I cannot tell you the number of nail designs I have pinned and saved to my camera roll. Striking bright geometric shapes, simple clean girl nails and of course glazed doughnut looks are all stashed and ready for upcoming nail appointments. And one nail trend I have found myself gravitating towards more is butterfly nail designs.
If you thought this was merely a spring thing, think again. Butterfly-inspired nail art can be multi-season appropriate from glittery designs for the festive season to a touch of orange-y browns for autumn. While I rarely get full-blown nail designs, I love how delicate butterfly nail art can be with fine line intricate artwork. But it can err on the bolder or more abstract side of the spectrum too, with opaque nail tip designs inspired by the shapes of butterfly wings—a big nod to the Y2K that have dominated lately.
Unsure of the nail shape to pick with your butterfly nails? The best thing is that this design suits our shapes and lengths but square and oval seem to be the most popular choices to team with these designs. And then, when it comes to the base colour there seems to be one winning choice, nude. Yes, the odd pink base is favoured for an ultra-pretty style, but for the most part, butterfly-inspired nails are painted onto a plain base coat.
Here are some of the best butterfly-inspired nail designs we spotted while scrolling.
Butterly Nail Designs
1. Blue butterfly nail art
How beautiful is this fluttering butterfly nail art?
2. Cat eye butterfly nails
Butterfly nail art and cat eye nails make for a winning nail art trend combo.
3. Holographic butterfly nail art
If you don't have the steady hand of your nail tech, you can always enlist the help of nail decals to achieve the trend.
4. Negative space butterfly nail art
Butterfly wings look so cool as a negative space nail art design.
5. Watercolour butterfly nail art
The watercolour touch to this design makes it that much more delicate.
6. Glitter butterfly nail art
Glitter accents make this trend feel even more ethereal.
7. Yellow butterfly nails
This pastel yellow abstract design screams spring but you could switch to a stark white for winter.
8. Green butterfly nail art
Green nail colours are still going strong this year, and make a pretty backdrop for butterfly nail art.
9. Abstract holographic butterfly nail art
These butterfly-like tips have a touch of the psychedelic.
10. Black butterfly nails
The shape of these butterfly designs are reminiscent of the '70s. Groovy.
11. Abstract and colourful butterfly nails
Butterfly colours know no bounds so mixing and clashing shades adds to the fun of the trend.
12. Negative space abstract butterfly nail art
These abstract butterfly wing designs are less on the nose if you want something a little more interesting.
13. Butterfly French tips
Sometimes a single accent nail is the boldest kind of design.
14. Pink butterfly nails
The levels of embellishment you can add to this trend knows no bounds. The pink, the dots, the gems— more is more.
15. Butterfly prints
Cow print is another hot trend this year so why limit yourself to just one design when you can do five (or 10?)
16. Micro butterfly nail art
You can never go wrong with a classic micro design and the brightness of the blue really makes this standout even more.
17. Marbled butterfly nail art
This design really captures the beauty of a butterfly wing—abstract and unique.
18. Ombre butterfly nail art
An ombre base gives an extra layer of Y2K magic to your butterfly mani.
19. Butterfly wing nail art
This is the chic design you get when butterfly nails meet the 'clean girl' aesthetic.
20. Yellow butterfly nails
The lines on this design are a nod to the butterfly trend without going all-out cutesy.
21. Pink negative space butterfly nails
This pretty, bold design might have have made its way to the top of my 'need to get' list—it looks amazing over bare nails or a sheer pink polish.
22. Blue and gold butterfly nails
The contrast between the blue and metallic gold matched with the length and base colour screams luxury.
23. Minimalistic butterfly nails
Ok, you might not see any butterfly wings or striking colours but the black edging on the tip is just like that of a butterfly, stark but in a minimalistic way.
24. Purple ombre butterfly nails
If you took a microscope to the most beautiful butterfly wing, I'm pretty sure this is the design you'll see..
25. Abstract pastel butterfly nails
pastels on pastels within the shapes of a wing gives this design a spring-edge. Swap out the white and red lines for black ones if you want a more traditional look.
Shop The Trend:
Nail stickers make achieving the trend even easier.
A fine-tipped nail art brush will make it so much easier to do your own butterfly nail art.
These would look so pretty layered on bare nails or a nail colour.
Into 3D nail? These would look amazing.
If you can't make it to the salon, then press-on nails are the next best thing for getting intricate designs.
-
Celeb Manicurists Confirmed It—These 9 Budding Nail Trends Will Be Everywhere This SpringTo the salon!
-
Copenhagen Is the Ultimate Less-Is-More Beauty Destination—2 Fashion It Girls Share Their Insider RecsSimple, chic, and effective.
-
This Is the It-Girl Nail Trend Every Miu Miu Fan Will WearIt's far from demure.
-
In Defense of Angsty BeautyFrom "unapproachable" makeup to "anti-pretty" perfume.
-
A Spring Refresh Hates to See Me Coming—30 Beauty and Wellness Staples Currently on My Wish ListFrom ankle weights to eye cream and beyond.
-
Louis Vuitton Named Pat McGrath Creative Director of Its Upcoming Makeup Collection—Expect "Exquisite" FormulasThis marks a new era for designer makeup.
-
Selena Gomez Is Dripping in Jewels at the Oscars—Her "Peach Champagne" Mani Looks Just as Expensive*Swoon*
-
Elegant, Subtle, and Painfully Chic—Licorice French Nails Will Be *It* for SpringThis "anti-trend" is one to watch.
