Claudia WilliamsThe latest – and greatest – addition to the accessory world is foil nails. Perfect for a night out, a special occasion, or simply just because, you can’t go wrong adding a little pizazz to your ensemble with some amazing foil nail art and sprucing up your classic ombre nails. An easy and simple solution to any nail woes, foil nails are a fun and inexpensive way to get high-quality nail art at home. Foil nails will leave your cuticles as healthy as they were before you began. Even though foil nail art can be an easy and quick technique, the impact is incredible and you will be a master at creating beautiful designs in no time.
47+ Fabulous Foil Nail Ideas and Designs for Your Next Special Occasion
Everyone can learn to create their own beautiful nail art with foil. Whether you are an expert manicurist or are just learning how to apply nail polish, with time and patience you will be able to recreate these amazing foil nail designs.
Foil nail art is exactly what it sounds like. It is the nail art technique of applying foil over pre-painted nails to create interesting designs. These designs can be any pattern or color, and they are easily attached to the nail by using a foil adhesive and then simply pressing it on. Another great feature is that once you are ready to move onto a new design, the foil is easily removed with traditional nail polish remover.
Since foil nails have become more popular, it is easier than ever to find pre-made designs. Or, if you prefer to create your own designs, you can simply use these looks for fun inspiration.
With limitless options, the hardest part can often be deciding which awesome design to start with. Take a look over this list of fifty of the best foil nails to get inspired and start working on your own creation. Time to try something different instead of the usual burgundy nails!
1. Sexy Square Nails with Rose Gold Shimmer
If you thought rose gold nail was on its way out, think again. The neutral color serves as a decadent and sexy base coat. Those over-the-top glitter tips are an excellent alternative to traditional nail art. Fine silver lines with ball accents serve as makeshift jewelry. Is there such a thing as too much ice?
2. Short, Nude Nails with White and Gold Brush Strokes
This modern take on the French mani consists of cropped nails with ultra-glossy bases and thin white and gold brushstrokes. The nail design looks phenomenal against healthy nails. This glamorous concept lets you skip the over-the-top glitter bombs and decals.
3. Short Coffin Nails with Dusty Silver Details
These flirty medium-length coffin nails feature milky pink base coats with interspersed silver and rose gold accents. One fingernail on each hand features a white and pink gradient. The look also features a few small clusters of pearly white and silver rhinestones. We love the way the feminine palette pairs with metal trimmings.
4. Short, Nude Manicure with Gold Foil
Here we have a short, simple nail design that looks absolutely stunning on clean, healthy nails. The rounded tips and carefully prepared cuticles are a welcome alternative to over-the-top acrylic designs. We love the texture of the loosely marbled gold foil.
5. Sexy Nude Spiderweb Nails with Arachnoid Accents
‘This the season to be naughty! These nude nails feature a mix of macabre accents, including silver and black webs, black tuxedo tips, and tiny black spiders. This look is perfect for ladies who are feeling a little wicked. Are you feeling the Wednesday Adams vibes? The haunting style will help you elevate your naturally healthy nail beds.
6. Gorgeous Golden Multi-Sized Foils
A great option with foil nails is to cut them in different sizes and apply them in varying amounts to each nail. This adds interest and playfulness to your design and makes each nail look unique. It is also a great way to show off the contrast between the foil and your base coat. Try mixing and matching neutrals with bolds.
7. Multi-Textured Rocker Nails
A great use of nail foils is to be able to add another layer of texture to your nail design. This cool design plays with a different texture for each finger using stick-ons, foil, and multiple textured polishes. This is a great use of foil as an accent. No matter how much foil you use, it can make a big impact.
8. Gold Dusted Black Stilettos
Gold on black is one of the best combinations with foil and always makes for an awesome, sophisticated look. When creating this design, it is up to you how much gold to use and on how many fingers. A subtle dusting on two or three may produce the best effect.
9. Gold Marbling on Luxe Blue
When creating nail art with foil nails, gold is never a bad choice. With its naturally shiny sheen, it lends itself well to the metallic foil and can go great over the top of any color. This gorgeous design gives your cute nails an antique gold leaf look over the top of your choice of beautiful polish.
10. Autumnal Foiling over Clear Coat
A great way to create foil nails is to consider a theme and then work with those colors. Also, to add impact to the foil designs themselves, consider using a clear coat on your base so that all the attention is on your impressive foil work. With their multiple colors and designs, these nails are cute, unique, and playful.
11. Mining for Gold Foil
This super cute design makes you look like you were part of the California Gold Rush. The style is consistent on each nail with a few jewels added for effect on the middle finger. A design like this, having no strict lines or patterns, is a great choice for beginners who want a big impact but are still learning the technique.
12. Pretty in Pink with a Touch of Luxe
Adding gold to any look can often lend an element of the expensive without having to spend a fortune. The perfect place to do this in on your nails. You only need to bling out a nail or two to create a totally awesome look. Be sure to pick a complementary color for the other fingers.
13. Simple with a Hint of Whimsy
If you are looking for a cute and subtle way to use foil nails, then consider this design. With just a hint of gold foil on the edges of this nearly neutral pink, you can wear this look to the office or out for a fun evening. You can even dress it up or down by using bold colors or more foil.
14. Single Golden Eggshell Nail
One of the best ways to do foiling is to keep most of the look simple, then deck out a single nail for a lovely and impactful look. The technique used here applies a fair amount of the foiling on one nail, leaving a few cracks of the basecoat showing through. This gives it an almost speckled look that looks fabulous against a neutral polish.
15. Making a Point with Foil Nails
A fun and fairly easy design to accomplish with foil is the chevron. This simplistic arrow design can be added to a single finger or many, and can be combined with other textures and looks to make for a full set of creative nail art. Be sure your nails are long enough for multiple lines before committing to this look.
16. Pretty with Iridescent and Pastels
This look is equally suited for a warm, sunny afternoon or a lovely springtime wedding. With stained-glass style iridescent shards of foil, you have a shimmery look that sets perfectly against sweet pastels. Be sure to take your time with this one, as the straight lines of polish take extra practice to get right.
17. Rich Gold-Flecked Orange Nails
Setting gold foil against a deep color like this orange can up the level of sophistication. When choosing a color to offset the foil, the closer to the color of the foil itself the more mature the look. This subtle design, with two detailed nails, can be worn anywhere at any time.
18. Sparkling Summer Silvers
Silver foil is a great option to add brightness and fun to a look, and with this marbled design, it is easy to achieve an awesome effect. Pairing silvers with warm light colors makes it really stand out. To add more sparkle to your look, a glitter nail or two is a great complementary polish.
19. Bubbly Mermaid Stiletto Nails
There are so many ways to play with shimmery dots on your nails. Add a few here or there, or go big and add a whole bunch. It is also important to consider nail shape versus design shape. The juxtaposition of the sharp point of the nail and the round edges of the dots create a stunning and memorable effect.
20. Ruby Red with a Hint of Gold
Sometimes you want your foil nails to be like a sweet secret that only shows up in the right light. That is what you can do when you pair your foils with a color of a similar tone. The metallic sheen from the foil shines just right in the light and adds a cute sparkle to your look.
21. Bold Statement, Gold Statement
One great way to utilize the ease and fun of foils is to play with different textures and designs. These stiletto nails look fabulous, with multiple surfaces and gold leaf foil applied in all the right places to tie each uniquely designed nail together. There is true artistry in these nails which comes through in the styling and sophisticated color choices.
22. Keep it Simple, Keep it Chic
Sometimes, nails just need a little inspiration. If you keep looking at your nails and feeling like they are missing something, then you only need get some gold-flecked foil. Adding this to just one nail takes a simple look from boring to cool, yet retains an air of reserve and professionalism.
23. Mining for Just a Little Gold
Choosing to add a single gold-flecked nail can add so much interest and glamour to your look. It elevates a set of nails from regular to extraordinary. The easy addition of an accent nail is simply delightful, not only highlighting your fun side but also emphasizing the lovely simplicity of your other nails.
24. Antique-Inspired Gold Foil
These pale pink painted accent nails have a nod to weather-worn antiques with their chipped gold look. Appearing like a fine ancient varnish, weathered with time, this lovely look is set off perfectly by the bold and solid polish on the other nails. There is a romance to this entire set, making it a great choice for a date night look.
25. Square-Shaped Golden Accent
The look of fine and weathered gold leaf set off against dark square-topped nails brings drama to this look. With a clear undercoat, the golden accent nail stands out even more against the deep red polished nails. Pick up a look like this for an event or evening out.
26. Stunning White Hot Nails
These bright white square-tipped nails are already sheer perfection, but add a golden foiled accent nail and you have elevated this look from beautiful nails to nails as an accessory. Adding intrigue and vivacity to your ensemble, these nails will have you looking super cool for your next special occasion or night out.
27. Seaside Stained Glass Nail Idea
This pretty look takes angular strips of shimmery sea green foil and creates intricate patterns to resemble the look of a stained glass window. The reflective material of the foil adds to the drama, and the dark blue and rounded base nail serve to emphasize the hard angles and bright coloring of the design.
28. Bold Multi-Colored Almond Nails
When overlapping multiple colored foils in this way, be sure to double check that they go well together. You can never go wrong adding a gold into the mix. The choice here of deep royal colors is perfect, and overlaying it on the black base coat adds to the drama and heightens the vivacity of the colors.
29. Warm Night Fire Nail Design
These bright and wild-looking red and yellow foils create an intense look kindred to a glowing molten fire. Paired with jet black polish and a clean square nail, this fierce look will make you stand out in a crowd, giving you confidence that you have what it takes. Your nails are powerful, just like you.
30. Intergalactic Multi-Dimensional Designs
A fun way to play with foils is to select a theme, such as space, and then really push the boundaries of what that can look like. You can stick with traditional colors for the design like the ring finger shown here, but you can also expand on the theme to include foils that compliment your primary look.
31. Pretty and Subtle Gold Flecked Accent
This delicate design gives just enough gold foiling to an accent nail to make it interesting while not going over the top. With a few delicate diamonds and a very subtle accented index design, these ballerina cut nails are a great example of sweet and cute foil nail art.
32. Wild and Fun Vibrant Nail Art
If you are looking to apply foil nail art to your natural nails, then going with a bold and colorful design can be a fun way to make them stand out. This design uses galactic blues greys and purples to create an electric and spacey look. Combining gold and silver flecks, this design is fun, creative, and beautiful.
33. In the Nick of Time Nail Art
In a role reversal, the foil nails in this design are used for the primary nail art, and the accent art is completed with an intricate and small clockwork design. The industrial gold foil swipes on the black polish play perfect host to the fun, slightly eccentric clear gear-filled nails, lending balance to this outgoing look.
34. Shine Bright like a Diamond
If you are looking for a stiletto foil nails design that will make a big impact, then this is for you. These beautiful nails have been bedazzled with multiple layers of silver and gold foil to create a show-stopping sparkling look. Just be sure you are prepared to have your other jewelry outshined by these glittering works of art.
35. Oriental and Gold Inspired
These beautiful almond shaped nails are the perfect medium for a slight nod to the oriental, with deep marbled reds and black and an interesting gold foil accent near the nailbeds. Red and gold always create a rich, striking effect that makes both hues pop in dramatic and bold ways.
36. Bright and Pretty Posh Pink Nails
These delicate light pink nails look absolutely fabulous with a bold metallic gold foil design. The somewhat random foil impressions pair well with the straight lines of both the nails and the triangular accent on the ring finger. This design really plays with mixing the hard and soft in shape, color, and texture.
37. Romantic Wispy Golden Nail Idea
A romantic, clean, and delicate look, this design is mild enough for the office but pretty enough for a special occasion. The clear glossy finish adds to the impact of the glistening golden foil. This design can easily be applied to acrylic or natural nails and is sweet, simple, and lovely.
38. Splatter Paint Chic Nail Design
A fun technique with foil nails is to overlap them using multiple colors and sheens. Pick a complementing under color and go to town mixing and matching shiny foils one on top of the other until you have created your own Jackson Pollock-esque creation. Adding a plain nail or one with some rhinestones grounds the look.
39. Super Simple Antique Silver
This simple two-nail design is an excellent choice for those opting to do their own foil nails. It is a simple introduction and can be accomplished without much prior experience. You need only ensure that your nails are properly prepped, and you can have this lovely tarnished silver effect in no time. Pair with your favorite mellow polish for a stand-out look.
40. A Touch of Glittering Gold
A great way to use foils is to add a little something extra to fun foil nail art. The best foil accents come on nails that could already be considered art and just need a little oomph. These fun and playful nails do the perfect job of incorporating hints of the gold foil sprinkled throughout, almost like a pixie-dust accent.
41. Fashion Forward Art Nails
These perfectly squared nails, with their deep red polish, create a huge amount of interest with the addition of a few accent nails that feature very free yet refined artistic strokes of polish and foil. While the polish looks great on its own, adding the golden foil accent brings it from accessory to art, adding beauty and intrigue.
42. Wild and Free Rainbow Foils
Creating a decoupage of bright and fabulous foils can create this beautiful rainbow-inspired look. The design is ever so craftily broken up by thin veins running throughout to fashion a lovely stained glass effect, and the colors are well matched so as not to be identical but still produce the same metallic sheen.
43. Weathered Accent on Pink Nails
One of the best features of nail foils is that they range widely in their level of embellishment. This one is a study in simplicity. Taking the classic almond acrylic shape and a familiar pink tone, the tasteful addition of foil on two fingers elevates the look, giving a subtle nod to a beautiful antique aesthetic.
44. Must Be the Season of the Witch
As the leaves turn orange and the spooky things come out at night, your nails can take an autumnal turn with this delightful seasonal look. It’s not often that nails get a matte nails finish, but in this case, the black matte is the perfect contrast to the delicate foil leaves. The bold fall colors mixed with the dramatic mountain peak shape will leave you feeling just a titch witchy.
45. Golden French Tip Nails
Regaining popularity, the French manicure is a classic style. Make that chic design your own by using golden foil instead of the classic white tips. The sweet kiss of gold at the top of each nail is great for a summery day. This complete design goes great with anything and adds a touch of romance to your everyday look.
46. All that Glitters is Gold
When you decide to create a stunning sequined accent nail, it is important to give it a supporting cast of equally awesome nails. The look pictured here takes one nail to the height of drama, then adds interest and depth with black nails flecked with gold. The theme of gold is tied throughout by the delicate and perfectly applied foil.
47. Sparkle and Line Glitzy Accent Nail
These nails, which feature a slightly out of focus glitzy accent nail, do a great job of using the foil nails as a binder for the piece. Creating an almost cybernetic look with a single strip of straight silver foil, these nails hold your interest from bed to tip and refuse to make compromises or offer apologies.
48. Star Dusted Golden Sweetheart
Golden foils can create many impressions and in this design, the foil creates a look of stardust being delicately trailed over these two lovely accent nails. Following a simple and pretty pattern, the delicate pink to white nails are given life and vivacity with the twinkle of the golden nail foils.
49. Creating Galaxies out of Foil
You might get caught stargazing at your own nails with this celestially inspired foil nail art. Setting the festive colors of gold, green, and purple against space black nails creates an almost mesmerizing finish. While this will look great on professionally applied acrylics, you can also capture the same effect directly on your nails with the right mix of colors and foil. .
50. 1980s-Inspired Retro Colors
Pulling from the popular color schemes of the ‘80s, these retro nails use a light pink and blue to match perfectly with a pinkish-purple polish. Used here as a binder, the gold foil links the two colors together in perfect harmony and leads the eye to the fun and flashy rhinestone accent.
51. Peek-a-boo Angular Foil Design
Using solid black and silver foil lines to cut hard across a pretty pink nail is a bold choice that pays off. With the tip of the nail classic in pretty pink, the nail bed gets a more interesting and daring look with a triangular cut of iridescent foil over a natural backdrop.
52. A Pop of Mod Retro Nail
The design on these picture-perfect nails harkens back to Twiggy and the retro look of modern art. The splash of pink and gold foil on the white with the hard black strips creates such a strong look that it is ideal for a two-nail look. Pair it with a favorite accent color for just the right touch of modern in this foil nail art look.
53. Party Like a Pop Star
These nails are nothing if not fun. If you are looking to go all out on your night out, New Year’s party, or other celebration, then these festive nails are your best option. Utilizing foil in multiple ways, these nails put it all out there while remaining glamorous. Alternating between silver and multi-colored gives this look perfect balance.
54. The Diamond Illusion Nail Art
One fun thing to do with foil is to use it to create a nail art illusion. This design perfectly places angular pieces of foils to create a nail that almost looks like a sparkling diamond or crystal. Consider a smooth matte finish for the other nails to really bring your artistic creation to life.
55. Falling Flecks of Golden Leaves
No matter the time of year, a warm, golden-flecked look is never out of style. Reminiscent of the beautiful falling leaves, these nails radiate warmth and somehow display movement. With this design, you are free to play with the proportions and styling to create your own unique look.
47+ Gorgeous Foil Nails that You Need to Try
You have ten pretty fingers and fifty nifty ideas to get you started on the exciting trend of foil nail art. All you need now is to choose your favorite look and make your nails your canvas. If this is your first time giving foil nails a shot at home, you may want to choose one of the simpler designs to practice your hand at it first. Or, if you want to big right away with a more elaborate or acrylic-based design, share the photo at your favorite salon and ask them to work their magic. Either way, you will be sporting delicious digits in no time.
