Nail designs are all the rage now. You visit Instagram or Facebook, or any other social media platform, and you'll find at least one post with the nail art hashtag. The catch? They're primarily about long nails. Luckily, as we've progressed in styles, patterns, and all things nail art, we can now easily access designs for short nails too. Here are the seven best designs for short nails for all you short-nailed girls out there.

Read on to find all about them.

Stripe Accent Nail Design 

Don't want to go all out? That's fine! Opt in for a simple, sophisticated stripe nail design to amp up your nail design while keeping it minimal.

Here's how you can achieve the look:

1. Start with a neutral base. The Merida shade with its peach-toned shade is a great option.
2. Add stripes on your nails to add a touch of glam to the nail design. You can choose bold colors for contrast or opt for a shimmering nail polish like the Dubai shade for a gold, metallic finish.
3. Wrap it up by applying a top coat for a glossy finish. This step is optional.
4. This nail design is relatively easy to maintain and works well for all occasions. It won't look out of place whether you're working at the office or attending a wedding.

Rainbow Stripes

What's life without a bit of color? Incorporate summer no matter the season by adding multi-colored stripes to your nails. After all, why choose one color when you can have several?

Here's how you can bring this design to life:

1. Start with a creamy white shade as a base. The Abu Dhabi formula is opaque and is an excellent background for your finished nail art.
2. Add thin lines of colorful stripes to your nails. You can choose whatever color you want. The lines don't have to be straight either. You can follow through with the latest squiggly line trend and draw your lines across the nail or just towards the top.

Floral Designs

Floral designs go well with all seasons. From photo-realistic decals to simple confetti daisies and floral accents, this type of design has something to offer everyone, irrespective of their nail art skill level.

Don't know which design to start with? Here's an idea to jumpstart your creativity:

1. Start with a nude base. You can also use a neutral or colorful base, but if you're looking for the design to pop, a sheer nude base is the way to go.
2. Use a dotting tool to place dots on your nails artfully. If you don't have a dotting tool, you can use the end of a bobby pin or a fine makeup brush to create the dots on the nail.
3. Start with a white dot in the middle and surround it with colored dots. You can also swipe the dot towards the middle to give it the appearance of a petal.

Monochrome Nail Art

Black and white are two of the most versatile colors you can use to paint your nails for a natural-looking manicure. They're effortlessly elegant and sport a very simple design.

Here's how you can nail this nail art:

1. Apply white nail polish as the base.
2. Create a line towards the middle  or by the side. It doesn't necessarily have to divide the nail into two.
3. Now fill one of the divisions with a pigmented onyx black shade like Java.
4. On the white side, make half-lines extending from the tip of the nail to the center with black nail polish and repeat on the other division with the opposite nail color.
5. Apply a clear topcoat to add a glossy finish, and voila, you're done.

Ombre Nails

Featuring two colors that gradually blend into each other, ombre nails are striking and eye-catching no matter the occasion. It involves using two or more colors to get the final ombre result.

Follow these steps to execute the ombre nail look flawlessly:

1. Apply a base coat with the lightest shade from the shade range you've chosen for the ombre design.
2. Now, take a piece of sponge and layer the colors from light to dark. Don't leave any space in between the colors. If you're uncertain about which colors to pick, use a nail set like the purple polish nail set to inspire you.
3. Dab the sponge on your nails gently a couple of times to get the desired finish. Use an up and down motion to blend the colors perfectly.
4. Once it dries, add a topcoat.
5. This design can be very messy, so make sure to clean the area surrounding the nail with a brush or q-tip dipped in soy nail polish remover.

Geometric Design

The geometric design is very versatile and works well with all kinds of striping tape placement, whether random or carefully thought of. You can use a range of colors and keep it monochromatic and casual, or add some glitter to level up the design — the possibilities are endless.

Here's how you can jumpstart your geometric nail art:

1. Start with a white base.
2. Once the base dries completely, place lines of striking tape against and opposite each other to create geometric patterns.
3. You can either layer on top of the tape with a single color or use multiple shades and shimmer shades like Meta or Dubai to fill in the small boxes created by the tape.
4. Once it dries, remove the tape and seal the design with a matte topcoat.

Yin and Yang Design

The Yin-Yang nail design is inspired by the ancient Chinese idea of dualism, light and dark coexisting. It's usually made from two contrasting colors, primarily black and white, but the shades are not set in stone. It's an excellent design with a deep spiritual meaning.

Here's how you can recreate it:

1. Start with a light-colored base like white.
2. Proceed to make a curved Yin-Yang line in the center of your nail and fill one side with black nail color.
3. Now, use a toothpick or a dotting tool to create a dot using black shade on the white side and white on the black side of the nail. Once you're done, add a topcoat.
4. You can alternate the colors as you see fit. You can also use shimmer shades. Put your nail art polish set to use and get creative.

If you're looking for more design inspiration for short nails, check out 786 Cosmetics' Instagram account. I've found that it has a great range of designs (and shades, so many shades!) to accommodate those of us with short nails. You can also visit their website to follow through with a step-by-step guide on nail art designs.

Author: Keren Dinkin