10 Beauty-Editor Approved Trending Nail Art Designs To Try Now
Save this nail inspiration for your March manicure.
After Pantone chose “cloud dancer”, a soft, clean white tone, as its colour of the year for 2026, it should come as no surprise that this year’s biggest beauty trends are beautiful in their simplicity. Calm and soft shades; subtle but not boring.
For Jessica Wade, managing director of the newly opened Dudley’s Nail Bar in Auckland’s Remuera, the prevailing trends to look out for this autumn include a mix of simple yet sophisticated nail art designs.
The former co-owner of Ponsonby nail salon Valet, Wade says this year’s manicure vibe calls for a curated approach, utilising embellishments, texture and nail art in ways that feel wholly wearable and timeless.
Think delicate diamantes set against a soapy base, foggy blues that promise calm and clarity, and ribbed glass finishes that channel your favourite morning brew.
Here are the top 10 nail trends set to take over for the rest of 2026.
Soapy French Tip
“The soapy French is the new classic – ultra-clean, milky, and softer than the traditional white tip,” Wade says.
The trend, also known as milky French tips, is already permeating runways and red carpets, including this year’s Golden Globes.
It’s described as a softer, more modern take on the classic French manicure, subbing out a stark white tip and opaque pink base for a sheer, milky nude base and a subtle, diffused tip.
Seek out shades like OPI Infinite Shine in the shade Passion, $25, to create a pale pink, sheer base, with the soft white of Manucurist Green Polish in the shade Milky White, $27, for each tip.
Simple Embellishments
Unlike the blinged-out styles of the 2000s, Wade says a few perfectly placed diamantes are expected to make their return this year.
Intentional, not overpowering, these micro embellishments add texture and interest to a simple block colour.
Channel your celestial being by layering one or two diamantes over shades that mimic moon dust, or pair with a pearlised texture for an ethereal look that’s not too out of place for daily wear.
Try it with Gelous Pastel Rhinestone Nail Art Set, $15, which includes six different shades of diamantes with flat bases, making for easy placement.
Velvet Textures
If the velvet nail trend looks familiar, you’re not wrong. It’s touted as cat eye nail’s little sister – a softer take that calls for the same magnetic polish and wand tool, just used differently.
Where cat eye nails capture the light in a bolt of chrome, velvet nails are softer, the shine is diffused to lend dimension and reflect light, not steal the show.
It’s an elegant way to level up a sheer manicure, using a pale pink or champagne base, or to soften deeper, earthier hues like chocolate browns and full-bodied reds.
The sheer, pale pink option above is ideal for a subtle hint of velvet, gleaning a pretty, pearlescent finish that transcends the seasons.
Delicate Animal Prints
Step aside tortoiseshell, leopard, and cow hide, Wade says deer print is this season’s most playful yet refined animal print.
Not kitsch or garish, Wade explains that Bambi-inspired details have come to the fore in what she calls “the most delicate, almost storybook way”.
“Moving away from bold spots, look for thin-lined, fawn spots and delicate deer-inspired designs,” she says.
Like this set, which couples a brushed brown background with tiny, deliberate white spots, akin to deer hide.
Micro Polka Dots
Polka dots were one of the biggest nail trends to emerge in 2025, but this year the playful nail trend is back in a more refined way, Wade says.
She loves creating the design on clients, “either full-finger micro dots or delicate dotted tips for a playful but polished finish”.
Try the trend on almond-shaped, medium-length nails for added impact.
Go one step further by requesting them around the perimeter of almond-shaped, medium-length nails, almost like a frame for the hero colour in the centre.
Iced Coffee Glass Nails
Foodie-inspired beauty trends are nothing new, and the past few years have delivered strawberry milk nails, glazed doughnut skin, and mocha mousse makeup.
The latest foodie trend coming for your digits is iced coffee glass nails, a trend which channels a ribbed glass full to the brim with cold brew coffee.
This textural manicure style taps into the quiet luxury aesthetic that’s become increasingly popular in nails, while highlighting two major nail trends: glazed and glass finishes.
Ask your manicurist for a sheer brown based in latte, caramel or chocolate brown hues, layered with a glossy, translucent glaze or cat eye on top to mimic swirling coffee in a glass.
Finish the look with ultra-thin, raised vertical lines using clear builder gel or a thick top coat to give a “ribbed glass” effect.
Sheer Blush Tones
“Healthy-looking nails feel effortless and expensive,” Wade says, pointing to soft pink’s prevailing popularity.
Natural-looking nails have taken on many aliases over the years, whether that’s “clean”, “lip gloss” or “glazed doughnut”, it’s clear that soft shades continue to shine.
Subtle blush hues are a perennial favourite for a reason – offering a palate cleanser from the neon-brights of summer or winter’s moody hues.
For added sheen, ask your manicurist for a wet-look manicure using a high-shine gel top coat.
Consider Essie Nail Polish in the shade Skinny Dip, $17, or Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polish in Ballerina, $66, with a lacquer of Ohora Pro Glossy Top Gel, $33, on top for extra glossy shine.
Blue’s New Mood
In our 2026 predictions, we noted how blue would be big in beauty, which extends to nail trends, too.
Denim is a safe pick (we’re convinced Dior Vernis Glossy Nail Polish in Denim, $55, works like a neutral), but it’s the muted grey-blues which have piqued our interest most.
Known as foggy blue, this quiet, reflective shade is cool but not cold – offering a sense of calm without an ounce of sadness in sight.
Viva loves Essie Expressie Nail Polish Air Dry, $17, or GAOY Jelly Nude Nail Polish in the shade Hazy Blue, $10. But if a full blue manicure feels too far from base for you, consider using foggy blue as an accent shade for a French tip or vertical stripe through the centre of your nail.
Cool Charcoal
It’s softer than black, but lends enough drama without being too overpowering. Charcoal grey feels wholly appropriate for the cooler, moodier days that lie ahead, and versatile enough to pair with just about any ensemble.
Grey nails can have a slight Halloween bent if you’re not careful, so keep your manicure short and rounded for a finish that’s chic, not scary.
Try OPI Nail Lacquer in the shade Less Is Norse, $26, or Faby Nail Lacquer in the shade Sophisticated, $20.
Themed Manicures
In 2026, let your digits do the talking.
Themed manicures play with a multitude of designs and colours, for mismatched and surprising combinations that stay chic by sticking to a theme.
Celebrity nail artist Bettina Goldstein offers a masterclass in themed manicures, with styles that ooze personality but feel polished and refined, too.
This “dirty martini” sculptural set saw Goldstein create 3D olives on her middle and index fingers using a thin brush tool and CND Brisa Glass Hard Sculpting Gel. A set like this requires maximum precision and patience, in both of which Goldstein is a master.
More beauty
A go-to guide to party season glamour, the best new season beauty buys and more.
A definitive guide to the most effective serums to use in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Pigmentation? Acne? Dehydration? These serums help treat every skin concern, at every age and stage of life.
Glitter! Metallics! Shimmer! A no-holds-barred guide to party season beauty. Prepare to dazzle this party season with our edit of unconventional beauty looks.
A beauty editor’s guide to what’s worth buying from Victoria Beckham Beauty. Victoria Beckham Beauty has landed at Mecca. Here’s what’s worth investing in.
How gait, genes and good bacteria could change the way we think about ageing. Viva’s beauty editor travelled to Cannes to find out from international experts.