Claudia WilliamsWearing birthday nails is an awesome way to bring cheer and color to your special day. When you wear a special birthday design, you will get many compliments. You will also get even more “happy birthday” wishes.
Nail art is a fun way to add color and sparkle to your everyday wardrobe. There are a wide variety of birthday motifs to choose from. Cupcake nails are trendy and adorable. You can also choose to wear candles, hearts, or polka dots. Abstract or graphic designs like polka dots are cool ways to celebrate your birthday without the obvious theme.
50 Cute Birthday Nails to Celebrate Your Day in Style
When you are choosing birthday nails for yourself or for a child, feel free to be creative. First, think about the colors you want to use. Then consider the techniques you have available and whether it’s practical to wear them to your birthday celebration.
We found a variety of fashionable embellishments to make your nails truly stand out in a crowd. From jewels to strawberries and ice cream cones, these 3D additions will make you smile. They can be as simple as a little red jewel to represent the cherry on top of a cupcake, or as elaborate as large candy sprinkles.
If you’re looking to make a big impression, try some of our long artificial nail styles. You can paint them in gorgeous shades of chrome and glitter. The beauty of artificial nails is that you can achieve the long nails of your dreams without the tiresome process of growing out your natural nails.
We have found 50 of the most amazing nails for you. Every nail addict will be able to find a super design to show off their personal style. Enjoy all of these fantastic designs and choose the best for your own birthday celebration and give those french tip nails an upgrade!
1. A Blend of Ombre Nails and Polka Dots
This sweet design starts with a gradient of white to pink and then to vivid orange nails. Then, the nails are given a fresh and festive look with polka dots. This nail art design for birthday has a youthful, fun look that would also be great for a little girl celebrating her birthday.
2. The 80s Inspired Graphic Nail Design
This fun design takes you back to the 80s with squiggles, triangles, circles, and polka dots on a solid background. The colors in this manicure are peach, robin’s egg blue, and purple. The base colors alternate on each nail. This design is a great example of how different manicure types can provide a nice look. A great alternative to stiletto nails!
3. Gradient and Graphic Lines Combined
This creative birthday nail art combines the techniques of gradient nails with graphic lines. The stenciled design resembles mermaid scales for an up-to-date look for 2018. The pretty, peach colored gel polish would look flattering on most people. The stenciled lines are impressive and will get noticed. Try this manicure in a variety of colors for different effects.
4. Short Nail Designs with Cute Sequins
This party nail design couldn’t be easier to pull off. The nails start with a coat of plain white polish. Over the base coat, oversized sequins are placed, and then a top coat is painted over the nail. The sequins bring bright color to the design, as well as bringing shine and dimension to the manicure. This design would look great on anyone and would be fun for a party guest to wear as well as the birthday girl.
5. Bows, Cupcakes, and Glittering Jewels
Combining techniques like hand painting and embellishments, this cute cupcake nail design makes a splash. The thumbnail is pale blue and striped with pink and white. The pinkie fingernail is done in blue with fun polka dots. The middle finger has a bow dividing clear polish from a glittery tip. The cupcakes themselves are accented with gorgeous jewels and a cherry on top.
6. Colorful Confetti Nails for You
This is one of the cutest short nail designs. A simple white background is combined with layers of hand-painted polka dots. The polka dots overlap and provide an effect much like a gradient. In this design, the colors are slightly muted for a sophisticated look. This design provides a more subtle way to announce that it’s your birthday. The design would look great with any festive or ordinary outfit.
7. Standout Nails in Pink Gold Chrome
Artificial nails show off their festive side in this chrome manicure. Pink gold nails is one of the trendiest nail colors out there. This perfectly smooth chrome manicure is ready for any dressy occasion, whether or not it’s your birthday. These nails are long and gorgeous with squared-off tips to make them more practical. When you’re deciding to get long artificial nails, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t wear them however you like.
8. Chalkboard Nails with an Anime Twist
A coat of matte black polish is the base for this cute nails design. On the matte black background, a variety of adorable figures are hand painted. The centerpiece is a sweet cat with a heart-shaped face. There are also winged hearts on one of the nails. Stars, Valentine hearts, and postage stamps round out the design. This would also work for Valentine’s Day.
9. 3D Birthday Nails that Stand Out
In an ambitious design, these creative 3D nails show off the best in nail embellishments. Every nail has some kind of added sparkle, with little ice cream cones, bows, and strawberries. The thumbnail is covered with pink and white sprinkles. The cupcake is the centerpiece of the design, with white frosting, a turquoise wrapper, and a shiny cherry on top.
10. Pale Pink with Chrome Triangles
These designer nails have a completely new look for 2018. Pale pink polish on half of the nail is accented by an overlay of Mylar triangles. This gives the nail shine and dimension. The novel thing about this manicure is that the nail colors extend onto the fingers themselves. This is a new feature and shows off your fashion-forward outlook.
11. Pink and Glitter for a Festive Look
These bday nails have a sweet, fresh look. They are much easier to pull off than many of the designs we looked at, though the glitter is skillfully applied. The glitter is done in a gradient pattern and gets lighter toward the base of the nail. This design would be great for kids as well as adults.
12. Tie Dyed and Marbled Birthday Nails
Marbling makes these nails look tie-dyed. The colors are applied in angled stripes and then a toothpick is drawn through the polish to create a marbled look. When the colors are marbled, they look like peacock feathers. This design doesn’t scream “birthday,” but it is certainly pretty and festive enough to make your nails the part of the celebration.
13. More Nail Art Designs from the 80s
These are truly creative nails with a 1980s twist. Rather than marbling the colors as in the example above, the colors are drawn horizontally and mixed together. Hand-painted paint splatters are added for effect. These nails will stand out in a crowd and give you a festive look for any fun occasion. Try them with an 80s theme outfit.
14. Combining Gradient Polish with Super Glitter
The subtle pink color of the base nail flows smoothly into the cream color at the tips. The ring fingernail is thickly accented with large, gorgeous glitter. The pink nails also have a hint of glitter dust to tie the design together. These happy birthday nails are always ready for a party. You can even wear them without jewelry since your nails will provide lots of shine.
15. Iridescent Pink Unicorn Nails with Sparkle
These are some of the best artificial nails out there. Fake nails are a great way to change up your look without the commitment of growing out your natural nails. This design has gorgeous, iridescent pink polish for a magical look. The nails look great with gold and diamond jewelry. They are beautiful no matter what outfit you choose to wear them with.
16. Pink Nails with Magical Glitter
These simple birthday acrylic nails have lovely glittered tips. The glitter is painted on in a gradient, starting out thick at the tips and gradually fading toward the middle of the nails. These nails are made a little more subtle by the use of a peachy pink base color. To change it up, try a black base coat or another bold color.
17. Adorable Valentine Candy Heart Nails
With colorful hearts and bold text, these birthday nail ideas are just as pretty to celebrate turning a year older as they would be on Valentine’s Day. The fun of this design is in the charming layering of the candy hearts. You could customize the messages on the hearts to make them more focused on your birthday, or leave the design as is.
18. Sweet Cupcake Nail Design with Glitter
These nails have a soft spring green base coat for a different twist. The nails are sprinkled with glitter polish in an allover coat. The colors of the glitter complement the spring green beautifully. On the ring finger, there is an adorable cupcake with a pink wrapper, white frosting, and a purple crystal heart on top in place of a cherry.
19. Amazing Rainbow Nails with Glitter
This impressive design shows off the best in nail styles. The hexagonal glitter pieces are arranged in a gorgeous rainbow gradient for a special look. These are some of the more creative nails for birthday out there. Your nails will shine like the mane of a magical unicorn. These nails will definitely make you the center of attention on your birthday.
20. Birthday Design Wrapped in a Bow
These happy birthday nails are simpler than some of the others we looked at. They are done in shades of pink and black. The cupcake nail design is pink and white with no embellishments. The middle finger has a cute bow and lettering. The first finger has a black balloon design with polka dots. This design would not be too complicated to pull off at home.
21. Starry Sky Gradient with Lovely Glitter
The cobalt blue to a purple gradient of these nails looks like the night sky after sunset. On the subtle background, the glitter stands out. These nail designs are great for a birthday or for any day when you want to bring some sparkle to the party. Try them in different gradient colors for a new look.
22. Cool Fake Nails to Make a Splash
The best artificial nails show off shapes and techniques that aren’t possible with natural nails. These long nails are pointed for dramatic effect. Each nail has a different design. One of the new styles has a peek-a-boo heart design with a lace applique showing through. Under the lace, the nail is glittered. These nails are something to wear when you really want to stand out.
23. Exciting Design with Stripes and Gold
One of the new nail trends is placing metallic embellishments over the color. These nails have a neat combination of striped polish with gold-toned additions. Seashells, diamonds, and geometric shapes make these nails stand out. The little seashell with the pearl in it is especially cute. These nails would be awesome to wear for a birthday or for any special occasion.
24. Adorable Pink Nails with Stenciled Accents
This subtle nail art design for birthday makes an understated fashion statement. The nails are painted in pink and white with accents of glitter. The wrapped present is stenciled on for a neat and symmetrical look. The ring fingernail has a design of pink, white, and glitter stripes. This design is perfect for someone who wants to commemorate her birthday without doing something crazy.
25. Super Unicorn Nails for Your Birthday
Unicorn designs are one of the nifty new nail trends. These nails stand out because the gradient is done from side to side, rather than from top to bottom as is the usual pattern. These nails also have a gradient pattern that is visible across all the nails for an exciting touch. The nails have a coat of glitter to make them stand out.
26. Hand Painted Blossoms and Golden Accents
A lovely hand painted flower design is one of the more creative birthday nail ideas. It doesn’t have cupcakes or candy colors, but it gives the nails a subtle festive look. The black matte nails base color contrasts nicely with the golden glitter on the ring fingernail. A heart embellishment is attached to the first fingernail.
27. Granite Flecked Polish with Festive Designs
The base coat of this manicure is done with a white polish with granite-like flecks of gray. This novel nail color gives an interesting twist to the design. Geometric designs like Xs, zigzags, and loops accent the nails. These creative nails would be easy enough for the home nail artist to accomplish.
28. Bold Heart Design in Hot Pink
This party nail design starts with hot pink polish. The beautiful hot pink color is ready to wow your friends. On the ring fingernail, a heart is painted. The heart is partly brushed over with white polish to give it a weathered look. This look would be ideal for Valentine’s Day as well.
29. Fabulous All Over Crystals for You
Long nail designs leave plenty of room for embellishments, like these impressive crystals. The crystals are skillfully placed to cover the entire nail. This is one of the standout manicure types with drama and flair. These nails wouldn’t be very practical for everyday wear, but for a party nail design, they are awesome.
30. Sophisticated Pink and White Classic Design
These bday nails have a fun, fresh look with pink, white, and black polish. The combination of geometric designs and a hand painted bow makes this look stand out. The reversed stripes of black and white bring the manicure a sophisticated touch. Big black polka dots accent the thumb and pinkie nails.
31. Polka Dot Gradient with a White Background
With overlapping polka dots on white, this look is simple and fresh. The polka dots are clustered at the tips of the nails and gradually fade out, much like a gradient design. The subtle look says “birthday” without being too in your face about it. The colors are subtle and pretty.
32. Candy Colored Nails with a Palm Design
This design starts off with vivid candy-colored hues of orange, pink, and blue. The ring fingernail has a lovely palm frond design that is laid on in different layers. This design brings the tropics home for your birthday. It would look great with a party dress. It combines manicure types for a fresh and exciting look.
33. Chrome Splashed Pink Nails with Glitter
This manicure has a creative approach to chrome nails. Rather than painting the entire nail in the glossy chrome polish, it is put on in a crackled coat that lessens as you move across the nails. Any nail addict would love this new way to use chrome polish. The pinkie fingernail has a contrasting silver glitter.
34. Summer Sunshine Nails with Pineapples
With this manicure, you can feel the warm summer sun. On the pinkie nail and first fingernail, the artist has painted a wallpaper type design in turquoise and in peachy pink. The middle fingernail has a coat of gold glitter. The ring fingernail is accented with a little pineapple charm.
35. Hand Painted Nail Designs with Flowers
This classy design combines a pale pink polish with gorgeous hand-painted blossoms. This sweet design would be a great way to feel special on your birthday without the bows and frills. The hand painting on these nails is especially skillful and gorgeously done. The bold color palette stands out against the pale background.
36. Snoopy and Woodstock at a Campfire
This unique design features the popular cartoon characters Snoopy and Woodstock. The two cartoon animals are sitting on either side of a crackling campfire, enjoying some delicious marshmallows. The nails are done in an all over blue color with green grass, and then the design is added on top. This look is awesome for any summer night.
37. Chrome Paint Splattered Nail Designs
These nail designs show off new ways to use chrome polish. Pink, blue, magenta, and purple chrome polishes are splashed together in a paint splatter design. These nails make an exciting contrast to most of the nail styles out there. They would be ideal for a birthday or for any time you would like to show off your sense of style.
38. Fun Mickey Ears Nail Design
These birthday acrylic nails combine hand painting with rich red glitter. The pointer and pinkie fingernails have a lovely coat of dark red glitter. The middle and ring fingernails are painted white. The nails are hand lettered with “happy birthday,” and cute Mickey ear balloons with the wearer’s age are painted on. This is a fun-loving look for the young at heart.
39. Rich Purple Nails with Shining Candles
This birthday nail art features pretty candles in shades of purple and pink. The base coat is a lovely eggplant purple with a subtle glitter effect. The candle flames are painted on in pale yellow. These nails are a super way to celebrate your birthday in style. Any fan of purple would love this nail design.
40. Polka Dots and Glitter Nails
These designer nails are easy to pull off at home. The backgrounds are done in black and candy pink. On the black middle nail, festive polka dots are hand painted. The pinkie nail has a coat of silver glitter. This design would require a little practice to get right, but it would be a great starting point for home nail artists.
41. Unique Nails with Orange Gradients
This cool design starts with a gradient between purple and orange. This unique color combination will bring a pop of the tropics to your outfit. On the two white fingernails, the artist has painted polka dots featuring the shades of the gradient. The polka dots are in a creative C shape. This design would look best with a plainer outfit to avoid clashing.
42. Tasty Cupcakes and Bold Numbers
This design would be a cute way to celebrate the first birthday for a child or loved one. The cupcakes are painted with blue wrappers, white icing with sprinkles, and bright red cherries on top. The ring fingernail is done in pale blue with a polka dotted “1”. Help your little one celebrate with these adorable nails.
43. More Delicious Cupcake Nails for You
The background of these nails is pale yellow to contrast with the blue wrapper. The icing is done in white with sprinkles. Each cherry is done with a different embellishment, from sequins to crystals. This design would be awesome to wear to a party, and wouldn’t be too difficult to attempt at home.
44. Pink, Red, and White Cupcake Nails
This design in shades of pink, red, and white brings a classy touch to the cupcake manicure. The cute hand-painted polka dots are laid out like a gradient. The cupcake has a pink background, a red and pink wrapper, and white icing with a cherry on top. Cupcake nails are a sweet way to commemorate your birthday.
45. Colorful Cupcakes and Candles with Glitter
This multi-colored design brings a new twist to the cupcake manicure. The delicious-looking cupcakes are painted on in shades of white, pink, yellow, and purple. On the first fingernail, the background is yellow and a glowing candle highlights the design. The nails without cupcakes are done in a nice solid purple color with flecks of glitter.
46. Loving Hearts with Hand Lettering
These adorable birthday nails have a bold color palette and a freeform style. Pretty hearts are scattered across a white background, and the lettering is hand-brushed onto the largest hearts. This is an easy design for the home nail artist to try. These Valentine hearts could be adapted to balloons to give more of a birthday feeling.
47. Large Glitter Pieces in an Ombre Style
This manicure features a pale pink base coat and sparkling glitter. The glitter is done in an ombré or gradient style, starting out thick at the tips and tapering down toward the base of the nail. This is one of the nicest long nail designs we found. The festive colors would make a super accent to any birthday outfit.
48. Easy Hearts and Glitter Nail Art Designs
This design is another great idea for beginning nail artists to try at home. The first finger has an allover coat of candy pink. The middle fingernail has a coat of bright white and an arrangement of hearts in various pastel colors. The remaining two nails have a glittery silver coat.
49. Cheerful Candles to Blow Out
With a little bit of a different spin on the cupcake design, this shows off the candles. The base of the nail is done with white frosting and sprinkles. The candles are hand painted in various bright shades. Each candle is lit with a yellow and red flame. This would be an awesome design for anyone to wear for their birthday, especially a child or teen.
50. Black Matte Hearts and Golden Glitter
This popular design has a beautiful pair of matte black cutout hearts. The other nails are done in gold glitter and gold chrome. The contrast in gold polishes brings this manicure a little extra panache. These nail art designs would work on short coffin nails or on artificial nails, as seen here.
50 Amazing Birthday Nails to Help Blow out Your Candles
These designs showcase a variety of nail art techniques, including hand painting, gradients, embellishments, and artificial nails. Every design will brighten your day and give your outfit some extra pizzazz. Not all of these designs are strictly birthday themed. Many of them will give any festive occasion a lift, or you can try one of these fun-loving designs for everyday wear.
If you’re new to nail art, you might want to use one of the easier designs, like polka dots or glitter. As your nail art skills increase, you can go for flashier and fancier designs. Your local nail artist will be able to help you achieve whatever look makes you shine the most. Enjoy these awesome birthday nail designs and try them for yourself.
