Do you feel like Valentine’s Day is overrated?

Perhaps it is. But you can still look sassy with some Valentine-themed nails.

This article will help you get the most from your nails for valentine’s day. We’ll show you some of the coolest nail designs and styles, whether you plan to stay in or go out and paint the town red. The best part? Valentine’s day nails don’t have to be red or pink.

You don’t even have to like the holiday to embrace the designs!

Valentine’s Day Nails Video

Learn how to do this sweet Valentine’s Day nail style yourself in this easy step-by-step tutorial.

Nails For Valentines Day

Valentine’s day tends to stir up emotions, so why not let your valentine’s day themed manicure express them for you? Choose simple or bold designs that combine typical valentine’s day colors like red and pink or try something out of the ordinary.

You probably think of heart designs, pink, and red when it comes to valentine’s day there are many other symbolic representations of valentine’s day, such as:

• Cupid
• Roses
• Love birds

The color red screams valentines day. Red is a classic color for this holiday. Candy hearts, chocolate-covered strawberries, and lipstick—all things that look good in red. That goes for nails too. Of course, red and pink are obvious choices but you aren’t bound by the traditional valentine’s day colors. There is an array of valentine colors for nails to pick from.

Red Valentines Day Nails

The trick to getting beautiful valentine’s nails is in the details. Of course, you can wear solid red nails and look amazing. But choosing nails with a unique design adds something extra special.

Some ideas that can make red nails stand out include:

• Using different shades of red
• Alternating glossy and matte textures
• Combining textures
• Adding a small element to several nails like a small heart

Pink Valentines Day Nails

Pink is anything but ordinary. From Japan’s blooming cherry blossoms to pink gemstones found worldwide, the color is frequently seen in nature. In addition, pink is recognized as a symbol of luxury.

Bubblegum-pink Cadillacs became popular in Hollywood during the late 1950’s. And this year, celebrity icons wore hot pink suits, dresses, and accessories to the Grammys.

Pink symbolizes innocence and youth but also seduction and romance. It’s truly a versatile color, perfect for a lovely valentines day nails design.

So, if you like pink, but aren’t in love with a solid pink manicure, try adding white dots or stripes for a style that’s charming, yet subtle. Or, combine pink and black for an edgier look.

Simple Valentines Day Nails

Simplicity is a bit like minimalism. Minimalist designs take a less-is-better approach and push it to its limits.

On the other hand, while simple designs may prefer minimalistic design elements, the aim isn’t to scale back to the bare minimum, but rather tie everything together inb an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive way.

Simple manicures can feature basic shapes and colors that are bold without appearing busy, such as:

• Dots
• Easy patterns
• Solid colors
• Words
• Textures

A shape, like a heart, for example, can be the focal point of a simple valentines day nails design.

Valentines day nails look pretty and chic with a simple style. Try using a basic color scheme. Then, if you’d prefer, instead of a shape, use text with a simple message, such as the word love, to bring the design together.

Valentine Gel Nails

There are several gel nail options. Some you can do at home, while others are best left to the professional. Almost all need UV or LED to harden. Also, certain gels will last longer than others. Types of gel nail options include:

1. Hard
2. Soft
3. Polish
4. press-on

Gel polish comes in many colors and is typically much shinier, stronger, and longer-lasting compared to traditional nail polish

Gel Nail Option	Application
Hard	This is the strongest gel option and can be used to add length to short nails. It can last 3 to 4 weeks.
Soft	Not quite strong enough to create length but still stronger than gel polish. Soft gel is removable when soaked in acetone and lasts around 2 to 4 weeks.
Polish	Gel polish may be applied at home and can last 2 to 3 weeks. While it doesn’t add strength to nails, the color lasts longer than traditional polish.
Press-on	Press-on nails come ready and don’t require light to harden. They last at least a week once pressed onto the top of your natural nails and come in a variety of styles and designs. They are the perfect valentines day nails when you need them fast.

Valentines Day Nails Acrylic

Acrylic nails are one of the oldest styles compared to the rest on this list. They’re a liquid and powder mixture applied at a salon. Often, acrylics are paired with fake nail extensions which stay on top of your natural nails. While they take a bit longer to apply, roughly 1.5 hours, they’re fairly strong and can last as long as 3 weeks.

Cute Valentines Day Nails

When you think of cute, what comes to mind? Typically cute refers to things like:

• Babies
• Puppies
• non-threatening things
• Flowers
• Polka dots
• Cartoons

Designs that are cute, like babies and puppies, are round, warm, and look soft. In case you haven’t heard, cute is taking over an entire subculture of nail design. Kawaii, the Japanese word meaning cute, is a fast-growing nail art phenomenon.

The designs are characterized by light pastels, lots of pink, and cartoonish shapes. And we can see why people dig it.

Black Valentine Nails

Like the little black dress, black valentines day nails go with everything and are great to wear long after valentines day. Also, it doesn’t mean you’re mourning all things romance. On the contrary, black valentines day nails can depict:

1. Mystery
2. Power
3. Intrigue

Like red, black is indeed a bold color. In addition to black polish, you can try out black nail decals.

In addition to black polish, you can try out black nail decals. It comes in a pack of six and includes elegant designs like black hearts, cupid, and a heartbeat. They look amazing against a matte, white nail polish!

Anti Valentines Day Nails

The way we celebrate Valentine’s Day today is far removed from its gloomy history, dating back to the third century. We can only wonder when Valentine’s day became synonymous with date night, candy hearts, and wearing pink.

So if you aren’t keen on the whole valentine’s day charade, let it be known! The following are 5 perfect anti-valentines day nails to express how you really feel.

Dice

It’s the ultimate set of anti-valentines day nails. Don’t you want to find your soulmate?

Yeah, right. If you’re anti-valentines you probably want to roll your eyes.

It’s all a game of chance and as a realist you know we’re all just rolling the dice!

Empty Heart Nails

This anti-valentine day nail design shows a guarded vulnerability.

A heart, albeit an empty one, is the focal point of this nail art.

The design is pretty, elegant, and tasteful. It’s a beautiful anti-valentines day look.

The Shining Nails

All work and no play makes Cupid a lousy shot!

You might be wearing red, but if what you feel is redrum on valentine’s day, then The Shining nail design can help you say it all.

Perhaps Jack got burned one too many times?

Scrabble

What’s love but a four-letter word?

Love scores points, 9 to be exact! So, just because you’re anti-valentines day doesn’t mean you’re anti-love.

This pretty Scrabble anti-valentine day design is perfect.

Broken Heart

If you have a broken heart (or ten!), you can say it with a sleek broken heart nail design.

This design uses coffin nails with red hearts alternating among the broken.

You wear your heart on your nails! Including the broken ones, making these heart nails very anti-valentines.

For many, valentines is the antithesis of love. It’s a manufactured romance selling perfection, and it’s enough to make you eat an entire heart-shaped box of chocolate. Why not?

Easy Valentines Day Nails

Easy nail designs don’t necessarily mean simple. But in this case, a small heart is just as simple as it is easy. You can use a heart decal or sticker to add a touch of the holiday to your nails.

You can find press-on nails or use nail stickers to easily create busy patterns or complex styles as well.

Check out the following table for last-minute valentines day nails ideas. An easy valentines day nails design is possible with the following:

Valentines Day Nails Application Methods

Stickers 

Stickers come pre-cut into designs printed onto paper or vinyl. They’re easy to use. Glue isn’t necessary as they’re self-adhesive.

Decals 

Nail decals are akin to stick-on tattoos. They’re activated when wet and the image is transferred to the nail bed. You can help secure the decal by adding a clear coat of polish to the top of it.

Press-On 

Press-on nails are convenient when you don’t want to spend time and money at a nail salon. Peel off the self-adhesive back and you’re ready to go. You can file or trim them like natural nails, too.

Nail Wrap 

Nail wraps are similar to nail art stickers except in this case can replace polish or fake nails and wrap around the entire nail. They have a self-adhesive back and are applied directly onto natural nails. Make them last longer with a clear coat of polish!

Maybe you want your nails to have a cupid holding a bow and arrow design, and you also want it to look detailed like the Sistine Chapel. You can get it with a nail decal. You don’t need tools or a steady hand to get this look.

Valentines Coffin Nails

Coffin nails are sometimes called ballerina nails because their shape resembles both a coffin and a ballet slipper. However, they are slightly different.

Both nail styles are characterized by a square tip. But while ballerina nails are slimmer with a slightly rounded edge before meeting the tip, coffin nails have a straight edge that looks a bit more angular where it meets the tip.

Both nail styles are popular and look amazing with a valentine’s day inspired design.

Black And Red Valentine Nails

Black and red is a classic color combination. The contrasting hues give valentines day nails a subtle holiday style without looking cheesy. You can use a solid color nail polish, then add a heart decal to finish off the look.

Valentines Stiletto Nails

Stiletto nails, as the name implies, are long and pointy. Dramatic and fierce best describe the shape of this nail design and it’s easy to see why.

Purple Valentine Nails

While pink and red seem to be the most popular valentine’s day colors, don’t forget about purple. Purple may be associated with intuition and deeper feelings. Additionally, it’s a beautiful and unique color to use for a pretty valentine’s day nail design.

Pink And Red Valentines Nails

A classic valentine’s day color combination all-in-one. You can add a hint of flair by alternating between patterns and textures. For instance, try a glossy pink polish next to a matte red polish for some kick.

Pretty Valentine Nails

Pretty is like the big sister of cute.

Valentines Day Toe Nails

Trying matching toenail colors with nails. You can use press-on nails for hands as well as feet.

Valentine French Nails

Besides matching colors on hands and feet, nail designs can match your hands and favorite textures. The style pictured above looks interesting and elegant as it creates the illusion of a sheer fabric across the nails.

Valentine Glitter Nails

Color and design options are nearly endless when it comes to creating unique valentine themed nails. Glitter is no exception. And you don’t need glitter on each finger for the sparkly look to be effective. So, if you haven’t worn glitter nail polish since bon bons were popular, you might try giving your next valentines day nails a little sparkle.

French Manicure Valentine Nails

A French manicure is classic. To add something unique to french manicured valentines day nails, use a stencil or nail sticker to place a heart on all or several nails.

Valentine Heart Nails

Valentine’s day heart designs don’t have to be stickers or decals. The best nail style for valentine heart nails is stiletto because the pointy nail tip becomes the bottom of the heart design. 

Press On Valentine Nails

When you want to celebrate valentine’s day just one day out of the year, press-on nails are the way to do it.

Valentine’s day nails are super easy to get, especially last minute. Of course, the color options are nearly endless. But so are press-on nail design options.

Valentines Nail Designs Short Nails

Maybe you don’t want the fuss of maintaining any length. For simplicity, you can use a clear, glossy polish and a subtle heart design.

DIY Valentines Nails

How do you do heart nails at home? You could try to wing it or use a nail art stencil. It’s a sticker that you use as a stencil on your nails. Then, once the nails are dry, just peel the sticker off. The result is a perfectly shaped heart instead of an odd lopsided mess—unless a Picasso is what you’re going for, that is!

Valentine Shellac Nails

Shellac is the name of a brand of nail polish. Specifically, it’s a mixture of gel polish and traditional polish. Shellac polish is a popular choice because it achieves the best of both worlds. Shellac gets all of the color varieties of traditional nail polish, yet the strength and durability of gel polish. Shellac is patented by Creative Nail Design, while gel polish is a broad term used to refer to any type of gel polish. 

Valentine Nails White

White Valentine’s Day nails can look bold, striking, and elegant. Because white nail polish offers a light palette, nail art pops and adds a fun element to the nail design.

Sweetheart Candy Nails

Who can forget those lovely candy hearts with quirky messages? You know, the ones you’d get from your elementary school crush on valentine’s day. While many find the messages questionable today, they ultimately bring back a bit of innocent nostalgia. But hey, who says you can’t make candy hearts into a super cool nail design?

Summary

You don’t have to follow any hard and fast rules when creating the perfect set of valentines day nails. In fact, you can choose to ignore them all and be a little rebellious towards the holiday. However, if you decide to do a valentine’s day look, you have a ton of options. Use our guide as a reference and inspiration.