The joy of having a new manicure always comes with a hint of pressure by having to decide which color to use. That changed when the rainbow nails trend came in. Why settle for a single color when you can have as many as you want?
Rainbow nails popped up in the early 2000s and went away. But it’s officially taking over the nail design world again. With that said, I’ve rounded up some rainbow nails design that you can recreate or take inspiration from.
RELATED: Easy & Fun Rainbow Nail Art Tutorial For Beginners
13 Creative Ways to Wear Rainbow Nails
1. Classic Rainbow Nails
@eloisefouladgarmulti coloured nails ☺️ ##nails ##nailedit ##rainbow ##nailart ##foryou ##foryoupage ##viral ##trending♬ původní zvuk – filousekjenej
Starting with the basics, painting every nail in a different color. Our design inspiration here is the most common way to pull off rainbow nails. It creates a super fun vibe that’s not overpowering.
2. Coffin Rainbow Nail Art
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Who knew that a very simple approach to rainbow nails can be so glam?
With a simple white base, the edges and tips are colored with multiple colors creating a subtle but gorgeous look!
3. Aurora Rainbow Nails
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Take a trip to Unicorn City with these gorgeous vibrant nails! The flair of glitter nails is the perfect contrast to the rainbow explosion of the accent nails.
Recreate this with different rainbow patterns or different glitter color shades!
4. Pixelated Rainbow Nail Art
@hannahroxit.comPixel rainbow nail art! ##nails ##beauty ##fyp ##foryou ##nailart♬ Sun Models (feat. Madelyn Grant)
Can you believe that the pattern of this playful beauty was hand-drawn? You can easily play around with patterns and different color shades to create your own interpretation.
5. Minimalistic Rainbow Nail Art
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If you want a simple design but still want to don rainbow colors on your fingertips, this is the way to go. This design features the classic rainbow nails on the cuticles. The playful strike of black dots’ contrast completes this delightfully light and sweet look!
6. Ombre Tips Rainbow Nail Art
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With this design, you get the best of both worlds. The vibrant energy that rainbow nails give and the gorgeous subtlety of nude nails. Definitely a design that you’ll want to repeat again and again.
RELATED: 25 Gorgeous Spring Nail Designs To Brighten Up The Season
7. Sparkle Rush Rainbow Nails
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What do you get when you combine to sparkles and rainbows? A glam rush! The nude base accentuates the ombre and rainbow accents into a unique and almost magical look.
8. Pastel Rainbow Nail Art
@dina__saurFirst custom stick on set I made for the break ##styletips ##happyathome ##nails ##pressonnails ##rainbownails ##fyp sorry for the bathtub clip lol♬ Next To You – Digital Farm Animals & Becky G, ft. RVSSIAN
Is there a more loved color palette right now than pastel colors? They’re subtle, gorgeous, and versatile. No wonder why people that want to try rainbow nails consider pastel colors first. I mean, just look at this design! Isn’t it lovely?
9. Pastel Tips Rainbow Nail Art
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If your go-to design is French tips, worry not. You can still jump on the rainbow nails trend! Take a look at this design for example. The ombre pastel tips blend effortlessly with the peach base for creating a charming piece of rainbow nail art.
Put your own spin on this design by experimenting with different shades for the base!
10. Trippy Rainbow Nails
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Now focus, because this design will require steady hands. By using different colors to hand draw slim lines, the artist created this dreamy rainbow nail art. May it be used as an accent or for all of your nails, this design will surely flex your creativity.
11. Black Rainbow Nails
@rubydawndevine##rainbownails ##rainbowchallenge ##rainbowhair ##rainbowsix ##rainbowdash ##nailsdid ##teamrainbow ##va♬ Rainbow
When going for rainbow nails, the colors that immediately come to mind are light and vibrant ones. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use dark ones.
Take a look at this design for example. A simple black base along with multi-colored smoke-like patterns creates a majestic look perfect for any occasion.
12. Holographic Rainbow Nails
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When working with holographic nail polish, one of the best approaches that you can do is to keep it simple. These nails look lovely with this holographic rainbow polish, and since there are no other elements or designs, the beautiful color of the polish shines as the star of this look.
13. Oil Slick Rainbow Nail Art
@youngnailsincRainbow oil slick pt 2 ##youngnails ##nails ##foryoupage ##satisfying ##oddlysatisfying ##fyp ##gelpolish ##gelpolishdesigns ##yummy ##rainbownails♬ Yummy – Justin Bieber
Utilizing different texture is also perfect on rainbow nails! This design makes the bold rainbow base stand out even more by using texture.
Recreate or try using different texturizing tools to create a show-stopping look.
The real charm of this nail trend is its flexibility. You can easily make your own with different methods and different colors, the sky is the limit! I hope this list sparked your creativity and inspired you to whip up your own rainbow nails.
Which of these rainbow nail designs are you gonna try first? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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