Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to indulge in all things love-inspired, and what better way to express your romantic side than with a set of stunning Valentine’s Day nails? Whether you’re planning a cozy night in, a special date, or simply want to embrace the season of love, a cute manicure is a fun and stylish way to get into the spirit.
From classic hearts and cupid’s arrows to more modern designs like ombre pinks and glittering reds, Valentine’s Day nail art offers endless possibilities to showcase your personality and creativity. Whether you’re a fan of minimalist chic or over-the-top glam, there’s a design out there that will have you swooning.
This collection of 50 cute Valentine’s Day nail designs is sure to inspire your next manicure. Get ready to fall in love with these ideas that range from subtle and sweet to bold and beautiful, perfect for celebrating love in all its forms.
Negative-Space White Heart
Sometimes, it’s the absence of color that makes the biggest impact. Here, nails get coated in white, but the designs are made out of negative space. We love the statement heart nail juxtaposed with the classic French mani.
Pastel Aura
This manicure radiates from within, giving an aura around the edges of the nail and moving from rich pink to light lilac.
Classic Red
This is about as classic as it gets: a red manicure, made ultra-glossy with a top coat. We love the slightly pointed shape to add further interest.
Preppy Pink and Green
Pink and green are a classically preppy color combo, but they work for the day of love, too. Just add a fun statement nail with a green base and tiny, pale-pink hearts on top.
Simple Dots
We love this simple but bold style, which pairs neutral nails with a minimalist dot design over top.
Red and Cream Floral
Florals typically scream spring, unless you add a jolt of red. Here, the clasically split manicure gets a unique spin, thanks to a smattering of small flowers down the center.
Black and Beige
A typical Valentine’s Day manicure might employ pink or red, but this one feels fresh thanks to the unexpected color combo of beige and black. Here, each nail is a unique take on a classic French manicure—with the addition of a fun, heart-bedecked nail.
Pink and Red Heart-Shaped Tips
As if the heart-shaped tip wasn’t cute enough, this manicure pairs pink with red—adding further interest to the tip while the rest of the nail remains neutral. We love the addition of a glossy top coat.
Negative-Space Scalloped Nails
These pink and red negative-space nails are nothing short of chic. With tiny arcs of color along each nail’s outer edge, this manicure is both simple and artistic. To create the look, use an ultra-thin striping brush dipped into the polish color of your choice
Red With an Edge
This dark twist on the classic French manicure is a great way to give a nod to Valentine’s Day without going over the top.
Red Ladies
Valentine’s Day is known for its romantic air. One way to pay homage to the day is with a sultry manicure that shows off the love and femininity of February 14. Case in point: These red line-drawing nails.
Pastel Outlines
If you couldn’t already tell, we’re suckers for well-placed negative space. Here, Paintbox embraces the look with this pale-pink outlined creation, and we’re in love.
Metallic Pink Tips
Valentine’s Day nails don’t have to be layered in hearts to look like they’ve been struck by Cupid’s bow. Just look at these pink metallic French tips. We don’t know about you, but we think they look just lovely.
Tip
Finish a light-colored manicure with a sheer pink top coat, which will help mask any nail imperfections or yellowing.
Modern Red Mani
Looking for a new way to rock a red nail color without coating your entire nail bed in the bold hue? Look no further than this abstract blob nail art. With two slightly different shades of red, you can create high contrast and head-turning allure. For extra shine, add a dash of gold between the two hues.
Love Pills
Are these supposed to look like pills? Probably not. Do they? Yup. And let’s be real, they’re the perfect dose of Valentine’s Day cheer without being over the top.
Red French
If the idea of bright nails makes you cringe, rest assured you can hop on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon by opting for subtle red French tips.
Thick French Tips
French tips are back in a big way, with modern updates popping up on every corner (and in every Instagram feed). Here, the color is painted on so chunky that it features a negative-space half-moon at the nail cuticle.
Tip
Use a circular sticker to section off the nail’s bottom crescent and paint from the sticker to the tip in the red polish of your choice.
Shades of Red
Can’t choose a single color but don’t want to deal with nail art? With this multicolored mani you can create an eye-catching nail look by simply choosing five different shades of red. How blessed are we that this nostalgic mismatched technique is now considered a must-wear trend?
Heart-Eye Nudes
What happens when you upgrade the evil-eye nail-art trend with a Valentine’s Day theme? You get a nail look that will leave everyone (yourself included) heart-eyed. See what we did there?
Matte Ombré Nails
These almond-shaped nails make our hearts skip a beat. With a seamless fade from red to pink, they’re the perfect nail look for anyone who can’t quite make up their mind about which color to choose for their mani.
Stained Glass Nails
Ready to take your Valentine’s Day nails to the next level? With graphic lines and pops of color, this stained glass window-inspired manicure will make you fall head over heels.
Red Edges
These bright red nails manage to make a major statement without even entirely covering each nail in color. To create the ultra-crisp lines, use striping tape. If you’re a crafter or serial planner, you can even use washi tape to create a stencil to paint against.
Matte Stripes
Craving a simple red manicure that still has contrast? This matte-striped monochrome mani will do the trick. To DIY the look, paint on your choice of red polish and use a matte top coat like Essie’s Matte About You Top Coat to create a shine-free stripe across the middle of each nail.
Queen of Hearts
Keep it classic with a heart-covered design for Valentine’s Day (or any day). With two shades of pink, the nails feature contrast without adding more colors into the mix.
Red Roses
We’re all about buying ourselves flowers whenever we please. If you feel the same, you’ll love these realistic hand-painted floral nails. The roses make them Valentine’s Day-ready, while the baby-blue background offers a modern take on what’s appropriate for Cupid’s holiday.
Milk Chocolate
Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolate. If you don’t want to keep it light but still incorporate this sweet color, look to this manicure, that uses some negative space, French tip, and swirl techniques.
Amaretto
We’re calling this luxurious brown shade amaretto, because why not? A deeply delicious mix between red and brown, this liqueur color is perfect for fall and all throughout winter, too.
Classic French
There’s nothing wrong with a classic. Keep it timeless this love day with a classic French manicure. To make things a little more modern, try a micro-French mani.
Tiny Hearts
Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve. For those who want to showcase a little love but keep it simple, these tiny hearts over a neutral nail are the perfect way to do so.
All-over Glitter
Valentine’s Day has become a day for everyone to celebrate love. Whether it’s spent with your significant other, friends, or even yourself (who doesn’t love self-care?), add a little glitter and a have fun with it.
Burgundy and Red Stripe
We love this red and burgundy combo together, especially when it is done in such a minimal way with horizontal and vertical stripes. Try OPI’s Big Apple Red and Got the Blues for Red.
Berry Fade
These berry Skittles nails are the perfect colors to enjoy winter but carry you into spring.
Champagne
Love of any kind is reason to celebrate. Pop some bubbly or try a champagne manicure to make this day a little more special.
