Planning to do your own nails for prom? These prom nail designs are stunning, versatile and will elevate any look. Choose a design that compliments your outfit and feels like you. All of these nail designs are easy to DIY at home and only require a few tools and essentials. Your nails are the final piece that will pull your whole look together. A combination of trendy, elegant and understated, these nail designs are perfect for prom night!
4 DIY Manicure Tips and Hacks
- Clean your nails. You always want to start with clean nails for your manicure. Run a cotton ball dipped in nail polish remover over each nail. Even if you don’t have any nail polish on, this will get rid of any oil or dirt that could warp your polish. Make sure to wash your hands with soap and water afterwards.
- Clip, file and buff to get your nails in tip top shape. After cutting your nails to your preferred length, file them gently into your perfect shape- round, square, or somewhere in between. Then buff the tops and sides of your nails lightly to get rid of any oils and smooth the surface.
- Always use a base and top coat. A base coat will hydrate and protect your nails, and prevent chipping. A top coat will add extra protection from chipping and add some shine to your nails. Make sure your nails are dry before adding your top coat, so it doesn’t mess up your design.
- Try gel if you want it to last. If you’re worried about your manicure chipping, invest in some gel polish and a LED nail lamp to set your nails. This is a great idea for a special event like prom, when you really don’t want to worry about messing up your nails.
7 Manicure Essentials to Invest In
- Top coat and base coat
- Nail art tape
- Striping brush
- Chrome powder
- Nail art brush set
- Nail glitter
- LED nail lamp
8 Prom Nail Designs to Elevate Your Look
1. Pink Chrome Nails
Pink chrome nails are all the rage right now and they’re perfect for a springtime prom. The chrome adds a little something special to the pink nails, elevating your nail look. Pink chrome nails would look amazing with a pink, white or black dress, or if you have a patterned dress that has pops of pink it. Or, if you’re not into pink, you can apply chrome powder over literally any other colour.
2. Negative Space French Tip
The negative space French tip has reworked the classic French mani to give it a serious cool factor. It’s a minimal look that gives your nails some visual interest, featuring a skinny, orbital line around the tip of the nail. It’s super simple to DIY- all you need is tape, nail polish and a striping brush. Apply a small piece of tape where you want to create the negative space, trace around the striped area with your striping brush dipped in polish, then peel the tape off- it’s as easy as that! For this look, you’ll need different shades of silver and neutrals.
3. Easiest Prom Nail Design Ever | Kelli Marissa
If you want a glittery nail look for prom, this is it! It’s so simple to do, yet looks so elegant. The sparkly tips are so much fun and can be worn with a variety of different dresses or outfits. Choose your favourite glitter polish and you’ll also need a sponge to tab it onto the tip of your nails!
4. Chrome French Tip
A french manicure is a classic prom nail design. Add chrome on top for the coolest twist on the go-to classic. There’s no denying that chrome nails have been trending for the past couple years, thanks mostly in part to Hailey Bieber. If you love a traditional look but want to edge it up a bit, this is the perfect nail design for you. Plus, it’s so easy to DIY!
5. Follow Your Heart Minimalist Toothpick Nails | Ann Rose
Small hearts are so adorable and this tutorial teaches you a super easy way to create a heart design with toothpicks. Once you’ve learned how to create the hearts, you can choose any colour or placement on your nails. Red hearts are classic, but you can also consider white, black or pink hearts for your prom look.
6. Gold Glitz Nails
How stunning are these gold nails? If you’re looking to add some elegance and glitz to your prom look, this is the way to do it. All you need is a neutral base and some gold nail glitter for this look. It looks amazing on almond shaped nails, but would also work with coffin or shorter round nails too!
7. Pearl Nails
Pearl nails are another way to elevate a neutral nail look. It’s a minimal look that’s super on trend and perfect for a special occasion like prom. Choose your favourite neutral base and add flat back pearls in varying sizes on top. It’s such a stunning nail design that works with any colour scheme.
8. Pink Swirls
If you’re looking for something a little funkier for your prom nails, we’ve got you covered. This swirly design is simple yet adds visual appeal to your nails. Use this design as inspo to create your own swirl design with your favourte colours. You’ll need some nail art brushes for this look!
If you’re planning to do your own nails for prom night, we hope you love these nail designs and manicure tips!
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