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The Marcia Brady of manicures and long nails command all the attention and are always flaunting their elaborate designs online. But let’s face it: short nail art has been waiting long for its moment in the sun. We’re going to talk for a lot longer than the one-word text you were supposed to send to the guy you’ve been talking to on Tinder or the library book you forgot to return to the school librarian in the fourth grade. Short nails are comparable to Jan Brady, the middle sister who occasionally goes unnoticed yet merits recognition like her older sister. Here are some ideas for Aura nails.
If you bite your nails, dislike long nails, have weak nails that won’t grow, or suffer from weak nails that won’t grow no matter how many supplements you take, don’t worry. You can still hang with your gorgeous short nails.
“Nail artist Miss Pop from New York City claims, “As a former nail-biter, I can attest that nail art makes every length appear extra fantastic.” Consider centering the design by the cuticle if your nails are short; try a half-moon or a negative-space motif.” These manicures look amazing in all lengths, especially on shorties. Each set comes in various colors and designs that satisfy almost everyone’s aesthetic palette. Need to get into pastels? We’ve got several ideas that are more on the neutral side. Fancy pink over neutrals? We’ve got those, too. Consider all your nail art needs to be covered.
Please continue reading to see 32 short nail art ideas we know you’ll want to duplicate, add to your nail art inspiration board, or present to your nail technician at your upcoming salon appointment. With Maby, you can take the initiative in everything.
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Bedazzled Gemstones
Manicurist Miki Higuchi explains, “If I want to go over the top, I fill the nails with gemstones. Over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 625 Silver Storm, she balanced large, vibrant jewels with smaller ones. Use glue dryer spray and Kiss Nail Glue: She says, “The diamonds won’t budge.”
Marbleized Metallic
Metallic nails with a marbleized pattern are unique and extraordinary. Higuchi applied pink, silver, and gold metallic polishes haphazardly with a makeup sponge to achieve this appearance and then blurred the edges with a little paintbrush. She advises applying the darkest metallic first to prevent muddying of the hues.
Rainbow Ombré Tips
Ombre is timeless, but Higuchi claims that using an iridescent base coat and a rainbow of metallic colors on the tips makes it less bridal.
Use a makeup sponge to apply a metallic color to the top half of each nail once the neutral base has dried. Add one additional coat of the same paint over the dry tips for gradation. Include a vibrant metallic among opulent bronzes and golds (Essie has a great range, including the glimmering magenta Space Out).
Two-Toned Tips
This straightforward split-color manicure has a chic but playful vibe. Additionally, according to Sundays Studio’s creator and nail artist Amy Lin, it can make your nails appear longer without using acrylics.
She notes, “This may be done easily with a brush,” and the tape is an excellent alternative for beginners. “Try an angular design to help your nails appear longer.”
Sweet Strawberries
How could you not feel happier after admiring this nail artist, Amber Green, manicure? The strawberries on some of the nails and the bright pink nail polish allude to more brilliant, sunnier days of spring and summer. Give Ella+Mila’s nail polish in Brave a try if you want a similar vivid pink that will get everyone to wink.
The Far-From-Typical French
The French manicure can be anything but basic, as seen by Mei Kawajiri’s gritty black-and-neon design, which she created in New York City.
The ideal half-moon shape is no longer the focus of the modern French manicure, according to Lin, who emphasizes the importance of drawing a thin line using vibrant color. It’s about utilizing color to express oneself, not getting the ideal shape.
Use any high-voltage colors in your collection to achieve this appearance.
Bowie Lightning Bolts
These expertly painted lightning bolts are a fitting tribute to the musical heritage of vocalist David Bowie. Hannah Missen, the nail artist behind this design, suggests “marking each point of the lightning bolt with four small dots, then using a super-thin detail brush to combine the lines and thicken where needed” to achieve the perfect red-and-blue bolts. If you want a comparable soft white lacquer, try OPI’s, Alpine Snow.
Geometric Half Moons
This festive red manicure is ideal year-round, not just during the holidays. Any time of year, if you wear this geometric half-moon cutout piece, you’ll get compliments.
Lin explains that it works for short nails because a negative space design like this may be durable and remain in place even as your nails grow out. She advises utilizing tape for execution since it will give you the cleanest, most precise lines possible.
Floral Ombré
It couldn’t be simpler to make this lavender manicure with flower elements at home. Use your go-to purple polishes as the foundation, and add white flowers anywhere you wish with a tiny paintbrush. The lovely ombré technique makes the nails appear longer naturally; you can learn how to create it in this helpful video.
Any advice from Lin? Make the flowers less than half the size of your manicure for a pleasant, delicacy aesthetic that will seem manageable on short nails. To make them the center point, she adds, “I’d also only do flowery designs like these on a few nails.”
Soft Smiles
It would help if you had three colors—naked, yellow, and black—and a reliable dotting tool- to create this cute smiley-face manicure. If you don’t have one, nail artist Mazz from Los Angeles says there are products in your home that work just as well.
When doing nail art at home, “never underestimate the power of a bobby pin and a toothpick,” she advises. “They are among the best tools for creating almost perfect circles, and you can also get a similar effect using a used eyeliner brush. Use scissors to remove part of the bristles if the brush is overly thick.”
Conversely, if you need to complete the research, purchase a pair of entertaining press-on. You can also buy smiling nail decals and apply them to your nails. We appreciate the variety of cheerful faces, flowers, and other designs that Inked By Dani’s Color Nail Art Tattoos offer. Likewise, don’t worry about getting it too perfect. In any case, it will be cute.