As the Valentine’s Day approaches you want to make sure just about everything is perfect. As you prepare your dress and plan your makeup and hair you want to make sure that your nails match your mood and your style. Nail art is no longer just considered makeup, in fact you can show the world the way you feel by painting your nails to match your mood. From funky, bold, sexy to cute there is just about every sort of fun nail designs to match your style.
Gone are the days when you could get these funky tips only by going to a nail bar or a saloon. It has come a long way over the past couple of years. You can find stencils, nail stamps, stripping tapes, removable gels, nail art brushes, stickers and what not to adorn your tips. There are no boundaries when it comes to nail art and creativity. From nail kits to everyday items such as sponges, bobby pins, tooth picks and tapes can be used for these designs. Making beautiful nail designs is one of the best romantic ways to celeberate Valentine’s Day. We have compiled 11 Valentine’s Day nail art ideas for you, so enjoy and get painting ladies!
11. Wear Your Heart at Your Finger Tips
When you want to celebrate your love, why not put it at the tip of your fingers. This nail art has a rebellious twist to it, in the form of inverted hearts which are painted upside down on the tips of your fingers nails. These are super cute nail designs which are super easy to do. Another bonus you can use any color nail base you want with these. There are nail pens available these days which you could use to make a design like this one. If you can’t get your hands on one, you can:
How to:
- This nail design is ideal if you have shaped your nails slightly oval or pointed.
- Start by putting a base coat, and then put two to three coats of a light nail color. Opt for something pastel such as a baby pink or peach.
- Dip a fine tip nail brush in red color and paint a horizontal line across the bottom third of your nail, and a dot right across the centre of this line.
- The dot gives you guidelines as to where you will draw the curves for upper part of the heart.
- After drawing these fill the bottom part with red nail color
- Apply top coat and admire!
10. Funky Valentine’s Day Nail Art
This Valentine’s Day nail art is super funky and suitable for the girl who wants to stand out. You would like this if you are bored of the traditional red and black nail designs. This one requires some detailing and some patience but hey it’s totally worth it if you want your nails to stand out just like the rest of you on Valentine’s. You can always learn how to make nails dry faster to save your important time.
How to:
- Paint all nails with an opaque white polish except your ring finger; cover this with a bright blue color. Make sure you put 2 coats of each color
- Using a stripping nail art brush or stripping tape, whatever you prefer paint black lines on your pinky and thumb nail.
- With the same brush paint a small heart on your middle finger, and an eye on the ring finger. You can also paint some other pattern if you want.
- Now fill the heart with a pink polish and using the same polish paint and fill half moon pattern on the base of your thumb nail and tip of the index finger.
- In a similar manner paint half moon on the base of your index finger and your pinky.
- Lastly finish the pattern with the white polish on your ring finger, if it requires filling.
- Once your design is dry top with a top coat.
9. Conversational Hearts
This Valentine’s Day nail art is for the bad girl in you and you will totally love it if you are a rebel, but off course the subversion is optional. This design is cute and funky and once again is completely unique because of the colors used. This design is perfect for round nails. You can use this conversational nail art to write any message you want.
How to:
- Just start by painting your nails with a very pastel shade of peach or pink.
- Then using nail art stripping pens in shades of pink, green, purple, orange or yellow make heart shapes on each nail. You can use any color pens you want, just choose the color with which you have matching nail polishes available, and preferably slightly lighter then the pen itself.
- To make these heart simply make a V which starts just a bit below the tip of your nail, and join it to each side on the middle of your nail
- Then taking a centre point on the upper third corner of the nail make the sweeping curves.
- Once the hearts are finished and dry, fill them carefully, you may want to use a stripping brush to do so.
- When the polish is dry you can start with the writing part. You can write anything you want. Such as “drunk on love”, “Love rocks”, “fit for a prince”, or anything you like. Use stripping pen to make it easy.
- If you think you can’t manage that you can even take help from nail decals which are easily available, which are sure to make your nails look Instagram worthy!
- In end do not forget to put on a top coat.
“Nail art is no longer just considered makeup, in fact you can show the world the way you feel by painting your nails to match your mood. From funky, bold, sexy to cute there is just about every sort of nail design to match your style.”
8. French Tips with Double Hearts
This is another cute nail art look for the Valentine’s Day. This is perfect for the romantic in you, and is a bit toned down. This is quite easy and will catch anyone’s eye. You can even wear this look on short nails, and your nails will look as stunning as the rest of you. All you need is three shades of nail polish, a top coat and a bit of a steady hand and you are good.
How to:
- Just put two coats of the lightest polish all over the nail. We suggest you use a baby pink or a color close to the pink which is used for French manicure.
- Then take the middle shade. Determine a centre point on the tip of each nail and draw little curves on the tip. These half moons or curtain like curves start from the tip and end on the middle part of the nail on each side.
- Then take your darkest shade of the same family preferably a bright pink or a shocking pink or even red if you want and follow the same curved lines but more towards the tip or outer corners of your nails. Fill any part which is showing towards the tip with the same dark shade.
- Once your little Valentine’s Day nail art is dry, cover with a top coat to seal all the colors and add a shine to your design.
7. Double Love Hearty Nails
This is an amazing Valentine’s Day inspired pattern, it is cute and funky but since it does not have that typical red touch to it, which makes it office friendly. This is a perfect alternative to red polish but since it has a bright pink and a touch of silver to it we can say it is femme with the fatele missing from it. This perfect romantic look is also ideal for a first date or if you want to say happy valentine’s day, but with a bit of spunk. If you’re looking for Valentines Day ideas for her to make him crazy for you, make sure to try this nail design with red apparel.
How to:
- This nail art requires using the needle technique or you can also use a chopstick stick. If you are not familiar with this technique, just keep in mind that it requires a quick hand otherwise you will not be able to make such perfect hearts. So we suggest that you work with one nail at a time when making this design.
- First paint all the nails with the lighter shade, or you could even use the alternate colors on each nail. Let it dry
- Now beginning with one nail at a time, put silver dots on one nail and a smaller dot of the contrasting nail polish right inside it. You can either use a dotting tool or if you can manage drop from the brush. Now immediately draw a vertical line using the needle across the dot. You will get a tiny heart instantly.
- You can put these dots in line or in an abstract pattern.
- One by one work on each nail, let the pattern dry completely, then seal with a top coat.
6. Nails That Say L-O-V-E
This is one of the most amazing and unique nail designs which literally spells out L-O-V-E. This Valentine day nail idea is cute, simple and ideal for all kinds of nail shapes and length. This looks very neat and is actually much easier to achieve than you would think. You can actually do it in two ways. We are telling you both just follow whichever you like better
How to:
- Start by painting all the nails white.
- You can use a stripping pen and stencil to write these neat alphabets on each nail, so that it says L-O-V-E; one other way of doing it is just get some cheap scrapbook stickers and stick each alphabet on each nail.
- Then paint a heart on your thumb using the same pen or again if you can find you can use a sticker.
- Paint the outside of the heart carefully with a pretty pink nail polish
- Lastly seal your design with a top coat; this is particularly important if you plan to use the stickers. This keeps them intact and no one can even tell your little secret.
“When you want to celebrate your love, why not put it at the tip of your fingers. This nail art has a rebellious twist to it, in the form of inverted hearts which are painted upside down on the tips of your fingers nails.”
5. Heart Balloons With French Tips
No matter what you do there is something so classy about French manicure that nothing can beat it. However, for the Valentines we bring you a nail art idea which is a French tip but with a little twist to them. This is classy, chic elegant and romantic. This is another nail art design for which you don’t need long nails; however, your nails should be shaped square with rounded edges. You can easily learn how to paint nails and make perfect French tips using the following simple tips:
How to:
- Paint your nails a nude pink or that of a French manicure pink.
- Then use a very fine stripping pen and draw small hearts on the sides of each nail.
- Extend a line outward, so it looks like a floating heart shaped balloon.
- Another way to make these tiny hearts is to use the needle technique, where you drop a small drop of polish and quickly using a needle drag a line across it, the farther you drag the needle the farther the line will extend to.
- Once the black polish/pen is dry, paint the usual French tips.
- Don’t forget to apply a top coat.
4. Pink and Purple Heart and Lines
A Valentine’s Day nail art look is incomplete without a heart or two. However, if you think red hearts are a bit too much you are sure to love this look. If you like classy nail designs with lines, this is the one you must try. The hearts are drawn with purple on a hot pink base, and you can leave one finger plain or add these nice glittery lines if you want to. It is totally up to you.
How to:
- Paint all your nails by applying two coats of a hot pink or a shocking pink color.
- Then start drawing small hearts with a purple shade, we prefer a bright purple but you could also use a lilac if you like.
- Make hearts on one side of each nail in a slightly arched line. You can use a stencil or the needle technique to draw these.
- Leave one nail empty, on this nail stick some stripping nail tape in horizontal fine lines. Then cover the whole nail with a silver polish. When the polish is dry remove the tape gently.
- When everything is dry, seal the look with a top coat.
“This is perfect for the romantic in you, and is a bit toned down. This is quite easy and will catch anyone’s eye. You can even wear this look on short nails, and your nails will look as stunning as the rest of you.”
3. Polka Dots Nail Art
This nail art design is ideal for those who want to stay away from the literal hearts and typical reds, yet want to be in the spirit of Valentine’s. This is pretty easy to do and you just need three shades of polish, one light and two dark. You can make this design using a nail art kit, which has proper nail art tools to make these dots or you can even use a chopstick, even a bobby pin works just fine to do so. Unless you are really into this stuff the lateral works just fine. If you don’t have enough time for this nail art design, you can always go for acrylic nails if you have the kit at home.
How to:
- Start by applying two coats of the light shade preferably an opaque white or a pale pink.
- Once they are dry take your toothpick and dab it in the red or bright pink color, whichever you prefer.
- Make a straight line with these dots.
- Once these are dry take the middle shade or a medium pink or you could even go for a shade of purple or lilac and make two more lines on each side of this central line.
- Once all the nail polishes are dry, cover with a top coat and your pretty funky Valentine’s Day nail art is ready to admire.
2. Hearts With Polka Dots
Another lovely idea is to combine polka dots and heart. Have fun with placement of the little heart. You can mix and match the design according to your mood. The idea is to work with two or three nail polishes. Again you don’t need much just a dotting tool or a tooth pick or a bobby pin and some imagination. We suggest you play with pinks and purples or even light and dark hues of pink for this. The idea is to just have fun.
How to:
- Simply paint all your nails with one color, making just one the opposite.
- Now on the other four nails start making little hearts either by using the needle technique or simply place two dots nearby and join them with a V, and there you have a tiny intricate heart.
- Now using the same shade place little dots all around your heart.
- On that one nail which you colored different, just draw a heart of the base color of other nails or you could even leave it like this. It is totally up to you.
- Don’t forget the top coat.
1. Lots of Hearts
For a Valentine’s Day nail art idea this is just about perfect! Though it might seem a bit understated initially but when seen closely one can see how this design actually has lots of heart. This isn’t difficult to make and hearts are actually one of the easiest patterns to make. All it requires is a little practice. Since you will be making lots of tiny hearts in this design we suggest you use a fine toothpick for this one.
How to:
- Start by painting your nails the boldest, sexiest red you have. Put at least two or even three coats
- Then on one of the nails, preferably the ring finger starts making tiny hearts. If going for a red base we say choose shades of pink for the hearts or you can even make one white heart in between.
- Simply place two dots close by so that they are almost touching then extend tiny v shaped lines downwards, and there you have your heart.
- Once all the polishes are dry just put on your top coat and voila you have your perfect nail art ready.
How to take care of Your Nails
We have given you some very cute and different nail art ideas. The best thing about them is that with just a bit of practice and patience you can actually do all of them at home. Often people have trouble growing their nails or find they are brittle or dull. Here are some tips to take care of all your nail growth problems.
- Always give your nails at least one day to breath and absorb oxygen. That means whenever you remove nail polish give your day a one day rest before you apply it again.
- Use acetone-free nail polish removers.
- Never file wet nails.
- Whenever filing your nails always file them in one direction.
- Apply a moisturizer enriched with vitamin E not just to your hands but to your cuticles and nails as well.
- When you are not wearing any nail polish soak your hands in water with olive oil and vitamin E capsule. Then give them a good scrubbing with some baking soda and a nail brush.
- This takes care of yellowing nails and dead cuticle.
“This is a perfect alternative to red polish but since it has a bright pink and a touch of silver to it we can say it is femme with the fatele missing from it. This perfect romantic look is also ideal for a first date or if you want to say happy valentine’s day, but with a bit of spunk.”
