Sometimes a long nail design, whether your natural nail or acrylic, just isn’t the best option for your everyday needs. We all know how inconvenient a longer nail can be when you spend your day typing, lifting heavy items or being active. Whatever the reason may be, opting for a shorter acrylic nail can be extremely versatile for all the different areas of your life.
But just because you’re opting for a shorter nail doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice cute and fun designs. In fact, short acrylic nails offer a plethora of designs that can be fun, cute, and trendy. Below we highlight 20 short acrylic nails designs and color options you can try at your next appointment.
Short and Natural Acrylic Nails
A big trend with short nails is the short and natural look which is great when you want to go for that trending “clean” and “it” girl aesthetic. This can mean different things to different people but involves a natural looking acrylic shaped manicure topped with a clear coat or a light shade of pink.
Short French Tip Acrylic Nails
A classic when going for a short nail look is to go for your classic white French tip. You really can never go wrong when going for this design. It’s simple, classy, and so versatile. Great for a busy wedding season or for an office friendly manicure. For more French tip inspiration check out our article on 20 Ways to Elevate Your French Tip Nails
Floral Design
Springtime is a wonderful time for a cute floral nail design but who says you can’t rock it at any time of the year. Going for a floral look is a great way to elevate a short nail shape and you can mix it up with interchanging solid nails and a vibrant color palette.
Electric Colors Nails
Electric and neon-colored nails are a major upcoming trend for summer 2022. Going for a fun electric or neon blue, orange, pink or yellow is a really spunky way to add some edge to your short nails. You can go bold with a solid monochrome look or spice it up with some neon geographic shapes or lines over a clear base. You can check out more summer nail trends with our 20 Summer Nail for 2022 Post.
Short Stiletto Nails
d
Short acrylics nails don’t mean you have to go for a square or round shape. You can go for a short stiletto or almond nail shape to give yourself a little more surface area to get creative with designs while still maintaining a shorter nail. If you want something less permanent, you can achieve this look with a press on nails as well.
Gold Accents Nail Design
Gold accents are another fun way to spice up your short nails. A gold French tip or design can really elevate a look while maintaining simplicity. If you want to match your favorite jewelry this can be a great option.
Swirly Nails Design
Colorful swirl designs are another popular nail design and can add a fun pop of color to a short nail shape. Go for a more tapered or almond shaped acrylic with a clear base and choose from colors like blue, orange, pink or a more neutral brown, white or black to create the swirl design.
Sophisticated Matte Short Nails
Have an upcoming date night or event calling for a sophisticated manicure? Take a gorgeous color like black or shade of red and make it matte. A matte nail can immediately elevate your look leaving you with a sexy and sophisticated nail design.
French with a Pop of Color Nails
Updating the classic French tip by adding in a pop of color can be a fun look for short nails. You can go for all one color or an array of pastels in assorted colors which is great for the spring season.
Sunshine Yellow Acrylic Nails
Yellow is another fun color to add a bit of sunshine to your short nails. You can go for a solid, make it a yellow daisy or go for a yellow smiley face design. It’s also a great color for a mood boost and to match the summer sunshine.
Modern and Minimalist Nails
Modern and minimalist designs are perfect for a neutral look with a little pop of color and design. This design is great for experimenting with geometric shapes such as triangles or squares.
Neutral Nude Nails
Neutral tones ranging from tans, nude and pink shades offer a very muted and natural look. These are great options when you need a break from flashy and bright colors or need a more natural look for the office. A solid nude is a great opportunity to try a dip nail manicure over a gel manicure. We went into depth about the process and benefits of dip powder manicures versus gel manicures in one of our recent articles.
Short Square Shape Nails
As far as nail shapes, a short square nail is extremely popular. It offers a clean look and is easy to achieve even for short natural nails. This is a great base for solid colors or a French tip. Going for a square acrylic shape helps maintain consistency in shape versus using your natural nails as well.
Cute and Tropical Acrylics Nails
For those upcoming summer months going for a cute and tropical look can be a really fun design option especially for your upcoming beach vacations. Adding in a couple palm leaf designs or a beach landscape adds a fun twist to your summer nails and can look really cute on a short nail shape.
Constellation Nails Designs
Constellation designs with moons and stars can be a really adorable look for short nails. Go for a solid black or navy and use white or gold to achieve the constellation designs and you can even add in your astrological sign for a personal touch.
Periwinkle Nails Design
As we mentioned in our 20 Summer Nail Designs for 2022, the Pantone color of the year is periwinkle. To partake in this trend, opt for a periwinkle color at your next appointment. You can never go wrong with a solid color and you’ll be sure to get tons of compliments.
Colorful Gradient Acrylic Short Nails
A colorful gradient on your nails allows you to have fun with color while staying in the same color family. For each nail opt for a different shade of your color of choice to add some variety to your shorter nails.
Fruity and Fun Nails
A fruit design is an adorable option for the spring and summer months. Pick your favorite fruit (strawberries, lemon, peaches) and deck out your nails with pieces of these cute fruits and match with solid-colored nails.
Checkered Nails Design
Checkered designs have become extremely popular in the fashion and makes an even cuter nail design. This design offers so many color combinations and looks great on a short nail especially when going for a short square shape.
Plain and Simple White Nails
For our last nail design, you can go for a plain and simple white. It’s extremely versatile, easy and stands out with any skin tone. It also looks great when paired with a white pedicure.
Short acrylic nails can still be cute and fun without the added length. They offer versatility not only through a variety of designs, shapes, and colors but also in life due to increased functionality. At your next appointment, try out one of these fun designs to bring some life back into your short acrylic nails manicure. For more white nails ideas check out our article on 20 White Nails to Rock in 2022