9 Pretty Valentine's Day Manicure Ideas That Aren't Cheesy

Valentine's Day is usually equated with various cheesy traditions: red roses, chocolate candy, champagne, extravagant dinner plans, and manicured nails with mini-heart designs all over them. If heart nails are your thing, that's perfectly alright, but if we're being honest, they're not really ours. 

So this year, we went on a mission to find a way to participate in Valentine's Day festivities while still feeling like ourselves. That means a cool, polished outfit for whatever our V-Day plans will entail and an equally elevated manicure to go with it. We're talking about eye-catching hues of satin-lined red, glossy baby pink, and bold variations of purple that are appropriate for the occasion without feeling like they're trying too hard. Below are nine of the coolest Valentine's Day nail-color ideas we currently have on our "to paint ASAP" list. Keep scrolling!

A classic wash of red is perfectly chic all year round, but it's especially festive once Valentine's Day rolls around. Plus, it's probably one of the most universally flattering shades you can wear on your nails, no questions asked. Dior's Vernis Nail Lacquer in 999 Rouge is a cult-favorite blue-red. 

Let's retire the notion that the prettiest Valentine's Day nail colors automatically fall into the red, pink, and purple camps. We've been obsessing over Olive and June's sheer, sparkling numbers since the holiday season, and you can bet we'll be carrying this pretty light-silver number right through February and beyond. (We'll take a side of these feathers, too!) 

We always think of hot pink as red's slightly more fun, slightly wilder sister. No, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's attention grabbing and mood boosting (we dare you not to feel happy the instant you look down at your nails!), and it's one cliché we feel fine with imbibing come February. (We're also currently head over heels for everything Static Nails, from its glassy lacquers to its eye-catching press-on nails.) This shade called Unforgettable is also especially stunning on deep skin tones.

It's still winter, and yes, the days are short and dark, so we're still very much on the "dark and moody nail polish" train. That said, we love something that's more purple than black, and this fairy-tale plum called Fable by JinSoon is one color we just can't quit. Plus, we love that it's way less expected than your normal pinks and reds. 

Can't decide between hot pink and purple this Valentine's Day? Fuchsia is the prettiest compromise. (We'll be forever obsessed with the below formula from Orly—be it February or July.) 

This muted shade of red still feels festive and Valentine's Day–esque, but it's a more subtle option if a flaming shade or tamale red isn't your jam. 

A two-for-one Valentine's gift from you to you: Chanel (because duh) and a whimsical mauve paint job. (FYI: We've heard through the grapevine that mauve is going to be the It nail color of 2022.)

Predictable? Perhaps. Alas, nothing says Valentine's Day like a wispy shade of plush pink. You really can't go wrong with the classics, and Ballet Slippers is a universally flattering option we recommend again and again. 

We'd take a creamy white mani over white roses any day. Plus, an opaque shade of white is the perfect glossy neutral that still feels festive sans bright colors if that's not really your thing. 

Next: The 20 Chicest Pink Nail Colors of All Time, Ranked

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated. 

from Who What Wear