It’s Time for a Manicure Refresh—These Are the Chic Nail Looks I’m Itching to Try This Month
I believe each month champions different beauty aesthetics, and where a trend’s wearability and lasting impact is concerned, the easiest way to get an idea of what will be trending in the beauty space (particularly for colors, patterns, and textures), is to study what’s happening on the manicures of the most stylish people. When I’m not challenging myself on how quickly I can ID a stunning nail polish shade with little-to-no visibility, I’m asking to see the nails closer of anyone with a manicure that makes me impulsively make an appointment at my nail salon to try it.
Now, I’m not saying I show my nail tech exactly what I’d like to wear, but I enjoy giving some wide perimeters to bring my manicures to life. March has always been one of the more challenging months for me to land on a nail look to carry me into spring, but its not impossible. I scrolled through hundreds of the best manicures to wear as March rolls around, and I’m sharing all my best finds with you below that feel especially lucky, plus some predictions from a nail artist.
Which manicures will trend in March?
All notable beauty trends start somewhere, and Evelyn Lim, Chief Educator at MintLuxe’s Paintbox Studio in New York City recommends looking to the New York Fashion Week runway for pointers on what could be on the rise next. “Some trends I’m seeing for March are punk and goth inspired manicures with shades of silver chrome, black and grays seen with long stiletto nails,” she shares. Lim has also been spotting demure, pastel colors as a rising trend, with powder blue, frosty soft pink and butter yellow on short squoval nails taking the lead. “I would love to see the soft pastel colors on a micro french tip, it brings a playfulness to a timeless elegant look perfect for Spring,” Lim adds.
What are the best products to use?
If you’d like to try your hand at creating Lim’s pastel-colored micro french tip, consider investing in a paint brush that can produce smooth, polished lines. “The best part about the micro french tip is you can paint this by just using the brush from the bottle, using a corner of the brush paint a tiny french tip by gliding your brush along the free edge following the natural shape of your nails,” she says. For punk and goth-inspired designs, pick up MiniLuxe’s Pure Polish in Silent Night ($14).
To embrace the powder blue trend that started in winter, but will be just as on trend as we greet another season, consider an opaque, cool-toned blue with a whisper of white such as MiniLuxe’s Pure Polish in Fresh ($14). Why not also try your hand at Pantone’s Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, before it takes of the warm months? Lim’s top pick for a perfect match is MiniLuxe’s Pure Polish in Title Town ($14). Now that you know the shades, shapes, and finishing touches that look especially stunning in March, take a look below at how to wear them like a fashion person.
Shimmering Cashmere
Fabric-inspired manicures have been on the rise since NYFW, and these elegant taffeta nails are the best example of how light-catching nails can still be neutral. They’re a quieter approach to the richness we saw last fall with velvet manicures, with fine shimmer that adds a luminous finish.
Winter “Skittles”
While we may associate candy-colored manicure with pastel shades (with purple, pink, and orange immediately coming to mind), this manicure by San Sung Kim takes notes from the primary colors found within a bag of skittles. While its rich, jewel tones add intrigue, the addition of pastel pink keeps these nails versatile.
Matcha Swirl
When I say I want matcha green nails, this is exactly what I’ve envisioned in my mind. The matcha effect was created with a marbling technique to blend DND’s Gel Polish in Safari ($12) with their vivid white polish. The end result? A playful manicure that looks as if it’s in motion.
Animalistic Tips
In case you were wondering, the animal print trend that spiked in Winter will be taking us into spring with an unexpected twist: it beginning to be spotted on the tips of French Manicures. These nails, by Queenie Nguyen, combine grounding, rich brown tones to create a dimensional effect that feels fresh.
Gilded Cat Eye
Gilded, ultra-defined manicures are making their long-awaited return just in time for March, and we can’t wait to take notes from these playful nails by San Sung Kim. It combines to of the month’s biggest trends (cat eye nails are also seeing a gradual uptick in popularity).
Opulent Structure
While maximalist nail designs have been dominating our feeds recently, it wouldn’t be fair of me to ignore that today’s “minimalist” are less about enhancing the look of negative space, instead playing with structure and using chrome in unexpected ways like in this kintsugi-esque nail look by Nguyen.
Powder Blue
Powder blue is have a moment in the beauty and fashion, but it also happens to look particularly good on all skin tones. Nail artist Mateja Novakovic created this elegant and understated nail look by using Kinects Beauty Nail Polish in Digital ($12), which is a cool-toned blue with a hazy finish.
Eclectic Textures
It’s confirming that grunge and punk beauty may have the Gen Z TikTok users in a chokehold, but boho is right behind them with artistic, eclectic nails. Here, Nguyen combined an amber, tortoiseshell design with classic white tips, a green aura, and yellow tones completed with a single gold stud. I’m obsessed with how effortlessly fashion-forward the finished result is.
Emerald Glass
Emerald green looks stunning year-round, but wearing it Saint Patrick’s Day is extremely chic (and protects you form receiving any pinches. This manicure, by Joanne Thomas, gives the rich, green shade the glass nails treatment using The GelBottle Inc. Nail Polishes in Jet Black ($19), Hourglass Magnetic ($18), and Glass Green ($19).
Punk Touches
Punk and grunge are officially back! According to Lim, using white, black, and chrome are easy ways to pull of both of the trends. This manicure, by nail artist Stephanie Holland, offers eye-catching texture with a futuristic design that mixes chrome silver swirls and what resembles polka dots with negative space.
Pastel Play
Spring always calls for pastels, and I’m planning on combining a number of my favorite polishes that compliment my deep skin tone and whatever I may wear. I’m especially drawn to this manicure by Oksana Zavora since it features every sweet nail polish shade I can’t get enough of.
Green Leaf
The manicure by Paiwa Loves combines Y2K beauty influences (graphic nail art), with minimalist space and gilded details. While its negative space puts the gold leaves front and center, eyes are also drawn to the pops of green and white against a milky, pink base.
Throwback Patterns
I took a break from almond nails after noticing breakage from back-to-back gel polish. Four months later, I’ve returned to wearing almond-shaped nails with playful Y2K influences. The deep brown polka dots are incredibly chic, and I love the white beads, but the playful wave design gives me a dose of nostalgia.
Subtle Shine
Another green manicure that would look stunning whether you wear it for your Saint Patrick’s Day festivities. For some added light-catching shine, Novakovic added a couple small pearls to the nails. The nail artist used Manicurist’s Nail Polish in Jade ($12), green with cool undertones, for an opaque finish.
Mix and Match
Looking for any easy way to up your nail game for March? Try mixing and matching colors and patterns. For this manicure, Zavora was influenced by the patterned looks included in Dolce & Gabbbana Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection.
Shop The Best Products for March Manis
OPI
Nail Polish in Let Me Bayou a Drink
OPI
Nail Polish in Alpaca My bags
Nailberry
L’Oxygéné Oxygenated Nail Lacquer in Minty Fresh
Londontown
Kur Perfecting Nail Veil in Creamy Latté Tint
Essie
Nail Polish in Marshmallow
Essie
Expressie Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Airy Dry
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