Green Nails? Trust—These 25 Pics Will Make You Fall in Love (2024)

Gradient nails are my favorite take on the typical French tips. Round up a range of green nail polishes and start with the darkest shade on your thumb, painting each tip a lighter shade towards your pinkie finger.

Adding some gold polish or gold foil (like they used here) takes your green nail idea from "cute and whimsical" to "just raised my rates." And, honestly, isn't that the exact energy we're bringing in 2022?

The best thing about green nails? There are only a zillion different shades to choose from, so adjust according to your mood/vibe. Like this shamrock-green nail color: bright, fun, and a great spring nail idea.

In the Venn diagram (remember those?) of green nails and St. Patrick's Day nails, this green and white swirly manicure is in the middle. Basically you can get this set literally anytime of the year and you'll be ~on trend~. Plus, you can use any shade of green you like, and it'll still look cute.

If you're feeling a moodier shade, may I suggest this dark-green nail polish idea? It's a perfect winter nail color, and it'll maintain your ~edgy~ side. To get that shiny finish, seal your nails with a glossy top coat after the base color is fully dry.

K, I promise this cow-print green nail idea is easier to recreate than it looks. After painting your nails with a white or cream nail polish and letting them fully dry, paint squiggly shapes with a thin nail brush and a dark-green polish (the more oddly-shaped, the better). Once dry, seal it in with a top coat to prevent chipping.

Another great twist on the French nail? Diagonal tips like this pic. It's not the easiest DIY nail design, so take it one layer at a time. Lay a strip of nail tape diagonally across your nail, then paint over the tip with a pastel-green nail polish. Once it's dry, peel it off and repeat on the opposite side with a forest-green nail polish. Finish with the tiniest bit of bright green on the overlap.

You don't have to give up all your other favorite nail colors to get in on the green nail trend—just use it as an accent color like in this nail design (using Gucci nail polish, BTW). I mean, how cute is the green smiley face here?

Negative-space nails are the perfect way to add a little art without compromising your minimalist nail aesthetic. Paint circular shapes on alternating sides of your nails with a small or medium-sized nail brush, and clean up any messy lines with a cotton swab and some acetone.

Earthy tones are my personal vibe, because they make me feel like it's always fall. How pretty is this olive green (CND Vinylux Nail Polish in Cap and Gown was used here) and greige combo? You could wear it anytime of the year, but it would make an excellent Thanksgiving nail idea, IMO.

Pastels are ideal for spring, making this a perfect combo of spring nails and green nails (or Easter nails, if you celebrate). The easiest way to get that smooth shape at the base of your nails is to stick on some semi-circle nail stickers and then paint the pastel green nail polish over them. Once dry, carefully peel back the sticker to reveal your two-tone finish.

How fun is this swirly nail idea? It takes three shades of green (like the forest, olive, and pastel shades shown here) and a nail art brush to recreate. Pro tip: Practice the swirly lines on some paper first to get a feel of how to guide your brush.

Green and black is an iconic duo, IMO. The lime green nail polish from Cirque Colors gives it a really fun vibe here, but it could easily be swapped out for a softer olive or sage green, too. And nail tape will be your BFF when it comes to getting those crisp, straight lines.

Because I am now an expert on every shade of green, tyvm, let me introduce you to chartreuse green, a close cousin of lime but with a tinge more yellow. It's great for both summer nails and spring nails, and I'm here for it.

Pale-green swirls, anyone? The key to making this green nail idea look salon-worthy is starting with a base coat before moving onto the pale-green nail polish, so the exposed part of your natural nail looks shiny and fresh.

This green nail idea is pretty detailed—swipe to the right for a close up of those gemstone daisies—so I'd suggest taking this to your nail artist. But if you're up for DIY-ing your nails? Dip your nail-dotting tool in white nail polish then gently touch it down to your practice surface, and pull it slightly outward to create the teardrop petal shape.

Switching between two shades of green in your manicure instantly gives it some dimension. Start by painting a thick French tip on each nail in its respective shade of dark green or light green (now's a great time to try out that viral French tip TikTok hack, BTW), then paint a thin line in the opposite color at the base of each tip.

You don't have to choose just one nail design for your whole set, TBH. In fact, the more variety of designs you have, like the four in this picture, the more it will actually bring all your nails together. And when your cuticles are on display like this, keep 'em moisturized with a good cuticle oil (or don't—you make the rules here).

My favorite thing about 2022 nail trends is the different textures and opacities–like these sheer jade nails. And honestly the jade is so pretty, you don't even have to add the purple and green shapes (though props if you do).