After years of long nails being worn by almost every celebrity and influencer on social media, short nails are finally reigning supreme in 2022. Unlike Cardi B, if you’ve ever struggled to open a can, type an email, or pick something up off of the floor because of your long nails, you’re going to love this latest trend. But ditching your lengthy tips doesn’t mean you can’t make a statement with your next manicure. Short nail designs can be just as dramatic and bold as longer nails, or neutral and understated. There are no limits when it comes to creative looks for your sporty nails.
The Kardashians helped make elongated tips the must-have look for years, but Kim Kardashian recently revealed that she prefers to wear shorter ones. “I can’t do long nails,” she tells Allure. Kardashian says she sometimes wears lengthier, press-on nails “for a shoot,” but admits they’re not practical. “When I have my nails on, everyone will laugh,” she said. “They’ll be like ‘nothing you’re saying on text makes sense.'”
Saying goodbye to length and embracing natural nails doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Nail artists are creating countless new, innovative styles for trim tips. “I think people are finally realizing the size of the canvas does not matter,” celebrity nail artist Vanessa Sanchez McCullough tells The Zoe Report. “Short nails or long nails, you could still have beautiful trendy looks.”
Check out these 55 short nail designs before you go for your next manicure.
A pop of red
This manicure goes from simple and neutral to bold and interesting with just a pop of red polish. The addition of a bright, cherry red polish on top of a milky white base coat is perfect for holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day. It is also stunning when you are simply looking for just a hint of color to add to your manicure without adding color to the entire nail.
Bold gold
Gold nail polish adds a glowing sheen to shorter nails. The oval shape of these nails helps to elongate their look while still giving you the practicality of trim tips. This gold polish is dramatic enough on its own and doesn’t need any nail art to make it stand out. This is a look that can work for day or night.
Make it spooky
You can still show your love of Halloween without donning long, coffin-shaped nails. If you love a theme manicure but still want to keep your nails short, these designs fully embrace the spooky season by painting ghosts, spiderwebs, and pumpkins on a neutral base. Painting one nail black accents the entire look and completes this very cool style.
Blueberry lemonade
Crelly is a jelly-like, typically opaque, or neutral polish that often contains glitter. This crelly features teal, white, and yellow sparkles on a pale blue base, providing an easy way to give off the look of nail art without being too complicated. Just paint it on and go!
Pink and black simplicity
If you’re looking for something feminine and classic but don’t want to overdo it on the nail art, pink and black make a truly luxe combination on the nails. It totally reminds us of Paris and we can’t help but drool over the addition of delicate black leaf outlines on a clean, pale, pink base.
Pastel abstractAnastasiia Holubieva/Shutterstock
Keep it interesting with unique, abstract art featuring pastel shades for your next manicure. Grey and blue polish is brushed randomly on top of a pastel, pink base coat to give this short manicure an updated look. Add on a few splashes of silver glitter and you have a look that’s perfect for a night on the town or day at the office.
Zodiac nails
Let everyone know your zodiac sign by wearing it on your nails. You can add a lot of personality and astrology to your nails by using these unique nail art appliqués. They can be applied over nails painted in alternating shades of watermelon, pale peach, and turquoise to make your nails a definite conversation piece.
Go retro
Give off those 1970s vibes with this cool, retro-style manicure featuring squiggles in pale shades of blue, brown, green, and yellow. Whether you’re wearing this for a theme party or simply because you love this throwback look, it is a fun way to experiment with multiple colors on your manicure while using a squiggle of gel for added dimension.
Matte black
You may think that you need long, stiletto-shaped nails to make a style statement with your manicure, but these shorter, square-shaped tips painted with matte black polish prove otherwise. A dark polish without sheen gives any nails a dramatic look without the length, and they go with just about everything.
Sunshine yellow
Instantly lift your mood with these pastel, yellow nails. Red accents, painted to look like a section of a flower petal, on the corner of each nail add just a splash of color to this already vibrant manicure. This artistic manicure will not go unnoticed.
Bold outline
Who says you can’t be creative with shorter nails? We love how this nail artist outlined this short, square-shaped manicure with a green polish overtop and an indigo blue base. This is such a simple technique that gives you a totally bold and unique final result.
Floral cuff
A short, nude manicure is timeless, but the addition of this milky white vine design along the cuticle softens the look. This nail art adds a feminine touch, while keeping it neutral. We love how unexpected the effect is.
Skinny French
Black and nude are a timeless pairing, making this twist on a skinny French manicure so gorgeous. The thin, black line on a short, square nail gives this look an updated feel from the classic white tip. This is perfect for any occasion and will definitely make a statement.
Gold shards on a neutral base
Less can still definitely be more when it comes to short nails. Applying an understated, straight line of gold glitter polish down a nail painted with a neutral shade of polish is simple perfection. This is also an easy way to dress up your manicure for a night on the town.
Floral French
You can never go wrong with a classic French manicure on a short, rounded nail. But we love how this nail artist added delicate, floral accents to create an entirely different vibe. An individual yellow daisy is added to each nail to give this look just a touch of flower power.
Brown and pink
Individual accent nails have been popular for some time, but adding two accent nails creates an even more unique look. Using brown and pink polishes together has always resulted a gorgeous aesthetic. But adding floral designs to brown accent nails, alongside the remaining nails painted a bubblegum color, creates a show-stopping look.
Abstract ’80s
These nails give us a total ’80s vibe using black, pink, yellow, orange, and blue polishes to create abstract lines over a milky white base. This stunning look is very reminiscent of “Miami Vice,” and 1980s neon fashion. It’s perfect for someone who wants to add a pop of color to their manicure.
Chrome French
The French manicure has given nail artists an endless source of inspiration. This look is inspired by celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik, who swapped out the traditional white tips for a stunning, silver, chrome finish, but he also added in Swarovski crystals for an added touch of glam. Stunning!
Rose quartz with gold foil
Gold accents have become increasingly popular recently, especially when it comes to nail art. Whether you choose gold glitter, polish, or jewels, this precious metal is sure to add a luxe look to your manicure. This nail artist used gold foil on a rose quartz base to create this stunning effect that is sure to make a statement.
Gradient glitter and snowflakes
We love a themed nail. This gorgeous winter wonderland manicure is subtle, but still stunning. Using a nude base, glitter is applied to the tips of the nail with a gradient technique. It appears to be falling down the nails, creating the perfect snowfall effect, while the snowflake decals truly make this nail art seasonal perfection.
Polka dots
Polka dots have been a huge trend in nail art over the years. They’re always fun, adorable, and they’re pretty simple to do at home. You don’t need to visit a professional nail artist to achieve this gorgeous manicure if you have a steady hand and a variety of different polish hues. We love how these different shades of blues and whites give these nails a preppy vibe.
Go chrome
Wasana Suwanno/ShutterstockHailey Bieber may have popularized the current chrome nail polish trend by wearing them on her long nails, but this style looks amazing on any length. This short manicure gives off that perfectly smooth, opalescent glow from the chrome treatment. It is just as beautiful on sporty tips as it is on longer nails.
Pink and gold
Pink and gold is another timeless color combination when it comes to nail art. A bubblegum nail polish is always a classic, but pairing it with an accent of gold foil down the side of each nail takes this manicure to the next level. This pop of metallic gives the manicure a totally cool feeling, while still being clean and simple.
Coral quartz
Duplicate the look of your favorite crystal with this gorgeous coral quartz manicure. The nail artist explains on Instagram that using a special brush, red and coral polish, and a foil palette can help create this unique look. The key to making this style appear as real as possible is to make each nail unique.
Nude water marbling
Water marbling is a difficult nail art technique to master, but it can create a truly stunning effect on any manicure. We love how this nail artist used various shades of nude, pink, and indigo blue to create this look. Even more creative is the use of water marbling on a portion of the nail, accented by a single jewel. This look stands out even more with each nail showcasing a different effect.
Rainbow nails
Chase the rainbow with these cute and colorful nails. Pastel blue, purple, pink, yellow, and green polish gives you all the color you want in your manicure without being too bold. The beauty of this style is you never have to choose which polish you want, because you can wear them all.
Half-moon Skittle
A great way to create an interesting look on your nails is by painting the half-moon below the cuticle a different color than the base. This nail artist used a different Skittle shade for each one and layered it over a soft, cream base polish. It’s a creative twist on a traditional rainbow manicure.
Gold plaid
Nail decals and stickers can be used to create some really unique looks, with just a little imagination. This nail artist used a clear base coat under a variety of gold nail stickers to design a plaid style. If you decide you want to mix it up shortly after your manicure, using stickers allows you to remove and then replace them with different looks.
