26 Best Simple Nail Designs and Minimalist Mani Ideas to DIY in 2023

Typing this while wearing a version of this manicure rn (so you know it’s influential af). I love the ease of an all-over chrome vibe, especially paired with this delicate light-pink nail polish, but I want to mix it up eventually. I’m considering trying a full-color look rather than French tips, only brushing the chrome powder on the tips, or going for a different pastel shade for my next mani.

Popping on a metal decal or stud nail sticker is truly all it takes to get this ~chic~ nail design. You could even leave your nails bare (a big 2023 nail trend, fyi) and just swipe on some nail strengthener and a shiny top coat. Or paint a sheer, neutral base underneath to give this look a bit more polish.

This is a nail look of minimalist dreams, complete with this dreamy light-brown nail polish and these itsy-bitsy dots. I like that the dots look sporadic and imperfectly strewn about each nail. Just make sure you fully wait for each dot to dry before painting on a layer of top coat to avoid smudges.

If you want to embrace all the colors without going for an intricate manicure, might I introduce you to this abstract design? The negative space throughout makes it feel more toned down and simple, but it’s still unique and exciting, thanks to the color gradient. Try pastels (as shown here), or neons, primaries, and even a mix of neutrals.

Wait, somehow, this nail look is so intricate but so minimalist at the same time?! The trick to keeping your two shades separate (especially if you also go with a white or cream nail polish)? Stick on a tiny piece of tape before painting, then wait until the polish is dry before peeling it up.

If you like the glitz of a glitter manicure but worry about it looking a smidge ~too much~, just focus it at the base of your nails instead, keeping the rest of the look bare. Instead of painting it on straight from the bottle, use a makeup wedge to dab the glitter right where you want it. It’ll help the glitter from going all over your nails (and fingers…and table…and tbh, your whole life).

The easiest way to get in on the “mermaidcore” trend is adding lil adhesive pearl accents to your nails, as shown here. It takes a basic French manicure and makes it feel on-trend and way more fab. (This would also be a very trendy bridal nail look too, IMO).

IDK why, but this look is giving me Ikea vibes, and I honestly love it. It’s so minimalist (and dare I say, Scandinavian), but looks very put together. You might have a hard time getting these ultra-thin lines straight with nail polish yourself, so pick up these line nail decals that you can just stick on instead.

Meet my absolute favorite simple manicure hack: squiggles. You can do so many variations of this look, whether you change out the colors; make the lines a bit thicker; or give it a retro vibe with muted yellows, oranges, and blues. Truly, the opportunities are endless.

Nail stickers are your best friend with this look. Truly, just paint on a color of your choice (lavender, as shown above, is a huge summer 2023 nail trend), then press on a few flower decals with tweezers. Go over the whole look with a top coat to keep the stickers in place, and you’re good2go.

Marble nail designs should be in your arsenal if you’re a minimalist nail person. Why? Because they look so complex while also being incredibly easy. But this specific look is so freakin’ special, thanks to the gold foil accent, which you could honestly just add with a lil decal.

Tortoiseshell is, inherently, quite minimal (it is entirely neutral shades, after all), but it looks even more understated as French tips. You can press on a set of tortoise nail stickers to make it extremely easy, or DIY it with this tortoise nail tutorial. Or, ya know, make an appointment with a nail artist and leave it to the pros.

If you’re into the short nail look, these micro-French tips pair perfectly to give your nails a liiittle somethin’. And with this rainbow gradient, it feels so bright and summery. But you could totally opt for one full color, or try a variation of other shades, like a full monochrome. FWIW, I wore this exact manicure to Pride one year, and it was a major hit.

Simple nail looks can also totally feel whimsical too. Just opt for small-scale designs that don’t take up the full nail, like these little cloud tips. And it’s shockingly easy to do yourself with makeup sponges and white nail polish. Just coat a corner of the sponge with polish and dab it on your nail in a blurry, cloud-like shape.

These lil bb hearts are so cute. Pop on a heart sticker to make this design easy as hell, or give it the ol’ DIY treatment. Dip the dotter end of a nail dotting tool in red polish and create two dots directly next to each other at the center of your nail. Then, connect the two dots with a V at the bottom with a thin nail brush. Need a visual? Here’s a heart-drawing tutorial.

A little negative space will go a long way to making legit any nail look seem a bit more simplistic, including bright color combos like this. Pink and orange, blue and green, yellow and purple—you’ve got hella options.

These monochrome squiggles incorporate both cream and shimmer versions of the same shade, which is a great way to play with textures. If you swipe to the second picture, you can really see how shiny and fun this looks when your nails catch the light.

I’m fully obsessed with these rhinestone nails (legit, I asked for a similar version for New York Fashion Week last fall). Have your nail artist combine a few size variations for each nail to give it a more cohesive look—it’s basically the leveled-up version of bedazzled nails of the early ‘00s.

If you want something a little more complex than an all-over colorful manicure, ask for aura nails, which combine two or three colors in a gradient (often using airbrush for a soft effect). If you’re trying at home without an airbrush gun, opt for a jelly nail polish for the aura. It’s much sheerer, so it’ll blend easily into the color beneath it and only go fully opaque when you build it up.

These tips look surprisingly low-key (considering they’re covered in shiny confetti), thanks to the short length. Plus, keeping the rest of your nails clean really makes this design feel minimalist, especially paired with the silver and gold accents.