These Acrylic Nail Ideas Have Me Running to Make an Appointment With My Nail Tech
BRB, getting my nails done.
Here’s the best thing about acrylic nails: You get so. much. nail real estate. Even if you’re working with short acrylic nails, there’s plenty of room to play around with your favorite nail designs. Whether you like a simple single-color manicure, an intricate floral design, or a twist on the classic (and classy!) French manicure, opting for acrylic nails are a surefire way to show off your personality via your mani.
Acrylics are also super versatile. You can get short (my personal favorite since I’m always doing a lot of typing), medium, long ones, and almond, squoval, coffin nail shapes… The list goes on. And the best part? These tips can last on your fingers for up to six to eight weeks. Though the safest option is to get 'em removed by a professional nail tech, if you carefully follow some removal steps, you can remove acrylics at home too.
But the question remains: Which direction do you go in? Do you go for a cute trendy moment like café au lait nails, or do you go with an abstract, swirly design? The options are endless, which is exciting but can feel a lil overwhelming, so we’ve got you. Ahead, we narrowed down the best acrylic nail ideas for you to get some major inspo ahead of your next nail appointment. Go ahead and screenshot to your heart’s content.
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'Wuthering Heights' Acrylic Nails
Personally, I haven't stopped thinking about the new Wuthering Heights movie since I first saw it last week. I mean, that ending! This design immediately took me back to that scene where Margot Robbie's character Cathy is crying on the floor to Nelly in Thrushcross Grange (iykyk). Plus, is this not the perfect example of an impactful design on short nails?!
XL 3D Bubble Nails
If you're gonna do acrylics, you might as well go all out, right?! This extra-long design is a perfect wintry white shade, and the 3D bubble features make them even better (be aware, these will likely need to be done with gel, but your nail tech can figure that out).
Black and White Acrylic Nails
IDK if it's just me (and maybe I'm craving a sweet treat), but this black and white design is giving me major black and white cookie vibes. The simple look paired with almond-shaped acrylics make these totally classic.
Butter Yellow Acrylic Nails
Butter yellow has officially become one of my favorite nail colors, and I love how these ones include a cute, simple flower on each nail.
Pink Acrylic Nails
I'm a sucker for all things pink, so this ombré pink nail design is pretty much made for me. It's perfect for anyone who wants to go for a simpler look but not just a single shade. Or, it's great if you're like me and can't ever pick just one color (guilty as charged).
Stained Glass Nail Design
They say the eyes are the window to the soul... But these acrylics put up a good argument that manicures are the (stained glass) window to the soul. The curvy, chrome manicure gives serious stained glass vibes. I'm obsessed.
'Wicked' Nails
Wicked showed me that pink and green go perfectly together, and this manicure is proof. And yes, I know it's been a minute since the movie came out, but aren't these giving total Glinda and Elphaba vibes?
Pastel Watercolor
Ummm, I want my nails to look like a watercolor painting, pls. These pastel shades swirl together perfectly to create a watercolor lollipop dream. BTW, these are way easier to create at home than you'd think. Place a drop of each color you want to use on your nail, then use a clean nail brush to swirl them for a custom manicure.
Micro French Tips
There's something so chic about a micro French manicure, and this one switches it up by following the coffin shape of the acrylic. Pair a nude base polish that matches your skin tone with any color you like, though this black French mani is looking especially timeless.
Sunset Acrylic Stiletto Nails
Here's what I love about this design: It has a bit of everything. There's a French mani, a 3D flower, and an orange ombré moment in there, all created on long stiletto nails. The pink and orange manicure has me dreaming of summer sunsets already.
Airbrushed Acrylic Nails
Something about these slightly fuzzy striped tips just feels very much like a sweater. To get that textured finish, expect your nail tech to break out the airbrush machine.
Lavender Flower Acrylic Nails
Hot tip: Looking down at your hands and seeing these retro floral acrylics is pretty much an instant mood-booster. And, even better, this design works just as well on short nails as it does on long ones.
Why trust 'Cosmopolitan'?
Catharine Malzahn is a contributing beauty writer at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching and writing nail stories.
Ruby was the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covered beauty across print and digital. Her work has appeared on The Zoe Report, Fashionista, and StyleCaster. Follow her on Instagram.
Catharine Malzahn is a contributing beauty writer at Cosmopolitan and was previously the beauty assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention.
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