.

22. Black Glitter Manicure

You don’t have to choose soft and light colors, you could try dark colors to. These nails feature a dark blue and two black glitter nails. Nails like these are perfect for the fall and winter. Black glitter would also look great on a night out to. All you would need is the black glitter polish and an optional darker color for the other nails.

23. Elegant Pink and Glitter Nails

Last on the list is this pink and glitter design. Instead of the glitter being along the top of the nail it is along the bottom instead. This is a simple and creative design that would suit any nail length. You could even try this design with another color instead of pink.

Elegant Pink and Glitter Nails for Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs

Source: @nail_sunny

24. Sparkly French Manicure

Love French manicures but want to jazz up your nails? Then this idea is perfect for you. Here we have nails with the classic light tone but the tips have got a sparkling twist. They still have the shape but instead of being white, they are glitter instead. This is a glam design that will look chic for a special event.

Elegant French Manicure Nail Design

Source: @nailsrnd

25. Light Nails with Pearl Accent Nails

Next, we have a very pretty manicure idea to share with you. These nails are a soft and light pink with a pearl accent nail on each hand. We love the pearls, they look so elegant and glam. Nails like these would be perfect for a wedding! Try and recreate this look or add pearls to each nail. You can buy pearls like these online.

Simple Nude Nails with Pearls

Source: @nailsrnd

26. Pink and Nude Nails with Rhinestones

You can jazz up any light nail color with sparkling rhinestones. Here is a great way to do it. These nails are light pink with two crystal accent nails. It is a stylish look and the nails will subtly sparkle when they catch the light. You can use any nail polish color and any rhinestone shape.

27. Stylish, Pink Gradient Nails

Ombre is a trendy nail art design. However, there is a new color technique in town and is called gradient. The gradient technique is a color change that is subtler than ombre and it seamlessly blends from one shade to the next. There are many color combos for this technique but this is one of our favorites. It is such a chic and classy idea for the ladies who want to try something new with their nails.

28. Crystal Cuticle Nail Idea

Our next idea features light nails with a sparkling cuticle design. On each hand there is one accent nail that has three small crystals sitting along the cuticle. This is such a trendy and elegant idea. This look would be quite simple to recreate at home. Just choose your nail color, paint you nails and apply the gems. You can buy crystals online and find instructions on how to apply them.

Simple and Elegant Nail Design for Short Nails

Source: @nailsrnd

29. Elegant French Manicure Nail Design

Next, we have another variation on the classic French manicure. These nails feature an elegant white tip that curves with the nail instead of the block line. It is just a softer and subtler version of the mani everyone loves. Nails like these can be worn anywhere from a day at the office to a glam event.

30. French Ombre and Glitter Nails

If you are looking for a trendy set of nails then these are for you! These nails are what is called French ombre. You use the classic mani colors but use the ombre technique. This way there is no harsh color difference and the nude and white blend beautifully. You can wear this look as it is or add glitter like the nails featured.

31. Nude Nails with Metallic Silver

Add chic silver to your nails with a design like this. These nails are short and nude with one silver accent nail on each hand. The accent nail has two stylish silver stripes. This is look is easy to recreate and you can use metallic tape. You could also try silver tape too.

Nude Nails with Metallic Silver Tape

Source: @nailsrnd

32. Pretty Heart Nails

Our next idea is pretty and super cute. Here we have nude nails with one subtle accent nail. The accent nail has a gorgeous red heart. It is such a simple but effective look. You can buy hearts for your nails online. These would be perfect for occasions like date night and Valentine’s Day.

33. Pink Nails with Subtle Glitter

Love pink? Then these nails are for you. This manicure features light, pretty pink nails with a stylish accent design. The accent nail has a subtle sweep of pink glitter along the cuticle. This is a very subtle and delicate look but the glitter will catch the light and sparkle. We love this idea!

Pink Nails with Subtle Glitter

Source: @tior_nails

34. French Tip Nails with Blue

Next, we have another way to jazz up your French mani. For this look there is the classic nude and white tips with one vibrant difference. On one nail on each hand there is a stylish blue line underneath each tip. This is very simple, but as you can see, it really catches the eye. Recreate the blue look or a different color. Pink would look amazing.

French Tip Nails with Blue

Source: @nailsrnd

35. Light Nails with Subtle Gold

Our next idea is very subtle but super stylish. This is one of our favorites. The nails are all painted in a light shade and there are two accent designs. On two of the nails there is the very thin gold line. Both lines go in towards each other and look like the meet. This is a gorgeous, chic and classy idea. You can try a similar look with silver.

36. Trendy Nude Nails with Black Nail Art

You can create many amazing designs with simple lines. These nails are an amazing example. The nails are all nude and each nail has a trendy black line pattern down each side. Even though the design is minimal and simple, it really makes a statement.

Trendy Nude Nails with Black Nail Art

Source: @tior_nails

37. Pink, Grey and Glitter

Grey is a must-have nail color. It is chic on it’s own and can be worn with glitter, metallic, chrome, bright colors and more. These nails show how to wear grey beautifully. Most of the nails are light pink with one grey glossy nail and one grey glitter nail. Try the whole look or choose one of the two nails. It is a stylish mani idea that will suit everyone.

38. Neutral Coffin Nails

Next, we have a stylish neutral look. Each nail has been painted in a light neutral tone except for the chic brown shade. Even though each color is different, they all compliment each other beautifully. This is a statement making look that will make you stand out from the crowd in style.

39. Soft Blue Nails with Rhinestones

Another beautiful color for your nails is blue. Here we have a very soft blue that is simple and low key, but super stylish. The blue nails have one sparkling accent nail that has a pretty crystal design. This is a gorgeous nail idea and you can recreate the look with a similar shade, with or without the rhinestones.

40. Sparkly Glitter Nail Idea

Our next idea is another sparkly look. The nails are a light shade with a subtle sweep of glitter. These nails are proof that glitter can be toned down and stylish. You don’t need to go too over the top to achieve a chic and elegant look. You can use this design with any color combination that suits you.

41. Light Pink Nails with Silver Embellishments

Give your pink nails an edge with a design like this. The nails are a pretty light pink with silver embellishments. There are three small circles on each nail. You can buy little nail decorations like these online and they are easy to apply.

Light Pink Nails with Silver Embellishments

Source: @phenomenail

42. Nude Nails with Thin White Tips

Next, we have another French manicure inspired look. These have the classic nude shade but white tip is super thin and curves around the nail beautifully. This is a chic, stylish and elegant look that will suit anyone. A design like this will work on any nail shape and any nail length.

43. Chic Line Nail Art

Black and white is such a chic color combination. With nails like these you can see why! These nails are nude and three of the nails have a black stripe while two of the nails have a white one. This is a simple but very creative look. It is perfect for the ladies who want to jazz up their nails.

Chic Line Nail Art

Source: @tior_nails

44. Pink Nails with a White Flower

Next, we have a beautiful and simple nail idea. The nails are pink and there is one accent nail with a white flower. It is a chic nail design and it is perfect for the spring and summer. You can paint the petals with a thin brush and use a dotting tool for the center of the flower.

45. Nude Nails with Rhinestones

The next nail idea is glam and gorgeous. For this look, the nails are glossy nude and are adorned with rhinestones. This is such a simple and sparkly idea. Recreate the whole look or put the rhinestones on one nail. You can buy rhinestones online and stick them on wet polish, then apply a top coat.

46. Different Shades of Blue

If you love bold colors, then take a look at this. Here we have a mani that uses all different shades of blue. Something like this is very easy to create as you will only need the different colors. You can use this design on all nail lengths and shapes. We love this and think it will make a statement.

47. Butterfly Nail Art

Looking for a pretty and bright nail design? If so, check this out. These nails have different colors on them and one nail is decorated with butterflies. You can make this mani even simpler by using one color on all nails with the butterflies. You can buy butterfly sequins online and stick them on wet nail polish.

Butterfly Nail Art

Source: @biaamei

48. Pretty Pink Nails

Be pretty in pink with this next mani. For this look, a few different shades of pink have been used both dark and light, as well as red shade. This is a gorgeous nail design and it is great for the spring and summer. It is perfect for those who love pink and it can be used on any nail length and shape.

49. Short Nude Nails with Stars

We love this next nail idea and it is one of our favorites. The nails are short and nude and each one is decorated with neon stars. It is a fun mani for spring and summer and the stars are easy to create. Just buy a star stencil and use neon polish with the stencil. Try something similar or put the stars on just one nail.

Short Nails with Colorful Stars

Source: @_beyliz_

50. Matte Nude Nails with Sparkle

Next, we have another nude nail design to show you. This time all nails are simply matte nude and each one is adorned with gold glitter around the cuticle. It is a gorgeous idea and it is easy to wear. For this design you will need a nude nails polish, a gold glitter polish and a matte top coat. If nude is not your thing, then try the design in a different color such as pink or purple.

51. Stylish Lavender Nails with Glitter

The next nail idea is stylish and sparkly! Three different polishes have been used including matte lavender, purple glitter and chrome lavender. It is beautiful nail design and it will look amazing on everyone. Recreate this or you can use a different color combo, maybe even try silver or gold glitter. This design will look great on shorter nails as well.

52. Chic Geometric Mani

Some nail designs look complicated but they can be quite simple. This is one of them. Here we have a super chic nail design. The nails are nude. Then black and a different shade of nude have been used to create a trendy geometric pattern. You can create this look with nail tape. Try this or you can use different colors.

53. Elegant Nail Design

Love elegant designs? If so, this idea is for you. Here we have French ombre and some of the nails are also adorned with tiny rhinestones. It is a beautiful nail idea and the rhinestones really jazzed up the look. Recreate this or you can use one block color instead of ombre. Rhinestones can be bought online.

54. Blue and Nude Nails

Next, we have another pretty blue nail design to show you. For this look we have light blue nails. Three of the nails have a diagonal line with light blue on one side and nude on the other. It is a stylish and glitzy idea that is perfect for the summer. You can create a neat line by using nail tape and paint the colors on either side.

55. Cherry Nail Art

The next nail idea features cute cherry art. For this look, the nails are short almond shape and they have cherries painted on them. The cherry design is so pretty and the blue tips look amazing too. You can buy cherry nail stickers or you can hand-paint them. There are tutorials online.

56. Trendy Dark Mani

Looking for something trendy but simple? If so, this is for you. The two end nails are dark and different shades of blue and nude are used on the other nails. We love this color palette, it is so stylish and it will be perfect for the fall and winter. It will also look great on longer nails.

57. Cute Nude Nails with Colorful Polka Dots

Polka dots are another simple but pretty design. Here is an awesome way to wear polka dots. The nails are short and matte nude with colorful polka dots. This is a fun idea and you can create dots with a dotting tool. Any colors can be used for polka dots.

Colorful Polka Dot Nails

Source: @naailartbar

58. Pink Nails with Butterflies

Next, we have another butterfly design. This time the nails are pink and two nails on each hand are adorned with butterflies. It is a gorgeous design and you can hand-paint the butterflies or you can buy butterfly nail stickers. Either way, your nails will look gorgeous. Try this or put butterflies on all nails.

59. French Ombre with Rhinestones

Love the French ombre? If so, this is for you. As you can see, all of the nails have the chic ombre but only one of the nails has added rhinestones. It is a gorgeous idea and something like this will be perfect for weddings. You can buy rhinestones online and you can try this look with any color combination.

French Ombre Nails with Rhinestones

Source: @gandziuchaa

60. Nude Nails with Botanical Art

If you like simpler and subtler nails, then this is for you. Here we have nude nails and there are two accent designs. The accent art features a white botanical pattern. It is a gorgeous idea and it so easy to wear. Something like this will suit all nail lengths and shapes. You can hand-paint a similar design or use a stencil.

Nude Nails with Botanical Art

Source: @nailsrnd

61. Light Nails with Yellow Tips

Add a pop of color to your look with a design like this. This mani features light nails and each one has a neon yellow stripe along the top. So the yellow looks like tips. It is such a trendy and simple idea. You can recreate this or use any bold color for the tip. Neon pink will be perfect for the summer.

Light Nails with Yellow Tips

Source: @nailsrnd

62. Pretty Blue Mani

The next nail idea features a pretty blue mani. For this look, most of the nails are light blue and there is a sparkly blue accent nail. This is another design that is perfect for the spring and summer. It is easy to create and it will look great on shorter nails too. You can also use darker shades of blue if the light tones are not your thing.

63. Sparkly Nails with a Bow

Next, we have a sparkly look. This time the nails are grey with glitter ombre. One nail also has a cute silver bow. We love this mani because it is so cute and glittery. You can buy little bows for your nails online. You can recreate this look on any nail length and shape.

Sparkly Nails with a Bow

Source: @naislbyeffi

We hope you have been inspired by these simple and eye-catching nail designs.

About the Author

Rebecca Puttock

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3 thoughts on "63 Simple Yet Eye-Catching Nail Designs"

  1. Corneria says:

    Thank you so much for your posting i have always looked for something simple yet legit. Mwaaah

  2. Anonymous says:

    I love them

  3. Jazmin says:

    I love glam glitter

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