• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Treatment Files Blog Europe's no. 1 beauty booking app
  • Home
  • Massage
  • Body
  • Face
  • Hair
  • Hair removal
  • Nails
  • Book your treatment
    • Massage
    • Body
    • Face
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Hair removal
  • Log in
    1. Home
    2. Trends
    3. Short nails: 30 designs and ideas to take to the salon

    Short nails: 30 designs and ideas to take to the salon

    Published on 11 April 2022 - Last updated on 1 July 2022 by Beth Ryan

    Just putting it out there – short nails are criminally underrated. Yes, they’re super practical, and – let’s face it – a lot easier to manage than long nails (have you ever tried to open a can of coke with long nails? Shudder). What we don’t give short nails enough credit for, though, is just how pretty they can actually be. 

    Short nails kind of have a reputation for being less feminine, less show-stopping, and less befitting of the endless amazing nail art designs you’ve been saving on Instagram (just us?). Plus, if you’re a nail-salon lover, you might think that short nails aren’t worth the trip; that they don’t make enough of an impact on your look. Spoiler alert, though: we’re about to show you why *none* of that is true. 

    Whether you’re a fan of intricate nail art, or a gold old-fashioned all-over colour, there’s something for everyone. For those after something elegant and chic – a classic or modern French Manicure is a sure-fire winner. Or, add an (even more) modern twist by opting for the reverse-french mani. 

    For a more trendy look – go big with metallic polishes and finishes, accents in pearls and rhinestones, and fun abstract nail art. (Think: Euphoria vibes). Or, if you’re looking for your new fave nail colour, we’ve got you covered here.  

    Our top tip for short nails:

    Opt for gel, shellac, BIAB, or another semi-permanent option when it comes to your short nails manicure. They’ll stay perfectly glossy and remain chip-free for the duration of your mani (around 2-3 weeks). 

    So, whilst we’ll always love an oh-so-extra long-nailed look – you can probably see we’re kind of obsessed with the elegance of a short nail manicure at the min. They’re just a little more versatile and much more transitional (profesh enough for a work meeting but cool enough for that hot date later on). Plus, you can type at your laptop without waking up the neighbours, and put on tights without immediately poking holes through them. Win-win. 

    Book nails ➡️
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    • block image
    Images: Shutterstock, Instagram: @betina_goldstein, @nailsbykly, @nails.by.nadine.basingstoke, @nails.bab, @amyle.nails
    • Share on Facebook (opens new window)
    • Share on Twitter (opens new window)
    • Share on LinkedIn (opens new window)
    • Share on WhatsApp (opens new window)
    • Share on Pinterest (opens new window)
    • Share on eMail (opens new window)
    Primary Sidebar
    Book beauty that switches you on
        You gift it. They live it.

        You gift it. They live it.

        One gift card. All the treatments. From massages to manis, blowouts to back waxes. Endless options, instant joy, and loved by all.

        Give the Treatwell Gift Card

        Newsletter

        You may also like
        • The Little Venice waterfront in Mykonos Town: whitewashed houses with colourful wooden balconies at the sea's edge, the turquoise Aegean beyond, and white and teal café tables set out across a stone-paved terrace in the foreground.

          Mykonos in full glamour: a guide to booking hair, nails and beauty across the island

        • A hand wearing the electric mani on a Pioneer DJ jog wheel, neon French tips in animal print and swirls

          Meet Jenny Longworth: the nail artist behind Rihanna, Harry Styles, and Treatwell’s summer Electric Mani

        • An aerial view of Playa de Palma in Mallorca, with a long curve of golden sand, rows of beach umbrellas, calm turquoise water, and a palm-lined promenade running alongside the city, with hills in the distance under a clear blue sky.

          Where to book beauty in Mallorca, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • YouTube
        Footer
        Navigation
        • Massage
        • Body
        • Face
        • Hair
        • Hair removal
        • Nails
        • Treatwell.ie
        Discover
        • Hair
        • Hair removal
        • Massage
        • Nails
        • Face
        • Body
        • Treatwell gift cards
        Company
        • About Treatwell
        • Legal
        • Disclaimer

        Copyright © 2026 Treatwell -