Are you looking for a colorful nail design to add something different to your look? Rainbow nails may be perfect for you!
Rainbow nail designs will give you a ton of color on your nails, and they’re so much fun, especially for the summer season. And lest you think they might be boring, don’t worry because there are a ton of different rainbow designs to choose from.
So, if you are curious about trying out rainbow nails, keep scrolling to see our list of 20 incredibly gorgeous and colorful rainbow nail looks!
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Rainbow Nail Design Ideas
1. Mini Rainbow Design
If you want a cute and simple rainbow design, I recommend trying out this mini rainbow nail art look! With this design, you will add adorable mini clouds and mini rainbows to your nails. It’s such a cute and girly look.
Also, if you want to add something extra to the look, you can use sparkly nail polish for the base, like the pretty gold shade shown in this tutorial.
So, if you are interested in this look, check out this quick video tutorial to see how these nails are done.
2. Rainbow Splatter Nails
Rainbow splatter nails are a cool look that will make your nails stand out! There’s nothing subtle about these nails — they beg to be seen and appreciated.
For this look, you will create the illusion of splattered paint on your nails with nail polish. This is a great option if you want to use multiple colors but want to do something different than just adding literal rainbows to your nails.
If you have never tried out this type of nail design and you are interested in how to get the look, watch this quick video tutorial to see exactly how to do it!
3. Pastel Rainbow Nails
Also, another super cute way to get a rainbow-inspired nail look is by trying out this pastel rainbow design.
For this kind of look, you won’t be using super bright colors, so this will be perfect for those of us looking for something a bit more subtle.
Also, you can add something extra to this look with super cute flower designs, as shown in this video.
4. Neon Rainbow Smoke Nails
If you want a super cool and extra bold rainbow-inspired look, I recommend this neon rainbow smoke nails design.
With this look, you will create the illusion of smoke on your nails. While you could do this in any color, I think they look incredibly cool when done in rainbow shades.
This look is a bit detailed, especially if you are not experienced in doing nail designs. That said, whether you want to attempt something out of your comfort zone or want an idea to give your nail tech, watch the video above to learn how to do this look.
5. Rainbow Tip Design
One of my favorite rainbow nail designs is this rainbow tips design! I think that this look is super cool and adds rainbow colors in a subtle but also fun way.
So, if you love doing acrylic nails and you want to try out a fun new design this season, definitely check out this one!
6. Tie Dye Ombre Rainbow Nails
For those of us who like the ombre nail look, you can also get this kind of look by incorporating all the colors of the rainbow!
So, the next time you are considering an ombre nail look, I recommend adding some color to your nails with this tie-dye ombre nails look.
Also, you can make this look even more fun with some sparkly rhinestones added to your design, as shown in this video tutorial. It’s totally up to you how glam you want this to be.
7. Rainbow Animal Print Nails
Animal prints can also be used to create a rainbow nail design. If you love the y2k era, this might be a fun look you’ll want to try! (It’s very Lisa Frank, after all.)
For this look, you will be using multiple different colors for your base and adding a fun animal print design on top.
Just watch this quick video tutorial to see all the details!
8. Simple Rainbow Nails
For a pretty yet subtle rainbow-inspired nail design, I recommend this simple rainbow nail art look.
This look will give you super cute French tips with all of the colors of the rainbow. You could do the additional line across the bottom of your nail or skip it, depending on your preferences and nail art skills. Again, it’s all up to you and what you like best.
9. ’70s Rainbow Nails
If you love the ’70s era or all things retro and vintage, you will absolutely love these ’70s-inspired rainbow nails!
While you could certainly attempt these nails as a DIY if you have the skills, these nails are actually press-ons that are available to purchase on Etsy. That way, if you love these nails, you can wear them again and again.
10. Color Block Rainbow Nails
Color blocking is a super cool ’90s-inspired nail design technique that I recommend trying out with rainbow colors.
So, if you are looking to create a rainbow nail design, you can use all of your favorite colors to create a super cool color block rainbow nails look like this one.
And, if you have never tried color blocking on your nails before, definitely check out this video to see how to do it at home! You can adapt this to be as simple or complex as you like.
11. Rainbow Tips
If you want a classic French-tips look with rainbow colors, you should definitely try out this look! For this look, you will be using all of the colors of the rainbow for your French tips.
What you need to do to achieve this rainbow nail look is make sure to add at least two different colors to each of your tips, so that you can have that rainbow-inspired type of look! I love how the nail artist in this video used neon shades, but you could also do this with pastels instead.
12. Gradient Rainbow Nails
This gradient rainbow nails look is also a fun way to incorporate all of the colors of the rainbow into your nail designs.
You can also add something more fun to this look with some sparkly glitter, as shown in the nail tutorial.
These nails are done using dip powder (which is available on Amazon in kits featuring a ton of shades), but you could also achieve it with polish if you’re more comfortable with that.
13. Rainbow Sugar Nails
Rainbow sugar nails are also a gorgeous look you can achieve by using different colors and textured glitter to give you that rainbow-inspired vibe.
If you have never seen this type of nail look before, it basically gives the illusion that you have colorful sugar on your nails! And it looks even cooler when you use different colors to make a rainbow design.
So, if you want this exact look, it couldn’t be easier — these gorgeous nails are available as a set of press-ons you can apply in minutes at home.
14. Rainbow & Gold Foil Nails
If you want to add something extra to your rainbow nail looks, I recommend adding some gold foil!
Gold foil looks super cool when combined with rainbow nails, so you should definitely use it the next time you want to add some extra glam to your manicure.
And if you want some inspiration, I recommend checking out this video, which shows you a great example of the look you can create using gold foil and rainbow colors.
15. Neon Rainbow Nail Art
Using neon colors also can give you a super cool rainbow nail look! If you are interested in using neon colors to create your new rainbow-inspired nail look, I recommend checking out this video tutorial.
This tutorial will show you exactly how to get neon rainbow ombre nail art that you will love. And you can add something extra to this look with some colorful rhinestones, as shown above.
16. Glitter Rainbow Nails
Glitter rainbow nails are also a great option if you want to achieve a fun and sparkly rainbow-inspired nail look. These are so stunning — I can’t stop staring at them.
For this look, you will use multiple shades of glittery holographic nail polish to achieve a super cute rainbow look that will sparkle.
Check out this video tutorial for a guide to recreating this look at home.
17. Rainbow Drip Nails
You may have seen drip nail designs before, but have you ever thought about creating a rainbow-inspired drip nail design?
To achieve a rainbow drip nail design, you will need to use multiple different nail polish colors to create the effect of paint dripping down your nails.
The drip technique can be a little tricky to achieve at home, so if you are looking for an easier way to get this look, just purchase these stunning press-on nails to apply yourself.
18. Marble Rainbow Nails
If you love marble nail designs, you can also totally add some color to this look by using your favorite shades for a rainbow marble nail design.
As you may already know, marble nails look complicated but are actually super simple to achieve at home. There are multiple methods to get this look, and the tutorial above breaks it down step by step. You can totally do this!
19. Tie Dye Rainbow Nails
Tie-dye nails are also a super popular nail design, especially for the summer months. And they’re particularly pretty when done in pastel rainbow shades, as seen above.
Again, this nail art look seems complicated, but it’s actually simpler than you think to achieve. Watch the tutorial above to see how it’s done and you’ll be able to attempt it at home.
20. Unicorn Rainbow Nail Art
3D designs have also become very popular in recent months, and this design gives you a 3D unicorn horn look, combined with pastel rainbow colors and glitter. Honestly, what could be better?
While it’s tough to get 3D nails at home, this would be an amazing design to have done at a salon for a special occasion or Pride! Everyone is going to be obsessed with your nails.
Which rainbow nail design from this list will you be trying?
Do you like colorful nail designs? Which rainbow nail design is your favorite?