On the hunt for spring nail art ideas you can do at home? Giving yourself a manicure is a self care activity that will make you feel beautiful and refreshed. Finish it off with pretty nail colours and nail art and your hands will be the envy of all your friends! The spring is the perfect time of year to rock freshly manicured hands as you’ll be spending more time outside. Turn heads with your nails with our favourite nail art designs!
9 Home Manicure Essentials
1. Nail Polish Remover and Cotton Pads
Before getting started on your manicure you want to make sure your nails are clean and fresh. Remove any old nail polish that’s on your nails already with nail polish remover and cotton pads. The nail polish remover will also be helpful if you make any mistakes while painting your nails.
2. Nail Clippers and Nail File
Clip your nails to your preferred length with a nail clipper. If your nails aren’t that long or you’re happy with the length, use an emery board nail file to even them out and create the nail shape you want. Note that you should file your nails in one direction at a time, as filing back and forth can lead to micro-tears and breakage.
3. Nail Buffer
If your nails are peeling or flaking, use a nail buffer to gently buff your nails, moving in one direction. Buffing your nails strips the top layer of natural oils, so skip this step if your nails aren’t in need of buffing.
4. Cuticle Exfoliator
Cuticle exfoliator will soften and exfoliate the dry skin by the cuticle, making it easier to push back. Swipe it over your nails, give it a few minutes to soften then move on to the next step, which is to push your cuticles back.
5. Cuticle Pusher
Gently push your cuticles back away from your nails with a cuticle pusher. Be careful not to tear, rip, lift or cut the cuticle in any way to prevent any problems with your nail bed. Cutting your cuticle leaves you open to infection, and you also run the risk of getting bumpy skin around your nail.
6. Base Coat
Before applying your chosen nail colour, make sure to use a base coat to prep your nails. This provides a barrier between your nail and the polish, protecting your nails from staining. Since your nails have natural oils, using a base coat provides a foundation for your polish, giving you extra days of wear.
7. Nail Polish
Choose your nail polish colour and paint it on, applying your polish in the middle of the nail and working your way to the edges. Wait for it to dry and apply a second coat, and then a third if needed. Two layers is usually enough, but you may opt for three if you’re using a very subtle or transparent shade.
8. Top Coat
Once your nail polish is completely dry, finish the process with a top coat. Paint on a thin layer to seal everything together. Quick dry top coats tend to chip more easily, so stick to one with a regular dry time.
9. Hand Cream
Complete your manicure with a soothing and moisturizing hand cream. Make sure the top coat is completely dry and then apply the cream to keep your hands to keep them soft and hydrated.
6 Spring Nail Art Ideas
DIY Monochromatic Nail Tutorial | DIY Half and Half Two-Colour Manicure | Designed by Smashley
This is a fun, fresh nail look for spring! She creates monochromatic nails using two shades of orange (but you can use any colour you like!). As well as the nail polish, she also suggests using a nail treatment to nourish and smooth your nails and the OPI nail hardener to make your nails nice and strong! She takes you through the whole manicure process before painting her nails, so you can follow along while doing your manicure if you like!
Pastel with a Sparkly Accent Nail
Pastel colours are always in for spring. Choose your favourite soft-hued shade (some popular ones are pale pink, baby blue and moss green) and spice it up with a sparkly accent nail on the ring finger of each hand. Apply a few layers of glitter polish over the base pastel colour so the sparkles really pop!
Easy French Manicure For Beginners! Gel At Home | Toni Sevdalis
A chic French manicure is a classic look for spring. Give it a modern twist with a rounded shape instead of a square by following the steps in this tutorial. As well as a French manicure kit, she also uses acrylic nail art brushes and a nail light.
Dainty Corner Sequins
Choose a spring base colour such as dusty rose, taupe or mauve and add dainty sequins to the outside corner of each nail (you can choose top or bottom). The sequins add a dose of colour and texture, bringing visual interest to your painted nails.
Negative Space Cherry Nail Art Design | OPI Professionals
Cherry nail art is set to be one of the top nail art designs for spring. This nail art takes some skill and a steady hand, but by following this tutorial, you’ll get the step by step on how to do the design yourself! You’ll need a nail art liner brush and dotting pen tool to create the cherry designs as well as red glitter for extra sparkle!
Geometric Nails
There are a number of ways to do cool geometric nail art, but one of the easiest is by creating simple lines and dots with the head of a bobby pin. Apply a clear coat to your nails and let it dry. Choose three different nail polish colours you can use for the lines and dots, and alternate with a dot on one nail and a short line on the next. Get creative by drawing the lines in a different direction on each nail and place the dots in different locations on each nail to create abstract geometric nail art!
Giving yourself an at home manicure is a fun and creative activity! We hope you enjoy these nail art ideas for spring – you’re sure to get plenty of compliments by rocking these nail looks!
