So often, people assume that nail art must be inherently bold. On the contrary, we're here to shed a little light on elevated nail designs that are subtle enough for conservative work environments and sophisticated enough for black-tie affairs. The color palettes are largely more neutral and the designs more simple, but let us be clear: These nail art ideas are anything but boring.
Keep reading to discover dozens of subtle-yet-elevated nail art ideas. Be sure to screenshot the ones you want to recreate so that you have an inspiration image on hand for your manicurist (or yourself).
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Two-Lined Gold Tips
We love this simple and elegant mani that gets a dose of glam via the gold tips. Here, a shimmery gold fully outlines the tips, making the fingers look like pieces of jewelry.
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Pale Pink Marble
You can embrace one of the season's prettiest nail trends while still embracing an office-friendly nail look. Case in point: These pretty pale pink marble nails. Here's hoping they'll give you the power of rose quartz while you wear them.
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Matte Neutrals
We love a neutral nail, but adding a matte topcoat ensures the look is ultra-classy. If this look is too simple for your tastes, try adding a single patterned nail art to add some whimsy.
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Pearl Accent
A French manicure is as classy as it gets, but with the addition of one pearl on each nail, the look veers into special-occasion territory. Try using flat-back nail charms to replicate the look.
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Alternating Black and White Dots
This Chanel-inspired manicure is elegant and still simple. Here, each nails gets a clear base, but over top are black and white dots (one on each nail, in alternating colors).
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Pale Base With Gold Hearts
These clean and simple nails get a (tiny) dose of drama thanks to diminutive gold hearts painted on each. You could use a nail sticker to replicate the look, or try painting a heart using a toothpick.
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Peachy Nude
An elevated nail look can be as simple as picking a gorgeous subtle hue. Take one look at these peachy nails, and you'll know what we mean.
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Stacked Jewels
Gemstones go a long way when it comes to creating elegant nail looks. This one would be perfect for a bride (or anyone who loves a little bling).
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Abstract Champagne
This manicure might be abstract, but thanks to the subtle, glimmering nail shade, it offers a sophisticated, artsy vibe. Best of all, since it's abstract, it's easy to recreate. Dip a toothpick or dotting tool into rose gold nail polish and twirl it along each nail. Finish with topcoat.
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Traced in White
Achieving an elevated nail look doesn’t require covering all of your nails in full coats of color. Here, you can see how stunning white outlines and well-placed gems and dots can enhance your look in a minimalist way.
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Short Acrylics
Milky pink ombré nails? Talk about the most gorgeous subtle acrylics.
Byrdie Tip
One secret to a clean mani is to gently buff nails first, to help polish to stay in place. Use a high grit buffer, such as OPI Edge White 240 Grit File with a light touch, and focus on the cuticle area.
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Glitter Ombré
Pale purple glitter ombré? Yes, please! We love how the deeper color sits on the tips of the nails, moving into a lighter hue toward the cuticle.
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Rounded French Tips
Point blank: You can never go wrong with a classic French manicure.For a look like this, ask your manicurist to make the tips bright white, for contrast.
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Gold Glitter Chevron
Gold glitter chevron over dark berry creates an eye-catching contrast that’s sophisticated and fun.
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Moody French Mani
If you love a French mani's look but want to get creative with the colors, opting for a fall-and-winter-friendly palette maintains an elevated vibe.
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Black French Tips
Another option is to transform the classic French manicure into a black-tipped beauty. It’s a particularly fabulous option for black-tie affairs.
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Sparkly Mauve
Glittery pink nails can look sophisticated, too. Just opt for a mauve hue and trace the bottom with a solid metallic silver to balance the whimsical hue.
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Subtle Acrylics
Acrylic nails don’t have to be incredibly long. These square-tipped nails prove it. They also show just how alluring an asymmetric take on French tips can look.
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Milky Brown Diagonal Tips
Minimalist brown-dipped tips? Absolutely. (P.S. Nail striping tape will make recreating this nail look a cinch.)
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Khaki and Gold
Khaki and gold can make for quite the pairing. Plus, negative space gives the manicure a clean grow-out.
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Nude Hearts
Even seasonal nails can look sophisticated with the right design elements. Just look at these heart nails. With nude backgrounds and ultra-fine white lining, they look positively demure.
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Geometric Negative Space
Looking for a sophisticated manicure worthy of a black-tie affair? Look no further than these geometric stunners.
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Gold Foil Speckles
Diagonal mauve tips with gold flakes throughout? It’s one abstract design that looks subtle and undoubtedly elevated.
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Velvet Nails
Velvet nails are a great option for elevated nails, as the polish alone creates an sophisticated end look.
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Mauve Diagonals
Of course, if you prefer to keep it as simple as possible, opting to keep gold flakes out of the picture makes for a pretty manicure, too.
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Cloud-Like Tips
Whether you see hearts or clouds, these playful gold and white nails offer a fun yet sophisticated vibe.
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Berry Fade
Want to get in on the rainbow nail trend without actually wearing a bold rainbow? This pink-to-berry ombré grasps the trend while looking office-friendly.
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Minimalist Art Deco
Prefer to make more of a statement with your nails? These subtle art deco nails will make you swoon.
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Neutral Acrylics
Acrylic nails are often automatically viewed as bold. However, if you opt for a neutral polish color, you can embrace the idea of subtle acrylics.
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Tortoiseshell Tips
Tortoiseshell tips are the perfect option for the person who wants to get in on the latest nail trends without rocking a fully bold manicure.
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Chocolate Drip
This water-marbled brown ombre manicure is giving us major milk chocolate-caramel vibes. It’s a sweet look.
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Lilac Stunners
Carefully placed gold foil can go a long way. One look at these proves that they're magically elegant.
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Glitter Halfsies
Opting for only half a nail’s worth of glitter makes for a fun-yet-elegant nail look. And good news: It’s easy to recreate. Start with a base coat, then apply a strip of nail tape down the middle of each nail, and paint glitter polish on the side of the tape. Remove the tape once fully dry and finish with a topcoat.
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Nude Fade
This is probably the subtlest rainbow mani we’ve ever seen. We love the mix of neutral tones.
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Tiny Evil Eyes
Teeny evil eyes make for almost undetectable nail art. In other words, très elevated.
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Nude Abstract
Nude and white always pair beautifully for a simple (but stunning) look. This one, in particular, is easy to DIY. All you need is a nude base with white squiggles and dots on top.
36 Classy Nail Designs For Special Occasions