As Cosmo’s nail-obsessed beauty editor, it’s quite literally my job to track down the latest and greatest manicure trends. If you’re new here, welcome. Every time a new month rolls around, I consider it my duty to deliver a fresh lineup of nail ideas sourced straight from all the best nail salons, celebrity manicurists, and viral nail artists.
With March on the horizon, it’s officially time to remove those deep winter shades and cold-weather designs. Maybe you’re over the moody burgundies and frosty blues. Maybe you’re planning a festive St. Patrick’s Day look and need a chic take on green nails. Or maybe you just want something that feels like the first hint of spring. Whatever your vibe, I found a bunch of chic March nail designs to try out for the new month ahead.
Ahead, the best nail ideas for March to pull you out of your winter manicure rut and into something a little fresher as we manifest warm weather.
Multicolor French Nails
Mix and match any colorway your heart desires for a fun and playful French nail. There’s truly no wrong way to go about this miscellaneous mani—just choose a bunch of your favorite colors and create a contrasting French tip on every nail.
Silver-Studded Nails
These silver dots line the perimeter of every nail, creating a stud-like effect. You can select any base color and metallic topper to get the easy-to-DIY look with a small brush and a steady hand.
Swan Nails
Swan designs are everywhere right now (I have somehow accumulated a bunch of swan-themed items around my apartment) and adding the romantic decal to your nail is a super-cute and coquettish finish to any manicure—and is sure to ring in tons of compliments.
Micro-French Nails
Micro-French nails are arguably the biggest nail trend out there right now (check out more inspo here), and they’re super simple to achieve. You can finish them off with any color tip, and try going for a deep green for an especially on-theme March nail.
Single-Color Polka-Dot Nails
This elevated take on polka-dot nails creates a chic contrast by using light and dark versions of the same color. The monochrome purple design is my personal favorite to channel a cute spring vibe, regardless of the freezing outside temperatures.
Sage-Green Nails
If you are celebrating St. Patty’s Day but don’t feel like decking out your nails in clovers and leprechauns, a muted green is an unfailing choice. That way, you can wear them far beyond March 17 without the urge to get a festive design removed as soon as the holiday passes.
Green Chrome Nails
Chrome nails are continually trending, making them another ideal understated option for a St. Patty’s Day manicure. And a light-green chrome is the perfect way to ring in both spring and the holiday.
Milky Nails
Nothing beats freshly manicured fingers, especially with a milky polish to accentuate a clean nail shape. Some of my favorites to achieve the “your nail but better” look are OPI’s Funny Bunny or Essie’s Arctic Jelly.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
