Photo: Instagram
V-Day nails
Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to adorn your fingertips with hearts, glitter, and multiple shades of pink. But if you're looking for a love-inspired nail art idea that's a little less obvious, we found that too. From ultra-girly to plenty of edge, you'll love these V-Day 2020 manicure ideas long after that last chocolate has disappeared from the heart-shaped box.
1 Stained Glass
A stained glass manicure, like this one from Jessica Washick, gives the notion of flowers and roses in a format that will get you more likes and comments than you thought possible.
2 Like Jelly
Jelly nails are always trending in the summer, but we love them in a shade of candy-apple red for Valentine's Day too.
3 Sugar Powder
Let all that Valentine's Day candy inspire your manicure. Artist Betina Goldstein created this "sugar powder" effect by layering a coat of the granules over a cream polish base.
4 Subtle Pink
Pink nails not your thing? Go the classic French manicure route (they're having a moment!) and paint either the whole tip or just half with pink instead of white.
5 Dried Flowers
This clear acrylic manicure with dried flowers and gold leaf is so breathtaking you'll want to wear it all throughout spring 2020.
6 Cherub Design
Bring your nails back to the Saint Valentine roots of the holiday with a cherub-inspired design against a berry polish base.
7 Extra Hearts
This layered heart decal manicure looks best on long, pointy nails.
8 Tiny Roses
Roses are red—and pink, too in this unique take on a floral manicure. Crowd the rose designs to just one side of the nail for a fresh spin on the classic Valentine's Day motif.
9 Pink Sky
A pink sky manicure is sweet and cute and can be worn all year, not just on V-Day.
10 Abstract Red
A matte red manicure looks way cooler with the addition of abstract silhouettes.
Related article: Get Lucky In 2020 By Wearing Nail Colours According To Your Zodiac Sign
11 Glitter Bomb
The best part about a glitter manicure is that it can be kind of haphazard and messy. But when you add a heart decal to the center of each nail, the look becomes edgy and cool.
12 Chocolate Accent
Add an accent nail in a shade of milk chocolate to an otherwise pink or red manicure for a subtle take on the holiday's color scheme.
13 Scalloped French
A French manicure with a red tip is fun and festive. But we like to take it one step further by adding a scalloped design in a gorgeous ruby red shade.
14 Golden Arrow
Take an expected motif, like a golden arrow through a heart, and trace it on nails in an oversized design for an unexpected twist.
15 Pink Polka Dots
A flirty pink manicure with red or magenta polka dots references Valentine's Day but will still look cool a week after.
16 Foil Hearts
Hearts look new again when done in varying sizes of metallic foil.
17 Red Tips
Three Valentine's Day-inspired shades stacked in a cool and graphic heart-shaped design on the tip of the nail.
18 Pixel Hearts
We're obsessed with this pixelated heart design by Vanity Projects.
19 Shiny Objects
A nude manicure gets a glam and girl upgrade with the addition of single pink gemstone glued to the bottom of each nail.
20 Pink Foil
Metallic pink foil is the easiest way to take a basic pink manicure to the next level.
Related article: The 2020 Nail Trends To Inspire Your Next Manicure
21 Candy Hearts
Candy hearts painted on a base of a neutral polish looks fresh and fun—not overly cutesy.
22 Heart Stitch
Nail artist Betina Goldstein glued red stitching around a sheer nude manicure, resulting in one of the coolest nail art looks we've seen this year.
23 Color Play
24 Graphic Heart
This manicure alludes to V-Day thanks to the glossy red paint and subtle heart design.
25 Lip Service
A golden lip print on a dark maroon base is a nail art look we'll be wearing even when it's not February 14.
26 Love Letter
The manicure equivalent of carving your lover's initials into a tree trunk.
27 Pink Tortoise
Tortoiseshell nails are one of 2020's biggest beauty trends—so why not try it in pink for V-Day?
28 Matte Half Moon
A matte red half-moon manicure is the minimalist's version of thematic nails.
29 Negative Heart
Nail artist Jessica Washick created this negative space heart design just in time for Valentine's Day.
30 Single Stone
Feeling extra glitzy? Secure a single rhinestone on your cuticle under a classic glossy red manicure. It probably won't survive the night, but it will make for one killer Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.
Related article: The Best Nail Art Ideas For Spring 2020