I actually surprised myself by enjoying simple nails with minimal nail art. For a while, I even appreciated the calm of just wearing baby pink nails with thin white French tips. Or coral pink...– well, I still like a little spark of colour on my nails :)

So I got curious about what everyone calls Minimalist Nails or Minimalist Nail Art. I did a bit of research to try to understand how to create such designs and what they actually look like.

I found some great nail inspo, and here is what I discovered.
Most of these nail designs don't require a lot of materials. Just a certain amount of dexterity to handle the nail art liner. But don't panic. With the right tool, it's definitely possible – even for a self-taught nail artist (like myself :).

So buckle up nail enthusiasts, because we're diving into the stylish world of Minimalist Nail Art!
 

WHAT ARE MINIMALIST NAILS?

Imagine this: a universe where your nails aren't screaming for attention but confidently whispering elegance. The right amount of sophistication, just enough to create a refined style. It's like finding the perfect lipstick shade – not too bold, not too muted, just that ideal pop of chic to define the look.

Minimalist nails are neat and simple. Modern, nude, with a minimal structural design. They embody the motto "less is more" – the modern Zen of nail art if you like. Their stylized designs feature fine clean lines, geometric patterns, minimal details and decorations ; using negative space and structural contrast of monochrome colours and textures.

Their refined simplicity aspires to a modern style of sophistication that is both elegant and artistic.
 

1. THE BASE: NUDE TONES GLOSSY OR MATTE

Let's start with the base, and talk nude tones – the chameleon of nail colours and the go-to base for nail art. Versatile, classy, and always in trend. Whether you're going for a subtle shimmer or a matte finish, nude tones are the unsung heroes of Minimalist Nail Art. Opt for a sand pink to elevate the tone of your nails with a slight blush, a baby pink for a stronger nuance, or beige and brown nudes for warmer tones – those ones look really nice with black tips or lines!

My favourites for this look: Sand Dune gel polish, Well That's A Nude gel polish, Creamy Baby gel polish, Creamy Taupe gel polish and Desert Explorer gel polish.

2. CLASSIC MONOCHROME ELEGANCE

A favourite that you'll find in most Minimalist Nails is the monochrome palette.
Black & white classics, a nod to the timeless monochrome elegance. It's like the little black dress of nail art – always in style, effortlessly chic.

In Minimalist Nail Art, the game involves black, white or a single colour over nude. Some stylish nail inspo will feature black tips and delicate black dots, white French tips and white geometric designs, others will just display silver tips or gold lines, with sometimes extra little rhinestones for a discrete chic touch - there is actually a lot of Minimalist nail design options available!

But hold on, we're not stopping there. Structure and negative space, that's the secret weapon! 

3. NEGATIVE SPACE MAGIC

But what's negative space? Negative space is the art of contrasting elements using empty or white space to achieve balance, visual harmony, or intriguing composition – like the magic trick of art, when artists use the empty areas around stuff to make everything look just right.

The concept “less is more” finds its full meaning here, and to observe this concept, parts of your nails need to adopt the modern Zen allure. So how to do this practically, you ask?

First, you have to refrain yourself from wanting to "fill in the blanks". 

For example, if you want to add dots on your nails, draw 2 or 3 but not more, and under half of the nail. Leave the emptiness make the design more interesting. Revealing stylish geometric shapes, subtle lines, spiritual dots, or intriguing patterns. It's like symbolic nail art with a side of mystery – like the strange alien signs in the corn fields. Or maybe not...:) 

4. DELICATE LINE WORK: STRUCTURAL & STYLISH

Now my favourites: structural lines. Modern, stylish, crisp and elegant – they are the new sophisticated nail designs with their architectural artistic twist. 

Diagonal lines, symmetrical lines, parallel lines, V-shapes, double French tips, semi tips, thin geometric structures to modern patterns – nails become literally a canvas for artistic expression! 

5. MODERN FRENCH TIPS

Speaking of structural lines, one nail style that stands out among Minimalist Nails is the Modern French Nails design.

New lines, longer and thinner, playing with the shape of the nail to create a modern look that redefines dimensions.

Exploring symmetrical lines, half tips, geometrical tips or even dot tips – we're giving French tips a contemporary makeover they didn't know they needed!

From double tips in V-shape for stiletto nails, round and V-shape for almond nails, round and square shape for square nails, there's a French tip variation for everyone.
 

6. MINIMALIST NAILS MUST-HAVES: NAIL ART LINER & DOTTING TOOL

While creating dots on your nails is a breeze with just a dotting tool, achieving modern French tips requires a specialised cutting-edge tool: the nail art liner.

I tried different sizes of nail brushes, and personally, I find that the best for designing long lines are 20mm and 9mm nail art liners – my nails aren't too long, so the 20mm liner is sufficient for creating long lines, then I use the 9mm nail art liner to colour the tip with gel nail polish or gel paint.

I prefer nail liners with medium thickness bristles – more comfortable and easier to draw on with gel polish.

My go-to for this look: The Leopard Double Ended Nail Art Liner Brushes

Quite a captivating style to try! Minimalist Nail Art opens up an interesting world of artistry and precision for nail enthusiasts. From experimenting with negative space to mastering precise lines and creating modern French tips, there's no shortage of ways to achieve these modern and sophisticated nails. Original, artistic and challenging – I'll say that's a recipe for mastering your nail art skills!

So what Minimalist Nails are you excited to try?! 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in the comments ;)

Tutorials coming soon! Stay tuned for #MinimalistNails