Minimalist nail designs don’t ask for attention because they don’t need it. They have a special kind of confidence that makes a strong impression. It’s the attention to detail, balance, and restraint that elevates a minimalist manicure. Every choice is intentional and every fingertip well cared for, making this style a statement of quiet luxury. Take a moment to browse these simple nail designs for inspiration.
Minimalist Nail Designs
Pink and Polished
Can you see the moons of each healthy nail? They’re just visible through the translucent pink poly gel. This is one of the quickest and most beautiful minimalist nail designs. It has personality and it goes with everything.
LAVIS Poly Extension Gel is a miracle product when you want flawless extensions with minimum effort. All you need is gel base coat, poly gel, and a top coat to finish the manicure.
The premixed poly gel is odorless and easy to work with. Our store stocks dual forms in various styles so that shaping and lengthening the extensions is a snap. Choose the sizes you need according to each finger. Then squeeze a small amount of poly gel onto the base of the form and use a brush or silicone tool with slip solution to smooth it to the desired length.
Flip the form, press it into place on the natural nail, cure, and squeeze and twist to pop off the mold. It just takes a moment with a hand file to remove any rough edges. Finish with a glossy top coat and enjoy up to four weeks of chip-free wear.
Dual Form
Lavis Poly Gel
LDS Gel Base & Top - 0.5 oz
Shimmer and Shine
Cat eye gel is a minimalist artist’s dream, especially when it comes in luxurious hues that flatter every skin tone. The LAVIS CE10 Beauty Bureau Collection is rich with gorgeous cat eye colors for refined looks. A single shimmery shade provides a two-tone effect for instant French tips, aura nails, and other minimalist designs.
LAVIS 9D Cat Eyes CE10 - 04 (Ver2) - Gel Polish 0.5 oz - Beauty Bureau Collection
Two Textures, One Goal
Silk and velvet side-by-side. That’s what this minimalist nail design resembles.
It starts with a silvery cat eye color from the Moonlit Mirage collection. Then the artist adds a matte top coat for a visually interesting impact on the shimmer. However, then she draws the leafy pattern with LAVIS Diamond Top Gel and restores the shine where the foliage is. It’s brilliant – instant texture and an extravagant feel with minimum effort and few products.
LAVIS 9D Cat Eyes CE13 (Ver2) - 01 - Gel Polish 0.5 oz - Moonlit Mirage Collection
LAVIS Chrome Matte Top - 0.5 oz
Lovin’ Lace
Lace-wearing models filled the runways at the fashion shows, so it’s no wonder that the pattern started popping up on nails, too.
Celebrity artist Zola Ganzorigt (the one who created Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut nails) created this lacy set. She has a typically minimalist, clean style that celebrities like Adele, Sabrina Carpenter, and Vanessa Hudgens love. She’s also a nail designer for brands like Versace and Miu Miu.
Instead of handpainting lace, there’s an easier way to achieve this understated look. All you need is nail foil and LAVIS Foil Transfer Gel. After applying the base coat, brush on a thin layer of the transfer gel and cure it. The surface will remain tacky so that the foil design will stick perfectly. Press the foil firmly, remove the backing quickly, and finish with a top coat. You may notice that here the artist also encircled the nails with a thin white line.
Nail Foil
LAVIS Foil Transfer Gel
Tasteful Stripes
If you’re ever in London, consider visiting the Bulgari Hotel spa. If you’re lucky, celebrity artist Iram Shelton might have an opening to do your nails. She’s another famous minimalist who works for fashion houses like Chanel and Armani. She created this design based on one of her favorite British candies, mint humbugs. It’s just simple stripes on perfectly groomed natural nails. But it includes the fashion favorite shade, brown, plus a milky translucent shade that’s also very much in style.
Lavis 24K Gold Nail & Cuticle Oil - Orange - 30mL
Unexpected Classic
Give the classic pink and white French manicure a modern twist with glass tips. The artist created this set with LAVIS Builder Gel in a Jar. She used two shades: Clear and Pink Press.
The first step was shaping the pink base inside a dual form. After pressing the dual form into place on the natural nail and curing it with a compact nail lamp, she removed the molds, filed off rough edges, and wiped off debris.
Now the natural nails had rounded pink extensions, but the best was yet to come. She refilled the molds with clear builder gel and pressed them into place on the tips. After curing and popping off the forms, the nails needed just a little shaping with a hand file. After wiping away the dust, the artist finished with a glossy top coat.
More Minimalist Nail Design Ideas
Hopefully by now you’ve got new ideas to try. We have a few more suggestions to keep your creativity flowing.
Polka dots continue to be in high demand at salons. Why not try a textured polka dot manicure alternating matte and glossy finishes?
Micro French tips are another popular request. We’ve seen beautiful minimalist designs using cat eye gel or chrome.
Instead of using a lace pattern across the entire nail, leave it just for the tips. The same goes for animal prints.
Another fun way to include cat eye gel is with bow nails. Draw the bows with the shimmery polish and use a magnet to concentrate the sparkle. It’s possible to do a similar effect with chrome powder. You’ll want LAVIS Chrome Matte Top to help manage the powder on intricate details. Chrome won’t stick to the matte surface, but it will adhere to regular top coat or other gels. Use the other products to draw the design on top of the matte coat, then polish the details with chrome powder before adding a final top coat.
Conclusion
This is your moment to shine. Minimalist nail designs are in high demand, so stretch your creativity, expand your skill set, and have fun! You’ll find the best nail supplies in our store at prices that will make you smile.
