According to Instagram, Stylish People Are Only Wearing These Acrylic Nail Designs

As big of a fan as I am of my gel manicures and neutral nail colors (I’ll be wearing Funny Bunny and Bubble Bath until the day I die), I’ve recently discovered the magic of acrylic nails after spotting them on the fashion people I constantly come across on my daily commute through New York City. When it comes to feeling put-together, basic nailcare and clean-looking nails have always been nonnegotiable to me. I’ve also been allowing myself to step out of my comfort zone and play more with nail lengths, designs, and 3D details in recent months.

Wondering which ones I’ll be giving a try? Below are the 20 unique acrylic nail designs I’ll be requesting during my manicures and attempting to re-create at home, plus a look into the inspiration and products used by the experts to fully craft their looks. Trust me when I say you’ll want to screenshot these for quick and easy access when you’re asked to pick your nail color out at the nail salon.

The Chicest Acrylic Nail Designs

1. Delicate Gems

This stunning crystal-embossed manicure is perfect for anyone with a love for clean, semi-minimalistic designs with a hint of sparkle. To create this nail look for Megan Fox, celebrity manicurist Brittney Boyce used clear Gel-X stiletto tips with a thin coat of Spring Sigh from Aprés on the extension over Fox’s natural nails, leaving the rest of the nail clear. The nails were finished with a topcoat and scattered stones.

2. Stardust

If you’re on the hunt for a simple way to update a classic cosmos-inspired manicure, consider re-creating this design by Boyce for your next trip to the nail salon. I’m obsessed with how elegant the eye-catching black stars look with delicate rhinestones at their center. Plus, the blush-pink base definitely allows the stars to shine here.

3. Yayoi Kusama Dots

This one is for the modern art lovers and anyone who appreciates a playful polka-dot design. Inspired by the eye-catching contemporary style of artist Yayoi Kusama, this hand-painted manicure look by celebrity nail artist Betina Goldstein features alternating playful patterns on each nail—from a vibrant red-and-white design to tiny black dabs set against a yellow background.

4. Pearly White

As someone with a tendency to lean more on the minimalistic side when choosing an acrylic nail design, I love when elegant manicures incorporate nail trends in neutral shades. This white chrome nail look by celebrity nail artist Iram Shelton offers all the understated glamor of a pearlescent finish with the sparkle of gemstones sprinkled here and there.

5. Gold-Flecked Flames

Another nail art trend I’ve been itching to try for my next set of acrylics is metal-toned flames. Paragon Beauty LLC’s take on the trend incorporates vivid shades of white, green, and yellow with dazzling gold flame detailing that dances across the surface of the nails. If you want to attempt more than one nail art trend at once, I could imagine trying this with aura nails in my favorite colors.

6. Silver Chrome

Since chrome manicures have been reaching astronomical heights in popularity over the past few years (which can largely be attributed to Hailey Bieber’s internet-breaking chrome nails), you would think there are only so many ways to wear the trend. This silver chrome manicure with cross details is clear evidence that chrome and the gothic beauty trend are an unstoppable duo.

7. Kintsugi

Kintsugi is the traditional Japanese technique for repairing broken pottery by piecing the shards back together again using resilient lacquer dusted or mixed in with gold lacquer. These neon-green nails by celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt have a similar look to them with gold detailing that resembles that art form. To get this particular shade, she mixed together OPI’s GelColor in No Faux Yellow and Green Come True.

8. Dazzling Daisies

No matter what time of year it is, floral nail designs are always a good idea, even if they aren’t all that groundbreaking. This pearlescent manicure by Shelton is one of my favorites because it combines a playful daisy-inspired nail design with delicate rhinestone details set against a creamy white base. It’s elegant, understated, and beyond easy to re-create with a little patience.

9. Blue Flames

For anyone planning to hop on the blue-flame art trend without having to commit to too much color, try re-creating these Y2K-esque blue-flame nails with a touch of chrome. If you look closely, you may also be able to spot a hidden heart on every nail where the flames reach their touching point. How fun is that?

10. Mixed Neutrals

For those of you who have a hard time deciding which nail design to go with, take this as your sign that you don’t actually have to pick one over another. In fact, you can mix and match 10 of your favorite patterns in the same color scheme. If you ask me, it’s the perfect way to try a few new nail designs you’ve had your eye on at once.

11. Rainbow Fade

I know I said I prefer neutral acrylic nail designs, but this whimsical and bright look Imarni Nails has dubbed the “rainbow fade manicure” may have won me over. There’s still enough natural nail shown that it’s versatile, and the semi-arched rainbow design that reaches across the nails is soft and effortlessly chic. I would imagine this manicure looks great on different nail shapes, but almond will forever and always be my favorite.

12. Mother-of-Pearl

I’m a frequent wearer of pearl jewelry, so knowing that there’s an acrylic manicure that puts pearls front and center brings me right back to the mermaidcore and siren beauty trends we saw all of summer 2023. To create this look, Goldstein used the No Wipe Top Coat and a pearlescent powder by CND with real freshwater pearls.

13. Comic Book Outline

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this fun comic book–inspired French manicure Ganzorigt created for media personality Liza Koshy at the 2024 AMAs is extremely cool. This unique nail design is so detailed, and if you take a closer look, you can see some cartoonish light glints and curves. Truthfully, I’m already considering this as part of my casual Halloween look for next year.

14. Green-and-Brown Aura

Okay—I’ve been seeing aura nails popping up everywhere lately, from fashion-forward content creators on social media to stylish celebrities on the red carpet. (I’m looking at you, Megan Fox and Vanessa Hudgens.) Ganzorigt created these green-and-brown aura nails for Hudgens, adding a retro starburst to the third finger.

15. Mod Manicure

Mod acrylic nails like these offer the perfect opportunity to play with shapes and colors until you find the best finished look. For the nails above, Shelton shared via Instagram that she drew inspiration from the HBO hit series Euphoria and used Ella+Mila nail polish in Dream and Lights Out.

16. Pattern Play

This mismatched manicure created by Ganzorigt for Madelyn Cline has lived rent-free in my mind since it appeared on my feed. Not only does this nail design feature one of my favorite color combos (citrus and ocean tones always look gorgeous together), but there are also so many eye-catching designs and textures.

17. Graphite Frenchie

Light-catching metallic tips on a French manicure like this one by Boyce will always have my heart and capture my attention, especially when they’re created with a graphite nail polish shade rather than your usual silver or gold. I’ll be copying this look ASAP!

18. Dark Aura

Not all aura manicures on acrylic nails need to be in primary and pastel colors. Instead, try this moody, dark aura nail design using shades of navy blue and deep black. Boyce selected two shades from Aprés to bring this delightfully bold look to life.

19. Twisted Tuxedo

I spend hours a day scrolling through nail inspiration as part of my job, and I can say with certainty that this is one of the most unique acrylic nail looks I’ve come across. Ganzorigt’s goal was to create something classic, chic, and Chanel inspired for Hudgens ahead of her appearance on the Oscars 2023 red carpet. To create the twisted effect, she used OPI nail polish in Black Onyx and Funny Bunny.

20. Neon Aura

Lastly, I’m loving these bright and brilliant neon aura nails featuring shades of pink and orange on one hand and green and yellow on the other. The finished look is playful and unique—just like so many of the iconic manicures created by Boyce that look especially nice on long acrylic nails.

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