23 nail designs for spring that are the epitome of joy

As a beauty editor and nail tech, you best believe as soon as there is the teeniest bit of greenery on the trees and the sun peeps through the clouds, I'm getting my spring nail polish colours out and trying out all the new nail trends and nail art designs. 

While we have colour pop,  pastel pedicures and milky nails trending, there's heaps of micro trends coming through for spring. This year, I'm going all out with the nail designs for spring. Yes, there are still lots of bright colours and springtime motifs but this in 2024, I'm also leaning into cat eye shapes, intricate art work and jelly nails. 

Keep scrolling for all the best nail designs for spring to take to your next salon appointment or save for inspiration to try at home. 

23 nail designs for spring

1. Jelly Nails

Jelly nails are nothing new but they're coming back in a major way. They're similar to the lip gloss nail trend but better because there's far more colour involved. It's essentially a wash of colour that's ultra shiny but sheer giving it that appearance of jelly. They're one of the easiest to try at home because all you need is a specifically formulated jelly product, or add a high-shine clear top coat to your favourite neon shade to create a more transparent feel. You can also play around with the airbrush trend too to create a similar look to the inspo above.  

2. Hand-Painted Masterpieces

With every year, nails get more intricate and this year hand-painted masterpieces are all over my FYP—and I can't get enough of them. From stunning landscapes to beautiful blooms, your imagination is the key to this trend. "“Floral nail art will be everywhere in 2024. It's sunny, uplifting and happy, and sparks a lot of joy," says Mylee senior ambassador, Tinu Bello.  

Definitely one to take to a nail artist who specialises in hand-painted designs. Or, if you're feeling really experimental, try these designs at home. 

3. Peachy Tones

Peach is in! Bello notes that we'll see soft girl nails morph into peachy tones thanks to Pantone’s colour of the year "Peach Fuzz". "Go with something paler with a pink hue if you have fair skin, or opt for a more orange shade if you have a medium to deep skin tone," she adds. This one is great if you're not a nail art kinda person, or like to do your manicures at home. 

4. Psychedelic Pastels

Bello is calling for Psychedelic Pastels to be a big 2024 spring trend and I'm here for it. After what felt like a particularly grey winter, I'm embracing all of the colour I can. Who said neons and vibrant hues were for summer only? Definitely not me. This is a really fun one to try at home because there really aren't any rules. Get your pastels and get swirling. If you're not confident doing your own nail art then get your hands on some fun press-ons. 

5. Butterflies

The '90s butterfly is here to stay and it just so happens to make the most beautiful nail design. Now, if you want one as intricate as this, you're going to need to visit a nail salon. But you can also try nail decals, stickers and press-ons at home to get the same effect if you want to get creative yourself. 

6. Cat Eye Shapes

Cat eye nail polish (which you might also know as velvet nails) seems to come around regularly with a new name and a fun new way to use it. This spring, we're seeing people create the most beautiful shapes using it, including hearts. This isn't an easy one to recreate though, so you'll need to either take time to practice or give your nail tech a head's up to make sure they have all the tools and have their own way of recreating the design. 

For this, you'll need gel nail polish, a magnet and a paper clip to form your design. If you don't want to make all sorts of shapes, you can just try out the regular cat eye design, which is completely beautiful in its own right.