Spring Nail Ideas for 2023 (With Pics!)

March 12, 2021 (updated March 29, 2023)

Wondering which polish shades to swipe on your nails this spring? Spring nail ideas are heading your way with riffs on winter trends and a fresh take on the neon nails we’ve been seeing everywhere the last few years. Peep the below picks for spring nail polish colors perfect for spring, all from nontoxic brands.

A close up of a hand with green french manicure nails.
My take on the micro French mani trend with a fun citrus hue.

By: Nicolle Mackinnon

We’ve been focused on glazed donut nails, bright neon French tips and pastels in past years, and the transition into spring 2023 is just as fun and playful. You’ll see the usual lean towards yellow-toned grass greens, soft blues and purples, orangey-reds and allllll the pinks (ground-breaking) again this season, but the new class of spring colors is also mixing things up. Here’s what’s hot hot hot for manis this spring.

IN THIS POST:


A close up of a hand with painted nails holding onto a nail polish bottle.
credit: @oliveandjune

Lip gloss nails

Coined “lip gloss” nails by celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik, this is the mani you’ve probably seen everywhere, all the time. It flaunts the same shiny, just-applied-cuticle-serum finish as the glazed donut nails of yore (aka fall/winter) but it uses a sheer or very light nude/pink that matches your skin tone as your base. Probs the easiest of the season to achieve, IMO.

RELATED: Read our complete guide to nontoxic nail polish here, to learn about what to look for in nail polish + our top nontoxic nail polish brands. 


A close up of a hand with pastel painted fingernails.
Trying out the new Olive & June spring colors on my nails.

Muted citrus nails

Editorial nail artist and CEO of the Nailing Hollywood agency Mazz Hanna told The Zoe Report to keep your eyes peeled for more muted citrus shades rather than the bright-bright we’ve seen the last couple spring and summers. “Think the inside of a lemon, lime and orange rather than the vibrant outside peel,” she explained.

RELATED: Summer nail polish ideas.


Micro French manis

Frenching your mani has been making a comeback in the last year especially, but spring’s take on this long-time trend is to go micro. Cut those nails to a natural length and shape them, and then use a nail art brush to get a micro French mani in whatever hue you choose—no white-and-sheer-pink combo needed.

RELATED: The best nontoxic nails brands.


A close up of a hand with sparkly painted nails.
credit: @amyle.nails

Velvet nails

This was a HOT trend coming out of winter, and it shows now signs of stopping—it’s just morphing to accommodate lighter shades. The finish is atypical to your usual shiny top coat (think a matte printed photograph vs. the glossy finish from the 90s). Velvet nails are going for a soft, fuzzy lewk. While lots of nail salons will use magnetic polish or a dip powder to get this effect, we still prefer to achieve it the less-toxic way, aka a matte top coat. Try merely finishing your metallic mani with a matte top coat to invigorate your nails without having to dip (pun intended) into the possible NO THANKS ingredients in conventional polish.

RELATED: The best natural nail polish removers.


A woman plays chess with painted fingernails.
credit: @dazzle_dry

Upgraded nude nails

You’ve heard of the no-makeup makeup look, and this season, it’s all extending to your nails. It’s all part of the minimalist trend (aka “recession core”) that historically has grown out of recession times. But keeping your nails simple with a nude color to match your skin tone doesn’t have to be boring. It’s a put-together look that goes with any maximalist outfit, and works for everything from working from home to a cocktail party.


credit: @themaniclub

The classics

It’s so easy to see why a classic red, a navy blue, a beautiful taupe or a silky greige defies all trends. Simple, classic and classy, these monochromatic manis are so easy to replicate at home, especially if you have something as foolproof as Olive & June’s at-home mani set. Don’t forget the cuticle pusher and the glossy top coat!



Spring Nails FAQ

What nail polish colors are in right now?

For spring 2023, we are seeing these colors/styles trending: Lip gloss nails, muted citrus, micro French manis, velvet nails, upgraded nude nails and the classics are always safe. Learn more about how to achieve these looks here.

What is a good spring nail polish color?

Try these nail polish colors for spring 2023: Lip gloss nails, muted citrus, micro French manis, velvet nails, upgraded nude nails and the classics are always safe. Learn more about how to achieve these looks here.

Are Cote products clean?

Not all CÔTE products are currently benzophenone-1 free (including some of our picks above), which you can read more about in our full nontoxic nail polish guide. But, if you’re wondering, here’s a list of the polishes we confirmed ARE benzophenone-1 free…
Colors: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 27, 32, 38, 41, 43, 46, 50, 55, 56, 61, 71, 96, 98, 99, 110, 111,119,120,121,122, 123, 124, 125 and… Growth with Garlic Base Coat, Protective Base & Top Coat, Quick Dry Top Coat, Smoothing Base Coat, Resurface & Repair Base Coat & Strengthening Base & Top Coat.


What’s your fave look for spring?

xo, nicolle in cursive

TNK Team Note: This article contains affiliate links. TNK uses affiliate links as a source for revenue to fund operations of the business and to be less dependent on branded content. TNK stands behind all product recommendations. Still have questions about these links or our process? Feel free to email us.

By Nicolle Mackinnon

Nicolle Mackinnon is TNK's content manager. She has a penchant for vegan lip color, cold-brew coffee and helping women feel empowered to make informed choices about their health by opening them up to new information and trends. Better, clean beauty is just one outlet to changing the way we shop and live.

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