With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you might be thinking about your plans for the day itself. But whether it’s a romantic dinner, cocktails for two on the sofa, or a lovely walk local to you, we think it’s the perfect excuse to sport a cute themed mani to mark the occasion.

We’ve done the hard work for you, and searched high and low for some pretty nail art ideas, all inspired by the season of love—which one will you try your hand at ahead of the 14th?

Spell it out

With a nail art brush, delicately scribe the word “love” across your nails, ending the design with a heart on your thumb.

Colour block

Classic red nails are perfect for Valentine’s Day, for obvious reasons. Jazz them up with a metallic stripe, with negative space or, better yet, both!

Heart to heart

The nimble-fingered amongst you might be tempted to give these heart clusters a go. Created by the girls at Glasgow’s NAF! Salon, glossy blush pink and some pretty red hearts—what’s not to love?

The dark side

Valentine’s doesn’t mean you have to go for pink and pretty - we love this super-chic glossy black mani, complete with white hearts, for a cool take on the look. You can get your hands on lots of nail art decals, too, meaning you needn't struggle to create the heart shape yourself.

Confetti cool

When else would confetti nails be appropriate? This pretty and feminine design is easy to recreate at home too, as long as you have a steady hand!

Ombré moment

Or, if your style is a little more pared-back, or your skillset limited, get a hold of all the pink and red polishes in your collection and mimic this ombré look.

say it with flowers

Hint at what you really want this Valentine’s, with this blooming beautiful manicure idea. Keep the rest of your talons simple with clear or blush gloss, and focus all your efforts on creating the most gorgeous rose on your thumb.

Cut it out

Make the most of your natural nails with this elegant design, which uses negative space to create soft hearts - and we love the switch on the accent nail too.

Retro Love

We adore the vintage vibes of this kitsch set, making the most of the almond nail shape to create cute red hearts. Amp up the gloss for extra impact!

Keep it simple

We love the minimal-chic aesthetic of Edinburgh’s Buff salon, and this is the perfect example of a low-key Valentine’s mani that will look stylish long past the 14th…

Cool and grown-up ways to do Valentine's nail art