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By Carol Lee, a beauty writer at the Cut who wrote for Elle, Food Network Magazine, and The Pioneer Woman Magazine.
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Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Asia Milia Ware,
For the past few months, I’ve kept my nails bare and boring — partly because they’ve been in desperate need of a break, but mostly because I have no idea what I want on them. I just want someone to straight-up tell me what’s cool, you know? And I can feel in the depths of my heart that I’m not alone in scrambling to find spring nail ideas.
Fellow lazy people, do not fret! I decided to pick up my phone and go straight to the source by asking some of our favorite tastemakers what their nails will look like this spring. Keep scrolling for some major inspiration from beauty writers, brand founders, creatives, and more.
Add a sparkle
Photo: Eri Ishizu
Those of us who are still into the cat-eye trend are in good company. Celebrity manicurist Eri Ishizu is using Daily Charme’s magnetic gel polish in Cat Eye Before Sunrise to add some dimension to what could otherwise be a boring look. “After a long winter of darker colors, it feels natural to shift to lighter, softer shades as the flowers start to bloom,” she says. “Cat-eye gels can still be neutral but catch people’s attention with their beautiful reflection. I love that subtle pop!”
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Try a new shape
Photo: Kéla Walker
TV host and producer Kéla Walker’s nails caught our attention thanks to their one-of-a-kind structure: “I wear gel nails in a custom shape — a blend of coffin and lipstick — to create a silhouette that feels uniquely mine,” she says. As for what goes on top, no matter what season it is, she’s always going to ask for a sculptural design with a chrome twist. She might flip back and forth between the featured metallic shade (“I’m gold at heart, but I love a silver switch-up too”), but this is a woman who knows what she likes and sticks to it.
Lean into a French manicure with a twist
Photo: Tembe Denton
Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst wrote the book on nail art, literally, so you can trust she knows what she’s talking about. Her current set for spring has a soft stiletto shape and soft stripes of color on the tips that resemble ribbons of mohair. “I like to shift colors with the seasons and am partial to a French nail, so this felt like a way to riff on both those things in a fresh way,” she says.
Try an almond shape
Photo: Jess Xu
Looking for another way to spice up the standard, no-frills French nail? You could go for a long almond rendition à la Jess Xu, a New York City–based stylist. “I’ve tried everything under the sun when it comes to nail art — piercings, sculptures, encapsulated figurines, you name it!” But her “current obsession” is this exaggerated take on the classic. When you think about it, it does go with pretty much everything.
Add a fun color
Photo: Valeriya Chupinina
When the birds came a-chirping as the weather finally warmed up, Hypebae beauty editor Valeriya Chupinina put down the neon greens, fluorescent oranges, and baby pinks and switched over to more of an earth-toned color scheme inspired by the slightly disturbing 2006 masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. “I’m coming out of a reflective winter mood at the moment, and this set screams the arrival of a new season — we’re just coming out of our shells and into the beauty of spring,” she says. “These almond, super-long nails give fairy, forest ethereal vibes.” The keen eye also probably spotted the tiny reference to Charli XCX, the queen of green.
Don’t like color? Just go for a pink.
Photo: Hope Smith
When you really can’t land on a decision, something that isn’t so design-heavy is a safe bet. “I can’t commit to artwork on my hands (I get tired of it fast), so something neutral but also on trend feels good to me,” says Hope Smith, the founder and CEO of Mutha. Soap nails — which is basically “clean-girl makeup” for nails — like Smith’s never seem to go out of style.
Try a really pointy shape
Photo: Asia Milia Ware
Our very own beauty editor Asia Milia Ware serves as in-office inspo every month — just take a look at these stiletto nails. “The Über-pointy shape is so sexy to me,” she says. “For spring, I like to bring lots of color and playful designs to it. Right now, I have 3-D blob designs with a white marble base.” She loves texture and color on her nails, and she’s already dreaming up her next set. Side note: The key to nail health is keeping those cuticles moisturized, so Ware always keeps Chanel Beauty’s cuticle oil in her bag.
Or go completely bare and just use cuticle oil
Photo: Diana Bartlett
Photographer Diana Louise Bartlett (who’s also a Chanel cuticle-oil devotee) keeps her nails short, sweet, and square with round edges. She usually goes bare for the summer, but while it’s still spring, she’s playing around with one of her go-tos: “I love a French or double French,” she says. Chic!
Choose a solid color
Photo: Viv Chen
If you’re not a nail-extension kind of person, The Molehill founder and writer Viv Chen is further proof you can have just as much fun without them. “My nails are always short because I do a lot of physical activity, like rock climbing and swimming — it just does not feel good to do those things with long nails,” Chen says. “As for color, I’m just a very simple nail-polish girl. I like using a solid color to accentuate my outfits.” Her favorite right now is Karolin van Loon’s Tomato Rouge, and she applies the brand’s oil when her nails beg for nourishment.
Add a rhinestone
Photo: Dianna Cohen
Many of the people on this list have a signature thing, and Crown Affair founder Dianna Cohen never goes without some rhinestones. “The inspiration that stays with me comes from a pair of white rhinestone Minnetonka moccasins I had as a kid,” Cohen says. “I wore them everywhere, so I like to find little ways to bring that same energy and playfulness into my life now in a small way.” She and her nail artist, Stephanie, also sprinkled in some tiny pearls for spring on top of a Japanese gel base. “Leafgel Color Gel in 124 is the perfect nude for me,” she says.
Or a print
Photo: Alyson Cox
Producer Alyson Cox has a soft spot for XL square nails and recently learned how to do her own nails at home — if you can believe it, these are the very first set she’s done on herself. “I was experimenting with what I could pull off as a beginner, it turned out like snakeskin,” she says. Her tools of choice? Gelcare nail polish, including the brand’s Blooming Gel, which helps create the tortoiseshell effect. “Once spring hits, I go crazy with my nails because I use winter to recover from all the damage,” Cox says. “Nails are a whole seasonal cycle. More important than my menstrual.”
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