With most of the country going back under lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, a lot of us will need to give up on our monthly manicure appointments. While this is a bit disheartening, it’s also the perfect opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and sharpen your manicure skills at home.
Start with simple nail art ideas that don’t require any advanced tools. Here are five cute and simple manicure ideas to get you started.
- 01. Gradient French tips
- 02. Summery squiggles
- 03. Colour-blocked
- 04. Confetti nails
- 05. Abstract shapes
01. Gradient French tips

Image courtesy: @__abigails_nails__
No true manicure lover can ever get bored of the classic French manicure, but if the beauty junkie in you is itching for a bit of experiment, then this lovely gradient pastel French manicure is just perfect. Instead of the usual white tips, paint your nails in five different colours, top it off with a glossy top coat and voila! Your summer-appropriate DIY French manicure is ready to flaunt.
02. Summery squiggles

Image courtesy: @hapanailz
Love colours, but prefer keeping it minimal? Here’s something perfect for you! We love the colourful squiggly lines painted on a clear, glossy base. So simple and yet so unique. Simply pick out a few different nail polish colours, dip the pointed end of a toothpick in the polish and create thin, squiggly lines as shown in the picture. Easy-peasy!
BB picks: Lakme 9 to 5 Primer + Gloss Nail Color - Pink Pace + Lilac Link
03. Colour-blocked

Image courtesy: @stroganovanails_kld
For those of you who have zero experience in DIY nail art, this blue and yellow colour-blocked manicure is super simple to recreate. The best part about this manicure is that you can play around with any colour combinations of your choice and still manage to keep your manicure game looking top-notch!
BB picks: Lakme Absolute Gel Stylist Nail Color – Taxi + Clear Sky
04. Confetti nails

Image courtesy: @__abigails_nails__
This has to be one of the simplest yet utterly stunning manicure ideas out there. The best part? It looks flattering on every nail length and shape. All you need are a few nail colours of your choice and a dotting tool (DW if you don’t have one; you can always use a toothpick, pencil, bobby pin, etc., instead). Use nude or white nail polish as a base and cover the upper part of your nail in dots of different colours. Pretty simple, no?
05. Abstract shapes

Image courtesy: @giselle.studio.shop
Looking for an easy nail art idea for short nails? Here’s something we bet you’ll love! The minimal and neat aesthetic of this stunning manicure looks great with almost any outfit and is really simple to recreate as well!
BB picks: Lakme True Wear Color Crush – 63 + 73
Main image courtesy: @made_misaki
Written by Urvi Dalal on Apr 22, 2021
Writer, avid reader and hardcore beauty enthusiast is the best way to describe Urvi Dalal. With over 5 years of writing experience in the beauty industry, you can trust her to have the latest skin, hair and makeup tidbits on her fingertips. In her time working as a beauty writer, she has had the opportunity to interact and work closely with a string of dermatologists, makeup artists and hairstylists. All that knowledge exchange, coupled with her flair and love for writing make it possible for her to bring you some authentic yet fun beauty content. When Urvi isn’t working, you’d usually catch her curled up with a big, fat book, drinking a cup of tea or practising her makeup skills; there is no in-between!