If you get your nails done often, you have a go-to color. Maybe you’re a Funny Bunny devotee, a Cherry Mocha stan, or a Ferrari Red girl through and through. But if you can be swayed, March is obviously the best month to try green nails. These St. Patrick’s Day nail designs will have you at least considering abandoning your favorite neutral shade for something more festive. (Bonus points: even if you forget to wear something green, no one can pinch you if you have a St. Patty’s Day manicure).
When you’re looking around online for St. Patrick’s Day nail designs, there are a lot of directions you could go. You could search for leprechaun, shamrock, or pot of gold nail art, or look for designs that include rainbows and even Lucky Charms, because why not? If you want something subtler, stick to a green shade you really love, or opt for spring designs in a lighter green hue that’ll feel fitting all month long. The holidays are also a fun time to try out nail trends you haven’t yet, so if you haven’t gotten on board with velvet nails or chrome powder, why not add some shine to your green mani this month? It can’t hurt.
1The cutest little shamrock nails
That kelly green shade is gorgeous, and the tiny little shamrocks and gold leaf accents are tasteful without being over-the-top. You could easily swap this for a darker or lighter green, depending on your preferences.
2An ombre green French manicure
Or, why choose? Pick five of your favorite green shades and let your artist blend them together into the most festive French tips ever.
3Ombre green nails, but all the way
Why stop at French tips? If you’re all in on green, cover your whole nail in your favorite shades.
4Abstract green tips
A bold green, a little glitter, and some sparkle accent art — this mani will prevent any pinches but doesn’t involve literal leprechauns and rainbows.
5Dark green and gold St. Patrick’s Day nails
These short, square nails are so chic for the corporate girls who can’t have loud and proud St. Patty’s Day nails, but still want something fun.
6Green on green shamrock nails
Don’t feel like you have to pay salon prices to get cute St. Patty’s Day nails. This artist used little vinyl shamrock nail stickers to DIY her manicure herself, and it’s so, so cute.
7Glittery green and plenty of rainbows
Why not add a pot of gold and rainbow to your manicure this month? Over top of a pretty green loaded with microglitter, this treasure really shines.
8Mix-and-match green nails
There are usually a few patterns and images popular in nail art at any given time, and right now, checkerboards are having their moment. So, work them into your St. Patrick’s Day mani, or pick a few favorite patterns and use them all.
9More green pattern play
Hearts, lightning bolts, froggies, and cute flowers for spring — these nails are green enough to pacify even the most eager pinchers, but still feel very appropriate to wear through Easter.
10Marbled green French tips
Grab a few greens and ask your artist to blend them together in a marbled French manicure. This design would look just as cool on shorter nails, too.
11Abstract St. Patrick’s Day nails
Checkerboards may replace abstract swirly nails as the current trend, but they’ll never replace them in our hearts. If you’re still into this design, do it in green for the month of March.
12Amped up abstract nails
Yes, green is the St. Patrick’s Day color, but yellow (like a pot of gold) and a dark orange (not unlike the color of a leprechaun’s beard) deserve their moments, too.
13And some abstract green designs on short nails
Short nails deserve nail art, too! And this set is proof that abstract designs look just as good on the shorties of the world.
14Green and gold striped nails
How many stripes and shades of green you can fit will obviously depend on your nail length, but if you like them long, this design would look so cool.
15Matte green nails with gold tips
If you like deeper colors, try this emerald shade of polish, plus a matte top coat and little gold leaf accents on the tips. So classy.
16Green nails with gold glitter accent nails
Again, not all manicures require a ton of expertise to do. You could easily grab a gold glitter polish and a pretty green one on your next Target run and pull off a look like this at home.
Even if you opt out of bright green nails for March, perhaps you can try again come December.