Prom Nail Ideas
Prom…the main event everyone looks forward. Whether it’s this year, next year or even in a couple of years, I’m sure you’re already dreaming of the perfect dress, the hairdo that will go with it and you might already have your eyes set on your potential Prom date too. However, there is one little detail that is as important as all those just mentioned; your nails. It’s not just about the colour but also the design that you want to go for and making sure that it fits in with the whole look you are going for. To help you out we are showing you 40 gorgeous prom nail designs for inspiration.
1Barely There
Simple, natural but totally chic, this look is perfect to go with a dress that has a lot of detail.
2A Hint of Sparkle
If you’re only after a slight jazz on your nails, this bit of sparkle on a matte nude base is a go to.
3French Manicure On Point
Trust us, French manicure will be a common nail design at Prom. So change it up. Give your manicure a triangular shape.
4Edge of Sparkle
Another twist to the French Manicure. Add some sparkle to the tips of your nails instead of the white tips over a neutral base.
5Geometry Night
One for the Math lovers. Choose any nail colour that goes with your dress and add different shapes. You don’t have to be sparkly to be pretty.
6Snow White and the Accented Nail
Step away from the nudes but keep it simple with a snow white shade. Then jazz up your ring finger with a textured sparkly polish.
7Golden Waterfalls
You can make glitter even more fun by creating a gradient of golden glitter starting from the edge of your nails.
8Bedazzle Me
For a more eye capturing look bedazzle a few nails with 3D jewel nail stickers. Perfect if you have a simple dress with few detailing.
9Pearl and Simple
The simplest but still beautiful jewel is the pearl. Match your pearl necklace with pearl additions on your nails for a more elegant look.
10All the Marble
One of the finest stone and most intricate effects. Recreate this effect as nail art over a white or black base or a mix of both. A glossy finish is very important for this look.
11Dressed in Gold Foil
Gold doesn’t have to be in the form of sparkle. Place pieces of gold foil over your final coating of polish for a more sophisticated and expensive look.
12Halfway There
Be more playful and do not fully paint your nail with the shade you picked. Leave some of the nail showing. Add lines for extra detail.
13Mirror, Mirror On The Nails
No need for extra nail art or special designs. This reflective nail polish creates enough of a statement nail look by itself. Keep it simple and modern.
14Modern Calligraphy
Prom is all about love and dreams coming true. So why not add the words to your nail art in modern calligraphy? Let everyone know what you’re there for.
15Wear Your Heart On Your Nail
Show your love for Prom night and maybe even your date but adding a small heart on one of the nails as an accent.
16Flower Nail Beds
Flowers are not only for the corsage. You can actual accent your nail look by adding a bed of flowers matching the ones on your corsage.
17Lacey
Lace is a form of fabric, and it can also be replicated in art. So make it feature on your nails.
18Fireworks Night
There might not be fireworks at the actual Prom night so use a glitter nail polish to recreate the explosive excitement on your nails.
19Fiercely Cute
If you want to show your fierce side add a bit of animal print on one nail. You can never go wrong with a bit of leopard.
20Ombre It
Turn your pick of colour into an ombre by gradually lightening the colour towards one end of the nail.
21Sparkle In The Dark
22Hint of Marble
23Gem Queen
24Scribbled Heart
25Nails of Bronze
26Just Gold
27Lines, Lines and Lines
28Princess Nails
29Flower Me Up
30Shine The Pinkie
31Pearl, Oh Pearl
32Frozen Vibes
33Maroon To Prom
34Golden Nights
35Chevron Styles
36Matte But Sparkly
37Lines and Gems
38All The Sparkle
39Pops of Pink
40Miss Delicate
41Gold Foil Nails
Remember, everyone will be looking at your nails when checking out your corsage. This is why choosing the right nail design for Prom is as important as choosing the right dress. In the 40 looks we chose you can see various designs. Some of these designs are similar but created using different shades of colour. This makes design selection a bit more tricky so here’s a few tips.
The crucial part of picking your design is first taking a look at how much detail your dress has. The more detail on the dress the less there should be everywhere else. You want the dress to be the centre of attention and neutral and simple designs would best fit this look. If, on the other hand, your dress is more simple and plain you can use your nail design to jazz things up. If too much is going on both on your dress, accessories and your nails then you risk losing elegance points.
Besides the design you also have to choose the shade that the whole nail look will be based on. Most of the nail looks are based on neutrals and nudes. These shades are better option if you are wearing a dress with a strong colour. If you do want to have some colour on your nails then use the ombre effect to subtly introduce it. The use of sparkly or glitter polish is also a common feature between most looks. Prom is a fancy event and nothing spells fancy better than sparkle and you definitely can’t go wrong.
Our final tip is to look at the whole look. Everything should be a balance and it shouldn’t be a fight for attention between the different features of the look. So choose your nail design carefully and maybe even try it out before.
