Picture the ideal set of nails in your head; you have probably imagined smooth, slender fingers, and a well-manicured set of digits with impressive length. Time and again, it’s been ingrained that long nails mean best nails. You don’t often hear of people fawning over short nails, trimmed nails or rushing to get their talons clipped. It’s quite the opposite, in fact, with many ladies going after gel extensions instead.

But there are plenty of perks to having short fingernails, and they can look just as good as long ones. You might be skeptical if you’ve been trying to grow yours out for the longest time, even though you wish to wear your nails long to have them decorated or painted, you can do exactly the same with short nails. Even better – some designs and nail art simply look better on short nails.

Believe it or not, nail art can look just as good on short nails as long nails – sometimes, even better. This would especially be the case for manicure designs that involve florals, cutesy patterns, and candy colors. Besides, too-long nails with ostentatious 3D embellishments and glitter flakes can border on witchy if you’re not careful.

Here are some of the best trends for short nails

short nails

French manicure

French manicures are elegant and hearken back to classic nail looks from the fifties and sixties, yet they feel clean and modern at the same time. It’s minimal and doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard, but has a touch of polish and vintage nostalgia. This nail-art trend had quite the powerful resurgence over the last few years and it’s still going strong.

Not only did we see lots of the classic version of the old-made-new-again nail design, but countless spin-off iterations of the French manicure popped up. And truthfully, they’ve been hard to keep track of. So, white tips aren’t the only option. People are getting creative and giving the once-dated manicure a fresh twist by incorporating every color of the rainbow into their looks. Side-tip, inverted, double, two-toned — these are just a few of the popular twists people put on the French manicure recently.

Red nails

Red nails are back on top at the end of 2022! Why? Because red nails are gentle to the eye and romantic in their undertones, fitting best your outfit on special occasions in your life. You can glam up your red short nails with some glitter or heart motives and you will be the star of the night! Glamorous red nails, amazing! For a more up-to-the-moment nail color trending in 2022, a drop of strawberry nails or a drop of bloody red nails have found their way to the top of our nail color alternatives.

Gold foil nail style

In 2022, you have to expect seeing gold foil nails everywhere. They look very elegant and they are a perfect choice for all the seasons of the year. Gold foil is stunning, and it elevates even the simplest, most basic nail polish! Whether you’re going for a subtle manicure or an extra one, gold foil is your new best friend. One of our favorite combinations for nail designs on short nails is matte polish with gold foil, which creates a dramatic effect between two different textures. If you haven’t tried that combination yet, this is your sign to get it done ASAP!

Rhinestones Nails

To transform nail art of shortened nails, feel free to choose any rhinestones. They can be made of glass, acrylic, and polymer. Stones come in different shapes: round, oval, in the form of a drop, rhombus, triangle, and other unusual shapes. Each decorative stone creates an unforgettable effect – it shines, shimmers, surprises with the “chameleon” effect, amazes with a mother-of-pearl shine.

For short nail we suggest to go for a matte finish with rhinestones. The velvet matte finish adds depth to the color. Light shades, dark substrate colors look good with it. The shiny decor will only emphasize the nobility of the coating. A scattering of small crystals will look original. Stars, hearts, waves, stripes – the root of the nail plate can be decorated with rhinestones.

Neon nails

Like many other nineties beauty trends we love, neon is still having its moment in the spotlight. From neon eyeshadow to neon hair, there are so many ways to incorporate the bright hues into your beauty routine. But there’s an easy, and more subtle way to get in on the neon fun: neon short nails. Who said you had to settle on one neon shade? When it comes to nail art, rainbow is always a fabulous option. This multi-color, multi-nail design combines bright yellow, green, orange, red and purple hues for the ultimate fluorescent design.