24 Pride Nails and Manicure Ideas
June is pride month, but in our opinion, you should wear bold pride-inspired styles year-round, because why not?
We’ve compiled our favorite styles that capture the glitz and glamour of pride designs that you can wear throughout June, or whenever you want.
1. Vertical Stripes
If you want to represent every color of the rainbow on a single nail, there’s no better way to do so than with vertical stripes.
Time to unscrew the caps on every one of your polish bottles, because you’re going to need them all! Use a tiny paintbrush to make delicate stripes from top to bottom, and you can pull it off with ease.
Don’t have time to make rainbows on all ten nails? Just do one accent nail to make your statement and use a uniform color on the rest.
2. Proud Polka Dots
Not all of us are blessed with a steady hand to articulate those rainbow stripes, which is why polka dots are an excellent alternative.
No need to go in for a fancy manicure - you can do this one yourself with no help. Just lay down a neutral base coat, then dot away with various colors to your heart’s content.
3. Confident Color Blocks
Don’t limit yourself to stripes or dots. You can create unique color blocks that look like mini pieces of modern art.
Use basic shapes like triangles, squares, and rectangles that seem simple at first, but look amazing once all the colors are filled in.
This design compilation from Cosmo gives us a ton of colorful inspiration to work with.
4. Pastel Rainbow Swirls
Some say that pastels are a bit too understated for pride month. The best way to use these tones is by mixing them all in a psychedelic swirl!
This design is tricky to execute for even top-notch nail techs, which is why we recommend our best-selling Miss Chella press-on nails. In just 10 minutes you have incredible pastel swirl nails!
5. Eye-Catching Acrylic
Pride month is all about being yourself, but sometimes you need an extra acrylic boost to make those nails a bit longer and stronger, especially with a month of celebration ahead.
Treat yourself to an acrylic manicure for June if you want some super-resilient nails that will last you many weeks of fun in the sun!
6. Bold Butterflies
We’ve all gone through a metamorphosis in our life, and the butterfly is a great way to represent our new selves. More confident, more stylish, and bolder than ever before.
You can paint some pretty butterflies free-hand if you have some artistic skills, but there are always stickers and decals if you want to speed up the process!
7. Full Force Half-Moon
The half-moon manicure is never out of the question and is a great format to showcase your favorite pride month colors and finishes.
It’s a simple concept: paint the lower third of your nail with the color of your choice, then fill out the rest with a neutral shade to create an eye-popping contrast. Easy and fun to pull off!
8. Wild and Free Animal Prints
This is a celebration of being loud and proud, and animal prints are the best way to express your ferocity! Leopard spots are an obvious favorite, but tiger stripes are also a classic.
We’re even seeing tons of cow print manicures out there, which is an exciting change of pace.
9. Fun New French Manis
There is a French manicure for every occasion, including pride month, so get your ideas ready ahead of time!
This article from Vogue UK compiled a bunch of classy French mani designs that incorporate full-spectrum colors, contrasted with some nice neutral tones.
10. Classy, Sassy Chrome
At a huge pride parade, the outfits are on another level! If you want to step up your game and be seen, chrome finish nails will help bring more attention to your manicure.
These nails look amazing in natural sunlight and take on a whole new personality at night. Plus, you can include any colors you want, as long as the chrome still shines.
11. Star-Studded Performance
Everybody is a star during pride month, so use your manicure to express the star power one nail at a time. Draw your own (easier than it looks) or grab a sticker pack online.
If you want an all-in-one star manicure solution, our beloved Euphoria press-on set has everything you need. Lilac background, silver stars, and a stiletto shape? Yes, please!
12. Say it Proud With Symbols
Nails are like mini-billboards that let you broadcast your message to the world. Practice your calligraphy now, because you’ll want to paint some pretty lettering for pride month.
Write out PRIDE in bold letters to cover all five fingers on your hand, or paint other symbols that best express your identity.
13. All-That Matte
If you don’t feel like glitter, gloss, or chrome, you can always opt for a low-key finish like matte. This subtle style looks great with every color, especially darker neutrals and blues.
Plus, they serve as a great canvas for rhinestones, foils, and stickers, so spice them up!
14. Street-Art Styles
Graffiti is a legitimate global art form that looks great on nails, especially when you include every color of the rainbow.
Wander your city streets for real-life inspiration or look online to see what the innovators are doing. You don’t need a can of spray paint to replicate these cool street-art designs.
15. High-Energy Emojis
Our generation speaks in a new language that can’t be matched by words - emojis!
Pick out a decal pack that includes your favorite smiley faces, starry-eyes, and any other expressions that you want to showcase your excitement for June.
16. Glamorous Gloss
Nothing matches the feeling of a fresh gel manicure, and pride month is a great occasion to splurge on a treatment you might otherwise skip.
Glossy nails look good at any time of year, but they really drive the point home during pride month. This inspo article from Allure highlights some of the best gloss looks for this celebration.
17. Just Nude? No Problem
There is definitely a sense of “go big or go home” during pride month, but if you want to dial it back for a week here and there, stick with some classic neutral tones.
You can still represent your pride with rainbows and symbols on a light cream or beige background, so make sure you have those sticker packs on deck.
18. Never Too Much Glitter
If the big event is right around the corner, be sure to load up on plenty of glitter. Use it for makeup, manicures, or just throw it in the air, because this is a party!
Coat each nail with a different type of glitter or use it sparingly to add some sweet accents.
19. Go For Gold
If you don’t have gold glitter or foil in your manicure arsenal, it’s time to upgrade. Luckily, you don’t need to pay full price by the ounce!
Just a little bit of gold can glamourize your entire look at the parade, at work, or at the parties you attend.
20. Show Love with Hearts
At the end of the day, it’s all about love, so draw some multi-colored hearts that compliment your favorite pride designs.
If you haven’t yet mastered the hand-drawn hearts, you have a ton of stick-on styles to choose from.
21. Ombre for Parade Day
Want to bring the latest nail art trends to the pride parade this year? Ombré is your ticket to the top! These gradient color schemes are visually stunning and look phenomenal with a glossy finish.
22. Make Your Message Clear
We are in a crazy political climate, and your voice needs to be heard! Tell the world what’s on your mind by supporting your favorite congressperson or protesting against injustice.
23. Go Longer than Usual
Pride month is a perfect occasion to experiment with some new shapes you’ve never tried! If you typically keep your nails short, push the length and try out some stilettos or coffins.
24. A Color on Each Finger
We always talk about accent nails, but why not flip the script and make each nail a unique color showcase? With ten fingers to work with, you can cover all the colors of the rainbow with ease.
It may take some extra time to switch between ten different polishes in a single session, but the results will be worth it.
Conclusion
The point of pride month is to express yourself, no holds barred! Use these designs as inspiration for your next manicure, or come up with something totally original.
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