If You're Not Into Nail Art, These Minimal Looks Will Change Your Mind

When it comes to my nails, I always play it safe. I have two colourways of choice, and I've not dabbled in any nail art. Call me boring, but I'm a minimalist at heart. However, there's only so much baking I can do, so in an effort to find a new lockdown hobby, I've been dabbling in minimal nail art. 

I thought I'd start off by baby-stepping my way into the world of nail artistry. Not too sure if I should call it artistry at this point, but I tried. I also wanted some new styles to cut out and keep for when I book in for my post-lockdown manicure. Sometimes, it's best to leave it to the professionals.

If you're like me and have an aversion to wild styles gracing your fingernails, then keep scrolling for all the minimal nail-art inspiration you need. 

All that's required here is a steady hand, a crystal-clear nail polish and a statement colour of your choice. Keep it simple with a nude shade or go a little bolder with a darker hue.

Use this camel tone to carefully draw a fine line across your tips, then down and across one side of your nails. It's such a classic colour, so you might as well paint your toes while you're at it.

As this will be the coat that will be on all of your nails, it needs to be a good one. It has added retinol and raspberry leaf extract, so your nails will be protected and strengthened and fulfill all of your glossy needs. 

If you're not up for experimenting with dots and lines, you can still get in on the action by adding some tonal energy to your manicure. Go for five different polish shades in the same colour family and job done.

A colour that you'll keep coming back to with a formula that actually lets your nails breathe. A winner. 

With this manicure that's all about how precise each colour is applied, you need a super-smooth formula and a great brush. This polish ticks both of these boxes.

The ultimate khaki shade for this tonal polish party and one that will go with more outfits than you think it will.

Dots are a nail-art staple, and with the right tools, they're way easier to do than you might think. Pink and red look surprisingly low-key if you want to add in a hint of colour to your nail-art adventures.

Pastel pink is the subtle dose of colour we all need in our lives right now. This one is a softer bubblegum shade that works with all skin tones.

This shade of red can often feel intimidating, but for the colour-shy, using it to create these dots is the ideal first step. 

This set has got you covered with all of your nail-dotting needs. There are different sizes here, so you can experiment with your next mani.

There's something undeniably cool about white nail polish. It looks effortless but works as a great update for clear nail polish. To add a fresh take, create some blocks of white polish in the middle of your nails. 

A watered-down white just won't cut it for this look. This one is a solid, shiny, opaque white, and you're about to have a new polish obsession.

We're moving on from white tips into a pop of pastel. If you want to keep your nails stripped back and simple but are happy to indulge in some colour play, then sticking to the tips is a fun move.

If you're a pro in the coloured-tips game, then you can carefully swipe the brush in a freehand way. Not too sure? You can use some tape as a guide instead.

Yes, I know. It looks impossible. If you have no desire to even attempt this, then this is one for the pros when salons reopen. If you do want to give it a go, then your art is your art. Get creative and try your hand at creating some figurative designs. 

Rethink the idea that berry tones are only for winter by adding a brighter colour in the design detail.

Just look at how simple this is. There are no excuses to change up your nail look here when all you need to do is pop on some stars and pair them with your go-to polish shade.

All the stars you can ever need. Mix and match with different polish shades when you want a style refresh.

The beauty of this look is that you can't get it wrong. Mini splashes of colour with a clear base are the definition of minimalism. Go for white to get this cloud-like style, but you can also go for a shade of grey or neutral.

Make sure your nail health is in order if you're giving this one a go by keeping your cuticles nourished. 

The star of the show is just how shiny and mirror-like you can get your topcoat. Plus, when you've done all of your handiwork, you don't want anything peeling off. This is the one to go for to keep everything in place. 

Up next, your guide to the key trends for summer 2020.