People used to think that black nails were a dirty way to look good. Now we can see how pretty and stylish they can be. The end result is always eye-catching when you mix and match polish colors with trendy designs like French manicures and swirls, or when you change the polish with unexpected finishes.
We gathered 30 black nail designs for the end of winter and beyond to prove it. Scroll down for a lot of ideas.
01 out of 30
Minimalist Black and Silver: simple floral and French black nail
A glossy micro French manicure with floral accent nails is a good option if you like simpler nail art. This is a nail look that is easy to do yourself. Half-moon guide stickers can help you make perfectly crisp French tips, and dotting tools can help you paint flowers more easily than ever.
02 of 30
Matte Black Leopard: Almond-shaped nails with matte leopard print
Many people like animal print nails, and they look even better with color-blocking and a black matte finish. The best part is that this kind of nail art is easy to do yourself. You don’t have to be very neat when you dot your nails. After that, use a fine-lining nail art brush to outline the edges of the spots. Add a matte topcoat to finish, and there you go!
03 out of 30
Black Mix-and-Match Nails black mix and match stiletto nails
These black-and-white mix-and-match nails are so much fun! They are stylish in more than one way, with French tips, aura accents, and sparkling rhinestones.
04 out of 30
Lightning Bolts in Black and Gold
Choose black and gold colors for a rocker chic manicure. If you don’t have a steady hand, you might want to hire a professional nail artist to do this nail art for you. Another choice? Use nail stickers; Etsy has a lot of them.
05 out of 30
Nails with a black and white pastel gradient grid
Grid nails were popular earlier this year, so if you want to keep the trend going, a black base is a good choice. If you like color, you can also add a gradient stripe here and there for a fun, ’90s-style pop.
06 of 30
Black Jelly: Black jelly nail polish with black
When you think of black nail polish, you probably think of a dark, inky color. This black jelly nail polish, on the other hand, is soft and see-through. The second one is a fashionable way to wear black nails, and it’s much more subtle and easy to wear if you don’t usually wear dark colors. But when you add black hand-painted graphics and piercings, it becomes a grungy work of art.
07 of 30
Black Cherries
Hand-painted red and green cherries come to life on shiny black nail polish. This design would look good on nails of any length, as long as you put a shiny top coat on top.
08 out of 30
Black and Blue Auras black and blue aura nails
Aura nails are a great way to add color to your nails. If you use a black base, the color you choose for the airbrush design will stand out on its own. This black-and-blue version is the best example.
09 out of 30
Black French Tips with Two Finishes
No matter what color you use to make them, dual-finish French manicures are beautiful. You can see that going darker doesn’t make the nails look worse; it makes them look better.
10 out of 30
These black nails look like a chalkboard. We promise that the happy smiley faces will make your day better.
11 out of 30
Nails with a black glitter swirl
People always ask for swirl nails. If you choose black swirls, think about adding some glitter to make them look even better.
12 out of 30
Zebra print French tips are a new take on the classic style, and they use black in a fun, trendy, and Y2K way. The details of the design show up better on longer nails, like the square shape shown. The manicure feels both easy and fun at the same time.
13 out of 30
Black Opal Hearts have clear nails with pink and black hearts on them.
You don’t always need black bases for black nail art. A sheer, shimmery base with black nail art is the way to go sometimes. For example? These nails with pretty hearts on them.
14 out of 30
This jelly mani is cute, moody, and romantic all at the same time (the perfect gothic Valentine’s Day look).
15 of 30
If you don’t like hearts, you can also choose glossy black stars. We also love that these have shiny rhinestones all over them.
16 out of 30
These black French tips have swirls and other negative space designs that give them a mod look. It’s very stylish and not at all tubular.
17 out of 30
Black Moon and Star Nails: Black stiletto nails with an astrology design. Follow @nails_of_la on Instagram.
These long, almond-shaped nails look even more magical with their black base and white astrology nail art. Brittney Boyce, a nail artist, made them for Megan Fox.
18 out of 30
Scratches in Matte Black and White
abstract matte black coffin tips @brownluxenails / Instagram
Looking for a manicure that’s easy to DIY? This matte black and white scratch nail idea is worth giving a whirl. Simply stick to solid coats for the black nails, then top off neutral nails with swatches of color as you see fit.
19 of 30
How trippy are these black and white checker nails? Just looking at them makes us have to refocus, so we’d guess that you may want to book a nail appointment to bring these tips to life.
20 of 30
Black and White Auras
Aura nails remain one of the most popular nail trends on social media. Here, you can see how black and white aura nails look. Dig it? You can recreate the look with a black base sponged with a white center.
21 of 30
Black Grids
Grid nails don’t require a solid base. With a clear base, the black lines can almost look like fishnets. If you add rhinestones, it only amps up the sex appeal.
22 of 30
Black and silver sequins are carefully placed on the nail to create this holographic disco print. Celebrity nail artist @iramshelton shows off this glitzy design on one nail. Since the design is so intricate, it makes the perfect accent nail with glossy black polish.
23 of 30 Black and Silver Cateye black and silver cateye magnet nail polish
Black and silver cat eye nail polish is activated with a magnet to create the split, two-tone design. If black nail polish on its own feels a bit too plain for your style, this cat eye iteration packs a punch.
24 of 30
Criss Cross
A black jelly base topped off with solid black criss-cross stripes makes for a manicure that looks like a gift. You’ll need a steady hand and a fine-lining nail art brush to DIY the look. You can also use thin nail tape as a guide for each stripe.
25 of 30
Glossy Black and Gold black and gold short nails
These ultra-glossy black and gold nails are nothing short of show-stopping. The trick to achieving such a stellar finish is to use a high-shine top coat.
26 of 30
Black Grunge Ombre
We love an easy yet gorgeous nail look, and this black grunge ombre mani is just that. All you’ll need to recreate it is a sponge, black polish, a sheer neutral base, and a glossy top coat. You may also want a touch-up brush to clean up the edges of your nails for a picture-perfect end look.
27 of 30
Colorblock black and white colorblock nails
Black and white color-block nails make a simple statement that instantly draw your eye. The smooth lines are courtesy of a small detailed brush and a steady hard so you might want to make an appointment with your nail tech if you want to recreate the look.
28 of 30
Give It a Swirl
A black base doesn’t mean you can’t play with color. You can incorporate as many shades as you want, in fact—just look at this swirl mani for proof.
29 of 30
Acid Level
Or stick with one color for a fun base and let the black go blobby instead. How cool are you?
30 of 30
Checkered Tips
For a simpler take on a checkerboard design, you can stick with the pattern as a French tip atop a milky base coat.
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