25 Simple Nail Designs 2023

Simple? Yes. Boring? Never.

Nail art can sometimes get overly complicated. And although we love a good French manicure, that's not the only simple nail idea out there. If you're a beginner, you can always try press-ons for a quick and easy look, but if you're dealing with real polish, we've done the research on easy yet eye-catching mani inspo for you. Ahead, find 25 simple nail designs we’re loving for 2023, whether you want to DIY them yourself or bring them into your salon.

Bored of the classic French mani? Try a reverse French using bold, alternating shades of polish.

Even on otherwise naked nails, the tiny design shines. For a more unexpected take, try using black polish, as seen here.

You can use any two colors to do a two-tone look, but we're smitten with this muted version from NYC nail salon Sundays.

It looks fancy, but this dyed effect is deceptively easy: Add a few drops of polish to a small bowl of water, then dip your nail in, and clean up your cuticles with polish remover. Et voila!

Florals can be as minimal or intricate as you want them to be. For something on the easy end of the spectrum, consider this design, created out of simple dots.

Swirls of highlighter-yellow polish are even more vibrant against a neutral background.

Don't call it a French: Celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik deems this look on Jennifer Lopez "glitter liner."

Who knew? Paint a few little dots and flicks, and suddenly you'll have a bushel of blueberries on your fingernails.

This abstract look hardly takes any skill at all. Add a few drops of the colors of your choice—no more than three or four, or it could get muddled—to a clean surface (like a paper plate), then take a clean brush to just barely swirl them together. Then, drag the brush once across each nail.

Using a dotting tool, blot a bit of polish in haphazard "spots" across your nail for an animal-print effect. Side note: How cute is it in white?

One dot, two dots, three dots, four: This look proves that even the smallest effort can be highly effective.

The half-moons are easy, especially with a guide like hole-punch stickers. The hard part will be choosing your fave polish shades.

Eye motifs don't have to be super-intricate. As Betina Goldstein proves, you can keep the negative energy at bay with just strategically placed blue polish and sparkles.

If you can draw a straight line, you can do this look in minutes.

All it takes to achieve this look is a Q-Tip and really good nail polish remover.

Alternate drops of amber and black polish, and barely blend together. Boom! You have tortoise nails.

You may want to see a pro for results this consistent, but you can get a similar look using a makeup sponge.

Once your base polish dries completely, use a contrasting nail shade to paint a curved line on top.

Calling all doodlers: All you need is a couple of nail polish pens to draw on this fun design.

Yours don't have to be this perfectly placed (glitter polish exists, after all). But if you have the patience, it looks pretty fantastic.

Lindy Segal is a beauty writer and editor. In addition to regularly contributing to BAZAAR.COM, she also writes for Glamour, People, WhoWhatWear, and Fashionista, among other publications. She lives in New York City with her Chihuahua mix, Barney.

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